South Korean pop sensations BTS are to return from hiatus with their first studio album in more than five years and a world tour set to take in Gulf regional dates, writes Casey Cooper-Fiske.
The K-pop giants have been on a break for almost four years, which has seen their members RM, Jin, Jimin, V, Suga, Jung Kook and J-hope complete mandatory military service in South Korea.
Their fifth full-length album will be released on March 20, followed by their first tour in almost four years, with details to be announced on January 14.
The record, which was made in the second half of 2025, will reflect on the group’s journey together and be made up of 14 tracks.
Before the announcement, BTS sent handwritten letters to members of their fan base, named Army, across the world, notifying them of the comeback.
The letters were written by each member and delivered directly to fans’ homes, thanking them for standing by the band over the years.
Rumours of BTS’s return began on New Year’s Day when the band reset their official Instagram account at midnight.
BTS members performing during the filming of the Graham Norton Show at BBC Studioworks 6 Television Centre, Wood Lane, London
Their return appeared to be confirmed when the group’s entertainment company, BigHit Music, said in a post on X: “March 20 comeback confirmed.”
During their break, members Jimin and Jung Kook hosted a Disney+ travel show called Are You Sure?!
BTS – an acronym of Bangtan Sonyeondan or Beyond the Scene – have had global top 10 singles and number one albums.
They are best known for songs such as Butter, Dynamite and Life Goes On, as well as collaborations with western artists such as Charli XCX, Coldplay and Halsey.
BTS were the first K-pop act to score a Grammy nomination and have had five nods despite never winning.
They are the best-selling music act in South Korean history, having sold more than 40 million albums, and the first non-English speaking group to sell out the UK’s Wembley Stadium.
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