The wait is nearly over.
On Saturday, the K-pop supergroup BTS will perform its first show in three years, five months and six days — yes, fans have been counting — in the historic center of Seoul. It will be livestreamed on Netflix at 8 p.m. local time (7 a.m. Eastern), and The New York Times will cover it live.
The show is a grand homecoming for a K-pop supergroup that catapulted the genre into the global mainstream and became a pivotal force in South Korean soft power. It’s also the first BTS performance of songs from their new studio album, “Arirang.”
The concert is a preview of sorts for the 82-date global BTS tour that begins next month, and it kicks off the group’s attempt to reignite their careers after a hiatus for solo projects military conscription.
Here’s what to know.
First, the basics.
The free show will run for an hour and Netflix subscribers can watch at no extra cost.
BTS will perform in Gwanghwamun Square, a hub of civic activity and political protests. The stage will be framed by Gyeongbok Palace, the seat of Korea’s ancient Joseon Dynasty, and some fans have said they are planning to wear Korean traditional dress. (There will almost surely be lots of purple, the group’s signature color.)
About 22,000 fans secured tickets for the show, but the authorities expect over 260,000 people to congregate in the area.
History is a theme in both the new album and Saturday’s show. “Arirang,” pronounced AH-ri-rahng, the boy band’s first album release since the pandemic, is the name of a Korean folk anthem celebrating resilience and national pride.
The show kicks off a busy year for BTS. On April 9, the group will begin a colossal stadium tour of 34 cities. The 41 North American dates sold out a total of almost 2.4 million tickets in early March.
Why does BTS need a comeback?
The band’s members — RM, Jin, Jimin, V, Suga, Jungkook and J-Hope — went on hiatus in 2022 to focus on solo projects and complete their mandatory military service.
In some ways, the concert is South Korea’s way of recognizing the career sacrifice at a time when the children of the country’s rich and famous are often accused of dodging the draft.
In the decade after BTS released its first album, “2 Cool 4 Skool,” in 2013, the group became an international juggernaut and the first K-pop act to be nominated for a Grammy. Its label, Big Hit, grew to become Hybe Entertainment, now a major player in South Korea’s flourishing music scene.
What’s at stake?
A lot is riding on the comeback show and the tour, not only for BTS but also for South Korea’s economy and soft-power strategy.
Since BTS turned K-pop into a global phenomenon, global interest in Korean culture has continued to surge and extended to areas like cosmetics, food and television. The nation’s cultural wave, known as “Hallyu,” shows no signs of subsiding, and officials have said they hope this show will further bolster it.
BTS also wields massive financial heft, and by some estimates their tour’s earning could surpass the $2 billion gross ticket sales from Taylor Swift’s “Eras.” The comeback has prompted a surge of international visitors to Seoul, and local businesses are offering themed offerings — purple-colored pizza, for example.
Another question is whether BTS can pick up right where they left off.
During the hiatus, fans worried the group’s acclaim and influence might dwindle. BTS is returning as a group to a new K-pop landscape that is dominated by new groups — including Blackpink, Seventeen and NewJeans — that some fans argues caters more to a global audience than its home base.
Yan Zhuang is a Times reporter in Seoul who covers breaking news.
The post What to Know About the BTS Comeback Concert appeared first on New York Times.
