The New Year is bringing good news and fortune for people around the globe, especially BTS fans.
The turning of the new year brought an announcement that the global music superstars BTS, one of the biggest K-pop acts in the music world, will be releasing a new album on March 20, which will be their first in nearly four years.
“March 20th comeback confirmed,” reads a message posted January 1, 2026, by BigHit on its Korean-language X account, and translated into English.
[기사] #방탄소년단, 3월 20일 컴백 확정https://t.co/hnSw4o4RVp
— BIGHIT MUSIC (@BIGHIT_MUSIC) January 1, 2026
The long-awaited album will be BTS’ first since “Proof,” a June 2022 release that was followed by a long hiatus.
The gap saw the band members — RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook — fulfilling mandatory military service in South Korea and recording a multitude of solo projects.
Prior to the official announcement, members of the record-busting K-pop juggernaut had already gone direct to fans with the release date, sending letters with handwritten messages to some ARMY members’ homes with the telltale dateline of “2026.3.20.”
Among the messages, RM wrote that he’d been “waiting for this moment more desperately than anyone.” noted Jin, “I greeted you all as a soloist in 2023 and 2024, but I can finally greet you as part of a team again.” J-Hope wrote, “Finally, it’s the year that we will all be together with you!!” Said Jungkook: “Please take good care of us this year as well.”
BTS also got together to participate in a countdown to the New Year on Weverse.
A world tour is expected to be announced soon as well.
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The K-pop idols have hinted at new music for several months.
In a Weverse update published in November, RM teased a comeback, noting, “the music is coming out really well!!,” and added, “everyone’s trying. Please look forward to it.”
Jungkook added more fuel to ARMY’s excitement when he told Elle Korea, “I think this spring will be more important than ever. So I sincerely hope you all have a safe and enjoyable spring.”
Jungkook, RM, Suga, V and Jimin were discharged from the South Korean military in June 2025, shortly after which they reunited on camera with J-Hope and Jin to announce that a new album and tour were in the works.
The members also confirmed that they would hit the studio immediately to prep for their 2026 comeback.
They said in a joint statement at the time, “We’ll be releasing a new BTS album in the spring of next year … We’re also planning a world tour alongside the new album. We’ll be visiting fans all around the world, so we hope you’re as excited as we are.”
Since their 2013 debut, BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, have surfed the highest waves of K-pop have shattered numerous records and collected six No. 1s on the Billboard 200 chart. The pop superstars also own six No. 1s on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Grammy-nominated septet have been recognized with accolades including Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards (Artist of the Year 2021), and MTV Video Music Awards.
They were awarded the IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year twice, in 2020 and 2021, becoming the first act to win consecutively.
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