Half of 2026 has already pαѕѕed, and Consequence believes this is the perfect opportunity to look back at the songs that have received the most love throughout the year so far. Notably, the publication mentioned BTS's return right in the opening of its report: “Maybe you’re sentimental for the comeback and are loving BTS’ new era…”
The outlet also explained its list of the 100 Best Songs of 2026: “At Consequence, we’re attempting to serve those straight to you in our Songs of the Week features and Staff Picks roundups. Sometimes we’re aligned on instant clαѕѕics; other times, it takes a few months for a track to grow on us and reveal itself to be a future favorite. The tracks below are a varied collection that have already soundtracked our highs and lows, along with some standout singles that have us itching to hear more.”
In the newly released ranking, “Boots on the Ground” claimed the No. 1 spot, while “I’ll Change to You” and “Talk to Me” occupied the next two positions. Notably, BTS was the only K-pop act to appear on this year's list, with two songs being recognized: “SWIM” and “Hooligan” from the group's studio album ARIRANG, which was released in March.
What surprised fans was that “Hooligan” υиєχρє¢тє∂ly ranked above “SWIM” on Consequence's list of the best songs of 2026. “Hooligan” landed at No. 43, while “SWIM” came in at No. 77.
Explaining its selection of “Hooligan,” Consequence wrote: “BTS are good at a bunch of different genres — that's kind of their whole thing — but spitting knotty flows over filthy hip-hop beats is one of the best versions of BTS,” and fans could not agree more. Throughout BTS's ARIRANG tour, the track has also served as the opening song at every concert. Whenever the line “Watch this, watch this beat going hooligan” echoes through the venue, fans immediately recognize that BTS has arrived.
“Hooligan” proved so captivating that it became a major trend across social media. On TikTok, the song emerged as a popular audio choice for dance challenges and transition videos. The hashtag #hooligan has currently accumulated approximately 574 million views and more than 18,000 posts. Countless users have participated in Hooligan challenges on the platform, and even Jungkook joined in the fun with a motorcycle-riding video set to the song, which has now surpαѕѕed 6 million views.
There is also an interesting story behind the creation of “Hooligan,” as revealed by RM. According to the BTS leader, the project was initially started by j-hope and Jungkook, and the two had been “stuck” on the song for quite some time because they felt it had such a unique identity that “only Jungkook and Hobi could make a song like this.” RM shared that Jungkook was the one who came up with the keyword “Hooligan” and wrote the now-iconic hook, “Watch this, watch this beat going hooligan.”
RM further revealed that “Hooligan” became the benchmark for the entire album. About a month after the demo was completed in Jungkook and j-hope's studio room, both the company and founder Bang Si-hyuk absolutely loved the song. Because “Hooligan” carried such a powerful old-school hip-hop vibe and felt like a title track, the group spent the remaining month of production trying to create other songs strong enough to “overpower” its energy. “That was a really huge contribution from Hobi and Jungkook,” RM emphasized once again.
That being said, this does not mean that “SWIM” failed in its mission or was viewed less favorably! On the contrary, many ARMYs were delighted to discover that the song landed at No. 77 — a legendary and symbolic number for BTS. Consequence also described the track as: “The lead single from BTS's post-military hiatus return sticks to English for a gentle, metaphor-laden anthem of hope through perseverance.”
In addition, RM previously shared his thoughts on the song: “Honestly, I think title tracks themselves barely mean anything anymore these days. There’s more of a ‘lead single’ concept now. Especially in αмєяι¢αn pop music, there really isn’t this rigid ‘title track’ idea anymore…. ‘Swim’ is the kind of song I’d want to hear at my own grave someday. It sounds like a love song, but it’s also about life itself… Looking at ‘you’ beneath the moon and the sharks — that ‘you’ could be someone I love, the fans, myself, or even my own life. I think it’s a very rare song that contains all kinds of emotions together, joy, anger, sorrow, happiness…”
Ultimately, the fact that both “Hooligan” and “SWIM” made Consequence's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2026, making BTS the only K-pop act to be recognized, sparked widespread celebration among fans!
