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BTS’ 2026 comeback is nearing and the members themselves are itching to get back to work.
The BTS ARMY got a rare, candid moment for the holidays when the septet jumped on a Weverse livestream for a full-group chat on the superfan app. Leader RM set the tone by telling followers, “Let 2026 be the year of BTS,” teasing that “something really big is coming.”
Even as RM and the other members acknowledged understandable frustration at the pace of an official comeback announcement, the comments offered both reassurance and a reminder that the history-making superstars have been hard at work to return to full-group activities after a period away from the stage.
“I’m so sick of 2025,” RM added, per the Chosun Daily, speaking to what tends to be a very busy time for K-pop stars with end-of-the-year award shows and concerts. “I’m going crazy wanting to come back quickly. I really hate this year-end. I can’t say how much preparation has been done, but when will the company announce the comeback date? I wish HYBE would announce it sooner.”
The members generally echoed the sentiment and hoped the new year would come quickly, with Jimin commenting, “This time period is the most frustrating…it feels longer than expected, which is frustrating,” while Suga offered, “They said there will be an announcement in the near future.”
RM shared the most throughout the livestream, offering insights into the pressure BTS felt to reignite their careers not just in 2025 but generally.
“I agonized over whether disbanding would be better or if pausing the team was the right choice tens of thousands of times,” he shared. “Nevertheless, the reason we continue is because of the love and respect among the members and toward our fans…I often hear people around me asking why we just let the second half of 2025 pass and why we didn’t do anything. We didn’t want to waste time either and I personally wanted to be active a lot after being discharged. There were reasons for not being active in the second half, but I don’t have the authority to speak about all of that.”
RM added, “Our last concert was in October 2022, so the performance hiatus has exceeded three years. The desire to perform is, of course, sincere…as time has passed, many things have changed, and as such, preparation is necessary. Personally, the burden is significant and it’s true that the situation where only preparation continues is frustrating.”
The Korea Herald added that BTS confirmed that recording for the new album finished months ago and that work is now in the revising and perfecting phase, but the group made clear its impatience with the pace of an official announcement.
In the comfort of all their fans tuned in, RM added a rare public appeal: “I wish our company would show us a little more affection.” While Jin countered, “But aren’t they still trying hard with various things?” RM replied, “I’m not sure…I don’t usually say this, but I just wish they would embrace us a bit more.”
When BTS began in 2013, HYBE was not the multimedia, international conglomerate it is today with the company then known as Big Hit Entertainment and housing BTS as its top-priority act. But the success of BTS allowed Big Hit to grow and debut new acts like Tomorrow X Together, acquire labels like SEVENTEEN’s PLEDIS Entertainment and ZICO’s KOZ Entertainment, and transform into the multinational entertainment powerhouse it is today as HYBE. With so many changes within HYBE over the past two years (including expanding into new territories and facing public legal battles), BTS’ frustration in navigating this altered landscape for music releases is understandable.
Beyond BTS’ March return, HYBE and its labels already have several major moments lined up for 2026. SOURCE MUSIC’s LE SSERAFIM will appear on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, PLEDIS has SEVENTEEN members DK and Seungkwan releasing their first EP as a sub-unit duo on January 12, BELIFT LAB’s ILLIT will release a new Japanese single “Sunday Morning” while its boy band ENHYPEN will drop its SIN : VANISH album on January 19. Plus, HYBE America is planning to work on a new boy band with OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder.
In a previous July livestream that marked BTS’ first time streaming together since completing their military service requirements, the seven members announced they would release a new album in the spring of 2026 that would “reflect each member’s thoughts and ideas” and planned a “massive” world tour for 2026.
BTS’ Successes in 2025
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Despite no new album, 2025 still saw the group release their first-ever live album, Permission to Dance on Stage – Live, featuring recordings from the band’s Permission to Dance on Stage Tour, which ran from late 2021 to early 2022.
Meanwhile, eldest member Jin released his second solo album Echo (that earned him his highest-charting entry on the Billboard 200 at No. 3), while J-Hope dropped three major crossover English singles (including “Killin’ It Girl” with GloRilla, which became his first Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart). Plus, RM was named the Global Ambassador for Samsung Art TV and began working on his own art exhibition set to open next year. After contributing 5 billion won (about $3.5 million), Suga helped open Seoul’s Severance Hospital’s Min Yoongi Center, an autism-focused wing that offers music-based therapy. Jimin saw his 2024 single “Who” land as the 57th biggest song on Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 singles chart while the second season of his Disney+ travel series Are You Sure?! with Jung Kook premiered this fall. As for Jung Kook, his documentary film I Am Still premiered in theaters worldwide, and he was also named a global ambassador for Chanel fragrances and beauty. JK also quietly dropped a cover of holiday classic “The Christmas Song” as a gift for fans on December 23, which has earned nearly 2.5 million views to date.
V looks to be the final BTS member to offer one last gift to fans in 2025 with the announcement of TYPE 非, which appears to be a new photobook project from the star that follows his 224-page TYPE 1 hardcover released in 2024.
While the livestream may be the last time fans hear from BTS as a group, the message was clear, with J-Hope stating, “2026 is an important year for us,” and RM promising, “Something really big is coming,” all indicating that BTS is just as excited to return to the stage as its millions of fans are — and there’s no chance of delays as they’re rearing to get back to work.
