BTS in the behind-the-scenes photoshoot for single “Swim.” (Photo credit: HYBE)
BTS’s Arirang came out to huge excitement. Along with the album, there’s a documentary and a concert you can stream on Netflix. This is their first album since finishing military service, and it’s already one of the biggest pop culture moments of 2026.
But Arirang hasn’t escaped criticism from fans and music critics. Some were puzzled by the lack of Korean lyrics and the album’s Western-sounding production. Was this really what BTS wanted for an album named after something so deeply Korean?
I’ve written about BTS before and really enjoy their music. For this review, I’m looking at Arirang as a music critic, thinking about its sound and what happens when artists mix Korean identity with global appeal. I want to explore how sharing Arirang with the world changes its emotional meaning.
My thoughts on Arirang
Before writing this, I listened to Arirang several times. When I just listened without thinking about the deeper meaning, the album sounded pretty Western, even though it has such a meaningful Korean name. Like many have noticed, most songs are in English, and many producers are American or not Korean. The album feels more ‘global,’ but often, ‘global’ just means ‘American’ to many industry executives.
I liked the album, but it didn’t fully meet my hopes for something boldly Korean. I was expecting something more like Suga’s “Daechwita” (as Agust D). That single from D-2 stands out because Agust D samples Daechwita, a type of military marching music from the Joseon Dynasty. As SUGA Music explains, he “combines trap beats with traditional instruments such as Taepyeongso and kkwaenggwari.” Agust D reached 300 million streams with this single, all while staying connected to his culture.
Suga was one of the most outspoken members about the lack of Korean lyrics in Arirang’s songs, as shown in the group’s Netflix documentary. RM also shared his concerns, saying he wanted the group to stay true to themselves.
Their vocal dissent hits on something K-Pop Demon Hunters songwriter and singer EJAE recently told South Korean journalists about the tug-of-war between writing in Korean and English in modern K-Pop. While saying that she understands why K-Pop has begun incorporating more English into its lyrics because of the genre’s popularity in America, she still thinks that the genre should include hangul, according to KBS World.
Nicole, who works on BTS’s creative team, didn’t fully agree with Suga and RM. She said that while authenticity is important, they also need to consider the global market.
But isn’t Nicole missing something? Fans didn’t fall in love with BTS because they sang in English or tried to sound Western. People love them for staying true to themselves, singing and rapping in Korean, and showing pride in their roots. International fans even learn Korean to sing along and join fan chants. This connection helps everyone become more empathetic and aware as global citizens.
Remembering why BTS became popular–and it wasn’t because they spoke English
I think fans will keep discussing Arirang’s authenticity for a long time. But for me, I realized the Korean influence is still there, but it’s much more subtle than the bold style Suga uses in his solo work.
Jiye Kim wrote for Teen Vogue that Arirang‘s global outlook is indicative of BTS’s capacity to break down stereotypes that have long plagued Koreans in the Western market.
“[B]eing welcomed to collaborate with the world’s best outside their own nationality and culture only uplifts the normalization of a people that were long-considered alien,” she wrote. “It is what allows others like them to also dream of playing for the world.”
She added that, because of hits like Squid Game and K-Pop Demon Hunters, South Korea’s international popularity has grown, and RM has said he’s glad he’s no longer asked whether he’s from North or South Korea. BTS’s Arirang is a reflection of South Korea’s newfound soft power. The album’s “global” flair also indicates the country’s efforts to determine how best to leverage its newly acquired influence.
Kim describes how several songs have Korean history embedded in them, such as “Aliens,” which evokes the story of Korean independence movement leader Kim Gu, who lived from 1876 to 1949. RM asks in the song how Kim Gu would feel about South Korea now that “everybody know now where the K is.” The song also addresses xenophobic and racist taunts they have experienced, and how seeing the group on stage would silence their haters.
“As the rising sun of the East, BTS can now demand respect and expect others to cede to their cultural norms, such as taking off one’s shoes at the entrance of their house,” she wrote.
“Body to Body,” on the other hand, is a riff on the theme of the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, “Hand in Hand.”
“A rousing anthem to encourage ‘breaking down the walls that come between us,’ it was sung by South Korean band ‘Koreana’ in both English and Korean, was produced by the Italian Giorgio Moroder, and incorporated the word ‘Arirang’ at the end of the English chorus,” Kim wrote.
BTS taking press photos for Arirang. (Photo credit: HYBE)
There’s, of course, the title of the album itself. “Arirang,” Korea’s unofficial national anthem, is part of the country’s intangible history. Korea Herald‘s Lee Jung-joo explains that Arirang is a “Korean folk song with approximately 3,600 variations of 60 different versions, consisting of the refrain ‘Arirang, Arirang, arariyo,’ as well as two simple lines that differ from region to region.”
The song doesn’t have a named singer, but it’s 600 years old, living on from generation to generation. The song, Lee wrote, “is often linked to what Korean’s call ‘han,’ or a word referring to the complex emotion of deep sorrow, longing and grief mixed with resilience and hope.”
