#阿里郎

BTS's Jimin Shows "Taegukgi Fashion" on a US Stage for Liberation Day — Historical Meaning Conveyed through the Geon-Gon-Gam-Ri

BTS's Jimin conveyed historical meaning through an outfit inspired by the Taegukgi (the Korean national flag) on a US concert stage for Liberation Day. Commemorating Liberation Day with styling evoking the Taegukgi on a US stage far from Korea, he drew the interest of fans at home and abroad. Stage Attire Bearing the Geon-Gon-Gam-Ri On the 15th (local time), Jimin took the stage at the BTS world tour "ARIRANG" concert held in Arlington, Texas, USA. That day, Jimin showed a hairstyle accented with red and blue hairpieces, and wore a top with a design rendering the Taegukgi's trigrams—the "Geon-Gon-Gam-Ri" (the four trigrams on the flag)—in beadwork. As the day of the concert was Liberation Day, Jimin's styling drew even more attention. After the show, a staff member also posted Jimin's photo along with a Taegukgi emoji on social media, revealing that it was a design commemorating Liberation Day and adding to its meaning. On that stage, elements evoking the Taegukgi could be found not only in Jimin's attire but in that of other members as well. Reflecting on the Meaning of Liberation Day That day was Liberation Day, commemorating Korea's freedom from Japanese colonial rule in 1945. Jimin reflected on the meaning of Liberation Day with red and blue hairpieces evoking the Taegukgi and an outfit with the Geon-Gon-Gam-Ri pattern. Last year, on the 80th anniversary of Liberation, Jimin also drew fans' attention by wearing a cap with a Taegukgi patch in the US. In that a world star didn't forget where he came from and revealed that identity in the most natural way, this styling carried a special meaning. Warmth Shown Off Stage At the concert, another side of Jimin was also captured. During the show, he gave a young fan a keyring and gently patted their head. When this news spread, fans left various responses to Jimin's warm consideration, sharing how moved they were. Since the Arlington concert, Jimin has been named one of the most-mentioned BTS members in the US, once again showing his presence there. The "ARIRANG" World Tour in Progress BTS, the group Jimin belongs to, reunited as a full group this past March and released their fifth studio album "ARIRANG." Starting in Goyang this past April, the group has been continuing the "BTS World Tour 'ARIRANG.'" As BTS's performances—grounded in the Korean language, music, and sensibility—continue on stages around the world, the cultural expressions of Jimin and the other members are also expected to draw international interest. Jimin, embracing the colors and patterns of the Taegukgi on a US stage on Liberation Day, remains a moment that naturally showed Korea's history and identity on a world stage.

BTS's V Shares Everyday Moments with the Members — A Witty "Been a While?" Update

BTS's V drew fans' attention by sharing welcome everyday moments spent with the members. With the members appearing in this update after a while, it gave fans a strong sense of delight. An Update Delivered with the Witty "Been a While?" On the 10th, V posted several recent photos on his social media along with the witty line "Been a while?" In the revealed photos, V captivated attention, radiating his signature free-spirited, hip charm. In particular, from a black-and-white close-up selfie making a playful expression toward the camera to a shot exuding overwhelming aura on stage, he packed in a wide range of charm. Even the Close Everyday Moments with the Members Along with this, the members' welcome everyday moments were conveyed just as they are, giving fans deep emotion. In a mirror selfie, the members alongside V were captured, adding to the delight. Also included were Jungkook's natural look as he lay comfortably asleep on a sofa, RM's heartwarming visual caught at a bowling alley, and a mirror selfie taken while working out with j-hope at a gym—showing off an unchanging, close-knit teamwork. Fans who came across the photos showed hot interest with reactions like "I screamed the moment I saw his face," "j-hope, Jungkook, and RM—so heartwarming," "Seeing the members together brings me to tears," and "Counting down the days to the comeback." BTS Carrying on Full-Group Activity Meanwhile, BTS, the group V belongs to, has been carrying on full-group activity—releasing its fifth studio album "ARIRANG" this January, then holding a comeback performance at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul in March. From April, it embarked on the world tour "BTS WORLD TOUR ARIRANG," meeting global fans. As the members' updates are shared, fans' anticipation for their next activities is rising further.

