BTS Is So Back: A Review of ARIRANG
One of the most important cultural moments I’ve lived through has just happened: BTS is finally back after a four-year hiatus. Before the K-Pop group took a break in 2022 to fulfill their mandatory military service, they were the best-selling artists in South Korean history and among the top streamed artists globally. For a group at this scale within the genre, a “comeback” like this is quite rare as military service often disrupts momentum or results in permanent disbandment. Fans, also known as “ARMYs”, have been raving to see their favorite seven members back in action and BTS has not disappointed with their newest album ARIRANG.
The album starts off with a banger. Body to Body is a very sonically layered and complex track that blends hip hop with edgy pop features. Listening to the song, it felt very reminiscent of their debut days, and creates a full circle moment where they are shedding their boyband persona and reintroducing themselves as serious musicians. Before their hiatus, I was growing disillusioned with their music. As the band grew more successful, the music also grew to be increasingly commercial at the expense of the bold sound they were known for. The cherry on top comes in the form of a sample of the Korean folksong Arirang, creating a perfect confluence of East and West. Because pre-hiatus BTS was so Westernized, bringing in the influence of their home country was like a return to their roots and an acknowledgement of where it all began. The folksong is the album’s namesake as well as the first Korean song to be recorded on American soil; an homage to the band’s track record of making K-Pop mainstream globally.
It feels like BTS saying “we are so back” in a true return to form for the band. The next couple of tracks such as 2.0, Aliens, and Hooligan have really driven this idea home. They not only sound more physically mature, but the subject matter of the songs is more adult, and their tone now more confident rather than young and boisterous. BTS was in an identity crisis when we last saw them, releasing songs like Butter and Dynamite. While these singles were commercial hits, they were mainly orchestrated for the Western market and featured Western artists as well as corny English lyrics that seemed to dilute the band’s persona. It was beginning to get repetitive and boring, so hearing these new tracks really felt like they’ve found their footing and solidified a balanced identity. These tracks almost sound like a rallying cry to celebrate the return of K-Pop’s prodigal sons.
In all fairness, though, there are still some hints of that identity crisis on the new album. In my opinion, the lead single SWIM falls flat in comparison to the album’s central theme of upholding culture. This is not to say that it is a bad song. However, it does sound generic and could’ve been recorded by any other Western band. Other tracks like Merry Go Round, Like Animals, and NORMAL also fall into this trap being lacklustre because of the need to appeal to the global market at the same time. The bid for mass appeal isn’t inherently bad as they were the world’s introduction to K-Pop after all. It’s the fact that they felt the need to diminish their culture in order to appeal to others. If the album’s concept was all about upholding culture, they should’ve just dug their heels in and owned it with more Korean lyrics and the use of traditional instruments.
It’s been a long four years without BTS. Having them come back with a stronger sense of direction and reinforced identity as a band has made fans all around the world excited for what is to come in the future. The band has cemented its position as one of the greatest acts of the past decade and they are not showing any signs of slowing down. We are all gearing ourselves up for a new era of BTS and all that it will bring.