Indian BTS fans were in for a delight as the K-pop boy band surprised them with a video where they greeted them with the words “Hello India” ahead of the release of their upcoming album Arirang.
In the short clip, shared by Netflix India on Saturday, all seven BTS members — RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook — greeted desi ARMYs with an enthusiastic “Hello India” before inviting them to watch their special comeback concert live on Netflix on March 21.
To celebrate the release of the album and their comeback after military service, the band will perform live at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. The special event will be streamed live on Netflix on March 21.
Indian fans couldn’t keep calm after watching the video. “Indian armys, you guys still awake? Netflix literally dropped this gift for us at midnight,” one of them wrote, brimming with excitement. “They are saying, ‘Hello India,’ sounds like a new song,” another commented.
Slated to release on March 20, BTS’s upcoming album Arirang marks the group’s comeback since the 2022 anthology album Proof. The new album, named after Korea’s most popular folk song, will include 14 tracks.
The tracks include titles like Body to Body, Hooligan, Aliens, FYA, 2.0, No. 29, and the lead single SWIM. Other songs include Merry Go Round, NORMAL, Like Animals, they don’t know ’bout us, One More Night, Please, and Into the Sun.
The album’s title is a reference to Arirang, a centuries-old Korean folk song with thousands of variations that is often regarded as Korea’s unofficial national anthem.
Recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage by both South and North Korea, Arirang draws on the Korean concept of han, a layered emotion of sorrow, longing, collective grief, resilience, and hope.
Through its themes of separation, loss, perseverance, and love for the nation, the song represents a cultural touchstone for Koreans across generations.
BTS had previously performed a live cover of the folk song at KCON 2016 in France. Old clips of the 2016 performance are currently doing the rounds on social media.
