BTS are ramping up the hype machine for the upcoming second single from their ARIRANG album, “NORMAL,” using a very old-school method. The group published eye-catching ads in the San Francisco Chronicle on Monday (July 13) and the New York Post on Tuesday (July 14) — see below — with the headline “BTS Seen in Bathroom Amid Mysterious Late-Night Gathering.”
The “shocking photo” accompanying the fake headline features the band’s seven members — RM, Jung Kook, V, Jimin, Suga, Jin and j-hope — provocatively standing at urinals in a bathroom, their backs to the camera as they appear to relieve themselves. The attendant copy reads: “Questions have been raised following a late-night photo appearing to show all seven BTS members together in what appears to be an unexpected setting. While the gathering itself remains unconfirmed, some have questioned whether the situation was entirely normal. The image has quickly sparked curiosity and speculation.”
The tease, which also features a small forward-facing pic of the group, adds that a spokesperson declined to comment on the image, promising that more information will be revealed on Friday (July 17), which is when the video and track will be released exclusively on Spotify before moving to all streaming platforms on Sunday (July 19).
A release about the ads notes that the booming, sung-rapped “NORMAL” explores the space between “spotlight and silence and the emotions long familiar to BTS. The seven members unravel their everyday thoughts and experiences with a delivery that is both calm and powerful, set against an opening of heavy kick and snare rhythms paired with psychedelic guitar textures. Produced by Ryan Tedder, the track pairs understated production with conversational sing-rap, allowing its message to resonate with emotional clarity.”
BTS’ ARIRANG world tour will march on to the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France on Friday (July 17) and Saturday (July 18). On Sunday (July 19), they will join Justin Bieber, Madonna and Shakira as co-headliners at the first FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
ARIRANG‘s first single, “SWIM,” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April, becoming the septet’s seventh leader on the tally.
Check out the “NORMAL” ad below.
Photo courtesy HYBE/BIGHIT
