BTS will release their first album in more than five years, Arirang, on Friday, March 20, marking a significant moment for the globally renowned group following the completion of all seven members’ mandatory military service in South Korea. The album’s release will be followed by a free concert at Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square on March 21, livestreamed globally on Netflix and a behind-the-scenes documentary premiering on the same platform on March 27.
Named after a centuries-ancient Korean folk song associated with themes of connection, distance, and reunion, Arirang arrives after the group’s 2020 release, MAP OF THE SOUL: 7. The album’s announcement has generated immense anticipation among fans, with tickets for the group’s 82-date world tour, beginning April 9, already sold out. The tour is scheduled to continue through March 2027.
For dedicated fans, known as ARMY, a wide array of physical versions of Arirang are available for purchase. Four CD versions – “Rooted in Korea,” “Rooted in Music,” “Living Legend,” and the “Travel Tag Box Set” – are being offered at retailers including Target and Amazon. The “Living Legend” version includes an out box, dust jacket, a 54-page poster book, a book band, an archive tag set, a photo card set, an envelope, a sticker pack, a lyric booklet, a CD envelope, and the CD itself. The “Rooted in Music” version features an out box, an 82-page photo book, a CD envelope, the CD, a lyric paper envelope, lyric paper, a film photo set, a photo card set, and a photo card holder. The “Rooted in Korea” version includes an out box, a badge, an envelope, a CD envelope, the CD, a photo card set, a photo card holder, a poster, and an 84-page photo book. The “Travel Tag Box Set” contains an out box, a jewel case, a four-page booklet, the CD, a travel tag, and a poster.
In addition to the CD releases, BTS is also releasing 11 vinyl versions of Arirang. These include two deluxe versions – a Color version and a Black & White version – a group version, and individual versions for each member (RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook) featuring unique sleeves and colors. The Deluxe Color version includes a vinyl LP, a gatefold outer sleeve, an inner sleeve, a photo book, a turntable slipmat, lyric paper, a poster, a postcard, a photo card set, a photo card holder, and a store gift photo card. The Deluxe B&W version includes the vinyl LP, a gatefold outer sleeve, an inner sleeve, a photo book, a turntable slipmat, lyric paper, a poster, a postcard, a photo card set, and a photo card holder. The standard vinyl versions each include the vinyl record, an exclusive physical outer sleeve, an inner sleeve, a poster, and lyric paper.
The group spent two months in Los Angeles in mid-2025, living together while recording the album – the first time all seven members had been in the same location since 2019. RM described the experience to GQ as resembling a return to their trainee days, albeit with the experience of stadium tours and billions of streams behind them. The group maintained a rigorous schedule, dedicating six days a week to physical training and studio work.
BTS will also appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on March 25 and 26, performing two songs and participating in an interview. Prior to that, on March 23, they will perform in New York City for Spotify x BTS: SWIMSIDE, their first U.S. Performance in nearly four years.
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