K-pop Daily: BTS “ARIRANG” Hits 3M Pre-Saves, Ateez & CORTIS

Today’s headlines are a clean mix of comeback momentum, a Friday release to queue up, and a genuinely wild K-pop-meets-NBA moment to bookmark.

Lead Story: BTS’ “ARIRANG” pre-save surge turns anticipation into a metric

Pre-saves aren’t everything, but they’re one of the clearest early signals of global intent—fans telling platforms, “Yes, I want this the second it drops.” According to KED Global (Feb. 5, 2026), BTS’ fifth full-length album ** ARIRANG ** has surpassed 3 million Spotify pre-saves as of Tuesday, just 19 days after the group confirmed its return.

The same report notes that interest is also rising across fan platforms, with Weverse paid memberships reportedly increasing sharply following the album and tour announcements (Weverse is a global fan community platform). Offline promotions in Seoul have been visibly ramping up around the Gwanghwamun area as well.

For fans planning ahead: KBS News (Jan. 21, 2026) reports the album is set to be unveiled in March, and that performance plans around Gwanghwamun Square and the Gyeongbokgung area are under review by relevant authorities. KED Global adds that a Gwanghwamun Square comeback concert is expected to be livestreamed via Netflix to 190+ countries, making this one of those rare “everyone can watch at the same time” moments—if you set your time zone conversion now.

Quick Hits

Ateez: Golden Hour: Part. 4 arrives Friday with “Adrenaline”

A Friday drop you can plan your commute around. According to The Korea Times / Yonhap (Feb. 5, 2026), Ateez will release their 13th EP ** Golden Hour: Part. 4 ** on Friday, led by title track “Adrenaline.” The tracklist includes “Ghost,” “NASA,” “On The Road,” and the prereleased “Choose,” with members Hongjoong and Mingi participating in lyric writing.

Practical takeaway: if you like following rollouts, the group’s “USB Scavenger Hunt” campaign (run across multiple cities) is a reminder to check official channels first—fans often repost clues faster than any press write-up.

BLACKPINK: a ‘Deadline’ comeback is officially on the calendar (next month)

No guessing game here—just confirmed planning. KBS News (Jan. 21, 2026) reports BLACKPINK have announced a comeback next month with an album titled ** Deadline **, and notes the group has been on a world tour since July of last year (33 shows across 16 cities).

If you’ve been waiting to jump back in, this is a good moment to re-save your official links and make sure you’re following verified accounts (fake “teaser” posts spike hard during comeback season).

CORTIS: first K-pop halftime headliner in NBA All-Star Celebrity Game history

This is the kind of crossover that expands what “global promotion” can look like. According to The Korea Times / Hankookilbo (Feb. 4, 2026) (citing the NBA and ESPN), rookie K-pop group CORTIS will headline the halftime show of the 2026 Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Feb. 13 (local time) at the Kia Forum in California—reportedly the first K-pop act to do so.

The same report says CORTIS will also headline the NBA Crossover Concert Series on Feb. 12 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Chart & Award Check

Spotify pre-saves (like BTS’ 3M figure) are best read as a demand indicator, not a chart result—useful for gauging how big “day one” could be, but not a replacement for streams/sales.
With multiple major schedules now public (Ateez on Friday; CORTIS at All-Star; BTS and BLACKPINK next month/March), the real “chart story” to watch is how well timed releases + livestream moments translate into sustained listening after the first weekend.

Upcoming Schedule

Fri, Feb. 6 (KST): Ateez — Golden Hour: Part. 4 EP release (per The Korea Times / Yonhap)
Wed, Feb. 12 (local time): CORTIS — NBA Crossover Concert Series (Los Angeles)
Thu, Feb. 13 (local time): CORTIS — NBA All-Star Celebrity Game halftime show (Kia Forum)
Next month (TBA): BLACKPINK — Deadline comeback (per KBS)
March (TBA): BTS — ARIRANG album release window + planned Seoul-area performance discussions (per KBS; Netflix livestream mentioned by KED Global)

Follow official channels for final dates and viewing links, and if you plan to watch live, convert times early—big streams are always busiest at minute zero.