BTS's "ARIRANG" Re-enters Billboard 200 Top 10 at No. 9 — "NORMAL" Returns to the Hot 100

Four months after its release, BTS's fifth studio album "ARIRANG" is still showing staying power on the global charts. The album re-entered the Billboard main album chart's Top 10, and its tracks built their presence anew on charts around the world. No. 9 on the Billboard 200 — the Week's Biggest Gain On the latest chart released by Billboard on July 28 (dated August 1), "ARIRANG" rose to No. 9 on the main album chart, the Billboard 200. That's a jump of a full 17 places from the previous week — the largest gain on this week's chart. With this, "ARIRANG" has now spent a total of 13 weeks in the Billboard 200's Top 10, breaking its own record for the longest Top 10 run by any Korean artist's album. This week, "ARIRANG" sold roughly 40,000 units, up 62% from the previous week, a jump attributed to the release of a special vinyl edition adding two tracks ("Voice Message: Love Song" and "NORMAL"), which drove sales. Billboard also credited BTS's performance of "Dynamite" at the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup Final halftime show on July 19 (local time) as a positive factor in the album's rise. The globally broadcast stage drew in new listeners and prompted longtime fans to revisit the album, the outlet explained. "NORMAL" Re-enters the Hot 100, Global Charts Climb Too The album track "NORMAL" re-entered Billboard's main songs chart, the Hot 100, at No. 33. The song first entered at No. 41 on the chart dated April 4 and held on for three weeks, then re-entered on the strength of its music video and Korean-language release on July 17. "NORMAL" reached its own peak of No. 4 on the Global 200 and No. 2 on Global (Excluding U.S.). The title track "SWIM" placed at No. 10 and No. 5 on those two charts, respectively. Along with "SWIM" and "NORMAL," six "ARIRANG" tracks — including "Body to Body," "2.0," "Hooligan," and "FYA" — spent 18 consecutive weeks on the Global (Excluding U.S.) chart. The new song "Come Over" re-entered that chart at No. 133, and "Dynamite" at No. 140. The results stand out on component charts too. "NORMAL" took No. 1 on Digital Song Sales, while "ARIRANG" rose 17 places from the previous week to No. 2 on Vinyl Albums, reached No. 3 on Top Album Sales (up nine places), and No. 28 on Top Streaming Albums (up ten places). No. 3 in France, Too — the World Tour Effect Its overseas chart results continued as well. On the French Music Association (SNEP) "Top Albums" chart (week of July 24), "ARIRANG" rose 13 places from the previous week to No. 3. The result came right after the "BTS WORLD TOUR 'ARIRANG' IN PARIS" concerts held July 17–18 at the Stade de France in Paris, showing the tour and chart performance moving in tandem. The North American Tour Continues BTS continues its world tour on August 1–2 at MetLife Stadium in New York, USA. Moving from Paris to North America, the group carries "ARIRANG" further along its global journey. With the album still showing staying power across the charts four months after release, attention turns to how it performs through a second half of the year filled with tour dates.

BTS Won't Submit to the 2027 Grammys — Divided Views on the New "Best Asian Pop" Category

BTS has announced it will not submit music for next year's Grammy Awards. Coming amid the debate over the Grammys' newly created "Best Asian Pop Music Performance" category, the decision is being read as a de facto objection. Here's a rundown of what happened. What BTS Said On July 29, all seven BTS members posted an identical message to their Instagram Stories: that they had decided not to submit to the Grammys this year. The members added that they hope music can be heard and loved for its own sake rather than being distinguished by region or language, and thanked ARMY and everyone who is always by their side. In the message, BTS did not directly mention a "boycott" or any specific category. Still, the line pointing to distinction "by region and language" is read as aimed at the newly created Asian pop category. Their agency, HYBE, drew a line by clarifying that this is not a company-wide, blanket boycott. What New Category Was Created The trigger was a new category announced in June by the Recording Academy, which presents the Grammys. The Academy said it would add five categories, including "Best Asian Pop Music Performance," starting with the 2027 ceremony. The category covers popular music that originated in or is widely recognized across Asian markets, such as K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop. A song must make meaningful use of one or more Asian languages, and songs sung entirely in English are excluded. The Academy explained that it created the award in recognition of Asian pop's growing influence on the global music industry. "Recognition" or "Separation"? Split Views Reactions to the new category divided sharply. Those who view it positively call it official recognition of Asian pop's global impact. There was also hope that it could open new opportunities for K-pop artists who had yet to win at the Grammys. Indeed, right after the category was created, several outlets named BTS as a leading contender for it. Those who raise concerns , on the other hand, criticize grouping the distinct musics of Korea, Japan, and China within a single "Asian" fence of region and language as a Western pop-centric view. The point is that cordoning off Asian artists — who already lead the global pop market — into a separate category could actually distance them from the main, all-genre categories. Concerns were also raised that the criterion excluding English-language songs could work against certain works. Rather than declaring either side right, it's more accurate to see this as a matter where two readings — "inclusion" and "separation" — are locked in tension. BTS's decision has, in effect, amplified that debate. BTS and the Grammys: The History So Far BTS was the first K-pop act ever nominated at the Grammys. They were first nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with "Dynamite" at the 2021 ceremony, earned another nod with "Butter" the following year, and in 2023 landed three nominations — setting the record for the most by a Korean act. Across their career they've received five nominations, but have yet to win. The Grammys, for their part, have long faced criticism for being conservative toward non-white artists. At the 68th ceremony this past February, "Golden," from the soundtrack of "KPop Demon Hunters" — counted among last year's biggest hits — won only one category, Best Song Written for Visual Media, while BLACKPINK Rosé's "APT." was nominated but did not win. What Remains to Watch BTS did not entirely close the door on future participation with this decision; its stance is that it won't submit for this particular cycle. Its fifth studio album "ARIRANG," which posted strong results on Billboard's main album chart (Billboard 200) and singles chart (Hot 100) right after its March release, was eligible for nomination — but the group chose not to submit it at all. With a group as globally influential as BTS taking a stance, the debate over the "Best Asian Pop" category looks set to continue in the music world for some time.

