After a nearly four year hiatus to complete mandatory military service, the K-pop group BTS returned on March 20, 2026 with their album “Arirang.”
Their fans, called Army, have continued to grow since the band’s formation in 2010, and the group has already been breaking records with their newest album.
BTS’s new album, “Arirang,” features 14 tracks. In its first week of release, it sold 532,000 copies, making it the biggest week of sales by a group since One Direction’s debut album “Midnight Memories”. “Arirang” also debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart, making it the group’s seventh chart-topping album.
The album has also broken records on Spotify, becoming both the most-streamed album in a day in 2026 to the most-streamed K-pop album in the platform’s history. Army has pushed BTS to new heights with their support following the album’s release.
With the group starting their world tour after the album release, students at Stan State shared their excitement and opinions on the album.
Amanda Trevino (Junior, English with ELAT concentration) has been a fan of BTS since their “The Most Beautiful Moment In Life” (HYYH) era in 2015-2016. She shared her experience listening to the new album.
“I absolutely loved it because of their solo albums. Like, if it wasn’t for their solo albums and them trying different genres, even from the beginning with the albums that weren’t released, I wouldn’t be as open to the new concepts,” Trevino said.
While BTS has seen major success with their most recent album release, there is more to the group and their impact on fans. Stan State students are among those who have been influenced by BTS over the years.
Leala Smith (Junior, Business Marketing), shared how BTS impacted her and how she became interested in the group.
“They caught me off guard a little bit because I was originally into Stray Kids. They were my original group, and then I started watching their videos, I was like, wait a minute,” Smith said. “I just love how they perform. I love how goofy they are.”
Sophia Angel (Junior, Computer Science) expressed why she became a fan of the K-pop group and why she continues to support them.
“I really do appreciate their music because they really give like their heart and soul into like performing and I think that’s a really good quality in a performer and like a singer slash dancer,” Angel said.
BTS and their fans have built a bond over the years. From fans who have supported them since 2010 to fans who are just beginning to listen to their music, the dedication of the Army has contributed to the group’s continued success.
