BIGHIT MUSIC denies BTS' participation in Michael Jackson tribute album
BIGHIT MUSIC denied claims that BTS is allegedly involved in a Michael Jackson tribute album.
The agency released a statement, which said that the group has no connection to the project.
"BTS has never visited Grouse Lodge Studio in Ireland nor taken part in any recording sessions at the location for the mentioned project. The group is not involved in the tribute album in any capacity," it read.
Grouse Lodge Studio is where Michael reportedly came to record an album in 2006.
[공지] ‘방탄소년단의 마이클 잭슨 헌정 앨범 참여’ 관련 안내 (+ENG) pic.twitter.com/3jdsWtd41t
— BTS_official (@bts_bighit) August 5, 2025
BIGHIT MUSIC assured fans that it is "continuing to take appropriate measures to prevent the spread of inaccurate information."
Several publications had reported that BTS was recording a previously unreleased song by the late Jackson for a tribute album. This unreleased track was reportedly once referred to as "the next Thriller."
Grouse Lodge Studios' owner, Paddy Dunning, told The Irish Sun he is enlisting various artists to record songs originally intended for The King of Pop.
Dunning claimed that the sessions began last year and BTS had already recorded one of the songs at the studio.
He added that there are about ten more tracks written for Jackson by collaborators.
"There's about ten more, written especially for Michael by the collaborators he worked with in Ireland, including producer Rodney Jerkins and rapper Nephew, who have signed up for the project."
Jackson traveled to Ireland in 2006 to record at the studio, but his sessions were never completed before his death on June 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, USA.
Meanwhile, BTS is gearing up for their comeback in the spring of 2026 with an album and world tour.
"Starting in July... we're planning to make something massive, so from then (this month), we'll probably gather together and stay focused on making music," band leader RM said on their superfan platform Weverse.
"Our group album is officially set to be released next spring," RM said during a live chat.
"Starting next spring, we'll of course be going on tour, so please look forward to seeing us all around the globe," he added.
The band also revealed their plans to head to the United States this month, where all seven members will gradually regroup to begin music production and prepare for upcoming performances.
If released in the spring of 2026, their comeback album would be their first in four years since Proof, which was the best-selling album of 2022 in South Korea, with nearly 3.5 million copies sold.
The group has been on a self-described hiatus since 2022 as its members undertook the mandatory service required of all South Korean men under 30 due to tensions with the nuclear-armed North.
