BTS is returning to the music scene on April 12 with new EP “Map of the Soul: Persona,” its agency Big Hit Entertainment said Tuesday.

Pre-orders for the album will be available beginning Wednesday. The details regarding the album will be uploaded on BTS’ fan site.

The album arrives eight months after the septet completed much-acclaimed “Love Yourself” album trilogy last summer. The septet topped the Billboard 200 main albums chart twice last year, with “Love Yourself: Tear” in May and then again with “Love Yourself: Answer” in August.

BTS (Big Hit Entertainment)

BTS has been dropping clues about the new album leading up to the announcement. The title of the new album was hinted at the Mnet Asian Music Awards in December, when a short introductory video that includes line “I’ll show you the map of the soul” was unveiled before BTS’ performance. Also, BTS member Jin was spotted wearing outfits with words like “Persona.”

After dropping the new album, BTS is set to kick off a stadium tour of eight regions in May, following its successful world tour last year.

The band will start in Los Angeles on May 4-5, head to Chicago on May 11-12, East Rutherford, New Jersey, on May 18-19, Sao Paulo on May 25, London on June 1-2, Paris on June 7-8, Osaka, Japan, on July 6-7 and ending in Shizuoka, Japan on July 13-14.

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)