BTS — ARIRANG drops March 20
BTS announced ARIRANG, their fifth studio album and first full‑group release in six years, arriving March 20 as a 14‑track project inspired by Korean heritage — the rollout includes business‑themed cover art and an animated trailer nodding to an 1896 U.S. recording of 'Arirang' [] [] []. ARIRANG will be available in multiple formats including vinyl and is already available for pre‑order [].
Pre-orders opened January 16, 2026, via BigHit Music’s Weverse notice, which also lists the album’s multiple physical configurations and detailed package contents. weverse.io Complex’s retail write‑up shows specific SKUs and pricing — for example the Living Legend version at $33.98 is limited to four per customer while vinyl and deluxe box sets carry separate price points. complex.com The official credits read like a festival lineup, naming producers such as Diplo, Kevin Parker, Mike WiLL Made‑It and Ryan Tedder, and confirming that all seven members hold songwriting credits across the record. complex.com Observers flagged “SWIM” as the likely lead single after BTS highlighted the seventh slot in black and used the hashtag #BTS_SWIM in the tracklist post. billboard.com A reservation‑only series of BTS POP‑UP: ARIRANG retail events will run through April 12 at HYBE’s Yongsan headquarters and Shinsegae Department Store’s The Heritage, produced in collaboration with the National Museum Foundation of Korea (MU:DS); Weverse opened pre‑reservations March 13 at 5 p.m. KST. en.yna.co.kr BigHit’s rollout also ties to live and documentary elements: a free Gwanghwamun Square comeback concert is set to stream globally on Netflix, a behind‑the‑scenes documentary titled BTS: THE RETURN is slated for late‑March release, and the ARIRANG world tour is scheduled to kick off in early April, per the campaign materials and Complex reporting. chosun.com
