BTS’s New Album “ARIRANG” Draws Criticism Over Controversial Detail Labeled “Worst Ever”

BTS is facing backlash over their new album ARIRANG cover art.

The controversy started after BIGHIT MUSIC dropped a teaser image of the album cover for the March 20 release. The photo is heavily faded, showing just faint silhouettes of the seven members in suits. Fans suspect it’s a tease with more to come, but many netizens hate it.

The cover has gone viral on X (formerly Twitter) with harsh criticism for its bland look. Some called it “ugly and boring,” while others said it was the worst cover they’ve seen from BTS.

“since likes are private, can we all agree that this cover is ugly and boring as fuck”
— nay ✦ (@_bratzone)

“What the hell is this if I were an army I’d be fuming”
— Simba (@DylMinnow)

“That’s genuinely the worst album cover I’ve seen”
— Carter! (@CaRt3r111)

“looks ugly af”
— noah (@ordinarysthing)

Some fans defended the mysterious artistic choice, seeing it as a build-up to the full reveal. But general netizens aren’t convinced and have mocked the weak visual impact, especially given BTS’s history with striking album concepts.

“they put all of their grammy wins on the cover”
— ❀ (@vivisweeteners)

Despite the heat, the ARIRANG cover remains a hot topic. It’s already one of BTS’s most divisive visuals — whether the full cover will change minds is still unknown.

BTS Group Photo
BIGHIT MUSIC