SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — BTS is preparing for a comeback, with new music expected in the coming months, according to the group’s leader, RM.
In a post shared Tuesday on Weverse, RM said he and fellow members Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook have been working diligently on new material. “Above all, the music we are recording is coming out really well,” RM wrote, according to an English translation provided by Weverse. “Everyone’s trying. Please look forward to it.”
Fans have anticipated new music from BTS, as the group reunited on camera in July after a two-year hiatus while members fulfilled South Korea’s mandatory military service. At that time, BTS announced plans for a new album in 2026 and a world tour.
In October, RM provided more details about the timeline for the group’s return. “We have to keep preparing for the album — we’ll shoot the album photos and film the music video,” he said at W Korea’s Love Your W event in Seoul. “Please look forward to late March.”
BTS became global superstars in 2020, earning three No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the Billboard 200 with the album “Be” and the 2022 compilation “Proof.”
During a keynote speech at this year’s APEC CEO Summit in South Korea, RM reflected on the group’s international success. “BTS first started to go outside Korea about 10 years ago,” RM said. “At that time, the music of BTS was quickly called ‘non-English, foreign culture.’ Trying to get on mainstream media through our music was like doing an experiment and a huge challenge. It was a test to see if music in Korean can work on the global stage.”
“We overcame those barriers,” he continued. “ARMY was the force that broke down those barriers. They use our music as a medium to carry out conversations that cross borders and languages.”