Global K-pop septet BTS will release their fifth studio album, *Arirang*, on March 20, 2026—their first full-group project in three years following military service hiatus—with a Netflix livestream concert from Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square on March 21 and a making-of documentary on March 27. The album has exceeded three million Spotify pre-saves amid massive anticipation.
BTS—RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—debuted in 2013 under HYBE's Big Hit Music and paused group activities from late 2022 to 2025 for mandatory military service, pursuing solo projects like J-Hope's Jack in the Box, RM's Indigo, and Jimin's Face. Their 2022 anthology Proof included the hit "Yet To Come," surpassing 100 million streams. Reunion discussions followed solos, leading to collaborative sessions for Arirang, their first full-length since 2020's BE.
The 14-track Arirang, named after Korea's folk song symbolizing identity and endurance, explores themes of longing, love, and the group's current evolution. It topped Spotify's Countdown Chart Global for two weeks in January and amassed over three million pre-saves by early February (up from one million in two days), challenging Taylor Swift's record. In a March 6, 2026, GQ interview, members highlighted creative reconnection and a mature sound, thanking fans. Cornell's Kim Hee-Yon noted, "Their trajectory suggests that global reach does not require erasing cultural specificity."
BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG, directed by Hamish Hamilton and executive-produced by HYBE, Big Hit Music, and others, streams on Netflix March 21 at 8 p.m. KST (7 a.m. EST) from Gwanghwamun Square—the first such global broadcast from Korea to over 190 countries. A trailer dropped March 5. Netflix's BTS: The Return, directed by Bao Nguyen, follows on March 27, chronicling the album's creation.
The rollout launches BTS WORLD TOUR ARIRANG on April 9 in South Korea, spanning 79 stadium shows across 34 cities in 23 countries and five continents, ending in Manila. Speculation about collaborations, including a Charlie Puth-Jungkook meme, was debunked as a casual visit. Announcements tripled Weverse memberships, cementing BTS's role in globalizing K-pop with past smashes like Billboard-topping "Dynamite."
