"What is Korean is a keyword that binds the seven members of BTS. We wanted to present it in our way now. The title track "SWIM" has a power that sticks more the more you listen. I hope it becomes strength in each person's life."
On the 20th, BTS, returning with its fifth full-length album "Arirang (ARIRANG)," shared its vision for the album and promotions through its label HYBE BigHit Music. The album, which includes 14 tracks including the title song "SWIM," combines "what is Korean" with "BTS now" to show the direction of a new phase the group is presenting, "BTS 2.0."
The following is a Q&A with BTS members released by the label.
― What message do you most want to convey with this album?
Suga "We thought about what feels most like us. Rather than a grand message, we focused on "us" itself."
Jimin "I wanted to say we will keep moving forward. There's always pressure to show something new and better. There are countless worries, too. Even so, I wanted to express a mindset of not stopping and continuing to swim ahead."
Jungkook "I'd like people to think this album captured each person's time and color as they are, making it the most BTS-like album."
― How did you decide on the "Korean elements" in the album?
RM "First, we threw out all kinds of ideas that came to mind. In a songwriting session, we even made a track themed on taekwondo. It didn't make the album, but I personally liked it quite a bit. I think Korean elements are an important keyword that can tie the seven of us together, because it's where we started and it connects to our roots. What is Korean is still being redefined and changing even now. I think it would be fun if we became part of that flow."
J-Hope "We infused the lyrics with Korea's heung and culture. In many parts, we tried to create more "points where the seven can be together." Coming back and showing things as they are ultimately starts from the roots. I think we are who we are now because those roots were solid together."
― What standards did you set when expressing "Korean elements"?
RM "Rather than taking Korean elements as a fixed mold, we wanted to express them naturally in our current way. That's because when you add measured variations and our own interpretation, I think the sentiment is conveyed more broadly. We wanted to bring in "Arirang," which can be interpreted in many ways, in a slightly different way and try a new interpretation."
Jin · Suga "Rather than forcing in Korean elements, we focused on weaving them in our way. While preserving Korean sentiment, we tried to strike a balance so BTS's color would remain vivid."
J-Hope "Balance and restraint are definitely important. But even within that, it can be cooler to show things boldly at the moments that should be the point. For this album and stage, we worked so the standard of "not excessive, but definite when needed" would show."
Jimin "We thought about our identity and the way we speak in our own way across music and performance, and in that vein we also revisited the fact that all the members are Korean. So we made Korean elements a key point. In particular, since "Arirang" is a word and a folk song that any Korean has encountered countless times since childhood, choosing it as the album title came with pressure and a sense of responsibility."
― Why did you choose "SWIM" as the title track?
RM "Because it's the title track, we held onto it the longest and thought hard. We tried all month to make a song that could surpass SWIM, but it wasn't easy. When I first heard it, it felt like Pyongyang naengmyeon—plain and subtly warm in its charm. The more I listened, the more I felt, "I want to swim together.""
Jin "Rather than a song that grabs you right from the start, it had a power that sticks more the more you listen. I especially remember the rhythm point in the middle of the song (a sound like "ddong-tta-da-dang"). When I listen to that part, I lose track of time."
J-Hope "We worked to create a performance where the song would come through well even as you watch the stage. There are details like moves expressing waves or a point where we sink quietly as if diving. At first, I worried it might "feel bland" among songs with strong impact, but as you listen, you naturally melt into the sound and feel at ease. It also fit best with the theme we wanted to talk about, so we chose it as the title track."
― How do you hope people will remember SWIM?
Group "A song like life. We hope it becomes everyone's song of swimming along—just day by day, splash by splash, exhaling and inhaling one breath at a time. It's a warm song that grows on you, so we hope it becomes a source of strength as people live their lives. And like Arirang, which has been passed by word of mouth and stayed by people's side for a long time, we hope SWIM also remains in many hearts for a long time."
― What new attempts did you make on the full-length album?
Group "If you listen to all the tracks on the new album, the structure itself is solid. We focused on expanding widely across genre, sound, and vocal expression. Even if a genre wasn't familiar to us, we tried to do it, and we worked to include expressions we hadn't tried before.
In "FYA," we tried a hyper-jersey-based sound that highlights rough energy, and in "Like Animals" and "Merry Go Round," we added a psychedelic texture to attempt music of a different grain from before. During recording, we also made detailed changes like loosening up to make it sound plain and clean. It's hard to say it's 100% satisfying, but we're sufficiently satisfied in that we are still changing and moving forward."
― What does "BTS 2.0" mean?
RM "We grappled with it endlessly, but it's hard to define in just one way. I think it's close to "balance." The fact that the seven of us are back together is half, and the other half is that we have to head somewhere and change. It's not easy, but it's that much joyful and fun."
Jin "I think we need to be a bit more mature. Our thinking should get deeper and we should grow more in every way. I also want to work even harder in our activities."
J-Hope "I see it as meaning one more step of growth as artists. Expressing things as they are while showing musical freedom and a mature side is the start of "2.0.""
V "I think it's a story that includes growth. While there's newness that naturally begins as time passes for everyone, I also think it's an opportunity for BTS to show the experiences and growth we've had on stage up to now."