Watch: BTS The Comeback Live Arirang trailer sparks ARMY reactions
The 90-second teaser, played against a fan-favourite song from 2019, revisits the hiatus announcement before declaring: “The world’s biggest band is back.”
BTS The Comeback Live Arirang will be streaming live on Netflix on Saturday, Mar 21, at 8pm KST (7pm SGT). (Photo: Netflix)
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ARMY, it’s almost time.
As anticipation builds for BTS’ long-awaited return, Netflix has released the official trailer for BTS The Comeback Live Arirang, a live-streamed concert set to take place in central Seoul on Mar 21.
The 90-second trailer opens with a flashback to the moment the group announced their hiatus to complete mandatory military service in South Korea. Audio clips of fans describing the news as “heartbreaking” and saying “part of their soul just died” play over the footage.
A cinematic and orchestral version of Mikrokosmos, a track from the group’s 2019 EP Map Of The Soul: Persona, builds up in the background, alongside archival concert footage and repeated chants of “BTS” from the crowds.
Jungkook is then heard saying in Korean, “So emotional. I really miss them,” referring to their fans, before Jimin responds: “Let’s get back out there!”
RM’s voice follows in English: “We promised our fans we’d be back.”
As the music of Mikrokosmos intensifies, bold text appears on screen: “The world’s biggest band is back.”
The trailer then introduces each member in the order of the classic fanchant – RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook – dressed in coordinated black suits, their names appearing in bold lettering.
The seven members are shown walking across what appears to be Gwanghwamun Square, the historic plaza in central Seoul where the live comeback concert will be held.
The trailer closes with RM's voiceover saying in Korean: “Seven together, we can do anything. Keep swimming."
This is likely a reference to Swim, the lead track off the new album Arirang, whose tracklist was released on Wednesday (Mar 4).
Within an hour of its release, the trailer had garnered more than 6 million views and 800,000 likes on Instagram, along with over 100,000 views and 55,000 likes on YouTube. Comments across both platforms quickly climbed into the tens of thousands, with many fans saying the wait “was worth it”.
On one of Reddit’s BTS fan communities r/bangtan, fans described the trailer as “cinematic”, “emotional” and “a full-circle moment”, with several pointing out the use of Mikrokosmos as symbolic of reunion and the connection the band has with one another and with their fans. Many fans across the globe also noted they would be tuning in despite time zone differences, with some in the United States preparing to watch in the early hours of the morning.
The live concert special will be directed by Hamish Hamilton, known for helming major broadcast events, including Bad Bunny's recent Super Bowl halftime show, the Grammy Awards this year and the 2012 London Olympics' opening ceremony.
The trailer is the latest teaser of the upcoming concert, following other promotional materials released by Netflix. BTS The Comeback Live Arirang will stream live on Netflix at 8pm KST on Mar 21, which is 7pm Singapore time.
The concert precedes the group’s upcoming world tour, which includes Singapore stops on Dec 17, 19, 20 and 22, 2026. If December is too long a wait for ARMY, Golden Village and Shaw Theatres in Singapore will also have live screenings of the band's first few Arirang concerts in South Korea and Japan.
BTS debuted in 2013. The last time all seven members performed together in a full-group public concert before their hiatus was on Oct 15, 2022, at the Yet To Come concert in Busan, South Korea.
