Accra:South Korean pop group BTS has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first musical group to surpass 10 billion streams on Spotify in a single year, as confirmed by their record label, BigHit Music.

According to Anadolu Agency, this achievement marks a significant increase from the group's 4.5 billion streams in 2025, largely driven by their fifth studio album, Arirang, which was released in March. While solo artists like Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and Bad Bunny had previously reached the 10 billion-stream milestone, BTS is the first group to do so.

The group's accomplishment follows their return to full-group activities after the seven members completed South Korea's mandatory military service. Arirang, released on March 20, has garnered over 5 billion Spotify streams, making it the most-streamed album among 2026 releases. On its release day alone, the album accumulated more than 110 million streams.

Spotify has noted that Arirang became the most-streamed K-pop album in the platform's history on March 20. In April, BTS was ranked 12th on Spotify's list of the most-streamed artists of all time, based on data through that month.

The figures underscore BTS's international appeal and the global popularity of South Korean pop music, further propelled by streaming platforms and social media. Since debuting in 2013, BTS has become one of the world's most successful K-pop groups, achieving international success with hits like 'Dynamite' and 'Butter' that topped the Billboard Hot 100, contributing to the global expansion of South Korean pop music.