BTS’ 'Arirang' named one of best albums this year so far

BTS‘ fifth studio album “Arirang” has been chosen as one of the best albums released in the first half of this year by a series of major music media outlets in the US and UK, according to label Big Hit Music on Tuesday.

“The biggest news has got to be the return of BTS,” Rolling Stone magazine said in its list of “The Best Albums of 2026 So Far,” adding that the septet “showcased their Korean roots with the excellent Arirang.”

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The album is “an apt characterization of what they’ve always done — mixing the cultural heritage of their home country with global influences [. . .] BTS are back doing what they do best,” wrote NME, picking “Body To Body” as the key track.

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British daily newspaper The Telegraph also included the album in its best-of list, calling the group “the face of K-pop.”

Separately, the music video for BTS’ 2015 single “I Need U” surpassed the 200 million mark on YouTube. The single is the main track from the group’s third EP “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 1,” and is its first song to come in first place on a terrestrial music chart show.

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