BTS to release 14-track studio album March 20

Global K-pop sensation BTS will return with its fifth full-length album March 20, a 14-track project reflecting the members' personal thoughts and experiences, the group's label BigHit Music said Monday. The release marks the group's first studio album in more than six years, following "Map of the Soul: 7" in February 2020, and its first new group project since the anthology album "Proof" in June 2022. "True to their identity as artists who express themselves through music, BTS poured their efforts into capturing the essence of who they are today," BigHit Music said, noting that the album production was the group's primary focus through the second half of last year. Each track, the label added, carries the emotions and reflections that stem from the members' journey and gratitude toward their fans, known as ARMY. BTS is also expected to unveil details of a world tour on Jan. 14. This would mark the group's first since the "Permission to Dance on Stage" series concluded in Las Vegas in April 2022. As part of its comeback promotions, the group launched a new official website, 2026bts.com, w