BTS Announces Long-Awaited Reunion

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Popular K-pop group BTS announced a new album (Credit: Chiyako92/ TV Ten/ CC-BY-SA-4.0/ Wikimedia.org)

BTS fans, rejoice! After nearly three years away from the stage, the global K-pop sensation is preparing for a long-awaited comeback. The group shared the news on Weverse, a platform where K-pop artists connect directly with fans. During the July 1, 2025 live broadcast, they revealed that work on a new album will begin later this summer. Even more exciting, the group has plans for a world tour in 2026.

"Starting next spring, we’ll of course be going on tour, so please look forward to seeing us all around the globe," said group leader RM.

This upcoming album will be BTS’s first full-group project since Proof in June 2022. Proof sold over two million copies on its first day and topped charts worldwide for several weeks. Shortly after its successful release, BTS announced a pause in full-group activities. The break allowed them to fulfill South Korea’s mandatory military service, required of all able-bodied men aged 18 to 28.

BTS performing at Korea's Incheon Music Center in 2013 (Credit: Jin-Gook/ CC-BY-SA-4.0/ Wikipedia.org)

Jin was the first to enlist in December 2022, followed by J-Hope in April 2023. RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook enlisted later that December. All served 18 months of active duty military service. Due to a previous shoulder injury, SUGA served as a public service worker — a role that requires a longer term of 21 months. He was the last to be discharged in June 2025.

The members also used the hiatus to release individual albums, collaborate with international stars, and appear on Korean variety shows. Their solo work— and the unwavering support of fans — kept the K-pop icons at the forefront of global pop culture.

The group will also go on a world tour in 2026 (Credit: Korean Culture and Information Service/ CC-BY-SA-4.0/ Wikipedia.org)

As a prelude to their upcoming reunion, BTS released Permission to Dance on Stage – Live on July 18, 2025. The nearly 80-minute album captures the energy of their sold-out 2021 tour. It features 22 songs performed across 12 shows in Seoul, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. The tour initially launched online due to COVID-19 restrictions and later expanded into an in-person experience as conditions improved. It reached a total audience of around 4 million. This included in-person attendees, cinema screenings, and livestream viewers.

Resources: BBC.com, theguardian.com, Koreaherald.com, variety.com

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18 Comments
  • zurubugevuhy
    I love you guys your the best!
    • ilovehenrydsaf
      I don't listen to, nor do I like k pop (i love alt rock and breakcore, all the way,,) but I can imagine this is a very big deal for kpop fans. Hope you guys have fun listening to their new stuff!! :)
      • labubu2
        labubu23 months
        BTS I'm from Seoul South Korea and I live there so I LOVE K POP its my favorite
      • lululuna
        lululuna4 months
        OMG! LLLLOVVVVVVVEE k pop its just the best! i already listen to killin it girl by j-hope SO MANY times its so good and i cant wait for them to reunite!!!!! thanks for making a article on them !! (can you do one on " stray kids" ????? i love that k pop group!)
        • shammah
          shammah3 months
          Yesss. They should. I need katseye in here too. There way too many kpop groups that need to be here. Waiting for Dogo to do so
        • bakudekunuzi
          bakudekunuzi4 months
          I'm a super fan
          • fluffy200
            fluffy2005 months
            This is pretty cool!
            • gooberz
              gooberz5 months
              I didn't know they were gone for that long!
              • grayson123
                grayson1236 months
                OMG OMG OMG BTS IM U BIGGEST FAN ARMY LETS GOO
                • lutolenonufi
                  lutolenonufi6 months
                  welcome back BTS!!
                  • 852128sophie
                    852128sophie6 months
                    That's nice :) They are finally back together!