“‘Arirang’ is known to address themes of separation, lost love, tragedy and pain, but also perseverance and love for one’s country based on its regional variations as well as how the song is sung,” she continued.
With all this in mind, it’s easy to see BTS naming their album Arirang as a love letter to fans who waited nearly four years for their return from military service. It’s also a way to share the “Arirang” tradition with the world, inviting everyone into Korea’s story. The album adds a new chapter to the folk song’s long history.
What is “global”?
I’m sure there are more Korean influences hidden in Arirang’s themes and lyrics that I haven’t noticed. There are also many Korean-Western connections I didn’t mention, like BTS highlighting the seven Korean men who went to Howard University in the 1800s and recorded ‘Arirang’ for the first time. This was a smart way to show that Korean influence has been global for a long time before the Hallyu wave. This bit of history helps BTS show they’re turning the world into one big cultural family.
But, as I wrote previously, there are many quagmires and pitfalls that can arise when you try to smooth all of world history into a homogenized sum. Black Americans, Korean Americans, and Korean immigrants to the country have all sounded off on the error BTS and/or their team committed when they didn’t highlight that Howard is one of America’s HBCUs (historically Black colleges and universities), not a PWI (predominantly white institution). Worse, if a marketing decision was made to turn Howard from mostly Black to mostly white to make the school appeal to “global” sensibilities, that would be the biggest crime of all and begs the question of who and what can be “global.”
Two things are happening at once. BTS and their management company, HYBE, are trying to balance spreading Korean culture with meeting Western expectations. But sometimes, words like “Western” and “global” end up just meaning “white.” Is trying to meet white expectations really the same as being global?
A screenshot from BTS’s Arirang teaser showing seven Korean students singing Arirang at Howard University.
Black communities, such as that at Howard, have constantly welcomed other people of color because we knew they wouldn’t have refuge in racist white spaces. We accepted those who would be turned away. This is the only reason those Korean students chose Howard, and it was through the shared community between them and Black students that “Arirang” was recorded. Let’s not forget that most, if not all, of K-pop is built on extreme R&B and hip-hop influences, both genres originating in Black America. We can’t tell the story of Korea as a global story without telling the story of Black America (and the Black diaspora) as well. We deserve to be seen as “global.”
We’ve seen what feels like ages of change in the past four years. I’m sure the BTS members have changed a lot too. But as a group, their marketing vision seems stuck in the past. Arirang is meant to welcome the group back and bring people together. But whoever handles their trends and marketing needs to catch up. Everyone, including ARMY, is older and, honestly, more jaded than four years ago. People want to support those who don’t just talk the talk. Fans want celebrities who are aware of today’s politics and respond to them.
Since BTS went on hiatus, we’ve seen a failed Democratic presidential run, Trump’s return to office, the genocide of the Palestinian people, ICE detaining immigrants, a war with Iran, and Trump’s recent threats against Iran. There are also important stories that don’t get much attention, like the genocide in the Congo and Cuba’s crisis caused by the US. To be fair, BTS has done a lot for peace, like speaking at the UN and donating to Black Lives Matter. I appreciate that. But now, people want a clear and strong condemnation of wrongdoing. The time when artists could try to please everyone is over.
I’m partly referencing the Howard University scandal, but I’m also talking about a bit of news I saw where ARMY said they would boycott a collaboration the group was doing with an Israeli company. It needs to be said that not everyone in Israel supports the genocide, and maybe the company owners are among those who are anti-Netanyahu. But given Israel’s current prominence, it would have helped if BTS’s marketing team had considered the implications of the collaboration.
I haven’t heard any updates about that issue. But it’s prudent for the marketing team to recognize that it’s no longer 2022, and fans expect more from their favorite stars. Even BTS can be criticized for not keeping up with their fans’ global awareness.
Final Arirang thoughts–BTS tries balancing identity with branding
At its core, the album Arirang has a beautiful idea embedded within it. We all know what it’s like to long for a place, a person, or a time. BTS is expressing that feeling with this album—they want to reconnect with their fans and build a global community. But building that dream community means facing some hard truths, including what their background is. If we can find empathy for others and are interested in their lives, just think of how many world problems we could solve. In that sense, BTS is part of a huge undertaking many of us are trying to achieve.
Another truth is that while trying to create a better world, we can’t forget where we come from. BTS is trying not to lose their identity, even with the pressure to appeal to a white market. But we also can’t ignore other people’s roots just to make things more marketable. For a true global community, everyone’s stories need to be heard.
BTS from their documentary, BTS: The Return. (Photo credit: Netflix)
So, what do I really think about BTS’s Arirang? It’s an album with big ambitions, but sometimes its message gets lost in business decisions. The album wants to unite people and honor the past, but it could unintentionally push some away. Korean culture is still in the lyrics, and the group doesn’t hide their identity. Still, the heavy use of English might make it seem as if they’re unsure of their culture. The business side of BTS is always present, and this time, it feels like it has too much influence, making their respect for culture and fans less clear.
I think Arirang shows us that longing to belong is universal, and the journey to satisfy that longing can be messy. But from that mess, we gain experience, new knowledge, and hopefully, a little more wisdom about the world.
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