K-pop stars BTS to release album in March ahead of world tour
The exact date, Mar 20, was revealed in handwritten letters sent to paid members of the official BTS fan group, and later confirmed by their label Big Hit Music.
BTS arrives at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Apr 3, 2022, in Las Vegas. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
K-pop megastars BTS will release a new album in March ahead of a world tour, the group announced on Thursday (Jan 1).
South Korea's biggest musical act has been on self-described hiatus since 2022 as its members undertook national military service required of all men under the age of 30.
All seven members were discharged last year, and the group announced a comeback for the spring of 2026.
They confirmed on Thursday that they would release an album on Mar 20 before heading on tour.
The exact date was revealed in handwritten letters sent to paid members of the official BTS fan group, and later confirmed by their label Big Hit Music.
"I have been waiting more earnestly than anyone else," group leader RM wrote in the letter.
On Jan 4, more details about the album and world tour were announced by Big Hit Music. The album will comprise 14 tracks, with preorders starting Jan 16 at 10am, Singapore time. Meanwhile, the tour schedule will be announced separately on Jan 14.
The album will be BTS's first since the anthology Proof which became South Korea's bestselling record of 2022.
Before their military service, BTS generated more than 5.5 trillion won (US$3.8 billion) in South Korea per year, according to the government-backed Korea Culture and Tourism Institute.
The figure is equivalent to roughly 0.2 per cent of the country's total GDP.
BTS has expanded beyond their home nation to become a global musical phenomenon in recent years.
They hold the record as the most-streamed group on Spotify, and became the first K-pop act to top both the Billboard 200 and the Billboard Artist 100 charts in the United States.
