BTS has been shown to have high recognition and favorability in the U.S. music market. According to a survey conducted by global music data company Luminate in the second quarter of this year targeting U.S. music consumers, BTS’s recognition rate was 42%, and favorability was 46%.

According to Luminate’s survey, the percentage of U.S. consumers who said they knew BTS increased by 6 percentage points from 36% in 2021 to 42% this year. This figure was close to 43% recorded in the third quarter of last year, marking an all-time high. Compared to the average recognition rate of all artists (24%), it was 18 percentage points higher, and it was about four times higher than the average recognition rate (11%) of 22 K-pop artist groups.

Recognition was evenly distributed across age groups. Among respondents aged 13-17, 43% said they knew BTS; 59% of those aged 18-24; 56% of those aged 25-34; 44% of those aged 35-54; and 28% of those aged 55 and older. Notably, more than half of the core music consumer group aged 18-34 recognized BTS.

Favorability also reached an all-time high. Among respondents who said they knew BTS, 46% expressed favorability, with 19% saying ″very favorable″ and 27% saying ″somewhat favorable.″ Favorability increased by 12 percentage points from 34% in the first survey conducted in 2021. Favorability by age group was 60% for ages 13-17, 47% for ages 18-24, 44% for ages 25-34, 48% for ages 35-54, and 40% for ages 55 and older.

BTS’s strength was also confirmed in music consumption indicators. Their fifth full-length album, Arirang, sold 516,000 physical copies in the U.S. during its first week of release last March. About 40% of these, approximately 208,000 copies, were vinyl records, setting BTS’s highest weekly vinyl sales record. It was also the highest weekly vinyl sales record for a group since Luminate began tracking in 1991.

Streaming performance was also revealed. Arirang recorded 3.8 billion global on-demand streams in the first eight weeks after release, reaching 4.8 billion in the 12th week and nearly 5.7 billion in the 16th week. Including existing songs, total streaming of BTS’s tracks during the same period reached approximately 8.7 billion.

Big Hit Music stated, ″The results of Luminate’s survey show that BTS has built a broad public base beyond fandom in the U.S. based on high recognition and favorability. The high proportion of vinyl sales and sustained streaming performance are indicators supporting BTS’s ongoing influence in the global music market.″