BTS has revealed the album covers and an animated trailer for their upcoming album ARIRANG, just days before its global release.
The video trailer was shared on the group’s official YouTube channel and acts as a prologue to the album. It introduces a story inspired by a real historical moment involving Korean students in the United States in the late 1800s.
According to the video, the concept references a report published by The Washington Post in 1896 about seven Korean students studying at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Some of them recorded what is believed to be the first audio recording of the Korean folk song “Arirang.”
The animated trailer shows cartoon versions of the seven BTS members — RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook — gathered around a gramophone playing a record. As the music begins, the story moves through historical moments before jumping to 2013, the year the group debuted.
The video ends with the message “What is your love song?” and shows the group standing in front of a royal palace in Seoul. The scene hints at an upcoming performance connected to a special event.
BTS also revealed several vinyl covers for the album. The group version shows the members wearing suits and standing together, while the solo editions feature each member individually.
Fans will not have to wait long for the full release. ARIRANG is scheduled to arrive on streaming platforms worldwide on March 20.
After the album drops, BTS will perform a live show in Seoul that will stream exclusively on Netflix before the group begins promotions and launches the 2026 BTS World Tour: ARIRANG.