BTS confirms their return with new album and world tour, Entertainment News
The K-pop boy band announced their hotly anticipated comeback during a livestream on Tuesday (July 1), now that all seven members — Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook — have completed their mandatory military service in South Korea.
The Butter hitmakers have confirmed that they will travel to the United States later this month to start work on new music as they prepare to release a new album in spring 2026.
Jimin said: "Hey guys, we are back."
The group added: "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."
The new album will mark the band's first record release since 2020 and the tour will see BTS hit the road for the first time since the Permission to Dance on Stage gigs in 2022.
The members put their careers on hold in 2022 as 18 months of military service is compulsory for all men in South Korea.
Suga was the final star in the band to complete his military service last month.
BTS told their fans, known as the Army, on the platform Weverse: "Starting in July, all seven of us will begin working closely together on new music.
"Since it will be a group album, it will reflect each member's thoughts and ideas. We're approaching the album with the same mindset we had when we first started."
They are thought to have staggered their military service so that all members were unavailable for no longer than six months — with all of them releasing solo material during the group's hiatus.
J-Hope thinks that the individual work has allowed each member to establish their own identity.
The 31-year-old said: "I think that over time, we each refined our unique identities as each of us work on their own music, come out with their solo projects and do their own thing.
"The funny thing for me is when our identities, which have taken shape in various ways, come together as BTS.
"I'm curious to see how [the reunion] will look like."
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