K-pop sensation BTS were releasing their highly anticipated new studio album on Friday, following the historic success of their all-English single ‘Dynamite’.
The trailblazing septet cemented their prominence in the world’s biggest market in August, becoming the first South Korean act to top the US singles chart – with ‘Dynamite’ entering the Billboard Hot 100 at number one.
They are credited with generating billions for the South Korean economy, and last month their label Big Hit Entertainment made a high-profile stock market debut.
Their latest effort, titled ‘BE’, was to be given a simultaneous worldwide release at 2pm South Korean time (0500 GMT).
The new, eight-track record is the group’s fifth Korean-language studio album, and “contains the most ‘BTS-esque’ music yet,” Big Hit said in a statement ahead of the release.