K-pop boy band BTS is set to return with a new album after four years, the band members announced in a Weverse live video on Tuesday, adding that they will embark on a world tour in 2026.
On Tuesday, the seven members of BTS — RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook — appeared together in their first Weverse live since all band members completed their mandatory military service.
During the live session, RM confirmed they will start preparing for their upcoming album in July. The rapper also said they are planning to travel to the US later this month to begin work on new music.
“We're also planning a world tour alongside the album. We'll be visiting fans all around the world, so we hope you're as excited as we are,” RM said.
The upcoming tour will mark their return to the stage four years after their last concert, Yet to Come, in Busan, South Korea, in 2022.
During the album announcement, the group recalled the release of their last album, Proof, and said that by the time the next album drops, it will be nearly four years. “That’s enough time for four people to finish their military service,” RM quipped.
Suga added, “But honestly, it doesn’t feel real yet — we still have to start working on it… The market’s changed a lot in the meantime.”
“Probably around July or August… maybe Lollapalooza, Jin’s tour, and more things. There’ll be a lot of individual stuff too, but we’ll try our best to communicate,” RM said.
The announcement comes shortly after BigHit Music announced the release of BTS’s first live album, Permission to Dance On Stage — Live, featuring 22 tracks from their world tour.
The album will feature live recordings of BTS’s performances of various hits, including chartbusters like Dynamite and Butter, which the singers performed during the 2021-2022 Permission to Dance On Stage tour.
Suga was the last member of BTS to return to civilian life on June 21 after a 21-month public service.
On June 10, RM and V completed their 18-month compulsory military service. Jungkook and Jimin returned to civilian life a day later. The four of them joined their bandmates, Jin and J-hope, who resumed their civilian lives last year after discharge from military service.