Korean pop megastars BTS are set to release their fifth studio album titled 'Arirang'. The album, which is now up for preorders, is set for release on March 20, ahead of their massive world tour, which shares the album’s title.
For long-time fans of the group, the title “Arirang” is familiar. In 2016, BTS covered the traditional Korean folk song alongside other artists at a KCon event in France with sharp dance moves.
The folk refrain is sung and known across the peninsula with 3600 variations of 600 known versions, with one of the popular ones simply going “Arirang arirang arariyo.”
The song is said to be at least 600 years old, and its existence was first recorded in a 1756 manuscript.
While the exact meaning of the term is unknown, modern scholars believe Arirang translates to “my beloved” or simply the “beautiful one.”
To Koreans, the song is a cultural legacy and contains what is called “han,” a word that refers to profound sorrow stemming from resentment, grief, and injustice.
Arirang reflects this emotion with themes like separation, lost love, perseverance, and love for one’s country. The song's lyrics paint an image of crossing a mountain path and reaching the other side. Arirang is also recognised as a cultural heritage by North Korea, showcasing a rare moment of unity transcending borders.
Immediately after the title was relased ARMY dug up records of a 1896 Washington Post article that spoke of the first ever recording of an Arirang made by American ethnologist Alice C. Fletcher. The song was sung for the first time on tape by 7 Korean students who “ran away from home to be educated in the United States.”
Reading this article and this is fucking crazy. Arirang was first recorded in the US in 1896 by 7 KOREANS??? https://t.co/4hNEOUwDDu pic.twitter.com/OrsR6b5Z8v
— Liz⁷ (@baepsayed) January 15, 2026
Fans have chosen to understand BTS’s choice for their comeback album title to symbolise a reset to their roots after their almost four-year hiatus due to mandatory military service.
On their official website, the description of the album reads “BTS The 5th Album, "ARIRANG" holds special significance as it marks the first album released by the group in three years and nine months and sets out the the direction the members will take moving forward.
“The members were deeply involved throughout the songwriting and production process, infusing their own thoughts and identities while expressing the emotions and reflections they experienced along their journey.”
BTS naming their much-awaited comeback into the global pop scene “Arirang” is a statement that they are embracing their identity, culture, and their dedication to making music that reflects their own experiences.
Big Hit Music, in a press release, said that the new album will feature “music that best embodies BTS’ musical identity.”
Arirang will consist of 14 new tracks and following the album's release, BTS will set off on their biggest world tour spanning 34 cities and 79 shows, starting in South Korea.
