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South Korean group BTS has become the first musical group to surpass 10 billion streams on Spotify in a single year.
The group’s label, BigHit Music, said Friday that BTS is the first group in the world to reach the mark in one year. Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency reported the figures, which more than doubled from 4.5 billion streams in 2025, driven largely by the band’s fifth studio album, "Arirang," released in March.
Solo artists including Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Bad Bunny have previously reached 10 billion streams in a year. BTS is the first group to do so, according to BigHit Music.
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"Arirang," released March 20, has accumulated more than 5 billion Spotify streams, making it the most-streamed album among 2026 releases. It drew attention as the group’s first full-group project in nearly four years, arriving after all members completed their mandatory military service and reunited.
The album recorded more than 110 million streams on its release day, and Spotify’s newsroom said it became the most-streamed K-pop album in the platform’s history on March 20.
The album also became the first from a group to top the Billboard 200, the main U.S. albums chart, for three consecutive weeks since Mumford & Sons’ "Babel" in 2012.
Billboard has also reported that BTS is the first pop group to pass $500 million in cumulative ticket sales, with its ongoing "Arirang" world tour.
BTS debuted in 2013 and is regarded as one of the world’s most successful K-pop acts. The figures highlight the group’s international reach and the global popularity of South Korean pop music, which has expanded through streaming platforms and social media.
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