BTS are pulling back the curtain on the pressure behind their latest comeback.
Following the release of their fifth studio album ARIRANG on March 20th, the group’s creative journey and inner struggles will be explored in the upcoming Netflix documentary BTS: The Return, set to drop March 27th. The roughly 90-minute film captures everything from the album’s early concept stages to the emotional weight the members carried along the way.
In the early planning phase, BTS were introduced to the “Arirang” concept by executive producer Lee Bo Young of BigHit Music—but their reactions were cautious. “I get it in theory, but… hearing things like heroes and legends, I’m having like an allergic reaction,” one member said. Others admitted, “I can’t even picture it,” and “Isn’t it a bit too on the nose?”
Even after Jin joined the project following his solo tour last summer, the direction remained unclear. RM reflected, “Once it actually started taking shape, it got scary—like, how far are we really going to change?” V added, “I wanted us to evolve in a bold way, but we haven’t.” Jimin was more direct, saying, “I didn’t want to hear people say, ‘BTS is over.’”
The documentary also highlights the weight of their global success. Jin admitted, “It’s exciting and I’m happy, but honestly, it feels overwhelming. We became more successful than I ever thought we would.” RM added, “The crown of BTS is so heavy, it’s honestly scary to carry.”
Debate intensified when the group considered sampling “Arirang” in the opening track “Body to Body.” While J-Hope responded positively, V raised concerns. “It could come off like forced patriotism,” he said. RM compared the idea to “a bibimbap with everything thrown in—kimchi, tonkatsu—so we had to be careful.”
After discussions with HYBE chairman Bang Si Hyuk, the group ultimately agreed to incorporate the concept. Still, doubts lingered even after choosing “SWIM” as the title track. “I hesitate when I play it for people I know,” J-Hope admitted, while V added, “It feels like we’re running in the opposite direction of what people expect.”
Jin also reflected on past uncertainty, saying, “Even with ‘Dynamite,’ half of us didn’t want to do it,” despite the song going on to top the Billboard Hot 100.
In the end, the group came to a shared conclusion: “We can’t keep doing the same thing forever. If we’re going to change, it has to be now.”
That mindset shaped “SWIM,” a track built around the message of pushing forward day by day, like moving against the current—capturing where BTS stand now, navigating both massive expectations and the need to evolve.
>> BTS’ Comeback Journey Takes Center Stage in Netflix Documentary ‘BTS: The Return’
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