BTS, U.S. Favorability at 46% 'Highest Ever'...First Week Sales of Fifth Studio Album Surpass 510,000 Copies

Global music data company Luminate conducted a survey of U.S. music consumers in the second quarter of this year, in which BTS recorded high scores in awareness and favorability. According to Luminate, BTS’s awareness reached 42%, close to the team’s all-time high, and favorability was 46%, the highest since the survey began. The awareness survey asking if respondents knew BTS first started in 2021, when the figure was 36%. In this survey, it rose 6 percentage points to 42%, similar to the 43% recorded in the third quarter of last year. By age group, awareness was 43% for ages 13–17, 59% for 18–24, 56% for 25–34, 44% for 35–54, and 28% for 55 and older, showing balanced recognition across generations. Notably, more than half of those aged 18–34 were aware of BTS. Favorability also reached a record high of 46%. Among respondents who said they knew BTS, 19% answered ″very favorable″ and 27% ″somewhat favorable.″ This is a 12 percentage point increase from 34% in the first survey in 2021. By age group, favorability was 60% for ages 13–17, 47% for 18–24, 44% for 25–34, 48% for 35–54, and 40% for 55 and older, with all age groups recording favorability above 40%. BTS’s influence in the U.S. was also confirmed by vinyl album sales of the fifth studio album, Arirang. According to Luminate’s survey, 516,000 physical copies of Arirang were sold in the U.S. in the first week of release, with about 40%, or approximately 208,000 copies, sold on vinyl. This is BTS’s highest weekly vinyl sales record ever and the highest weekly vinyl sales for a ″group″ recorded by Luminate since 1991. Arirang continues to perform strongly in streaming as well. Big Hit Music stated, ″Luminate’s recent survey results show that BTS has built a broad popular base beyond fandom in the U.S., based on high awareness and favorability. The high proportion of vinyl sales and sustained streaming performance are indicators supporting BTS’s ongoing influence in the global music market.″