- 2 days ago
BTS joins us for an Audacy Check In inside the Rock Star Suite at Hard Rock Hotel New York to talk about the new album, ‘ARIRANG,’ the emotions surrounding their return, their view of being fashion icons, and much more.
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00:00Arirang was really important for us. We all born in Korea started everything in Korea and we just
00:06wanted our new album and our sound from now on could be universal and eternal like the Korean
00:12traditional song. What's going on? My name is Brew. We are in the Rockstar suite here at the
00:20Hard Rock Hotel in New York City. Today it's not one guest for this check-in. We have seven
00:25incredible humans. They're back with the new album Arirang, a new tour, and Netflix special
00:30BTS. What's going on guys?
00:34Hey we are.
00:36Hi Brew. Hi Odyssey. Nice to meet you. Thanks for having us.
00:39Good to see you guys. Welcome back. I mean I just want to dive. I just want to dive. I
00:42just
00:43want to dive. See what I did there? Let's start with the song that we've been playing on the
00:46radio non-stop. Swim is so good. Congratulations on the whole album obviously. But Swim is such
00:52a great focus on moving ahead in life no matter how hectic it gets. When did it click
00:57for you guys to make that the message of the song and then also adopt that into your own
01:01lives?
01:02In Korea, we were the most appreciative of the title of the song when we were working on it.
01:09I was the most appreciative of the song when I was working on it.
01:11I was the most appreciative of the song when I was working on it.
01:12Anyway, we were the most appreciative of the song when I was working on it.
01:23I was the most appreciative of the song when I was working on it. I was the most appreciative
01:29of the song when I was working on it. I was the most appreciative of the song when I was
01:31working on it.
01:31Absolutely. So why did it feel right to come back with this huge project, the album, the
01:38tour, everything at once and maybe not a single or an EP? Like when did that decision be made
01:42and why?
01:43We started our service in military and it's been like almost seven years that we have
01:49since we ever released like a full album with more than like 10 tracks. So it's been really
01:57a while and we haven't had a tour for also like six years and a half and fans been waiting
02:04for so long time. So we felt like we have to come back with a big project with fresh new
02:15songs. We felt like that kind of comeback is really natural.
02:21I feel like we all have the notes app, you know, where you're just dumping stuff, ideas,
02:25thoughts, or maybe it's a group chat where you're tossing in ideas. Was there ever a point
02:29while you're away that you were tossing things in like, oh, we got to do this when we're back
02:32on tour or maybe when we get back into the studio?
02:59There's so many familiar yet new collaborations on this album. What was the balance of like bringing
03:05in new sounds and new faces while also sticking to like the formula that has worked so
03:10far in your career?
03:38Yeah, it did. Absolutely.
03:39And there's so much to be proud of on Adidang.
03:42If you had to choose, though, if there's one song,
03:43what is the one that you're most proud of,
03:46at least right now, from the project?
03:48Quick, Faya.
03:50Body to body.
03:52Body to body.
03:54Faya.
03:59Of course, theme.
04:02Yeah, swim.
04:04No more.
04:06No more.
04:06No more.
04:07I think Hooligan, that laugh is so hard to nail.
04:10I feel like that's tricky, you know?
04:12But yeah, all amazing.
04:14I want to know how this album should be listened to.
04:17Like, what is the ideal experience?
04:19Is it from top to bottom, like start to finish?
04:21Is it in the car?
04:22Is it alone with somebody?
04:23Like, what is the ideal experience to listening to Adidang?
04:26Well, first of all, when we're building the album itself,
04:31we're building the track list.
04:33We've talked a lot about the track list.
04:37We've talked a lot about the track list.
04:56We're proud of, and you also talked about new sounds you tried out on this album.
05:00What is maybe the most experimental song that you guys felt like is on this project?
05:07Not a hooligan?
05:102.0.
05:102.0.
05:12Hooligan was made by El Guncho, and he's really, he does like so many songs of Rosalia.
05:18And Mike Wilma made it, made 2.0, and, you know, he made amazing tracks of like Kendrick
05:24and all those like hip-hop stars.
05:26And I like to pick Like Animals.
05:29We made it with Diplo and Artemis.
05:33And also Merry-Go-Round with Tame Impala.
05:38And they are very psychedelic and like trip-pop, dark.
05:42I think we've never tried that sound before in our career.
