BTS is back, which means comeback season is here and ARMY will be wide awake once 12 a.m. KST hits every morning — the time the K-pop legends are known to drop new content. Recently, the boys — RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook — returned from their extended period of rest. And of course, they let their presence be known on social media. But, when is BTS’s next comeback? Fans seem to think the new album is titled Shadow and has a release date in October 2019.
ARMY thinks BTS’s next comeback will be released in October 2019
Just days after BTS fans were blessed with J-Hope’s “Chicken Noodle Soup” collaboration with Becky G, ARMY exploded on Twitter when a Taiwanese bulletin board of new music pre-orders seemingly revealed details about the new BTS album following Map of the Soul: Persona.
According to the post, written in traditional Chinese characters, the BTS comeback album will be allegedly called Shadow. The post also claims the album will drop on Oct. 25. Nevertheless, the bulletin board then explained the publish date for Shadow hasn’t been officially set. So, don’t get too excited just yet.
As of now, everything in regards to BTS’s new comeback album is unconfirmed — including the official title and release date. Remember, nothing is confirmed until Big Hit Entertainment gives their seal of approval. And at this point, the post is merely a fan prediction.
Why fans think the new album will be called ‘Map of the Soul: Shadow’
Now, some fans might be wondering why the post called the new album Shadow. As it turns out, the name is actually a popular fan theory that has been bouncing around the internet since RM’s music video for “Persona” in March 2019.
In the video, hawkeyed fans pointed out the words “Persona,” “Shadow,” and “Ego” were written multiple times behind the BTS leader. Fans then hypothesized the words hinted at two upcoming albums in the group’s Map of the Soul era.
“On the blackboard, walls, and floor, it consistently says ‘PERSONA SHADOW EGO‘ in that order so I’m thinking this will be a series of three albums in that order,” a Reddit user explained.
Fans predict BTS comeback concept
Following the Map of the Soul: Shadow theory, BTS fans got to work and began speculating what’s to come when the group returns with new music. And given the potential album title, it’s no surprise fans believe the group will go for a darker concept, similar to the Wings era.
“The outfits, the mv, the hair colors, the vocals, the choreographies, and the solos…. the excellence it holds is absolutely amazing,” a fan shared on Twitter, along with the Wings album cover. “And the world would definitely go crazy if BTS ever has a comeback with this type of concept again.”
“BTS Shadow comeback: means it’s gonna have some dark concept to it,” another fan predicted. “They could have sprinkled on some sexiness to it. but we’ll see.”
Meanwhile, other fans wondered if an October 2019 release date was coming, based on the speculated Shadow title.
“What if BTS comeback comes out on Halloween. I can’t,” a Twitter user shared. “Halloween is my favorite holiday and it might be a dark concept.”
In all honesty, it’s easy to get sucked into the buzz of comeback season. Fans are hyped and on their toes for their next big clue. But, until Big Hit reveals anything official, just remember to take everything in with a grain of salt. Regardless, the next few months will be a wild ride — so hold on tight.