<\/p>\n
Dear Gossips, <\/p>\n
It\u2019s an understatement to say that BTS\u2019s comeback with their new album, ARIRANG<\/em>, has been huge. They\u2019ve topped the Billboard 200, selling 641,000 units; the lead single, \u201cSwim\u201d, is #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. And \u201cBTS has also become the first act to take over all of the top 10 spots on the Global Excl. U.S. chart\u201d. Plus \u201cBTS also currently claims the top nine spots on the Global 200 – tying [\u2026] with Taylor Swift for both the most top 10s in a single week\u201d. (Source Billboard<\/a>) <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n This is rarefied air. It puts RM, Jin, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook in an extremely small cohort. These numbers are massive. And, frankly, defiant. Because there were some people who doubted that BTS could reclaim the space they left vacant when they went off to serve their country. Worth noting too that the sales figures don\u2019t include other markets.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The next question is staying power. Right now they\u2019re continuing to push \u201cSwim\u201d, and not even half a day after \u201cSwim\u201d topped the Hot 100, they\u2019ve just dropped another video for the song. It\u2019s my favourite one yet\u2026 because it is so THEM, completely unserious. It\u2019s RM, Jin, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook doing random sh-t during a live performance of the song at a pool. Yoongi barely concealing his laughter after he hands Jimin a dried fish is sending me. And RM is ridiculous throughout the whole thing, particularly the end when he\u2019s playing secret service to j-hope before they all settle down in their pool chairs.<\/p>\n For those who are new to BTS, this is a glimpse into why our fandom is so unhinged \u2013 it\u2019s this kind of stupid goofy silliness they\u2019ve done throughout their careers. You\u2019ll see it when their variety show, Run BTS!,<\/em> comes back in a couple of weeks.<\/p>\n