K-pop band BTS have denied reports they are due to appear on a Michael Jackson tribute album.
The group were also said to be in line to record an unreleased track written by the singer at an Irish recording studio during a stay in the country in 2006.
Some fan accounts linked the Korean act to a report in The Sun that originally said the group were among “superstar artists” due to make new versions for the album before the claim was removed.
In a message on X, BTS posted a message stating that the idols had not been “in any recording sessions at the location mentioned” and that the group was not “involved in the tribute album in any capacity”.
The band’s management moved to squash the rumours after some fan accounts announced their involvement in the project, with some even stating that recording sessions had taken place.
According to The Sun, Jackson spent time at Grouse Lodge Studios, County Westmeath, in 2006 after being acquitted of child abuse allegations.
Studio owner Paddy Dunny told the paper Jackson was working on a planned comeback during his time in Ireland, but died in 2009 before completing work on the project.
A quote attributed to Mr Dunny – which was removed from a later version of the story – said BTS had been at the site to record one of the songs he left behind.
BTS have been compared to the so-called “King of Pop” by critics due to their cultural impact and international fame.
They were also mentioned in a documentary marking the 40th anniversary of Thriller, one of Jackson’s most famous hits.
BTS are set to return next year after going on hiatus in 2022 due to mandatory military service laws in South Korea.
BBC Newsbeat has approached Grouse Lodge Studios and The Sun’s publishers for comment.
