SEOUL, June 23 (AJP) - BTS' fifth studio album, "ARIRANG," has been named one of the best albums of 2026 so far by four major music and culture publications in the United States and Britain, the group's agency BigHit Music said Tuesday.
U.S. pop culture outlet Complex included the album on its midyear list on June 11, followed by British daily The Telegraph on June 13, Rolling Stone on June 15 and British music magazine NME on June 16.
Released on March 20, "ARIRANG" marked BTS' return to full-group music following the members' completion of their mandatory military service. Its title refers to Korea's best-known traditional folk song, which is closely associated with the country's cultural identity.
Rolling Stone described BTS' comeback as one of the biggest developments in global music this year and praised the group for expressing its Korean identity through the album. NME called BTS "the world's biggest boy band," while The Telegraph described the seven-member act as "the face of K-pop."
The recognition comes as BTS moves into the European leg of its "ARIRANG" world tour. The group performed two shows in the southeastern port city of Busan on June 12 and 13.
BTS will open the European leg with shows in Madrid on Friday and Saturday. The group is scheduled to perform 10 concerts across five European cities.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
