BTS on Rolling Stone
BTS landed Rolling Stone's May 2026 cover tied to a reunion album that sources say returns the group to its roots, and members Suga and Jimin reportedly saved self‑written tracks for the record while V teased a poppier solo direction (x.com) (x.com) (x.com). The cover and interviews are circulating widely on social, highlighting the group's comeback narrative and solo hints from members (x.com).
BTS is Rolling Stone’s May 2026 cover story, with the magazine tying the package to the group’s reunion era and new album, *Arirang*. (rollingstone.com) Rolling Stone said April 13 that it is releasing eight covers for the May issue: one group cover and seven solo covers, with video interviews and a limited-edition box set. The rollout runs over eight days through April 20, and the package is being published across all 16 of Rolling Stone’s international editions. (rollingstone.com) The cover story, published April 13, says BTS returned to “their roots” while making *Arirang*, their first studio album since *Map of the Soul: 7* in 2020. Rolling Stone published the reunion feature three weeks after the album’s March 20 release. (rollingstone.com 1) (rollingstone.com 2) That framing follows the group’s own comeback plan from July 1, 2025, when all seven members said in a Weverse livestream that they would release a group album in spring 2026 and approach it “with the same mindset” they had when they started. Rolling Stone reported then that the reunion would also include a world tour. (rollingstone.com) The hiatus BTS announced in 2022 covered solo projects and South Korea’s mandatory military service. Rolling Stone reported that Jin enlisted first in December 2022, then left service in June 2024, while RM, V, Jungkook, Jimin, and Suga completed service in June 2025. (rollingstone.com) By March 2026, the reunion had become a full release schedule. Rolling Stone reported that *Arirang* arrived March 20, a free Seoul concert followed March 21, a Netflix documentary was set for March 27, and an 82-date world tour began April 9 and runs through March 2027. (rollingstone.com 1) (rollingstone.com 2) Rolling Stone has also turned the cover into a collectible product. Its shop lists the eight-cover box set at $125 and says it includes the full band profile, seven individual interviews, and exclusive photography. (shop.rollingstone.com) (rollingstone.com) The magazine last put BTS on its cover in 2021, and the new package is larger in scale and timed to a live comeback that is already underway. The latest issue closes the gap between the group’s long hiatus and its 2026 return by packaging the reunion, solo reflections, and album cycle into one global cover rollout. (rollingstone.com)
