BTS Celebrates History and K-Pop with Their First Album in Six Years: Listen to ‘ARIRANG’ Now
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The music world is abuzz with the release of BTS’s highly anticipated album, ARIRANG, which marks the long-awaited return of the globally renowned boy band. After years of speculation and excitement from fans, the album is finally available.
Available since Friday, March 20, the album features 14 tracks produced by notable names such as Diplo, Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, Mike WiLL Made-It, and Ryan Tedder. ARIRANG showcases the group—comprising RM, Jin, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook—in a more mature and artistically refined light. The band heightened anticipation by withholding pre-release singles and instead releasing tracks “Body to Body,” “Hooligan,” “Aliens,” “FYA,” “2.0,” “No. 29,” “SWIM,” “Merry Go Round,” “NORMAL,” “Like Animals,” “they don’t know ’bout us,” “One More Night,” “Please,” and “Into the Sun” simultaneously.
BTS’s last full-length album, Be, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2020. The same year, the group achieved multiple No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including “Life Goes On” and “Dynamite.” They further solidified their dominance with subsequent hits “Butter,” “Permission to Dance,” and “My Universe” featuring Coldplay. However, the members later enlisted in the South Korean military, pausing group activities while they pursued solo projects.
Following the last member’s discharge, the group quickly returned to the studio. In a GQ cover story prior to the album’s release, Suga promised fans a “diversity of genres,” while RM described it as “truly the whole package.”
BigHit Music shed light on the album’s title, explaining it draws inspiration from a traditional Korean folk song. A January press release noted that the song, associated with emotions of connection, distance, and reunion, frames ARIRANG as a “deeply reflective body of work” exploring BTS’s “identity and roots.”
As BTS embraces this new chapter, they will perform a comeback concert at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on Saturday, March 21. The band will then head to New York City for a Spotify fan event and back-to-back appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. In April, they will embark on a global stadium tour.
Listen to BTS’s first album in six years, ARIRANG, below.
