According to Variety.com, BTS fans are waiting for spring because the new year brought an announcement to Korean media that BTS will be releasing a new album on March 20, which will be their first in nearly four years. The long-awaited album will be the groups’ first since Proof, a June 2022 release that was followed by a long hiatus. The gap saw the individual members fulfilling mandatory military service in South Korea and recording a multitude of solo projects.
The news about the upcoming album was reported in newspapers in the group’s home country. Also, BigHit confirmed the reports with a post on its Korean-language X account. Prior to the official announcement, group members had already gone direct to fans with the release date by sending letters with handwritten messages to some ARMY members’ homes with the telltale dateline of “2026.3.20.”
Among the messages, BTS’s RM wrote that he has been “waiting for this moment more desperately than anyone.” Said 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.”