BTS's 'Arirang' album earns 'best of 2026' titles from major international media

BTS's 5th full album, 'Arirang', has been widely acclaimed by major international media, with Rolling Stone, NME, and other prominent outlets naming it among the 'Best Albums of 2026'.

Big Hit Music reported (HYBE) on June 23, US pop culture outlet Complex on June 12, US music media Rolling Stone on June 15, and renowned UK music outlet NME on June 16, all successively selected BTS's 5th full album 'Arirang' as a 'Best Album of 2026'. UK daily Telegraph and US online media Salon also included 'Arirang' in their respective 'best albums' lists for the year.

Rolling Stone highlighted BTS's comeback as "the biggest news in the 2026 global music market," praising how they "excellently implemented Korean color into their music through 'Arirang'." NME lauded the group, calling them "the world's biggest boyband," for "perfectly execut[ing] what they have always done well, which is to intricately blend their homeland's cultural heritage with global musical influence." Telegraph said, "BTS is the face of K-Pop. They returned to their hip-hop roots and actively incorporated Korea's unique cultural identity into their music."

Individual tracks from the album also received significant praise. Complex pointed out that "'Hooligan' showed an undeniable presence" and "'2.0' perfectly impressed even those who were skeptical." NME recommended 'Body to Body' as a must-listen, while US music media Consequence named 'SWIM' and 'Hooligan' among the 'Best Songs of the First Half of 2026', noting BTS's versatility in genres and complex rap delivery.

In related news, BTS recently concluded their 'BTS World Tour Arirang IN Busan' at the Busan Asiad Main Stadium on June 12-13, drawing a total of 110,000 attendees, with over half being international fans. The group is set to kick off the European leg of their world tour in Madrid, Spain, on June 26-27, encompassing 10 shows across 5 cities. The full tour is slated for 88 performances in 34 regions worldwide, marking the largest scale in K-Pop artist history, with additional dates in Japan and the Middle East to be announced.