BTS’s Arirang album review: A raw, explosive and emotional comeback driven by grit and fire

5…4…3…2…1…

And then Arirang drops.

It’s been years since BTS last released a full album—their previous project, Proof, arrived in 2022 before hiatus and military enlistments reshaped the group’s rhythm. So what does it feel like to finally hear all seven voices together again, not in fragments, not in solos, but as a unit?

It feels like a return to their debut-era hunger, a bit of Dark & Wild madness, now sharpened by 2026 maturity, and laced with a darker, raspier, almost addictive edge.

The experience is a rush—an exhilarating one. If you listen in sequence, it begins with Body to Body, easing you in with a hypnotic, almost folkloric pull. But nothing quite prepares you for Hooligan, which has traces of RM's Right Place, Wrong Person. It bursts open with wild, almost chaotic laughter, driven by the rapline as RM takes the reins with gritty, textured vocals, while V is clear in the background. And then there’s Suga, back with the acidic, spitfire delivery ARMY has long missed. Even that laugh feels destined to become fandom lore. The track closes on RM’s ticking “clock, clock, clock,” like a warning you can’t quite shake off.

Aliens shifts the mood but keeps the intensity. Jimin leads with airy, high notes, while J-Hope threads in mocking, playful rap—“Do I look too funny?”creating a chorus that’s instantly addictive. Then comes FYA, arguably the album’s most explosive moment. It opens with heavy breathing before erupting into something that feels like Fire 2.0, with RM leaning into the deep, commanding vocals that stunned listeners in Neva Play. The tempo surges, you’re on the ride with no brakes, no guardrails—and its club-ready, remix-like structure somehow works entirely in BTS’s favour.

Swim offers a rare moment of calm in the Bangtan storm. “Just want to dive, swim,” V sings in his soft, velvety baritone, before Jin takes over with a gentle, almost meditative refrain. It’s a breather, but not a pause, more like floating between emotional tides. Then there’s the track Merry Go Round, that opens with “my life is a broken rollercoaster,” a whimsical yet melancholic spiral of soft instrumentals, capturing the unease of going in circles while still holding onto a flicker of hope.

Please is an upbeat and unusual appeal, with the catchy 'if you want to, if you want to....' Into The Sun takes you by surprise again, pulls the rug under your feet, with a slow beginning, with Jungkook sounding clear before J-Hope takes over with the rap. It's oddly calming, comforting and cathartic, as the chorus chants prove towards the end.

And that's Arirang. Metallic, raspy, and deeply rooted, it pulls you straight back to BTS’s core while pushing their sound forward. This is only the first listen of many, there’s more to unpack, more to feel, more to understand. But even now, it’s clear: the album is sharp, it hits hard, and it transcends language with ease, long before the translations even arrive.