BTS fans around the world got a Valentine’s Day surprise on Saturday when the K-pop group set up surprise flower pop-ups in three major cities across the world. But this wasn’t just about giving away roses, it was a carefully planned comeback campaign that got fans talking about their upcoming album.
The pop-up, titled “ROSES FROM BTS,” appeared at The Grove in Los Angeles, Covent Garden in London, and COEX Mall in Seoul. Each location ran for 12 hours from 10 AM to 10 PM, with massive flower wall installations where fans could pick a free rose.
Each rose came with a card featuring a QR code. When scanned, it took fans to an interactive page called “What Is Your Love Song?” where they could enter their name, favorite artist, and favorite love song to create a personalized digital graphic to share on social media.
But the pop-up had another trick up its sleeve. As fans picked roses throughout the day, they slowly revealed what was hiding underneath the flowers. By the end of the day, after thousands of roses had been picked, the message at the center of the wall became clear: “WHAT IS YOUR LOVE SONG?”
The question immediately sparked discussion online. Was it a hint at song lyrics? Part of a larger campaign theme? A clue about the album’s concept? Either way, BTS had successfully turned a Valentine’s Day giveaway into major comeback buzz.
The Valentine’s Day roses weren’t the first time fans had seen this mysterious question. Days earlier, “What Is Your Love Song?” started appearing on Instagram Notes worldwide. Large red banners with the same phrase showed up in Seoul’s Seongsu-dong neighborhood on February 9, wrapping around the CUEREN Seongsu Tannery building and appearing on the Musinsa Mega Store screen. Billboards also popped up in Times Square in New York.
A Spotify playlist called “What Is Your Love Songs” even surfaced on February 6, featuring 58-second tracks named Self-Love, Fandom Love, Romantic Love, Healing Love, Unrequited Love, and Nostalgic Love, though no audio was attached. Another interactive playlist invited listeners to sort BTS songs into different “love” categories.
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The campaign is building up to BTS’s fifth full studio album (by BigHit Music’s count), titled ARIRANG, which drops on March 20, 2026 at 1 PM Korean Standard Time. The album will have 14 tracks and comes in multiple physical versions: Rooted in Korea Ver., Rooted in Music Ver., Living Legend Ver., Weverse Album Ver., a special 7-member edition, and vinyl formats.
The album marks BTS’s first full-group release in nearly four years, following their 2022 anthology album “Proof.” All seven members completed their mandatory military service in South Korea and have been working on the album since reuniting in July 2025. Member Jimin confirmed on November 1, 2025 that the album was finished and ready for release. Pre-orders have reportedly reached 4 million copies, showing massive fan anticipation for the comeback.
The comeback plans are massive. On March 21, BTS will hold “BTS The Comeback Live | Arirang” at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, a historically significant public space in the city center. This will be their first live performance in three years, and it will be exclusively streamed on Netflix. Netflix is also releasing a documentary called “BTS The Return” on March 27, showing the group’s reunion in Los Angeles after completing military service.
Then comes the world tour. “BTS World Tour: ARIRANG” kicks off April 9 in South Korea and will run through 2026 and into 2027, with 82 concerts planned across 34 cities worldwide, including stops in Japan, the United States, and Latin America.
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The group is also gracing the March 2026 cover of GQ across 15 international editions, including Korea, the U.S., the U.K., Japan, Germany, and Mexico. The feature gives fans a look at the group’s reunion, creative process, and thoughts on their time apart.
While thousands of fans in Los Angeles, London, and Seoul celebrated, others admitted feeling left out, wishing the romantic activation had reached their cities too.
