ARMY is once again proving its reputation for sharp observation after fans noticed a striking similarity between a book RM was seen reading in 2023 and the visual identity of BTS’s upcoming comeback. The book in question, In Praise of Love by Alain Badiou, appeared in photos RM shared in August 2023. At the time, the post was appreciated for its literary depth, but nearly two years later, it has resurfaced for an entirely different reason.
Fans quickly pointed out that the book’s cover patterns and muted yet bold red color palette closely resemble the design elements recently revealed in BTS’s tour announcement posters. From the abstract shapes to the tonal balance, the parallels have sparked widespread discussion across social media, with many wondering whether this was a coincidence, or a carefully planted clue.
RM is an avid reader and often recommends books he has read or is reading. Sometimes he just mentions the books and ARMy digs up the book details, purchases and reads. He even made a book that had gone out of publication for over ten years to be put back in print just because he was seen reading it in one of their behind-the-scenes episodes.
Speculation is now split between two camps. Some fans believe RM may have unintentionally hinted at the comeback’s conceptual direction, given his well-known habit of embedding meaning and symbolism into even the smallest details.
Others argue that if anyone were to drop a long-term spoiler years in advance, it would be RM, intentionally, trusting ARMY to eventually connect the dots.
The theory also aligns with BTS’s history of long-form storytelling, where themes, visuals, and references are often seeded far ahead of official releases. RM, in particular, has frequently used books, art, and philosophy as creative anchors for BTS’s musical eras.
Whether accidental or deliberate, the discovery has only heightened excitement around the comeback. For ARMY, the question isn’t just if it was a spoiler, but how far back BTS may have been planning this chapter all along.
RM talked about the book In Praise of Love by Alain Badiou, during one of his Lives
Fans began drawing connections after revisiting an old post of RM holding the book during the Indigo promotional period, noticing how its visuals closely echo the aesthetic now associated with Arirang.
The discovery feels especially fitting given the album’s reported themes of love and longing, inspired by Korea’s folk song Arirang, which was first documented as a “love song” in 1896.
Recent promotional billboards asking, “What is your love song?” appear layered with subtle references to Arirang, deepening the sense of intentional symbolism.
Adding to the intrigue, a newly surfaced Spotify EP features silent tracks titled “Self-Love” and “Romantic Love,” each precisely 58 seconds long, details that fans believe are deliberate rather than accidental.
RM has previously referenced the philosopher’s reflections on love as a force that reshapes lives, relationships, and personal history, both in interviews and in written notes to fans.
These elements have reignited theories that the concept has been quietly unfolding for years, as album pre-orders continue to surge ahead of the March 20 release and the April 9 world tour launch.
Once the album drops we will be able to find out all these connections and theories that ARMY has been compiling in anticipation of the biggest comeback of the century.
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