South Korean boy band, BTS, has announced it would be releasing its next studio album this year, despite the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on the music industry.

The group broke the news in a chat with Zane Lowe, a New Zealand DJ, on Apple Music’s New Music Daily show, months after the team’s tour had been called off due to the outbreak.

“We’re really in the middle of the process, getting tracks, writing lyrics and recording some raps and vocals. So, you know, it’s going to be,” the group said.

“One thing that is sure is that we go to release this year, so it’s not going to be so late. You won’t be disappointed. Yep, coming out of this year.

“We’re doing our best as always so we can bring better results. We participated more this time around. A lot of our members participated in the production so you can really look forward to it.”

Ahead of the yet-to-be-titled record, the K-pop group had earlier dropped ‘Dynamite‘, their first track. They also described the cancellation of their tour dates due to COVID-19 as a heartbreaking decision.

“It was heartbreaking since we usually only get to meet our overseas fans through tours. But we try to keep things positive, to be thankful that we got more time to prepare our album,” they explained.

“We’re trying to look at everything in a more positive light. We’re working on our music and that is one of our ways of healing. The process also comes as an inspiration for us,

“We’re trying our best to bring better results by adjusting to these times. We have more time for our hobbies. And again, we’re trying not to stay depressed and bring more energy to our daily lives.”

The announcement had come two months after BTS donated $1 million to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) through Big Hit Entertainment, its label, in support of US protests against police brutality.