BTS fans finally got something on September 25 that many had been waiting months to see:
the official “Merry Go Round” music video on YouTube.
But there was one unusual detail.
The music video was not actually new.
“Merry Go Round” had originally premiered on Spotify on June 19, 2026 — more than three months earlier.
So why did BTS wait so long to put the video on YouTube?
The short answer is:
We know why it appeared on Spotify first. We do not have an official explanation for why the YouTube release took more than three months.
And that difference matters.
“Merry Go Round” Was Originally a Spotify Exclusive
When the music video arrived in June, it was promoted specifically as a Spotify music video.
Spotify Korea described it as available “only on Spotify,” while reports at the time said the video was created through a special collaboration between BTS and the streaming platform.
That meant many fans could not simply open YouTube and watch the MV the way they normally would with a major BTS release.
Access also depended on Spotify’s music-video availability and Premium access in supported markets.
For one of the world’s biggest music acts, that was an unusual rollout.
And ARMY noticed.
Fans Kept Asking: When Is It Coming to YouTube?
The wait quickly became a discussion among fans.
When BTS later prepared the video for “Normal,” Reddit users were still talking about “Merry Go Round” being stuck on Spotify.
Some fans were frustrated that such a visually detailed BTS video had not received the wider YouTube release they expected.
Others simply wondered whether it would ever be uploaded there at all.
Then something interesting happened.
“Normal” also debuted through Spotify — but its exclusive window was very different.
“Normal” Makes the Three-Month Wait Even More Interesting
In July, Spotify officially explained that selected music videos could debut first for Premium subscribers in its beta markets.
For “Normal,” that early-access period lasted only 48 hours before the video reached a wider audience.
That naturally raises another question.
If “Normal” could move from Spotify to YouTube after a short exclusive window, why did “Merry Go Round” remain away from YouTube for more than three months?
At the moment, there is no confirmed public answer.
There could have been different promotional plans, different agreements or simply a different release strategy for the two videos.
But without an official statement from BTS, BIGHIT MUSIC or Spotify explaining the delay, those possibilities remain speculation.
The YouTube Release Changes the MV
Not artistically.
But in terms of who can actually see it.
The Spotify release made “Merry Go Round” part of an experiment in how fans consume music videos.
The YouTube release makes the video much easier for BTS’ enormous global audience to discover, replay, share and discuss.
And that matters especially for this particular MV.
“Merry Go Round” is packed with details that invite repeated viewing:
the “You Never Walk Alone” carousel,
RM and the coffin,
the horses,
the isolated rooms,
and the final reunion of the seven members.
Those details are exactly the kind of material ARMY has spent years analyzing frame by frame.
Now the discussion can happen around a platform where BTS music-video analysis has traditionally flourished.
So Why Did It Take Three Months?
For now, the most accurate answer is surprisingly simple.
Because “Merry Go Round” began as a Spotify-exclusive project — but the exact reason that exclusivity effectively kept it away from YouTube for more than three months has not been publicly explained.
What we do know is that fans noticed the absence.
They asked about it.
They complained about it.
And now, finally, they can watch the video where many expected to find it in the first place.
Perhaps the funniest part is that a song about going around and around finally completed its own circle.
Three months later, “Merry Go Round” has arrived on YouTube.
The delayed YouTube release is only one of the questions surrounding BTS’s “Merry Go Round.” The music video has also sparked discussion about its recurring imagery and hidden messages. For a closer look at its visual symbolism, read why the carousel says “You Never Walk Alone” in BTS’s “Merry Go Round”.