Carnival of Soul

BTS’s new album Map of the Soul: 7 wasted no time in becoming a global sensation, and it seems it doesn’t matter what language is primarily spoken in a territory, there were enough ARMYs to send the latest release from the biggest band on the planet to the top. This is certainly true in Canada, where the Korean group has ruled before, and with their latest winner, they’ve made history in several manners.

Third No. 1 Album

Map of the Soul: 7 is BTS’s third chart-topper up north, which is a first among all Korean acts. In fact, despite the fact that several groups from their home country have been gaining traction in Canada, the septet remains the only name to reach No. 1.

BTS first hit No. 1 on the Canadian Albums chart in 2018 with Love Yourself: Answer, and they returned to the summit last year with Map of the Soul: Persona. 

Fifth Top 10 Album

In addition to Love Yourself: Answer, Map of the Soul: Persona and Map of the Soul: 7, two other BTS full-lengths have approached the throne, but fallen just a few spots shy, settling somewhere inside the top 10. The group made history among Korean musicians when they scored their first top 10 success in 2017 with Love Yourself: Her, which peaked at No. 3, making them the first from South Korea to enter the region. Less than a full year later in 2018, Love Yourself: Tear almost became their first leader, but it stalled in the runner-up rung instead.

The Top Five Highest-Charting Korean Albums

BTS now claims the five highest-charting Korean-language albums in Canadian history, which wasn’t true until this week. As is mentioned above, they have now placed a trio of titles at No. 1, while two others have stopped at Nos. 2 and 3. Before Map of the Soul: 7 came in and instantly became one of the most successful K-pop collections of all time in Canada, Blackpink’s Kill This Love ranked as the fifth-highest-charting Korean release, as it lifted to No. 8 last spring. Now it’s been pushed out of that top five.

Tenth Charting Album

With another title somewhere on the 100-spot Canadian Albums chart, BTS became the first Korean musicians to reach double-digit placements on the list, and no one else from South Korean has come even close to managing this feat. In fact, only Blackpink and Exo have scored more than one charting album, as both have landed two.

In chronological order, here are all 10 of BTS’s releases that have made it to the Canadian Albums chart: The Most Beautiful Moment In Life: Young Forever (No. 99, 2016), Wings (No. 19, 2016), You Never Walk Alone (No. 35, 2017), Love Yourself: Her (No. 3, 2017), Face Yourself (No. 40, 2018), Love Yourself: Tear (No. 2, 2018), Love Yourself: Answer (No. 1, 2018), Map of the Soul: Persona (No. 1, 2019), BTS World: Original Soundtrack (No. 58, 2019) and Map of the Soul: 7 (No. 1, 2020).