After a four-year military hiatus, BTS released their newest album, “Arirang” on March 20. This album is about their shared experiences after serving in the military, touching upon themes of reunion, resilience, and their journey.
This album is a tribute to the members’ Korean heritage and identity. The title of this album, “Arirang” is named after a Korean folk song, which is also an unofficial national anthem.
This album is incredibly unique, consisting of many different artistic styles. Compared to most songs in their discography, these songs have very intense beats, making them feel invigorating and energetic.
The first couple of songs, “Body to Body”, “Hooligan”, “Aliens” and “2.0” were incredibly upbeat, with high intensity. These songs are a tribute to their musical journey, from the rebirth of their group after exploring their solo careers to confronting critics.
These songs play around with different artistic qualities, with irregular beats and different sounds. This album is much grungier than their other albums.
The sixth track, “No. 29” is by far the most interesting track on the entire album. It consists of a single bell, the Sacred Bell of Great King Seongdeok better known as South Korea’s National Treasure No. 29, and silence for the rest of the track. This track is a symbol of their Korean heritage.
Songs like “Swim” and “Like Animals” were either mostly or all in English. The fourth track, “FYA” was particularly confusing, being in all English but having American references like Michael Jackson and Britney Spears. This creates some confusion because while BTS has released many English songs before, this album was meant to connect to the Korean diaspora.
However, their ninth track, “NORMAL” and tenth track, “Like Animals” while entirely in English, reflect the journey and experiences of being in the K-pop industry. For “NORMAL” specifically, I think that the English adds a nice touch because this song explores themes of conformity and facing external pressures, especially from international fans.
While most of these songs focus on collective experiences, the song “Merry Go Round” is very personal and metaphorical. This song touches upon themes like feeling trapped in emotions and relationships. Compared to the rest of the tracks, this song has a lighter, softer beat.
The last three songs “One More Night”, “Please”, and the last song, “Into the Sun” are songs about love and connection with one another. The song that closes off the album symbolizes how the members will always be together and come back to each other.
This is the perfect way to close their newest album, considering the decade-long journey that BTS has gone through together.
While this album was meant as a dedication to the members’ Korean heritage, there was also a good balance of international influences. From people like Spanish producer El Guicho, to American actress Lili Reinhart starring in the “Swim” music video, BTS is trying to maximize their international impacts while being inclusive and diverse.
This album was unique, meaningful, and special–not only to the members themselves, but to those who have influenced them. After a four-year hiatus, BTS has delivered yet another amazing album.
