BTS Reunite in U.S. for First Time in 4 Years at Intimate Event with 1,000 Top Spotify Listeners

BTS just performed in the U.S. for the first time in four years to a very special crowd.

The K-pop superstars teamed up with Spotify to host Spotify x BTS: SWIMSIDE, an invitation-only event, performance and Q&A for 1,000 of the group’s top listeners on the streaming platform. The immersive experience at New York City’s South Street Seaport marked BTS’s first performance in the States since their Permission to Dance: Las Vegas concerts in April 2022.

The event saw fans “step into the world of BTS’s ARIRANG,” their new album, released March 20, with an immersive experience on a rooftop with views of the Brooklyn Bridge and tall ships reminiscent of the one in their latest music video.

“It’s really an honor for us to do our first stage in America here,” RM, the group’s leader said during a Q&A moderated by Suki Waterhouse “Thanks to Spotify for giving us this chance. And thank you for being together again with us. It’s been four years but now we’re here. We seven, and with you all, ARMY [the group’s fandom name]. We, with you, can take over the world.”

The seven members — RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook — played a game of “Normal vs Alien” (the names of two of their new songs) before treating fans, who weathered chilly temperatures and rain showers, to a mini performance.

SWIMSIDE was a unique opportunity for fans to see BTS in a relatively intimate environment, far from the crowds of more than 60,000 that will be filling their upcoming 80-plus stadium shows starting next month.

The hip-hop track “2.0,” a nod to the beginning of BTS’s second chapter, got temperatures rising as the energetic crowd jumped around, light sticks in hand. The anthemic “NORML” proved it’s worthy of a stadium as it turned into a giant, arm-waving sing-along. And their current single, “SWIM,” rounded out the set, ending on a heartfelt note of connection.

This album marks a major comeback for BTS, who paused their group activities in 2022 in order for the members to complete South Korea’s mandatory military service and pursue solo activities. The final members were discharged in June 2025 and they all spent the following months working on a new album in Seoul and Los Angeles alongside collaborators including Diplo, who was in the crowd at SWIMSIDE, plus Mike WiLL Made-It, and Kevin Parker of Tame Impala, among others.

On March 21, they debuted the album with a global concert event, BTS The Comeback Live: ARIRANG, which was live-streamed to 190 countries on Netflix from South Korea’s Gwanghwamun Square, where over 100,000 people reportedly attended in person. The set highlighted classics and new songs, including “SWIM,” an alternative pop track, which they released alongside a cinematic music video starring Riverdale’s Lili Reinhardt.

ARIRANG, which is named after a beloved Korean folk song, sold nearly 4 million copies on the first day of its release, according to Hybe, BTS’s record label. The ARIRANG tour kicks off in Goyang, South Korea, on April 9 before heading to the U.S. on April 25, followed by dates in Europe, then Asia and Australia into 2027.