--- description: BTS' new project, "Map of the Soul: 7," will be released on Friday, Feb. 21. title: BTS Announces Release Date for New Album image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Music](/tag/music/) ## Music Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # BTS Announces Release Date for New Album _Map of the Soul: 7_ ## Video: 2019 Time 100 | BTS [Watch (HLS stream): 2019 Time 100 | BTS](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/uMa8fPWx.m3u8) (2:54)  _Published 2019-04-17. K-Pop band BTS is on the 2019 Time 100 list_ by [Kat Moon](/author/kat-moon/) ## Kat Moon Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 12, 2023 8:04 PM CUTPublished: Jan 7, 2020 10:03 PM CUT by [Kat Moon](/author/kat-moon/) ## Kat Moon Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 12, 2023 8:04 PM CUTPublished: Jan 7, 2020 10:03 PM CUT Members of the avid BTS fan base army, a.k.a. ARMYs around the world are marking a much-anticipated occasion on their calendars: Friday, Feb. 21 — the newly announced date K-pop juggernaut [BTS](https://time.com/collection-post/5414052/bts-next-generation-leaders/ "undefined") is dropping their upcoming album. The news was shared on [WeVerse](https://twitter.com/bts%5Fbighit/status/1214562779648028672 "undefined") along with the name of the new project: _Map of the Soul: 7_. Immediately, terms related to the comeback began to dominate Twitter’s worldwide trends, with the hashtag [#7isComing](https://twitter.com/search?q=%237isComing "undefined") surpassing a million tweets just hours after the announcement. And they dropped the first single “Black Swan” off of Map of the Soul with an accompanying art film featuring some elaborate choreography. _Map of the Soul: 7_ follows BTS’ album from 2019, _Map of the Soul: Persona_. Fans were not expecting the new title. ARMYs had studiously searched for Easter eggs in previous releases, and speculated that the upcoming album be named [“Shadow”](https://twitter.com/xCeleste%5F%5F%5F/status/1110936929330040832 "undefined") or [“Ego”](https://www.elitedaily.com/p/will-bts-next-album-be-called-ego-this-theory-will-blow-your-mind-19416150 "undefined") based on the writing on a [blackboard](https://www.buzzfeed.com/ikrd/the-bts-comeback-trailer-subtly-hints-at-them-coming-full "undefined") in [leader RM’s “Persona” music video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9Uy0opVF3s "undefined"). But yet again, BTS surprises. The number seven carries special significance for the group. This year is BTS’ seventh anniversary, after debuting back in [June 2013](https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/8455612/bts-takeover-timeline-bbmas "undefined") with the album _2 Cool 4 Skool_. Seven is also the number of members in the supergroup. “The 7 years we have been together, always exists in 7 members of BTS,” RM says in the septet’s [intro video](https://youtu.be/lFMXk0L4kG8?t=127 "undefined") at the 2019 MAMA show in December. BTS has already started the new decade in the most majestic fashion — [ringing in 2020](https://time.com/5752407/bts-new-years-eve-2020/ "undefined") at New York City’s Times Square following a dazzling performance at _Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve._ The group’s company [Big Hit Entertainment](https://time.com/5681494/bts-bang-si-hyuk-interview/ "undefined") has also [teased an upcoming tour](https://twitter.com/BigHitEnt/status/1209307746367090688 "undefined") that will take place in a few months. “April 2020\. Stay tuned,” the caption read. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5760803/bts-new-album/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5760803/bts-new-album/"},"headline":"BTS Announces Release Date for New Album Map of the Soul: 7","datePublished":"2020-01-07T22:03:27.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-12T20:04:33.000Z","description":"BTS' new project, \"Map of the Soul: 7,\" will be released on Friday, Feb. 21.","url":"https://time.com/5760803/bts-new-album/","keywords":["Music","onetime","clickmonsters"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Kat Moon","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/kat-moon/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/music/","name":"Music"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5760803/bts-new-album/","name":"BTS Announces Release Date for New Album Map of the Soul: 7"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"2019 Time 100 | BTS","description":"K-Pop band BTS is on the 2019 Time 100 list","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/uMa8fPWx/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2019-04-17T10:04:29.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/uMa8fPWx.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/5760803/bts-new-album/","duration":"PT2M54S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/5760803/bts-new-album/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```