With just one week remaining until global superstars BTS release their highly anticipated new album, BIGHIT MUSIC has finally unveiled the covers for the ARIRANG albums and vinyl editions—along with a stunning animation trailer.
The trailer, titled “ARIRANG Animation Trailer: What is your love song?,” was posted to BTS’s official YouTube channel and serves as a visual prologue exploring the historical and cultural inspiration behind the upcoming project.
In the animation, illustrated versions of RM, Jin, SUGA, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook gather around a gramophone, taking a piece of music and placing it onto the turntable. As the record begins to play—accompanied by the words “Every story begins with a song”—the scene shifts to significant historical moments connected to the song.
The first scene shows Korean students singing “Arirang” at Howard University in Washington, D.C., in 1896, marking the first known recording of a Korean song. Seven students from Korea—then known as Chosun—attended the historically Black university and performed the first recording of Korean music, titled “Love Song: Ar-ra-rang.”
The traditional melody lingers as the animation flashes forward to 2013, BTS’s debut year, showing the group performing on stage before a massive crowd—a visual representation of emotions carried across cultures and generations.
Text appears on screen: “When the world feels heavy, when your heart feels light,” before posing the question, “What is Your Love Song?” The scene then transitions back to the ARIRANG logos, with the animated members standing before Gwanghwamun’s royal palace, where they are scheduled to perform for their Netflix Special Live Event.
The newly revealed album covers present BTS in sleek suits, gazing directly at the camera. Stripped of whimsical elements or graphics, the imagery shows the group together in their dapper attire—matching their animated counterparts and symbolizing their connection to both the story and the ARIRANG theme.
Solo vinyl editions feature each member individually in their suits, staring straight ahead while showcasing their distinct presence. The collection also includes a Modern Korea vinyl version featuring the group in contemporary clothing, highlighting each member’s personal fashion sense, plus two deluxe editions alternating between Korean and English renderings of the members’ names.
Leading up to the release, BTS has been spreading their call-to-action campaign—”WHAT IS YOUR LOVE SONG?”—across Seoul, New York, London, and Los Angeles in celebration of the upcoming album. ARIRANG captures the group’s artistic identity over the decade since their debut, reflecting the emotions they’ve experienced and endured throughout those years. The album transcends generations and cultures, celebrating Korea’s history and the universal language of love shared around the world.
Following the album’s release, BTS will perform live in Seoul the next day in a concert streaming exclusively on Netflix. The group will then begin promotions before launching the 2026 BTS WORLD TOUR: ARIRANG.
BTS’s ARIRANG will be available on streaming platforms worldwide on March 20 at midnight ET.
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