K-pop juggernaut BTS is setting the record straight after an Irish tabloid claimed the group had secretly cut a Michael Jackson track in rural Ireland.
According to Deadline, a Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid reported that Grouse Lodge Studios— the County Westmeath compound where Jackson worked in 2006—was rebooting those shelved sessions for a star-studded tribute project.
Studio owner Paddy Dunning was quoted as saying, “We have already had the Korean boy band BTS over with us…recording one of the songs.” The article, published on August 3, sent rumor mills spinning across social media within minutes, igniting fan speculation about a cross-generational collaboration.
By Tuesday, August 5, BTS’s label BigHit Music issued a blunt rebuttal on the group’s social platforms.
“BTS has neither visited Grouse Lodge Studio in Ireland nor taken part in any recording sessions at the location for the mentioned project,” the statement read, adding that the septet “is not involved in the tribute album in any capacity” and is “taking appropriate measures to prevent the spread of inaccurate information.”
Within hours, Dunning’s quote vanished from the digital version of the tabloid’s piece.
The flap centers on a cache of unreleased material Jackson started with will.i.am during a month-long stay at Grouse Lodge nearly two decades ago.
According to the original report, Dunning hopes to finish those tracks with a roster of contemporary hit-makers. No official track list, release date, or label partner has been announced, and neither the Michael Jackson Estate nor Sony Music—which controls Jackson’s master recordings—has publicly endorsed the project.
As of this writing, neither Grouse Lodge Studios nor the British tabloid in question had explained how the erroneous quote was included in the initial report, and BigHit Music said it will continue monitoring outlets that repeat the claim to ensure the narrative remains accurate and transparent.
