‘BTS Chapter 2’ Sets Sail with ‘Arirang’... An Unstoppable Global Voyage [Weekend Culture]

BTS (Bangtan Boys), often hailed as the “Beatles of the 21st century,” are returning as a complete group on the 20th with their new album “Arirang.” It has been about three years and five months since they wrapped up their first chapter at the 2030 Busan World Expo bid concert on October 15, 2022, where they sang in “Yet To Come” that “the best moment is yet to come.” After a hiatus due to mandatory military service, their reunion goes beyond a simple comeback; it signals the start of “Chapter 2.”
■ “Arirang,” where tradition meets the global stage
The fifth studio album “Arirang” is their first new release in 3 years and 9 months since the anthology album “Proof” in June 2022, and their first full-length studio album in about six years since “Map of the Soul: 7” in 2020. On their fourth album’s title track “ON,” they declared, “Bring the pain, oh yeah,” vowing to face hardship head-on. They pushed through the COVID-19 crisis with online concerts, and their first English-language single “Dynamite” became a mega hit, propelling them into the ranks of global pop superstars.
Released after solo projects and their military hiatus, “Arirang” had already proved the anticipation surrounding it, surpassing 4.06 million pre-orders and 4 million pre-saves on Spotify even before it dropped. The number of Weverse membership subscribers also nearly tripled after the album and tour announcements, once again demonstrating the power and cohesion of their fandom. The album contains 14 tracks in total, including the title song “SWIM.” “SWIM” is an upbeat alternative pop track that carries the message of “keeping on swimming forward” without stopping, even amid the waves of life. RM took part extensively in writing the lyrics, while Bang Si-hyuk served as executive producer. B-sides such as “Body to Body,” “Hooligan,” “Aliens,” “2.0,” “Normal,” and “Like Animals” weave in stories about the energy of live performance, their global journey, and the group’s evolution and relationships. World-renowned producers including Diplo, Ryan Tedder, and Mike Will Made-It—who have worked with Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, Adele, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, and Kendrick Lamar—also joined the project. Diplo remarked, “The album is absolutely insane,” stoking even more excitement.
In recently released content, the members expressed their determination to enter a new phase, saying, “Trends keep changing, so we can’t just keep doing the same thing,” and, “If we’re going to change, now is the only time.” J-Hope noted, “Because everyone came back after doing their own music, you can really feel the depth we’ve gained,” while Jimin of BTS said confidently, “It’s the right album to kick off ‘BTS Chapter 2.’”
Critics see this album as a turning point where identity and change intersect. Lee Jae-won, a visiting professor in the Culture and Technology Convergence Major at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), observed, “From their debut days, BTS members have directly participated in writing lyrics, conveying the concerns of young people and showing authenticity. ‘SWIM,’ with RM participating in the lyrics, also captures the resolve to ride the oncoming current at their own pace, and it is likely to give hope to young listeners.”
He added, “What is particularly noteworthy is that by putting ‘Arirang’ front and center, they highlight a uniquely Korean color as a key concept, while at the same time, with the involvement of top American producers, they present pop music with a thoroughly global sensibility.” He interpreted this as “a strategy that both consolidates their position as a band representing Korea on the world stage and keeps in mind their next goals in the U.S. market, including the Grammy Awards.”
Music critic Kim Seong-hwan commented, “You can sense a clear intention to fuse traditional Korean identity with BTS’s modern sound,” adding, “It’s an attempt to encompass both pillars—‘K’ and ‘pop.’ As a team that has reached the very top in the history of Korean popular music (K-pop), there is also an awareness that they must live up to that status.”
■ A new wave of the BTS phenomenon, extending into a world tour
HYBE has described this album as “a work that brings together the group’s identity and the universal emotion of ‘deep love.’” The global campaign “What Is Your Love Song?” was designed so that listeners recall the song of their lives that they hold dear and, through that, feel the emotional core of the album. Here, a “love song” does not simply mean a romantic track, but any song of memory that offers comfort and strength.
Starting with a comeback performance at Gwanghwamun Square on the 21st, BTS will roll out global promotions, including an appearance in New York City on National Broadcasting Company (NBC)’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” They will then embark on a world tour of 82 shows in 34 cities across North America, Europe, and other regions, kicking off in Goyang. The North American and European dates have already sold out, and additional shows have been confirmed in some cities. In El Paso, Texas, and Baltimore, they will become the first Korean artists to hold solo stadium concerts, and at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium they achieved a record-high seat occupancy of around 120,000. The tour will also expand into theatrical live viewing: the Goyang concert on April 11 and the Tokyo concert on April 18 are set to be broadcast in about 3,800 theaters across more than 80 countries and regions worldwide.
jashin@fnnews.com Shin Jin-ah Reporter