BTS has passed a Spotify milestone that, until this month, only solo artists had reached. Here is what was announced, who confirmed it, and where the numbers come from.
Did BTS really become the first group to reach 10 billion Spotify streams in a year?
Yes. On Friday, October 16, 2026, BigHit Music said BTS had become the first group to pass 10 billion Spotify streams in one calendar year . The label made the announcement, and Yonhap, The Korea Times, The Korea Herald and UPI all reported it the same day .
Quick Answer: BigHit Music announced on October 16, 2026 that BTS has passed 10 billion Spotify streams this year. BTS is the first group to do this. Solo artists Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Bad Bunny had already reached the mark. Last year, BTS had about 4.5 billion Spotify streams.
Last year BTS songs drew about 4.5 billion Spotify streams, so this year's total is more than double . UPI and other outlets describe the rise as roughly 122 percent. They worked that out from the 4.5 billion and 10 billion totals. The label did not give a percentage itself . Reports credit the increase to "ARIRANG," the group's fifth studio album, which came out in March 2026 .
BTS is not the first act to reach 10 billion Spotify streams in a year. According to BigHit Music, as reported by Bernama, the solo artists who got there first were:
- Taylor Swift
- Ariana Grande
- Bad Bunny
The new part is the group category. BigHit says no group had reached 10 billion Spotify streams in a single year before BTS .
A note on sourcing: every figure here comes from BigHit Music as reported by the media, including the 10 billion total, last year's 4.5 billion and the album figures covered later. Spotify has not published these totals itself. The numbers are best read as the label's own count, carried by Yonhap and other outlets. Korea JoongAng Daily also covered the milestone.
How does BTS compare with the solo artists who reached 10 billion before?
BTS is the first group to pass 10 billion Spotify streams in a single year, but it is not the first act. According to BigHit Music, solo artists Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Bad Bunny reached the same mark earlier, as reported by UPI on October 16, 2026 . BTS's record is about being a group, not about outranking those three.
That is how the label describes it. The Korea Times reports BigHit Music's statement that this is the first time a group has topped 10 billion streams on Spotify in a year, with Swift, Grande and Bad Bunny named as the solo acts who did it first . None of the reports give those artists' yearly totals next to BTS's. So the published information does not show whether BTS streamed more or less than any of them in a given year.
The clearer comparison is BTS against itself. The group's songs had about 4.5 billion Spotify streams last year, so this year's 10 billion is more than double . Outlets including Bernama put the jump at roughly 122 percent. They worked that out from the two totals; the label did not give a percentage itself . The reports link the rise to the fifth studio album, ARIRANG, released in March.
| Artist | Act type | Spotify streams in a year | Status per BigHit Music |
|---|---|---|---|
| BTS (2025) | Group | About 4.5 billion | Below the milestone |
| BTS (2026) | Group | 10 billion+ | First group to reach 10 billion |
| Taylor Swift | Solo | 10 billion+ (exact figure not reported) | Reached it earlier |
| Ariana Grande | Solo | 10 billion+ (exact figure not reported) | Reached it earlier |
| Bad Bunny | Solo | 10 billion+ (exact figure not reported) | Reached it earlier |
The table shows only what the reports say. The solo artists are listed as having reached 10 billion in a year, without a year or total, because The Korea Herald and the wire reports name them without giving either .
What did the ARIRANG album did on Spotify?
ARIRANG is BTS's fifth studio album and the main reason the group passed 10 billion Spotify streams this year. According to BigHit Music, the album alone has passed 5 billion Spotify streams since its release. That is the highest total for any album released in 2026 . That one album accounts for about half of the group's yearly total, according to The Korea Times.
The Korea Times reports that the album came out on March 20, 2026 . The same paper says it was released after all seven members finished their mandatory military service and reunited. It calls ARIRANG the group's first full-group project in nearly four years, as reported by The Korea Times and Bernama.
The label's October 14 figures show how far ARIRANG is ahead of other 2026 releases. The second-highest album this year is Olivia Rodrigo's "You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love," released in June. ARIRANG's 5 billion is about 2 billion more than that album . Bruno Mars' "The Romantic" and Harry Styles' latest album both came out a few weeks before ARIRANG. The same report says each has reached roughly 1 to 2 billion streams .
The streams are spread across the whole tracklist, not just one song. Track figures from the same report:
- Lead single "SWIM" is close to 1 billion Spotify streams .
- All 14 tracks have passed 200 million streams each .
- "No. 29" is also over 200 million. It is an instrumental track built on the sound of the Sacred Bell of King Seongdeok from Korea's ancient Silla kingdom.
The album started strongly on the charts. On release day, its 14 tracks took the top 14 spots on Spotify's Daily Top Songs Global chart, according to The Korea Herald . Outside Spotify, Yonhap reports that ARIRANG was the first album by a group to top the Billboard 200, the main U.S. albums chart, for three weeks in a row since Mumford & Sons' "Babel" in 2012 . Only Yonhap has reported that record so far.
