Jamaine Punzalan

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17739691537991773969147776.jpeg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="BTS. Photo from BTS&#x27; Facebook page"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">BTS. <em>Photo from BTS&#x27; Facebook page</em></span></span></span></div><p>K-pop megastars BTS release a new album Friday a day ahead of a huge comeback concert in Seoul, a record billed as reflecting the maturing boy band&#x27;s &quot;beginnings and identity&quot;.</p><p>It comes after a hiatus of almost four years to allow all seven BTS members to perform around 18 months of military service, compulsory for all young men in South Korea.</p><p>&quot;We are trying to find out what makes us BTS,&quot; the group&#x27;s leader, RM, 31, said in a video shared prior to the unveiling of the album, their fifth studio release and the first since 2020.</p><p>The 14-track &quot;ARIRANG&quot; takes its name from a beloved folk song about longing and separation often dubbed South Korea&#x27;s unofficial national anthem.</p><p>A cryptic animated trailer released this month draws on an obscure episode in Korean-American history believed to have occurred in the late 19th century.</p><p>It concerns a group of young men who, according to a 1896 Washington Post report, captured the first known audio recordings of Koreans in Washington that year, according to the clip.</p><p>With &quot;Arirang&quot; the folk melody playing, it shows the young men on a sailing ship bound for the United States before cutting to BTS at the historic Gyeongbokgung Palace in central Seoul -- the backdrop for Saturday&#x27;s concert.</p><p>Two other short trailers -- one 16 seconds, the other 26 -- include an excerpt of &quot;Swim&quot;, one of the new album&#x27;s tracks, again with a glimpse of a sailing ship and the sea.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/music/2026/3/19/kings-of-k-pop-what-to-know-about-bts-comeback-1545">Kings of K-pop: What to know about BTS&#x27; comeback</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;COMING BACK STRONGER&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Streaming giant Netflix, which will livestream the concert to around 190 countries, said the album is a &quot;deep reflection&quot; on BTS&#x27;s &quot;beginnings and identity&quot;.</p><p>The group reportedly spent time in Los Angeles while recording the songs.</p><p>Grace Kao, a sociology professor at Yale University, said that while the album features collaborations with Western songwriters and producers, the title &quot;ARIRANG&quot; works to &quot;remind international fans that BTS is, first and foremost, a Korean group.&quot;</p><p>&quot;They are looking towards the future but reminding the fans and themselves of their history,&quot; she said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/music/2026/3/19/in-seoul-square-of-protest-and-history-bts-fans-welcome-grand-comeback-1433">In Seoul square of protest and history, BTS fans welcome grand comeback</a></div><p>Four of the BTS members spent their military service stationed near the heavily fortified inter-Korean border, known for barbed wire, harsh winters and intense training.</p><p>One slept in a self-propelled artillery vehicle.</p><p>&quot;Just like many people who had to put their lives on hold or adapt to difficult circumstances, BTS completed a duty that separated them for a while,&quot; Loukia Kyratzoglou, a fan from Greece, told AFP.</p><p>&quot;But they are coming back stronger and ready to continue their journey.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;LOVE LETTER TO SOUTH KOREA&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>At the height of their fame prior to their break, BTS ranked among the most popular artists on Spotify, mixing with the likes of Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber.</p><p>After visiting the White House, releasing hugely successful English-language albums and performing at famous venues around the world, the group has chosen a historic stage at home for the landmark comeback concert.</p><p>This will be Seoul&#x27;s sweeping Gwanghwamun Square, near the landmark Gyeongbokgung Palace, an area that has witnessed centuries of history, including major political protests in 2025.</p><p>The open-air gig is expected to draw about 260,000 people, with millions more watching online. It comes ahead of a world tour of 82 concerts in 34 cities.</p><p>This new album &quot;feels like a love letter to their home country,&quot; said Jeff Benjamin, Billboard&#x27;s K-pop columnist.</p><p>&quot;BTS starting off this new era with a huge comeback concert in the middle of Seoul feels like a group that wants to ensure Korea remains at the heart of this massively anticipated return,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;I do think they&#x27;ll be remembered the way we remember the Beatles or Michael Jackson — not just as chart-topping acts but as artists whom the industry calculates time in terms of &#x27;before&#x27; and &#x27;after&#x27;&quot;.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/events/2026/3/19/bts-light-stick-prices-surge-ahead-of-comeback-concert-1407">BTS light stick prices surge ahead of comeback concert</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2026/3/17/bts-reflect-on-identity-in-trailer-for-netflix-documentary-1240">BTS reflect on identity in trailer for Netflix documentary</a></div>

<p>K-pop megastars BTS release a new album Friday a day ahead of a huge comeback concert in Seoul, a record billed as reflecting the maturing boy band's "beginnings and identity".</p>

K-pop megastars BTS release a new album Friday a day ahead of a huge comeback concert in Seoul, a record billed as reflecting the maturing boy band's "beginnings and identity".

BTS to drop new album ahead of comeback mega-gig

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BTS to drop new album ahead of comeback mega-gig

Agence France-Presse

Published Mar 20, 2026 09:04 AM PHT

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Updated Mar 20, 2026 10:05 AM PHT

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