BTS announces title of new album: 'Arirang'
by Thomas Maresca · UPISEOUL, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- K-pop superstar septet BTS announced Friday that their forthcoming full-length album will be titled Arirang, according to their label BigHit Music.
The 14-track album is set for release on March 20. It will be the group's fifth studio album and their first major release since the 2022 anthology Proof.
Arirang "sets out the direction the members will take moving forward," BigHit said in a statement.
"The members were deeply involved throughout the songwriting and production process, infusing their own thoughts and identities while expressing the emotions and reflections they experienced along their journey," the label said.
"Arirang" is the title of Korea's most famous folk song, with some 3,600 variations across roughly 60 different versions. The song is estimated to be more than 600 years old and is listed twice on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage register after being submitted by South Korea in 2012 and North Korea in 2014.
Following the album's release, the group will embark on what BigHit described as the largest world tour in K-pop history, spanning 34 cities and 79 shows. The tour, which features a 360-degree stage design, kicks off on April 9 at Goyang Sports Complex near Seoul.
Formed in 2010, BTS consists of RM, Jin, V, J-Hope, Suga, Jung Kook and Jimin. The group went on hiatus in 2022 as all seven members completed South Korea's mandatory military service.