Outlets give different first-day stream counts. The Korea Times/Yonhap report one number and Korea JoongAng Daily reports a higher one. Because the reports disagree, this article does not give a first-day figure. All the album and track totals above come from BigHit Music as reported by the press. Spotify has not published them itself.
What have BTS said about ARIRANG at Spotify's New York event?
BTS talked about ARIRANG at "Spotify In Conversation With BTS," a Spotify event at Pier 17 in New York hosted by Suki Waterhouse (video: Spotify). The members said they recorded the album in Los Angeles and lived together there for two months. They also said a documentary about that period is planned (video: Spotify).
Waterhouse described the album as the group's return after about four years apart. She said it was inspired by Korea's most beloved love songs and is about finding the way back home (video: Spotify). The Korea Times gives similar background. It reports that ARIRANG was released after all seven members finished their mandatory military service and reunited (source: The Korea Times, 2026-10).
Host Suki Waterhouse called ARIRANG an album "about finding the way back home" during "Spotify In Conversation With BTS" at Pier 17 (source: Spotify on YouTube). This wording comes from the research summary of the video, not a full transcript.
The conversation also covered the album's music videos and track list:
- Waterhouse said the "SWIM" music video was shot in Portugal and features Lili Reinhart (video: Spotify).
- She named "SWIM," "Merry Go Round" and "NORMAL" as tracks on the album (video: Spotify).
- Seven members took part: RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook.
Spotify's YouTube channel has also posted two live performances from Pier 17, both labelled "Presented by Spotify": "NORMAL" (Live at Pier 17) and "SWIM" (Live at Pier 17) (video: Spotify). Fans who want to see the songs live before a tour date can start with these two clips. The planned documentary about the two months in Los Angeles does not have a release date or platform yet.
Where can fans see BTS next on the ARIRANG world tour?
When BigHit Music announced the 10-billion milestone, BTS were playing a run of shows in Santiago, Chile, on the ARIRANG world tour, with Buenos Aires and São Paulo as the next stops, according to The Korea Herald . Of the outlets covering the announcement, only the Herald reported these tour details.
Here is the near-term schedule as The Korea Herald reported it. Fans should check official BTS channels for exact dates and ticket status.
- Santiago, Chile: BTS were performing a run of shows there when the milestone was announced on October 16 .
- Buenos Aires and São Paulo: These are the next reported stops on the tour .
- Cinema livestreams: Screenings are planned for October 24 and October 30 .
The Herald report does not say which countries or cinema chains will show the livestreams, or how much tickets cost. For fans outside South America, the screenings are the closest option this month. Check official BTS and HYBE announcements and your local cinema listings for participating theatres, start times and ticket sales.
Fans who are not travelling can stream ARIRANG on Spotify, where all 14 tracks are available. That includes the lead single "SWIM" and the instrumental "No. 29", and each track has passed 200 million streams, according to The Korea Times . All of the stream totals in this article come from BigHit Music, as reported by UPI and Korean outlets. Spotify has not published these numbers itself.
The takeaway: with the Buenos Aires and São Paulo stops and cinema screenings on October 24 and 30, the next two weeks are the main chance to see BTS live or on a big screen. Confirm the details through official channels before buying tickets.
Frequently asked questions
Is BTS the first act ever to reach 10 billion Spotify streams in a year?
No. BTS is the first group to do it, not the first act. Solo artists Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Bad Bunny reached 10 billion Spotify streams in a single year before BTS. BigHit Music announced on October 16, 2026 that no group had done it until now (source: UPI, 2026-10).
How much did BTS streams grow compared with last year?
BTS songs had about 4.5 billion Spotify streams last year and passed 10 billion this year, which is more than double . Outlets including UPI put the rise at roughly 122 percent. They worked that number out from the two totals; the label did not state it . Reports credit the growth to the fifth studio album, ARIRANG (source: The Korea Times, 2026-10).
When was the ARIRANG album released?
BTS released ARIRANG on March 20, 2026, according to The Korea Times and UPI . The Korea Times describes it as the group's first full-group project in nearly four years. It came out after all seven members finished their mandatory military service and reunited (source: The Korea Times, 2026-10).
Has Spotify confirmed the 10 billion figure?
No. Spotify has not published the figure itself. The 10 billion total, the 4.5 billion figure for last year and ARIRANG's 5 billion album streams all come from BigHit Music. Yonhap, The Korea Times, The Korea Herald and UPI reported them (source: The Korea Herald, 2026-10). Treat them as label-reported numbers.
Where is BTS touring after Santiago?
According to The Korea Herald, Buenos Aires and São Paulo are the next stops on the ARIRANG world tour after BTS's shows in Santiago, Chile. Cinema livestreams are planned for October 24 and October 30 . Only the Herald has reported these details (source: The Korea Herald, 2026-10). Check exact dates, venues and ticketing through BTS's official channels before you buy.
Official Sources
Enjoyed this article? Subscribe to get new stories by email whenever they're published.
This article was written using information collected and analyzed by NAMANE's in-house K-pop research AI engine. We use AI technology to bring you faster, broader coverage, and in the process some details may occasionally differ from the latest facts. For important information such as dates, venues, and prices, please double-check with official sources.
