After years of waiting, BTS (방탄소년단) is finally making their full-group comeback later this March. At midnight on Friday, (16th January 2026 KST), the K-pop icons shared more details about their upcoming release, including the title and pre-order information.
This album marks BTS’s first group release in nearly four years, since their anthology album “Proof”. However, the group’s last studio album was “Be”, released in 2020. As such, the expectations are high for this new album and what the music icons have prepared. Here’s what we know about the album so far:
The Album Title Is “ARIRANG”
The biggest mystery about the album was the title. BIGHIT Music has confirmed that the album is called “ARIRANG”, a reference to a Korean folk song that addresses themes of various emotions, including sorrow, perseverance and patriotism. The song and word “Arirang (아리랑)” carry a lot of layered meaning, reflecting Korea’s history and culture. It’s believed that BTS chose this title for their album and their world tour to represent their country and heritage.
20th March 2026 Release Date & Pre-Order Period
As previously mentioned, BTS’s comeback is set for 20th March 2026 (Friday), which is also the release date for the physical albums. Meanwhile, pre-orders for “ARIRANG” will begin on 16th January 2026 (Friday), 11am (KST). Fans can pre-order the album through online and offline music stores where the album is sold. Additionally, Weverse users can also pre-order the album through Weverse Shop.
There Will Be 9 Versions For Physical Release
Now comes the most exciting part of any K-pop physical release: all the variations. According to the official notice, “ARIRANG” will come in a total of nine versions. The versions are:
- Living Legend (CD)
- Rooted In Music (CD)
- Rooted in Korea (CD)
- Weverse Album (NFC)
- Modern Korea Vinyl (LP)
- Group Red Vinyl (LP)
- Member Individual Vinyl (LP) *7 versions in total
- Travel Tag Box Set (CD)
- Deluxe Vinyl (LP) *2 versions in total
Each version will have different inclusions. However, most notably, every version with photocard inclusions will offer a set of photocards with all seven members.
The album detail announcement comes after the group dropped dates for their 2026-2027 world tour, which includes a two-day show in Kuala Lumpur. Are you excited for BTS’s comeback? Which album will you be copping?
Source: Weverse
