In March 2026, BTS released their long-awaited fifth studio album that ARMY, the name their fans, had been waiting for since they took a break back in June of 2022. ARIRANG,  named after a famous Korean folklore, released with many excited fans ready for their comeback. BTS had been on pause since they took a hiatus, a break, because of the required military service in South Korea. During this staggered time of military service, the members took on a solo career with almost all of them finding success in it.

Following ARIRANG’s release, all 14 of their songs gained lots of popularity and unsurprisingly, hit the charts. Spotify announced that their album broke the record for the most streamed album in one day, as well as the most streamed K-pop album of all time. 

Their songs are a little different as they’ve become more experimental with the style and form than fans are used to before their hiatus. Included as one of the 14 songs, is No. 29 which is solely instrumental. It  pays tribute to the Korean Bells and their time in the military. It also serves as a way to transition the album into the second half of songs which becomes more somber. Their single, Swim, debuted at No. 1 on the Spotify Global Top 50 with over 15 million streams in a single day.

As a cherry on top, Big Hit Music, a South Korean music label, formally announced that BTS’ comeback would have a world tour attached. The tour sold out quickly as many fans were eager to see the return of the septet boy band. To help promote their new album, they partnered with Google and what started on March 4 was a scavenger hunt on their page which gives BTS trivia. 

Along with the album release, BTS held a free concert at the Capital of South Korea which was also streamed live on Netflix. It was their first time performing as BTS for about five years. On top of that, they released a documentary about their journey in making their news album and the challenges and success that comes from it. BTS also made an appearance on the Jimmy Fallon show as they talked about their album and answered questions their fans sent in. Only time will tell if they can keep their legacy going even after their long break away from each other.