‘No autotune, perfect voice’: Diplo hails Jungkook as he calls BTS’ Arirang his biggest project yet, says it will ‘shock the world’

If pop music had a main character moment queued up, this would be it. BTS’ upcoming comeback album Arirang is already being hailed as one of the biggest pop events of the year, and the album hasn’t even dropped yet. Fans have been counting down ever since the group confirmed their full return, and now the hype has officially hit another level thanks to some very loud praise Diplo.

Diplo spilled the tea while speaking at the Fanatics Super Bowl party on Saturday night, where he opened up about working with BTS on their comeback. The Grammy-winning producer, who has spent three decades dominating charts and festivals, didn’t mince words. He told TMZ, “I just feel so lucky because I’ve been working for three decades and to link up with a group like that and have them trust me to do some awesome music,” he said. “Honestly, it’s going to shock the world. Craziest album ever.”

Coming from someone with Diplo’s résumé, the statement felt monumental to ARMY.

Diplo also had glowing things to say about RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, Jungkook, and V as artists and collaborators. He described the members as true professionals who are deeply creative and fully involved in the process. He even singled out Jung Kook’s vocals, stressing that there was no autotune involved and calling his voice perfect.



“They’re funny as hell. They rap. They do everything. They’re the real deal,” Diplo said, adding that he’s genuinely happy to be part of this chapter of BTS’ career. He couldn't help but add that they smell good.



The ARMY reaction has been exactly what you’d expect when a producer like Diplo calls a BTS album the best work of his career. Fans flooded social media with disbelief, excitement, and emotion, pointing out that Diplo has nothing left to prove. For him to call Arirang his biggest project feels like a cultural moment, not just a compliment.

One fan said, "He's already worked with so many major artists, yet he still says this… it's about to go crazy." "We're not ready for what's coming," added another.



The album is set to drop on March 20 and marks BTS’ first full-group Korean-language album in years. The title Arirang references a traditional Korean folk song tied to themes of identity, resilience, and longing, which fans believe reflects the group’s journey back together after military service. While it's unclear for how many tracks Diplo has contributed, it will feature 14 songs.



While BTS has stayed tight-lipped about the full tracklist, expectations are sky-high for a project that blends cultural roots with global pop ambition.



As if the album alone wasn’t enough, BTS is also giving fans a free concert experience via Netflix. The group will perform live in Seoul’s iconic Gwanghwamun Square, with their global comeback concert streaming exclusively on Netflix on March 21 at 8 p.m. Korea Standard Time (4 a.m. PT / 7 a.m. ET) so ARMY everywhere can tune in together and celebrate the group’s long-awaited first performance in years. This massive event follows the release of Arirang on March 20 and marks the first full-group stage since completing military service, making it peak BTS behavior and a reminder of why their connection with fans remains unmatched.

Between a historic album, Diplo calling it the craziest project of his career, and a free global concert, BTS’ return already feels less like a release and more like pop history loading.