BIGHIT MUSIC is drawing international attention as three of its acts, BTS, TOMORROW X TOGETHER's Yeonjun, and CORTIS, reach major milestones across the North American music market.
The push is led by BTS, whose 'BTS WORLD TOUR ARIRANG' opened at the Goyang Sports Complex Main Stadium in April 2026 before moving into its second North American chapter. On August 1 and 2, BTS performed at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, drawing 157,000 fans over the two nights. Earlier in the tour, they visited Tampa, El Paso, Stanford, Las Vegas, and Mexico City, gathering around 840,000 attendees for the first North American leg.
The group's impact has been large enough that the term 'BTSnomics' has emerged to describe it. According to The Guardian, citing Michael Mariano of Tourism Economics, the economic ripple effect of the New Jersey concerts is projected to rival or exceed that of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is also set to take place in North America.
Beyond the concerts, the 'BTS THE CITY ARIRANG' project brought the group to Las Vegas and New York, linking it with landmarks such as the Sphere, Top of the Rock, and Grand Central Terminal. It marked the first citywide activation for a single artist, with entire cities joining in themed events on a scale usually reserved for occasions like the Super Bowl and Formula 1.
Meanwhile, TOMORROW X TOGETHER's Yeonjun has been gaining traction abroad. After releasing his second mini album 'NO LABELS: PART 02' in July 2026, Yeonjun appeared on ABC's morning show 'Good Morning America' for its 'Summer Concert Series' on August 5. The appearance made him only the second K-pop solo artist, after BTS's Jungkook, to feature in the series.
Yeonjun also became the first Korean artist to join the lineup at iHeartMedia's Z100 outdoor concert 'Z100 Summer Bash', sharing the stage with global pop stars such as Charlie Puth. He is also scheduled to throw the ceremonial first pitch at the LA Dodgers game at Dodger Stadium on August 13.
CORTIS, a rookie group that debuted less than a year ago, has also seen rapid growth. Known as a 'young creator crew', they became the only K-pop boy group named to Billboard's '21 Under 21' list. On August 1, CORTIS led a crowd of about 50,000 in a singalong at 'Lollapalooza Chicago'. Their first North American tour, which began in Toronto, set off a run of sold-out shows across 14 dates in 9 cities spanning Korea, Japan, and North America.
With these results, BIGHIT MUSIC continues to expand its presence in the global music industry as its artists draw attention across North America.
