BTS brought fans closer to their latest album ARIRANG with a special Spotify listening party held in New York City on March 23rd. The exclusive “SWIMSIDE” event celebrated the group’s fifth studio album, released March 20th, which quickly became Spotify’s most-streamed K-pop album and one of 2026’s biggest single-day debuts.
The event combined live performances, track breakdown sessions and a relaxed Q&A, giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at the album’s creation.
BTS at the ‘Spotify x BTS: SWIMSIDE’ event tonight in NYC.
— MOVIE BASE (@worldbase0) March 23, 2026
One of the night’s standout moments came when Suga humorously confessed his complicated relationship with water. “I hate swimming,” he deadpanned, prompting RM’s shocked reaction: “You HATE SWIM?! ” Suga quickly backtracked, laughing and saying, “Wait, wait, no, no! I LOVE SWIM! I just don’t like water.” The playful exchange had the audience roaring, perfectly highlighting BTS’s humor and charm behind their splashy hit.
the interviewer asked if anyone of them doesn’t like swimming and yoongi said he doesn’t like swimming but then he stood up and said “no no no wait i don’t hate swimming i love swim (meaning the song) i just hate water” 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/3rKx8CiCY5
— 🦂 (@lovethve) March 23, 2026
BTS saying everyone is pretty good at swimming but Jungkook is the best swimmer. Yoongi adding he does not like it 😂
He likes the song “SWIM,” but “I don’t like water.”#SWIMSIDE #SpotifyxBTS
— Beyond ARMY | ⊙⊝⊜⁷ (@beyond_ARMY_) March 23, 2026
RM also shared a heartfelt message about the group reuniting after their military hiatus, emphasizing how meaningful it felt to stand together again.
Later, the laughter continued when Jimin admitted, “I always take off my clothes when I get home,” prompting RM to joke, “He’s always naked,” and Jungkook to exclaim, “Naked Jimin!” before breaking into playful barking alongside the ARMY in the audience, sending the crowd into hysterics.
🐥 i always take off my clothes when i get home
🐨 he’s always naked
🐰 naked jimin!and then jungkook starts barking along with armys??? I CANT pic.twitter.com/a9U81QVnD7
— juls (@jikookheart) March 23, 2026
Fans especially reacted to stories about the recording process. RM revealed that Jungkook created the distinctive laugh heard in the track “Hooligan,” describing it as both the most fun and most challenging part of the album to record due to its precise “3-3-3” rhythm and breath control. A live demo reportedly left Jin, J-Hope, and V laughing uncontrollably, a moment that quickly became a fan favorite online.
jungkook was the one who came up with the “hahahahahaha” part in hooligan and namjoon saying how hard it was to do it then making jk do it 😭 pic.twitter.com/8Ir7NgD6Cm
— jungkook admirer (@dreamjeons) March 23, 2026
Clips from the event showcasing BTS’s playful chemistry — from Jungkook’s high-energy reactions to lighthearted challenges among the members — spread rapidly across social media, further fueling excitement around ARIRANG. With strong streaming numbers and growing buzz, the album is now widely expected to contend for the top spot on the Billboard 200.
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