Decoding BTS’s Comeback: The Evolution of Their Iconic Logo

After nearly four years of military service hiatus and a lifetime of anticipation, BTS is officially back. Together again, they are unveiling new music this March that marks the revival of a worldwide sensation. But beyond the music, they’ve also unveiled a new BTS logo, with their latest “Three Red Circles” drawing widespread attention and sparking new fan theories.

It all started on Dec. 31, 2025, when BTS’s gold membership fans received a New Year’s postcard featuring a brand-new logo with three distinct red circles. Beneath them was a date, now etched into every fan’s calendar: March 20, 2026, the release date for their upcoming album.

If you’ve been following the K-pop scene or the global music industry at large over the last decade, you know that BTS has evolved from a boy band to a cultural phenomenon. Having grown up alongside their fans, the ARMY, their journey from “Bulletproof Boy Scouts” to “Beyond the Scene” perfectly captures the essence of an evolving brand identity. Every iteration of their logo has been a visual diary, a declaration of a new era and message, and a deeper connection with their audience. From the rugged detail of a bulletproof vest to the sleek, symbolic imagery of 2026, here’s how the Bangtan identity has shifted through the years.

2013–2016: The Bulletproof Era

Back when they released their debut album 2 Cool 4 Skool, BTS were underdogs with a serious message, using their music to speak about the pressures of their generation. And their old-school bulletproof vest logo perfectly captured this early grind. It was cluttered and rough around the edges, featuring a tactical vest flanked by a grenade, lightning bolts, and sharp rays. A visual manifestation of “Bangtan Sonyeondan” (Bulletproof Boy Scouts), it underlined the fire and power of their mission: to shield themselves and their generation from the bullets of social prejudice, scrutiny, criticism, and expectations. Perhaps the logo was less about branding and more about rebellion, almost like visual armor against a world filled with judgment. It screamed attitude, just like their music at the time.

2016-2017: The Wings Era

In this era, BTS ditched the bulletproof vest look for a more abstract design featuring four distinct circles, each with its own texture and mapped to songs from their Wings album. Far from random, the shapes represented the individual members, which changed and connected through the era’s iconic short films. For example, Jungkook’s circle from Begin eventually connected with RM’s circle from Reflection, just like Suga’s circle did with Jimin’s. Hermann Hesse’s novel Demian heavily inspired the design, reflecting themes of temptation, growing up, and lost innocence. The logo changed again slightly when the repackaged version of You Never Walk Alone was released in 2017, with the circles morphing into a fancy navy blue knot to signify their departure from the “Bulletproof Boy Scouts” to a more refined “Beyond the Scene” identity.

2017: The Doors—Beyond the Scene

Then came the significant rebrand in the summer of 2017, when BTS expanded its name to also signify “Beyond the Scene” and introduced a sleek, minimalist logo featuring two black trapezoids that resembled half-open doors. The design represented a meeting point between BTS and ARMY, symbolizing solidarity, progress, and the exploration of new horizons. Additionally, it evoked their origins, remaining true to the protective spirit embodied in their “bulletproof vest” logo.

2022: The Proof Period

The Proof anthology era acted as a bridge. While the 2017 “doors” remained the official brand identity, the Proof logo — a blocky, metallic typography — cemented their purpose. It was a visual anchor during their solo chapter, reminding everyone that their history was bulletproof even as they stepped into separate rooms for a while.

2026: The Comeback

Now that we’ve reached the 2026 comeback, the branding has shifted once more. To signal their fresh start after military discharge, BTS reset their digital presence and introduced a new visual language for their fifth studio album. Recent postcards sent to ARMY gold members and social media updates feature the new logo, described as vibrating waves of sound and harmonics. The design uses symbols like ⊙⊝⊜, with fan theories flying left and right, decoding the new logo as symbols of music, journey, and harmony, marked by a shift to red. This era is about resonance; after years of individual growth, the seven members are syncing together again to create a unified sound.