NEW YORK — BTS has reclaimed its position as a sales powerhouse in 2026 with the March release of "Arirang," posting massive first-week numbers that outpaced recent efforts from rivals like Stray Kids and underscored the group's enduring commercial dominance even after a lengthy hiatus.

"Arirang" debuted with 641,000 equivalent album units in the United States in its first week, including 532,000 pure album sales — the largest sales week for a group album in over a decade. The figure marked BTS' best U.S. sales week and propelled the album to No. 1 on the Billboard 200, where it spent multiple weeks at the summit.

Global figures for "Arirang" have been even more impressive. The album surpassed 4 million copies in its opening 24 hours in South Korea and has been recognized as one of the top-selling releases worldwide in 2026, with strong contributions from physical formats including vinyl variants that drove significant numbers.

Stray Kids, meanwhile, maintained strong momentum throughout 2025 and into 2026 with consistent chart-topping releases. The group achieved a historic streak of eight consecutive No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, a record among K-pop acts that surpassed BTS' previous mark of six. Albums like "Do It" and others delivered robust U.S. sales,........

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