LONDON, March 27 (Reuters) – K-pop stars BTS topped the UK music charts on Friday, with their comeback album and its lead single both going straight to No. 1.
BTS, who went on hiatus in 2022 so that members could complete South Korea’s mandatory military service, released their 10th studio album “Arirang” last week, which their record label said sold nearly 4 million copies in its first day.
“Arirang” topped the UK albums chart as well as the vinyl albums charts, the Official Charts Company said in a statement. The seven-member group, made up of Jimin, Jung Kook, Suga, RM, V, Jin and J-hope, also topped the UK singles chart for the first time with the album’s lead single “Swim”.
“Arirang” also topped albums charts in Australia and Germany on Friday.
As part of their comeback, BTS performed to tens of thousands of fans in Seoul last Saturday in their first concert in more than three years. Authorities shut down the city’s historic downtown, though turnout was far smaller than expected.
The hour-long outdoor concert in Gwanghwamun Square was streamed live on Netflix, and drew 18.4 million viewers worldwide, the streaming platform said. The broadcast ranked among Netflix’s weekly Top 10 in 80 countries and topped the chart in 24 countries, it said.
BTS, who kick off a global tour starting next month, made their debut in 2013 and helped turn Korean pop music into a global phenomenon with their upbeat songs and dances, building a huge and loyal fan base around the world.
(Reporting by Marie-Louise GumuchianEditing by Gareth Jones)
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