Just 10 months after setting multiple records with “Boy With Luv,” BTS announced the upcoming release of a new album in February.

On Tuesday, the seven-piece K-pop juggernaut told its global fan community Weverse that it would drop a new album, “Map of the Soul: 7,” Feb. 21. The album is the sequel to the act’s Billboard 200 chart-topper EP “Map of the Soul: Persona,” released in April last year.

“With ‘Map of the Soul: Persona,’ BTS sang about reaching out to the world and finding joy in love. Anticipation remains high as fans are eager to find out what ‘Map of the Soul: 7,’ the second series of ‘Map of the Soul,’ will offer,” said BTS’ agency, Big Hit Entertainment, in a statement. 



The exciting news drove the band’s global fan base into a frenzy and almost immediately dominated Twitter, with hashtags such as #BTScomeback and #7isComing rising to the top of worldwide trending lists. Many fans began analyzing the significance of the lucky number seven -- pointing out, for example, that this year is BTS’ seventh anniversary and the band has seven members.

After ringing in 2020 in New York City with a New Year’s Eve performance on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2020,” BTS shows no signs of slowing down. While the act hasn’t released another project as a group since “Map of the Soul: Persona,” the bandmates have kept busy collaborating with other artists, appearing on TV and performing in year-end award shows.

Big Hit also recently hinted at an upcoming tour, writing on Twitter: “April 2020. Stay tuned.”

Preorders for “Map of the Soul: 7” begin Thursday.

By Hong Dam-young (lotus@heraldcorp.com)