Spotify

The fervent interest of global music fans in BTS’s new release is being borne out in the numbers.

According to HYBE Music Group label BigHit Music, BTS’s fifth full-length album ‘ARIRANG’ (Arirang) surpassed 4 million pre-saves on the global audio and music streaming platform Spotify on the 7th. After topping 1 million just two days after pre-saves opened, the tally continued to climb and reached 4 million. Attention is now on how high the pre-save count will rise over the remaining two weeks until the release.

On the 4th, ‘ARIRANG’ once again took No. 1 on Spotify’s “Countdown Charts Global,” holding the top spot for seven consecutive weeks. This chart aggregates pre-save counts for albums and singles ahead of release. It serves as an indicator of global music fans’ level of anticipation.

BTS will release ‘ARIRANG’ at 1 p.m. on March 20 and will hold ‘BTS Comeback Live: ARIRANG’ (BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE｜ARIRANG) at 8 p.m. the following day, the 21st, in the area around Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. The performance will be broadcast live via Netflix, allowing listeners worldwide to enjoy it together. The previously released trailer captured ARMY’s (the fandom name) cheers resounding from past concert venues and visuals of the seven members against the backdrop of Gyeongbokgung Palace, heightening expectations to a fever pitch.

Meanwhile, the new album contains 14 tracks that capture ‘BTS as they are now.’ The title track ‘SWIM’ sings of a mindset of continuing to swim forward through life’s waves without stopping. The resolve to calmly get through the surging currents at one’s own pace is expressed as ‘a love of life.’ RM oversaw the lyrics, adding authenticity to the song’s message.