BTS is once again squaring off against dozens of rivals on South Korea's KM Chart, this time for the September edition of the K-MUSIC title. Fans have until Sept. 24 at 11:59 p.m. Korea Standard Time to back "SWIM" through the My One Pick and Idol Champ apps, according to nominee lists published Sept. 10 by Sports Kyunghyang's English edition. A repeat win would extend a streak that, based on the most recent chart results, already stretches back to the spring.
A Familiar Face in a 50-Song Field
"SWIM" shares the K-MUSIC ballot with 49 other releases, including Big Bang's "BiiiG," Girls' Generation-Hyori-su's "Skibidi," Ateez's "BAD" and CORTIS's "REDRED." Trot veterans Lee Chan-won and Lim Young-woong round out a list that mixes idol pop with Korea's traditional music scene, underscoring how KM Chart treats mainstream K-pop and trot as competitors within the same monthly race.
KM Chart splits the fan-vote score evenly between its two partner apps, giving My One Pick and Idol Champ 50 percent weight each. That combined tally is then folded together with scores from a panel of judges and the chart's own data metrics — such as streaming and sales activity — before a winner is named for each of the six monthly categories.
BTS's Footprint Across the Ballot
The group isn't limited to K-MUSIC. BTS is also up for K-MUSIC ARTIST, a category that scores an act's overall output for the month, against 29 other acts that include Blackpink, Stray Kids, aespa and Enhypen. In the HOT CHOICE popularity race, four members — V, Jung Kook, Jimin and Jin — are entered individually alongside names like Kang Daniel and the group Seventeen.
The Streak the Earlier Coverage Hadn't Confirmed
"SWIM" first claimed the K-MUSIC title in April, the same month BTS swept both the song and artist categories following its comeback. It repeated the feat in July, finishing ahead of Plave's "Born Savage" and Hearts2Hearts' "Lemon Tang," with BTS also placing second that month in K-MUSIC ARTIST behind Ateez, per MyDaily's Aug. 5 report on the Aug. 4 chart announcement. A result for August has since surfaced as well: South Korean outlets reported in early September that "SWIM" topped K-MUSIC for a third time this year, while trot singer Lee Chan-won led both K-MUSIC ARTIST and HOT CHOICE that month, according to Gukjenews. That confirmed August win means a victory in September would mark "SWIM"'s fourth K-MUSIC crown of the year, not its second.
The Song Behind the Numbers
"SWIM" leads BTS's fifth studio album, ARIRANG, which arrived March 20. Its video was shot along the coast near Lisbon and stars American actress Lili Reinhart under director Tanu Muino, The Hollywood Reporter detailed at the time of release. The track debuted atop Billboard's Hot 100 for the week of April 4, Billboard confirmed, and its music video crossed 100 million YouTube views within a month of release. BigHit Music described the song as "an upbeat alternative pop song about navigating life's challenges," with member RM credited as a co-writer of the lyrics.
A Wider Awards Run
KM Chart's own awards show already recognized the album this year: BTS won Album of the Year for ARIRANG at a ceremony held July 25 at the Hwajeong Tiger Dome on Korea University's campus in Seoul, where TXT took the night's top Artist of the Year honor. In the U.S., BTS collected the Song of the Summer and Artist of the Year trophies plus Best Male K-pop Artist honors at May's American Music Awards — a win that goes further than simply being nominated for the honor. The group is also up for two MTV Video Music Awards this month, Song of the Year and Best K-pop, ahead of the Sept. 27 ceremony in Los Angeles.
What Comes Next
KM Chart will fold September's fan votes into its judges' scores and internal data metrics once voting closes on the 24th, with results typically following within days. A win would give "SWIM" its fourth monthly K-MUSIC title of 2026 and extend a run that, contrary to earlier gaps in the public record, never actually paused after July.
