Big Hit Music announced on Tuesday that the fifth studio album from BTS, Arirang, has secured a spot on several mid-year ‘best of’ lists compiled by prominent music media outlets across the United States and the United Kingdom.
Rolling Stone magazine highlighted the record in its roundup of «The Best Albums of 2026 So Far». The publication described the band’s highly anticipated comeback as the «biggest news» of the year and praised the seven-member group for showcasing their Korean heritage through the stellar new release.
Similarly, the British music outlet NME commended the album for perfectly capturing the essence of the group. The publication noted that Arirang successfully blends the band’s cultural roots with international influences and selected the song «Body To Body» as the standout track. The Telegraph also featured the release in its own mid-year compilation, referring to the hugely popular septet as «the face of K-pop».
In a separate achievement for the group, the music video for their 2015 hit single «I Need U» has recently crossed the 200 mln view threshold on YouTube. The track served as the lead single for their third EP, The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 1, and notably earned the band their very first number-one trophy on a terrestrial television music chart broadcast.
