BTS’ RM Offers Update on 2026 Comeback: “The Music Is Really Coming Out Great”
RM has offered a new glimpse into BTS’ highly anticipated 2026 return, telling fans that the group’s first album in six years is progressing strongly. The update arrives as all seven members continue working toward what is expected to be one of the largest comebacks in modern pop history.
In a message posted on X, RM said the group’s studio sessions have been productive. “Above all, the music is really coming out great,” he wrote. “Everyone is working hard. Looking forward to it. 2026 Bulletproof Army Fighting.” He paired the update with four photos, serving as both a reassurance and a check-in with the global fanbase after an extended period of relative quiet from the group.
BTS’ upcoming album, their first since 2020’s Be, has been in development since July. The group has described the project as a return to fundamentals, noting earlier this year that a full-group album after years of individual activities will reflect each member’s “thoughts and ideas.” They emphasized that they are approaching it “with the same mindset we had when we first started,” signaling an intentional revisiting of the collaborative foundation that defined their early years.
The band also confirmed that the album will be paired with a world tour scheduled to begin in 2026. “We’ll be visiting fans all around the world,” they said in the initial announcement. “We hope you’re as excited as we are.” The excursion is expected to be their largest since the Map of the Soul tour cycle, which was ultimately halted by the pandemic.
The long path to the 2026 comeback began in March 2022, when BTS paused group activities so the members could complete South Korea’s mandatory military service. During the hiatus, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook each released solo projects across pop, R&B, alt-pop, and hip-hop, performed at global events, and pursued separate creative collaborations. The break has been framed by both the group and their label as a necessary reset, an opportunity for artistic development before returning to work as a seven-member team.
RM has periodically shared brief updates during the writing and recording process, with his most recent message prior to this week posted in August. At the time, he spoke about rediscovering the sense of collective purpose that defined BTS’ early work. “Making something together with these friends, I’m going to commit myself to this moment,” he wrote. “It’s our next album. I’m looking for what I’ll become. Something I’ve forgotten for too long… I hope that it will be a kind of beauty.”
The 2026 album and tour will mark BTS’ formal reemergence into group activity after more than four years of partial or full separation. Industry expectations run high: BTS remain one of the most commercially influential acts in global pop, with a fanbase that has demonstrated sustained engagement during their hiatus, elevating solo releases to major chart placements and maintaining high visibility for the group’s brand, catalog, and charitable efforts.
While RM’s latest update does not reveal details about the album’s concept, collaborators, or timeline, it underscores what fans have hoped for.
