BigHit Entertainment has announced that BTS will release a music video for ARIRANG B-side “NORMAL” on July 17, 2026, exclusively on Spotify.

The group have been teasing a surprise for fans over the past few weeks, with advertisements published in U.S. newspapers such as The New York Post and The San Francisco Chronicle. A tagline included in the advertisements hinted towards “NORMAL” being at the centre of the announcement; “Some have questioned whether the situation was entirely normal.” On July 16, a music video release for the song was confirmed.

The fictional headline of each advertisement, “BTS members seen in bathroom amid mysterious late-night gathering,” and accompanying image have been taken directly from a new video teaser. The video takes a comedic angle as it sees the BTS members gathered in a bathroom, crammed in side-by-side, playing on mundanity or “normal” activities.

A statement from BigHit Entertainment explains the choice as intending to present “a glimpse of the group’s unfiltered and everyday side, contrasting with their polished stage personas." This description matches the song’s lyrics, which detail the reality of being a K-pop idol as one of contradiction and strong emotions.

If the teaser is anything to go by, the remainder of the video may take on a parodic tone, displaying the discrepancies of expectation vs. reality. This opens up much-needed conversation in the industry, even if from a comedic approach, as BTS have been at the forefront of unrealistic expectations of idol perfection since they first popularised K-pop ten years ago. While the music video is still staged, an attempt at showcasing a new side to idols is both unique and warranted.

The exclusivity of the music video itself is also unique. BTS have partnered with Spotify throughout ARIRANG promotions, initially with the “#WhatIsYourLoveSong?” Spotify x BTS pop-up taking place in Seoul, London, New York and LA. Later, this was followed by the “Spotify x BTS: SWIMSIDE” campaign and a live performance in New York City, and curated BTS playlists flooded the app. It was deemed beneficial, with ARIRANG breaking Spotify pre-save records at 5 million and becoming the most-streamed album in a single day in 2026 upon its release. Now, they are taking this partnership one step further with an exclusive music video, and opening up new methods for artist collaborations with music platforms in the future.

The release of the “NORMAL” music video will be accompanied by the release of three new versions of the song, including a Korean language version that was unveiled in Busan during a stop on BTS’ World Tour ‘ARIRANG’ and an instrumental version. All will be available at 1pm KST on July 17, 2026.