With only 15 days remaining until their official return, BTS is set to release their fifth full-length album “Arirang” on March 20, accompanied by a large-scale live performance in central Seoul.
The seven-member band will release their latest album on March 20. On the following day at 8 p.m., the group will hold a massive comeback live performance at Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square.
This historic event will be streamed globally through Netflix. This is the first time the platform will broadcast a live music performance from Korea to a global audience.
The teaser video opens with the thunderous cheers from members of the group’s global fandom, known as ARMY.
“We promised our fans that we would be back,” group leader RM says in the teaser, which features footage of the members at Gyeongbok Palace, showcasing them against the backdrop of the historic royal residence.
Hamish Hamilton, the British director of the Super Bowl halftime show since 2010, the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony and the MTV and Academy Awards, will lead the production of the Gwanghwamun concert. Hamilton’s collaboration with BTS is expected to capture not just the choreography but also the emotions of the performance to deliver a more vivid experience.
BTS members expressed a strong sense of unity and growth during their time apart as the group went on temporary hiatus for mandatory military service.
Their upcoming return with “Arirang” comes just under four years since the release of their previous album.
“Seven together, we can do anything. Keep swimming,” RM says in the teaser.
The lead single of the new album is titled “Swim” and carries a philosophical message about navigating through the rough waves of life. The lyrics, mostly written by RM, express a strong determination to move at one’s own speed instead of being carried away by others.
