BTS announce ‘BTS Lyrics Inside’ and ‘BTS Recipe Book,’ two official hardcovers out September 15 via Running Press, CAKE Corp and BigHit Music
BTS announced two official book releases on June 13, 2026, as part of this year’s BTS Festa, the group’s annual anniversary celebration marking the thirteen years since their June 13, 2013 debut. Both titles will arrive September 15 in partnership with Hachette Book Group’s Running Press, CAKE Corp, and BigHit Music, and the publishing relationship is already confirmed to extend through 2027 with additional releases in development. The announcement represents the first time BTS has released officially licensed books that go directly into their creative process and personal food culture.
The first title, BTS Lyrics Inside, is a 184-page hardcover priced at $28.00, with an ebook version at $14.99. The book breaks down 10 songs spanning the Most Beautiful Moment in Life era through the group’s 2022 anthology album Proof. The songs covered include “Boy With Luv” featuring Halsey, “Spring Day,” “IDOL,” “FIRE,” “ON,” “Life Goes On,” “Mikrokosmos,” “We Are Bulletproof: The Eternal,” “Magic Shop,” and “Yet to Come.”
Each entry presents the original Hangul lyrics alongside romanized text and official English notes, with explanations of Korean expressions, song interpretations, and direct member commentary from RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook on the songwriting process behind each track.
‘BTS Recipe Book’: 15 Korean Dishes, Exclusive Videos, and Member Commentary
The second release is the BTS Recipe Book, a 256-page hardcover priced at $30.00, with an ebook at $14.99. The cookbook draws directly from BTS’ content history, featuring 15 Korean dishes that appeared across the group’s variety programming on Run BTS!, Bon Voyage, and In the Soop. The recipe lineup includes kimchi fried rice, banquet noodles, scallion pancake, Korean fried chicken, simmered rice cakes, ginseng chicken soup, scorched rice crackers, carp bread, sugar-filled griddlecakes, and braised beef ribs.
The book extends beyond printed recipes through digital codes that unlock exclusive videos, cooking guidance, and food commentary from the members, making it an interactive companion to the group’s existing content rather than a standalone cookbook.
The books were announced on June 13, coinciding with BTS Festa, which this year has been one of the most active anniversary celebrations the group has staged since their return. The same week, BTS released “Come Over” on streaming platforms on June 12, a track previously exclusive to the deluxe vinyl edition of ARIRANG, which debuted at Number 11 on Spotify Global with 5,315,119 streams and reached Number 1 on iTunes in over 79 countries.
The group also opened an official Threads account on June 13 that surpassed 4 million followers within days, and the music video for “Merry Go Round” is set for exclusive Spotify release on June 19.
The Publishers and What the Partnership Means
The commercial and cultural logic behind both books is straightforward. Shannon Fabricant, Vice President and Publisher of Running Press, framed the partnership in direct terms: “BTS is a global force, and we couldn’t be more excited to partner with CAKE to bring these unique, thoughtful books to their dedicated and discerning fanbase.
Being able to deliver these inside perspectives on the band’s music, preferences, experiences, and more during what is already an extraordinary year for BTS is especially gratifying.” Seok Kyo Jeong, Vice President at CAKE, added: “Our mission at CAKE is to help fans deeply connect with their favorite artists by breaking down language and cultural boundaries. By combining our unique K-pop-based content with Running Press’s exceptional publishing expertise, we are thrilled to offer ARMY a more immersive and meaningful way to experience BTS.”
Both books are available now for pre-order. The partnership follows BTS’ 2023 oral history Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS, which chronicled the group’s first decade. This new series goes further into the creative and cultural interior, offering material that even ARMY’s most dedicated researchers have not had direct access to before.
