BTS Return as a Complete Group for the First Time in Four Years, Taking ‘Arirang’ Back to the World

[The Financial News] The year 2026 is being cited as the year of a K-pop supercycle. BigBang, now turning twenty, Exo, which ushered in the golden age of third-generation boy groups, and BTS and Blackpink, who led the globalization of K-pop, are all set to make their return one after another.
In particular, BTS, which commands a powerful global fandom known as Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth (ARMY), will release its fifth full-length album on March 20, marking the group’s first comeback as a complete act in about three years and nine months. This fifth album is their first new release since the anthology album “Proof” in June 2022 and will feature a total of 14 tracks.
The album’s title is “Arirang,” the representative Korean folk song. As a group that originated in Korea, they have infused the music with their identity and with deep feelings of longing and love. During a Weverse LIVE broadcast on the 16th, BTS said, “As we were thinking about a keyword that symbolizes Korea, we arrived at ‘Arirang,’” adding, “Since this is our first album in a long time, we felt it could capture the joys and sorrows we have experienced over the years.” They went on to say, “Because each of us has gone through solo activities, whatever you expect, it will be different,” and added, “At the same time, it will be music imbued with what makes us who we are.”
Forbes commented, “The album title ‘Arirang’ symbolizes BTS’s return to their roots after a period of hiatus,” adding, “It represents a homecoming and an extension of their mission to promote Korean culture to the world.”
The world tour will kick off with concerts in Goyang, Korea, on April 9 and 11–12, before moving on to North America, Europe, South America, and Asia. So far, 79 shows in 34 cities have been confirmed, the highest number of dates for a single tour by a K-pop act. Additional dates in Japan and the Middle East are also planned.
The North American leg will begin in Tampa, Florida, on April 25–26 and span 28 shows across 12 cities. At Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas, and Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, they will stage the first and largest K-pop concerts in those cities’ histories. They will also perform at Stanford Stadium in the State of California, making them only the second act to do so after the world-renowned band Coldplay.
In June and July, they will hold 10 concerts across five European cities, including London in the United Kingdom and Paris in France, and will stage their first solo concerts in Madrid, Spain, and Brussels, Belgium. They will also visit five South American cities, including São Paulo, Brazil, and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
South American fans expressed their excitement, saying, “We will be welcoming BTS in spring, when Buenos Aires is dyed purple with jacaranda blossoms.” Purple is the color that symbolizes BTS.
On June 13, the anniversary of BTS’s debut, a concert will be held in Busan, Korea, and on June 12–13, they are expected to share a special and meaningful time with their fans.
Meanwhile, Blackpink, which marks its 10th debut anniversary this year, has also confirmed a full-group comeback. On February 27 at 1 p.m., they will release the mini-album “Deadline,” their first new record in four years since their second full-length album “Born Pink” in 2022. The album title is the same as that of their world tour, which began when they became the first K-pop girl group to perform at Goyang Stadium, Gyeonggi Province, in July last year. They are currently in the midst of the “Blackpink World Tour Deadline,” which spans 33 shows in 16 cities. The tour will conclude with concerts at Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong from the 24th to the 26th.

jashin@fnnews.com Shin Jin-a Reporter