BTS, 'SWIM' and 'NORMAL' Side by Side in the Global Top 10 — Title Track and Album Cut Both Chart

BTS has once again proven their unmatched staying power, landing both their title track 'SWIM' and album cut 'NORMAL' in the upper ranks of the global charts side by side. The fact that a title track and a b-side from the same album are sharing the top 10 nearly four months after release makes their firepower all the more impressive. Two Tracks Climbing the Spotify Global Chart Together According to Big Hit Music on the 19th, 'NORMAL' from BTS's fifth studio album 'ARIRANG' re-entered the Spotify 'Daily Top Songs Global' chart at No. 9. Meanwhile, title track 'SWIM' held steady at No. 8 on the same chart, with both songs landing in the top 10 at the same time. Looking more closely, 'NORMAL' re-entered the chart dated July 17th at No. 9, proving its staying power, and a new single featuring a Korean-language version of the same track also debuted at No. 78. It's pretty rare to see an album cut bounce back like this outside of its initial release period. 'SWIM's Record-Breaking Run, and 'NORMAL's Second Wind Title track 'SWIM' has already been writing its own remarkable history. It held No. 1 on Spotify's 'Daily Top Songs Global' for an incredible 25 consecutive days from March 20th to April 13th, and has continued to stay in the upper ranks for around 17 weeks since then. Sustaining that kind of momentum in a global streaming landscape flooded with major new releases is seriously no easy feat. Now with 'NORMAL' adding fuel to the fire, the album's overall strength has gotten another boost. The Korean version of 'NORMAL' topped the iTunes 'Top Songs' chart in over 70 countries and regions worldwide — including the US, UK, Germany, and Brazil — as of the morning of July 19th (KST), showing that the global fandom's energy is still very much burning. The 'NORMAL' MV: A Glimpse of 'Everyday Life' Behind the Stage BTS dropped the music video for 'NORMAL' via Spotify on July 17th. The video captures the members' ordinary, everyday moments tucked away behind the glitz of their performances — quiet, unguarded scenes after the spotlight fades, visually bringing to life the calm and understated emotion at the heart of the song. 'NORMAL' previously debuted at No. 41 on the US Billboard 'Hot 100' dated April 4th, spending a total of three weeks on the chart. Produced by world-renowned producer Ryan Tedder, the track is known for its smooth, conversational sing-rap flow. The lyrics, which honestly unpack the emptiness and fear that can exist behind the spotlight, have resonated deeply with fans. European Tour Finale in Paris, Then the World Cup Final Stage BTS's journey on stage has been just as massive. On July 17th and 18th (local time), they successfully wrapped up the European leg finale of 'BTS WORLD TOUR ARIRANG' at the iconic Stade de France in Paris, France. As the last stop of the European leg, Paris held a particularly special meaning for fans. And right after that, an even bigger global stage awaits. On July 19th (local time), BTS is set to perform at the halftime show of the '2026 FIFA North & Central America World Cup' final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey (officially named 'New York New Jersey Stadium' for the World Cup). Sharing the stage with global pop icons like Madonna, Shakira, and Justin Bieber, this historic halftime show — with overall creative direction by Coldplay's Chris Martin — is already generating massive anticipation worldwide. From streaming charts to a world tour to the World Cup stage — it's definitely worth sticking around to see how BTS continues to fill the summer of 2026 with unforgettable moments. Streaming chart rankings on Spotify, iTunes, and other platforms are based on announcements from Big Hit Music and each chart's respective tallying period (July 17–19), and are updated daily so they may vary depending on when you check. Album chart performance and the World Cup halftime show lineup have been confirmed based on reporting from Billboard, FIFA, and major international media outlets.