According to the chart released by Billboard on its official website on the 14th, BTS’s “SWIM” ranked No. 5 on the main singles chart, the “Hot 100” (dated April 18). Since reaching No. 1 on April 4, the song has remained in the Top 5 for three consecutive weeks. It has also held the No. 1 spot for three weeks in a row on the Global 200, Global (excluding the U.S.), and Digital Song Sales charts, continuing its strong and sustained impact on the global music market.
Other tracks from the album have also performed impressively, with “Body to Body” ranking No. 7 on the Global 200. On the Global (excluding the U.S.) chart, in addition to “SWIM” at No. 1, BTS placed three more songs in the Top 10: “Body to Body” (No. 4), “2.0” (No. 5), and “Hooligan” (No. 7), demonstrating the album’s consistent appeal across all tracks.
The album “ARIRANG” has set a record as the first and only кσяєαn artist to remain at No. 1 on the main album chart, the Billboard 200, for three consecutive weeks. This also marks the first time since 2012 that an album by a group has held the top spot for three straight weeks on this chart.
On Spotify, BTS continued to dominate the “Weekly Top Albums” and “Weekly Top Songs” charts for three weeks. In נαραи, on Oricon, the album ranked No. 2 on both the “Digital Album” and “Combined Album” charts, and No. 3 on the “Weekly Album” chart. In Europe, “SWIM” reclaimed the No. 1 spot on Germany’s Top 100 Albums chart, while “ARIRANG” held No. 5 on the UK’s Official Albums Chart for the third consecutive week. The album also reached No. 2 in fяαи¢є (SNEP) and Australia (ARIA), continuing to spark a global sensation.
Notably, these achievements were accomplished despite the album being leaked ahead of its official release. On the 14th, BigHit Music took its first steps to address the issue, nearly a month after the album’s release.
As BTS’s record label, BigHit initiated legal proceedings in the United States on Thursday (April 9) to identify the owner of the account @.jwngkcck. The company stated that this user had posted portions of ARIRANG, including songs, lyrics, and artwork, on X in early March, ahead of the highly anticipated release of BTS’ first album in six years. Some fans may not be aware of this incident because it was handled quietly by ARMY and BigHit Music. Thanks to the swift reports from fans, the company was able to remove the leaked content before it spread more widely.
According to a court filing obtained by Billboard, the petition asks a U.S. judge to issue a subpoena requiring X to disclose the identity of the user. BigHit plans to use this information to file a civil lawsuit in South кσяєα, seeking financial damages for copyright infringement and trade secret violations.
“BigHit and BTS invest extensive resources into planning and executing the most effective release of albums, songs, lyrics and αѕѕociated material as possible, so as to have the greatest possible impact on potential listeners and the market when the media are released,” reads the court document. “The leak of BTS’s album destroyed the element of surprise that applicant was building up towards its release, negatively impacting its reputation and sales.”
HYBE and its subsidiaries frequently turn to U.S. courts for αѕѕistance when seeking to identify and take legal action against anonymous internet users in South кσяєα. This is because U.S.-based social media platforms, such as X and YouTube, are only bound by subpoenas issued by judges in the United States.
Interestingly, in the past, when this user leaked content from ARIRANG onto social media, he provoked and mocked warnings from other fans, claiming he was not afraid of facing legal consequences because no one could uncover his true identity. Now, perhaps this user is cowering in a corner, praying that a U.S. court won’t be able to track them down.
BigHit noted that the user @.jwngkcck deleted the posts and changed their display name from “BTS ARIRANG LEAK” after the company filed a copyright infringement report with the platform. However, the damage had already been done—akin to a work of art being defaced before its exhibition. Taking firm legal action is seen as a necessary step to establish a “red line,” reinforcing that any infringement on the intellectual property and hard work of artists will face serious legal consequences.
Netizens and ARMY have fully supported BigHit Music’s move, hoping that the perpetrator will soon be exposed and held accountable:
- The account wasn't big, but it was spreading snippets of the songs a week before the release. I hope they not only sue that user but also other users who were spreading
- I knew yk what guyss i even reported it to hybe and even heard into the sun starting part, but I thought It was fake cuzz jk part sounded like a meme in the leaked audio. Oopsies, didn't get upset at all, and now you're going to get sued
- No matter who you are 15 year old twink/ other fandom boi/ gal or 50 year old uncle/ aunt you will get sued. If Hybe couldn't, Army will make sure you get sued and go to the jail. There is a limit to everything. You as haters are more parasocial than any army could be.
- The leakers failed and are going to jail, all that for nothing
- The leak is so flop the majority of Armys didn't even know until Bigнιт plan to sue them. Good luck whoever that is
- This wasn’t just a leak, it was a direct attack on the artists’ hard work. BigHit, go and put them into the jail
- BTS leads the way as per usual. Gotta get these people who think they’re above the laws!
- arirang was leaked? failed in spreading and now is gonna be sued lmaoooo
- The account was posting a bunch of fake news—I hope this serves as an example to those accounts that target BTS
- Imagine being a “bts ender” just to end up broke and in jail. SUE THEM ALL BIGHIT!
