BTS Favorability Reaches 46 Percent in U.S. Luminate Survey

TL;DR BTS reached 46 percent favorability among U.S. consumers aware of the group, the highest result since Luminate began tracking BTS in 2021.

BTS reached a record 46 percent favorability rating in Luminate's second-quarter survey of U.S. music consumers, according to BigHit Music and reports from Yonhap and The Korea Times. The measure applies to respondents who said they were aware of BTS; it is not a rating among all Americans.

The 46 percent result is the group's highest since Luminate began tracking it in 2021, when the figure was 34 percent. Awareness reached 42 percent, close to BTS' previous high of 43 percent and 18 percentage points above the 24 percent average across artists in the survey. The Korea Times reported awareness above 50 percent among consumers aged 18 to 34.

Commercial data accompanied the survey. BTS' fifth studio album, Arirang, sold 516,000 copies in the United States in its first week. Vinyl accounted for about 208,000 copies, or roughly 40 percent, which Luminate described as the strongest group vinyl result since it began tracking album sales in 1991.

The album generated nearly 5.7 billion global on-demand streams in its first 16 weeks. With catalog listening included, BTS recorded 8.7 billion streams during the same period. Arirang also returned to the Billboard 200 top 10 after the group's 2026 FIFA World Cup final halftime performance.

BigHit said the figures indicated support beyond BTS' dedicated fandom. The cited sources do not report packed-arena scenes, streets renamed BTS Boulevard or gubernatorial commendations, so those claims have been removed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is BTS' favorability rating in the United States?

According to second-quarter data from Luminate, BTS achieved a record-high favorability rating of 46 percent among U.S. music consumers who know the group. This represents a 12-percentage-point increase from the 34 percent favorability measured in 2021.

How many copies did BTS' album 'Arirang' sell in its first week?

BTS' fifth studio album, 'Arirang,' sold 516,000 copies in the United States during its debut week. Vinyl formats made up approximately 208,000 copies, which accounted for roughly 40 percent of total sales and set the highest vinyl sales figure for any group since 1991.