Having completed South Korea’s mandatory military service, BTS have announced their first new album in six years. ARIRANG is due out March 20 via Big Hit Entertainment. Here’s everything we know so far.
What’s the backstory?
BTS’ last studio LP was 2020’s Be. In 2021, Big Hit confirmed that they were taking an “official extended period of rest,” and the K-pop superstars released the anthology album Proof in June 2022. They’ve pursued solo projects since, including J-Hope’s 2022 album Jack in the Box, RM’s 2022 effort Indigo, and Jimin’s 2023 collection Face. Jimin and Jung Kook teamed up for the Disney+ series Are You Sure?!, whose second season aired in December. Jin shared a concert film about his debut solo tour last month, and V became the first brand ambassador for the Korean beauty brand TIRTIR.
How was the release date announced?
The group teased a world tour last summer, saying that a new album would be released in the spring of 2026. “We’re approaching the album with the same mindset we had when we first started,” they said. “We’re also planning a world tour alongside the new album. We’ll be visiting fans all around the world, so we hope you’re as excited as we are.”
Fans discovered the cryptically-written release date of the album – March 20 – via handwritten notes sent to the loyal ARMY fanbase to celebrate the New Year. “We’ve waited more earnestly than anyone else,” RM wrote. “The year we’ve been waiting for has finally arrived,” Jimin remarked. “In 2026, we’ll make even more good memories, so look forward to it!” V added.
What’s the tracklist?
Spanning 14 tracks, the record opens with ‘Body to Body’, followed by ‘Hooligan’, ‘Aliens’, ‘FYA’, and ‘2.0’. An interlude called ‘No. 29’ sits in the middle, leading into ‘SWIM’, ‘Merry Go Round’, ‘NORMAL’, ‘Like Animals’, ‘they don’t know ’bout us’, ‘One More Night’, and ‘Please’. It closes with ‘Into the Sun’, which a press release describes as “anthemic.”
What does the album cover look like?
What does the trailer BTS shared along with the album cover mean?
Along with the album artwork, BTS unveiled an animation titled ‘‘아리랑’(ARIRANG) Animation Trailer : What is your love song?’. It’s billed as “a visual prologue, tracing the historical and cultural inspiration behind the new album.” it opens animated versions of the seven members gathered around a gramophone, which leads back to a historical moment: a ship crossing the Pacific Ocean carrying Korean men, introducing the origins of the Korean folk song ‘Arirang’.
The scene that follows shows Korean men singing “A-ra-rang” at Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1896, which is the first known recording of a Korean song. It then jumps forward to 2013, capturing BTS performing a stadium concert before cutting back to them gathered around the gramophone, singing and dancing. A subtitle appears, reading, “When the world feels heavy, when your heart feels light, what is your love song?” The line continues with the subtitle, “My love song is…,” and the animation closes on the final shot of the ARIRANG logo.
What do we know about the making of the album?
Driven by a “hands-on approach,” RM is credited on every track except for the interlude, while SUGA and j-hope contributed to several tracks, including ‘Body to Body’, ‘Merry Go Round’, and ‘NORMAL’. Jimin took part in ‘they don’t know ’bout us’ and ‘Into the Sun’, while V contributed to ‘2.0’ and ‘Into the Sun’. Jung Kook “played a key role” in the making of four tracks, including ‘Hooligan’.
Who did BTS collaborate with on the album?
The LP features production and songwriting from a lineup that includes Mike WiLL Made-It, Flume, El Guincho, JPEGMAFIA, Diplo, Ryan Tedder, and more.
Will there be a tour in support of the album?
On January 13, BTS announced a massive 2026-27 tour. It will see them play a total of 79 shows across five continents.
This post will be updated…
