On March 21, the world’s most popular band staged a comeback performance in Seoul after all seven members of BTS 방탄소년단 completed their mandatory military service. BTS Comeback Live: Arirang was televised live via Netflix, immediately becoming the most viewed Netflix telecast in 77 countries. The septet’s fifth album Arirang sold nearly 4m copies on the day of its release, and all fourteen of its tracks were among the top globally streamed songs on Spotify.
But the comeback was not all roses. The band’s takeover of Gwanghwamun Square 광화문 광장 provoked grumbling after crowd controls - a precaution after the tragic Itaewon Disaster of October 2022 - all but shut down Seoul’s business center. Though police initially expected crowds of 260k, actual attendance was approximately 104k, drawing complaints that the extensive crowd controls had been unnecessary.
BTS’s new album debuted to generally positive reviews, but critics were quick to note that K-pop’s greatest product is now “too big to fail.” With band members now mostly in their early 30s and developing distinctive careers of their own as solo artists, the album may be lacking in the cohesive, unifying narrative that made the group one of the biggest artists of the 21st century. None of that will stop BTS from kicking off the biggest concert series since Taylow Swift’s Eras tour, as they embark on a global tour on April 9, 2026 and through March 2027.
