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BTS's 'ARIRANG' named best album of the year by Rolling Stone, NME
🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

BTS's 'ARIRANG' named best album of the year by Rolling Stone, NME

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • BTS's 5th full album 'ARIRANG', released in March, has been recognized as one of the best albums of the first half of the year by major music publications.
  • Rolling Stone praised BTS for brilliantly embodying Korean aesthetics in their music, while NME highlighted their skillful blend of Korean heritage and global musical influences.
  • The album was also included in The Telegraph's list of best albums released so far in 2026, noting BTS's return to hip-hop roots and integration of Korean identity.

The global music scene is buzzing about BTS's latest album, "ARIRANG." Major music publications in the US and UK have lauded the album, released in March, as one of the standout records of the first half of the year.

American music magazine Rolling Stone recognized "ARIRANG" as a significant comeback for BTS in 2026, praising the group for their masterful fusion of Korean cultural elements into their music. Similarly, British music outlet NME celebrated BTS, the "world's biggest boy band," for their consistent ability to intricately blend their homeland's cultural heritage with global musical trends.

The accolades extend to prominent British newspaper The Telegraph, which included "ARIRANG" in its list of the best albums released this year. The publication identified BTS as the face of K-pop and highlighted how "ARIRANG" sees the group returning to their hip-hop origins, actively weaving Korea's unique cultural identity into their sound.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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