It’s been a long and excruciating four-year hiatus for BTS fans across the world, awaiting the beloved K-pop group to return from the army.
Quite literally, each of the seven members served their mandatory 18-21-month military service enlistment as required by law for all male citizens in South Korea.
ARMY (the official name of BTS fanbase) was left with a promise from the group: That the split would be temporary, and BTS would come back stronger than ever.
From 2022 to 2025 ARMY hung onto this promise, when finally on July 1, 2025 the group reunited and announced that new music was on its way. A full-length album entitled ARIRANG, confirmed to release on March 20, 2026.
Sending fans all over the world into hysteria, the anticipation of the new album could arguably be the highest of any other work produced by the group ever.
Finally, on March 20, 2026 ARIRANG officially became available on all streaming platforms, shattering several music records across the world. The album sold over 4.16 million copies within the first week of release, making it the highest first-week album sale for the group, in addition to being Spotify’s most-streamed K-pop album in history.
Amidst the well-received album, BTS continues to make history with the highly anticipated ARIRANG world tour. The band broke Taylor Swift’s record of selling out a stadium the fastest, selling out four nights at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in the span of only 23 minutes.
Marking yet another record-breaking moment in the careers of these seven individuals, BTS has now begun their tour as of April 9, 2026. The tour will span over 20 countries, running until March 2027.
ARIRANG is a 14-song full-length album running at 41 minutes, presenting a new and refreshing sound for the boys, while masterfully blending the nostalgia of the boy band’s early works “2 Cool 4 Skool” and “Skool Love Affair.”
Some of the most notable tracks on the album are “Body to Body”, “Hooligan”, “2.0”, “Aliens”, “SWIM”, “Normal” and “Like Animals”.
As a self-proclaimed K-pop fangirl, this release was long-awaited, and I have been obsessed with making this album my personality for the past month. Here I will be giving my thoughts on some of the most popular tracks, using a 10-point score system for each song.
“Body to Body”: 9/10
The first song on the album, “Body to Body,” sets the precedent for the overall vibe of the album. The song opens with an electric energy, featuring the group’s rap line, Suga, RM, and J-Hope rapping over a punchy beat. The chorus is incredibly catchy and capable of sending any fan into chills over the vocal lineup.
The song transitions into a slowed breakdown, giving room for the backing vocals of the Korean traditional folk song, Arirang, a prominent song sung in both North and South Korea. This choice, according to BTS, was a way to represent their Korean culture within their music.
“Hooligan”: 7/10
Just like its title, it’s a slightly more chaotic track. Becoming a source of TikTok audios and memes, this song has attracted both positive and negative attention from online spectators. Despite that, I interpreted this song as an unserious track as opposed to the deeper and introspective works of the group. Is it my favorite BTS song? No. Is it my favorite track on this album? No. But I do believe that it serves its purpose on this album, and I am very excited to hear it live.
“SWIM”: 6/10
Although this is the title track of the album, I don’t have much to say about it. The song is fine, it’s simple, and an enjoyable listen. It plays to the strengths of each member, but I feel that it was missing the wow factor usually found in BTS songs. This was an intentional choice, as the group stated in an interview that upon making the song they realized it was more of a mellow “boring” listen, but that was what they were aiming for. The lyrics have a great meaning, demonstrating “the love for life itself,” as said by group leader RM. This song felt like a stereotypical boy-band track, but despite it being the lead song, it’s more forgettable amidst the rest of the album.
“2.0”: 10/10
A top-three choice of mine from the album, this song brings nostalgia of “2 Kool For Skool” for longtime ARMY members. With a highly addictive mid-song rap break by RM, the song brings a balanced line distribution for each member. While the lyrics might not be as deep and introspective as others on this album, the song is skillfully lighthearted, blending rap lines, vocal strength, and synchronized choreography. Both fun and upbeat, this song has gained a heavy amount of attention on the internet, and I understand why.
“Aliens”: 9/10
Before giving my thoughts, I have to admit, in the beginning, I had a tendency to skip this song when listening to the album all the way through. But despite that, I still felt that this song was worth listening to, due to its underlying message of racism and prejudice the group has faced when portraying their South Korean culture. It was then that I realized how impressive this song was, and how much recognition it deserved. RM’s rap verse was especially profound, directly confronting cynics about the hate the group receives, and the pressure he feels of conforming to westernized culture, especially as the only english speaking member of the group.
“Everybody know now where the K is
How far are we taking this?
Still cursing us out? Misfortune turns into blessings
I’m the only one who can speak English, but that is how we kill”
“NORMAL”: 8.5/10
“We call this shit normal.”
Amidst many rap and hip-hop-centered songs in this album, “NORMAL” shines the spotlight on the main vocalists of the group: Jungkook, Jin, V, and Jimin. The track tells the timeless message of fame and the ultimate sacrifices one makes to reach stardom. Lyrics such as “fantasy and fame, the things we choose” highlight the internal conflict the members face, having to sacrifice an average life for one in the industry. This song grabbed my attention immediately when listening to the album for the first time, becoming an instant favorite.
“Like Animals”: 10/10
In Like Animals, the groups introduce a more mature concept, which is fitting, seeing as their youngest member Jungkook is nearing his 30s. This song explores the fervent desire of living with no restraint against societal expectations, believing that life would be freer if lived without control:
“Six feet down in the sand
There’s creatures that made a hole
Do speak, I’m begging you, please
There’s beauty outside control.”
In this dark and swoonworthy track, Jimin, Jin, V, and Jungkook lead with vocal and do an amazing job of channeling the raw emotion that this song aims to convey.
Accompanied by a heavily distorted and raw electric guitar break, I was heavily impressed by this song, and was not expecting an approach like this on the album. BTS, in the past, has usually stuck to its roots of pop, R&B, and hip-hop themes, but this introduction to a new sound was refreshing.
All in all, this album felt like the best creative choice for BTS after returning from a hiatus. If I had to guess, my number one album this year on my Spotify Wrapped will most likely be this album.
While some say that my enthusiasm over this new album is purely due to me being an “obsessive fan girl,” I’d argue that this album is a success despite the mixed reactions it has received. The mature approach reflects a new era for BTS. Understandably so, seeing as the members are slowly transitioning from their 20s into their 30s, setting a precedent for a new, more mature style.
