BTS' 'Arirang' Lauded as 2026's Best Album by Rolling Stone, NME and Others

South Korean boy band BTS released its fifth studio album, Arirang, which has been selected as one of the best albums of 2026 by several prominent U.S. and U.K. music outlets. Rolling Stone called the record “the biggest news of the global music market in 2026,” while NME described BTS as “the biggest boy band in the world” and praised the album’s blend of Korean cultural heritage with global influences. Other publications naming Arirang among the year’s top releases include Complex, The Telegraph, Salon and Consequence, each highlighting tracks such as “Hooligan,” “Body to Body,” and “SWIM.”

The group will promote the album on its world tour, which begins with two shows in Madrid on June 26‑27 and will cover 10 concerts in five European cities. The tour is slated for 88 performances across 34 regions, the largest tour ever undertaken by a K‑pop act, with additional dates planned for Japan and the Middle East.