BTS Declares Their Voyage: What's Next for K-Pop Icons?

"Now I'm ready to face the whole sea." BTS has launched the 'BTS Ship' onto a vast ocean. This is their comeback album after four years, and the members conceived of the new album even before their military service, setting up a base camp in Los Angeles, USA, and working on songs together for two months. It was a challenge from the start, facing language barriers and disagreements among members, but they moved forward with the common goal that 'all seven of us are Korean, and we all want a new turning point.' Collaborating with international producers, they worked on over 120 songs in the US. RM shared his thoughts, saying, "I was very scared to open a new chapter, but I didn't want to miss this opportunity." He introduced this album as 'an album that is truly us,' filled with 14 tracks that are all group songs, with no solo or unit tracks.

The first track on the album, 'Body to Body,' is a reinterpretation of the Korean folk song 'Arirang.' Initially, the members hesitated to sing about Korean sorrow and emotions, but it developed based on RM's idea that 'the lyrics and melody of Arirang can resonate with the whole world.' They blended the Arirang melody with 2000s pop and combined traditional percussion with modern electronic sounds. The melody lines sung by Jimin, Jungkook, V, and Jin were developed using the pentatonic scale of Arirang as a framework. Although the Korean lyrics are minimal, the emotions are conveyed through the melody, performance, and message, placing it as the album's opening track.

Songs based on hip-hop, BTS's identity, are also included. 'Hooligan' captures the raw energy of their debut era, while 'Aliens' blends hip-hop and R&B, embodying their identity as invaders who shook the Western pop market. They expressed cultural pride through lyrics like "Clap, wave, Jungmori" and "Pardon, Teacher Kim Gu, tell me how you feel." 'FYA' is a dance track in the hyper-Ghettotech genre, featuring J-Hope, RM, and Suga showcasing their early style of rapping. '2.0' is a trap song that expresses a confident attitude with lyrics like "Had your little fun, fella? / Came back for what's mine, we don't Stop, ride." The track 'No. 29,' which serves as a turning point in the album, incorporates the bell sound of Korea's National Treasure No. 29, the Great Bell of King Seongdeok, creating a flow that leads into subsequent softer, vocal-focused songs.

The title track 'Swim' is a song that focuses on restrained sound and message. RM described it as "a song like Pyeongyang naengmyeon (cold noodles)." It captures a life attitude of moving forward at one's own pace even in the face of rough waves, with RM writing most of the lyrics. 'Like Animals' is a psychedelic trip-hop track that sings of untamed freedom, characterized by raw band sounds and dreamlike melodies. 'Please' contains a sincere confession to ARMY, and 'Into the Sun,' a soul-pop genre with a melody written by V, concludes the album by depicting the journey towards the sun after passing through dark days.

This album declares a new chapter, 'BTS 2.0,' and, contrary to public expectations, expresses their determination to move forward in their own way rather than following a formula for hit songs. This aligns with BTS's essence of honestly exploring wandering, chaos, and conflict, as if walking through a harsh desert. Like the message, "If we are together, even the desert becomes the sea," it is a declaration of their willingness to advance even in the face of rough waves. This album will be their 'diary of navigation.'