Bringing Back the Sound That Defined Them: BTS Returns with ARIRANG
Picture Credit: © Rolling Stone / Courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC
After a first listen, it’s a little questionable. One play isn’t enough to catch all the hidden gems, especially when expectations are this high. And when you’re a group like BTS, expectations aren’t just high, they’re overwhelming. So trust me: listen to the album again, in order.
It transports you back to a time when BTS was an unknown Korean boy band under Big Hit Entertainment, releasing 2 Cool 4 Skool. A seven-member group experimenting with hip-hop, R&B, and EDM within the K-pop system, they rose to global success—breaking records, dominating the industry, and ultimately reshaping K-pop.
Now, returning from their military hiatus, the seven members come back with the sound that first defined them.
ARIRANG, named after the traditional Korean folk song that symbolizes cultural identity, became one of the most anticipated releases the moment it was announced three months ago. The promo, the logo, the title — it all pointed back to one thing: their roots.
Being labeled the biggest boy band in the world, headlining major global events, and collaborating with top-tier artists, it was inevitable their sound would evolve alongside pop culture. But as they’ve expressed before, the goal was always to find their way back. This feels like that moment.
Yes, the album still features major Western collaborators like Diplo, Kevin Parker, and Ryan Tedder. But at its core, this is still a BTS album. The influence of others is present, but it never feels overpowering.
There was a period where their sound leaned heavily into full pop, with singles like “Dynamite” and “Butter.” On “Permission to Dance,” you could clearly hear Ed Sheeran’s influence, which felt different for a group that has always been able to make any sound their own.
They began to return to that identity with “Run BTS” from Proof, offering a glimpse of what was still there. Taking time for individual projects also seems to have played a role, with each member exploring their own sound and creative direction. That space may have been exactly what they needed to shape ARIRANG.
Here, they fully lean into that old-school feel, drawing heavily from hip-hop and R&B while still incorporating modern production. The balance feels intentional. Even with a full team of writers and producers involved, their identity comes through clearly.
You can hear the imprint of Suga, RM, and J-Hope, especially in the writing, where they’ve traditionally had the strongest presence.
It feels like a return to the Dark & Wild era, and more than anything, it was made for ARMY.
