BTS has set a new record for Korean artists on the Billboard 200.
According to a chart preview article posted on Billboard's official website on the 28th, BTS's live album 'PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE - LIVE', released on the 18th, has entered the main album chart 'Billboard 200' (dated August 2) at No. 10. This concert album, which does not feature any new songs, has secured a spot in the upper ranks of Billboard's main chart, further solidifying their status as a '21st-century pop icon.'
With this achievement, BTS has now placed a total of 16 albums on this chart. Among these, they have reached No. 1 six times with albums such as the anthology album 'Proof' and the fourth studio album 'MAP OF THE SOUL: 7'. Notably, BTS has placed a total of 8 albums in the top 10 of the 'Billboard 200', setting a record for the most entries by a Korean artist in the chart's top 10. Additionally, they have become the third artist to enter the top 10 of the 'Billboard 200' with a live album in 2020, following Taylor Swift and Metallica.
'PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE - LIVE' recorded 36,000 album sales, 5,000 SEA units (sales converted from streaming counts), and 2,000 TEA units (sales converted from digital download counts) on this week's Billboard chart.
This album is BTS's first live concert album. It captures the vibrant scenes from the 'BTS PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE' tour, which took place both online and offline in Seoul, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas over a total of 12 performances from 2021 to 2022. The album includes 22 tracks such as 'Dynamite', 'Butter', 'Permission to Dance', 'Blood Sweat & Tears', and 'Boy With Luv (Feat. Halsey)'.
Meanwhile, BTS has officially announced their comeback in the spring of 2026. During a live broadcast on the global superfan platform Weverse on the 1st, they revealed that all members will sequentially travel to the U.S. starting in July to begin serious music production and concert preparations. They plan to resume full group activities with a large-scale world tour alongside the release of new music in 2026.
[Geum Bitna, MK Sports Reporter]
