BTS is back and better than ever. And the Army can’t wait for the new K-Pop global superstars’ new album.
The group’s new album Arirang arrives Friday, March 20, and it will mark their first album after each member served a mandatory period in the Korean military beginning in 2022.
At the time of writing, no singles have been released from the album, and only a 40-second outro called “Armyrang” is available for streaming. But prolific producer Diplo has given BTS fans a hint as to what they can expect from the group’s hotly anticipated sixth album.
Chairman Bang, Chairman of BTS’ home label HYBE, brought Diplo onto the group’s comeback album in late 2024.
“Bang and I first talked in November 2024 about coming on board to produce this album,” said Diplo in a statement. “He was clear from the jump — they didn’t want a typical pop producer. They wanted someone who would take chances, someone who could help them build a project left of center and rebellious. I remember him saying, ‘Let’s do something revolutionary.’”
From there, Diplo took inspiration from “trip hop and old-school hip hop” sounds. However, he allowed the guys to take the creative reins.
“We went through tons of songs and spent months in the studio shaping the sound, digging into textures and moods that felt unexpected but still true to them,” said Diplo. “We brought in some sick collaborators, like my Bison writers, Flume, Jpegmafia etc., but the goal was to let BTS’ creativity shine and let them speak their stories as grown men — to show evolution, depth, and perspective.”
Diplo has produced for everyone under the sun, including Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, Usher, Dua Lipa, and Blackpink. In addition to Diplo, BTS has collaborated with producers Mike Will Made-It, Kevin Parker, El Guincho, Ryan Tedder, and more on Arirang. Diplo notes that Arirang will display BTS’ artistic growth in ways fans couldn’t imagine.
“This project takes Korean music into the future,” he said. “It proves that they’re not just global stars — they’re a creative force to be reckoned with and I could not be more thankful and proud to have played a part in it.”