BTS' triumphant return is here with 'ARIRANG' album following hiatus

Six years and an entire military service later, BTS has returned to its Army fanbase with a 14-track album titled \

Six years and an entire military service later, BTS has returned to its Army fanbase with new music.

The global K-pop juggernaut dropped its 14-track album titled "ARIRANG" Friday, March 20, ahead of a world tour across 34 regions, including 10 cities in the United States. The new project explores themes of connection, distance, and reunion. "ARIRANG," named after the traditional Korean folk song, infuses hip-hop and Korean folk music in BTS' most experimental project to date. The album's release was accompanied by the new single "Swim."

The supergroup has yet to release a full-length studio album since "Be" in 2020, though they shared an anthology project called "Proof" in 2022.

They're set to perform "ARIRANG'" tracks in their first live performance in years at Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square on Saturday, March 21, and the performance will stream live on Netflix. A feature-length documentary titled "BTS: The Return" will join Netflix's catalog on March 27, chronicling the "Dynamite" artist's long-awaited return.

Devoted fans had to survive a BTS drought when several members of the band were enlisted in mandatory military service. Jin, the group's oldest member, began his service in December 2022 and was discharged in 2024. By June 2025, J‑hope, RM, V, Jimin and Jung Kook had also completed their service.