BTS’s upcoming fifth full-length album will be titled “Arirang,” named after the famous Korean folk song, agency BigHit Music said Friday.
The name was revealed on the fan community platform Weverse, where preorders are set to begin at 11 a.m.
“Arirang,” which is set to be released on May 20 at 1 p.m., will feature 14 tracks, the names of which will be disclosed later.
The album explores the band’s Korean roots and conveys the members’ deep longing and love, BigHit Music said in a statement, adding that “Arirang” symbolizes “emotional themes” of the album.
“Ahead of BTS’s long-awaited return, the band naturally focused on its roots, foundation and inner stories,” the agency said. “The new album will resonate with listeners across the world as it deals with the universal emotions of yearning and profound love.”
The “Arirang” folk song, estimated to be more than 600 years old, is known to be a song of sorrow and han, a uniquely Korean sense of deep resentment and longing. The song was inscribed on the Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage list twice by South Korea in 2012 and North Korea in 2014.
BTS’s upcoming world tour, also called “Arirang,” is set to begin at Goyang Stadium in Gyeonggi on April 9, 11 and 12. The band will perform in 34 regions for 79 shows, including Tokyo, Las Vegas, Busan, Madrid, London, Paris, Chicago, Los Angeles, Sao Paulo, Bangkok, Jakarta and Hong Kong through March next year.
