The long wait is almost over. And while ARMY are revved up into a frenzy with just five days to go before BTS release their eagerly anticipated fifth album, Arirang, even the K-pop supergroup’s members can’t avoid feeling some butterflies as they prep their first full-band release in six years.
“ARMY Everyone, the album will be released soon! I’m so nervous that I don’t know what to do,” wrote singer Jimin in a translated Weverse post on Sunday afternoon (March 15) accompanied by a new selfie in which he sports platinum blonde dyed hair. “I hope you listen to it happily, and I’ll finish it off well and show you a great side!! Please look forward to it I love you 😊”
It has been a long four years for ARMY as they have patiently awaited the conclusion of all seven band members’ compulsory South Korean army service. Each day, however, is bringing the reality of their comeback closer, including last week, when they dropped the album’s artwork, which finds RM, Jin, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook looking dapper and ready for business in dark gray and black business suits.
The 14-song Arirang is the follow-up to 2020’s Be, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart and featured the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits “Life Goes On” and “Dynamite.” It remains to be seen if BTS can recapture the unstoppable momentum the group had before the long layoff, but if past is in any way prologue, their six previous No. 1s on the Billboard 200 chart could pave the way for a smooth return to the top.
The group will flood the zone in the next few weeks, which will include a concert, BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG, that will stream live from Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea on Saturday (March 21). They also recently sent ARMY on a scavenger hunt in the lead-up to the album’s release via a mobile game hosted by Google that involves trivia questions and challenges themed around the Bangtan Boys.
Following Arirang‘s release, BTS will embark on a massive world stadium tour in 2026 and 2027, slated to launch on April 9 in Goyang, South Korea before arriving in the U.S. on April 25 for the first of two shows in Tampa, Fla.