BTS rewrite Spotify history with record-breaking Arirang pre-saves

Global music icons BTS have set a new benchmark on streaming platforms before their latest album even reaches listeners. Their fifth studio record has captured 1.49 million pre-saves on Spotify within two days, claiming the top position on the platform's Countdown Albums Chart.

This achievement marks the strongest performance by any Asian artist since Spotify began tracking pre-save data, whilst also securing the second-highest total amongst all musicians worldwide. The album, titled Arirang, is scheduled for release on 20 March 2026.

Big Hit Entertainment confirmed the news on Friday following an earlier announcement on January 5 via Weverse. According to the agency, the project will examine the personal growth and reflections of all seven members during their time apart.

The group has named their record after a centuries-old Korean folk melody that holds profound cultural weight across the peninsula. This traditional song, which scholars believe dates back at least six centuries, has no single composer or definitive version. Instead, it exists in roughly 60 distinct forms with over 3,600 regional interpretations, all sharing the central refrain "arirang, arirang, arariyo."

Both North and South Korea successfully petitioned UNESCO to recognise Arirang as Intangible Cultural Heritage, with entries accepted in 2014 and 2012, respectively.

The melody carries what Koreans describe as "han" — an untranslatable feeling that blends heartache, yearning and sorrow with strength and optimism. Lyrics typically address heartbreak, distance between loved ones, hardship and loss, though they also celebrate endurance and patriotism depending on regional context and performance style.

Reunion stands out as another central theme, which supporters of the band have connected to the members' recent military obligations that kept them separated from group activities.

The word itself has sparked academic discussion. Some language researchers argue that ancient Korean used "ari" to mean beautiful and "rang" to indicate a singular person, potentially translating to "the beautiful one." Alternative interpretations suggest "ari" expressed intense longing, making the full term a poetic statement about missing someone deeply cherished.

During Japan's colonial occupation, the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, and the subsequent split of the country, this folk song emerged as a powerful emblem of Korean identity and defiance. Documentation from the independence movement shows it was sung as an act of cultural preservation when Japanese authorities attempted to eliminate Korean traditions.

The forthcoming release will contain 14 songs and represents the first time all members have recorded together in almost four years. Their last collaborative project, the compilation album Proof, appeared in June 2022. Before that, Map of the Soul: 7 arrived in February 2020 as their most recent original full-length work.

Physical copies will come in several configurations: "Rooted in Korea," "Rooted in Music" and "Living Legend" editions. Platform-exclusive versions will be sold through Weverse, along with a "Travel Tag CD Box Set." Collectors can also purchase a limited red vinyl pressing and individual coloured vinyl editions designed for each member.