05:46Yeah.
05:47Well, it worked out.
05:47It's so good.
05:49Thank you!
05:51You know, I feel like not many artists get to unplug like you did, and I know you're obviously
05:55in the military, but like being away from the industry, I'm so curious on how it affected
05:58you, whether it was like you feel that desire to get back into the studio and get back
06:02to work, or was it a gap where you felt grateful for it and needed that time and space?
06:07Well, I'm actually curious about it.
06:11I'm also curious about it.
06:12It's been a long time for a team, and it's been a long time for a team.
06:40I'm curious about how to do music again when we were together.
06:45I went to Paris and went to Paris.
06:52But there was a Jimin's album that came out when I was in the military.
06:58So, I thought that if Jimin is coming out and I would be happy in the society.
07:07I love that. I was there too. I don't know how I missed you.
07:12We must cross paths.
07:12How wild is it to have individual solo eras that have done so well,
07:18but also they're ingrained kind of into the BTS brand as a whole?
07:22I feel like it's really interesting that not many groups get to experience.
07:25I feel like I've been working on this album.
07:28I feel like I've been working on this album.
07:31I feel like I've been waiting for a lot.
07:37I feel like I've been waiting for a lot.
07:38I feel like I've been waiting for a lot of time to grow.
07:46I feel like I've been waiting for a lot for a lot.
07:51I feel like I've been waiting for a lot of time to see the scene.
07:57And I feel like I've been waiting for a lot.
07:58I feel like I was looking forward to seeing the scene at this time.
08:05I felt like I was hoping for a lot to see what I was doing.
08:23and different for that event.
08:41Totally. Shout out to them.
08:42Getting to be a, I'm sure you've seen this,
08:45the Netflix profile icon is iconic in itself.
08:49Question is, who do you pick as yours?
08:51Like, do you pick yourself, or do you pick each other?
08:53Mine's Jungkook right now.
08:55I'll switch it everyday though.
08:56I'll rotate so it's fair.
08:57How about you?
08:59I already changed it.
09:01You did?
09:01Me, me.
09:03Oh, okay. Perfect.
09:04For Halloween, I'm Namjoon.
09:06For Halloween, Jimin and on Christmas,
09:08Wednesday, and on Christmas.
09:09So, it's seven people.
09:09It's 7 days.
09:10It's 7 days, so I'm going to go back.
09:15I don't think my friends changed it.
09:18They changed it.
09:20So they sent me.
09:21It's so funny.
09:23Arirang has such a strong Korean root in culture.
09:27Obviously that was the plan.
09:29When you think about your legacy
09:31and how you want to be remembered,
09:33what comes to mind?
09:36Thank you for a great question.
09:40We all thought about this a lot
09:42and talked about this a lot,
09:43but I think when you have some sort of specific intention,
09:49when you make something, especially like music,
09:53it always fails, I think.
09:56So we've been vacant for years
10:01and I think what I've realized is that
10:06we just met our fans yesterday,
10:10last night, Jimmy Fallon.
10:12And to just see their eyes and their energy,
10:15I felt like that was everything that we need
10:18as a maker for our content.
10:22So we just want to have a good time with the armies
10:27and the people that love us and listen to us.
10:31And the Korean and Arirang was really important for us
10:35because we just want to claim ourselves again
10:40as we started rooted in Korea and now we're here,
10:46like we're in New York, we're in Europe, we're everywhere,
10:49but still we just want to make it clear.
10:53We all born in Korea, started everything in Korea,
10:57and we just wanted our new album and our sound from now on
11:01could be universal and like eternal,
11:07like the Korean traditional song.
11:09Well, thank you for a great answer.
11:10That's it.
11:11Shout out to the fans too.
11:12That was amazing on Fallon.
11:14To see how crazy they got.
11:15The 6-7 thing was wild.
11:17I don't want you to do it.
11:18I don't know what that is still.
11:20No, no it does.
11:21Not at all.
11:22But speaking of the fans,
11:23like how wild is it to have so many day ones
11:26that have been here since the debut mixed in with people
11:29that are just now becoming fans and seeing them stand shoulder to shoulder
11:32and you know, from 2013 to 2026,
11:36like what does that mean?
11:36Well, when we look at the show,
11:41there's a little bit of fun in our fans.
11:44For example,
11:45we have pictures of our faces of our faces
11:47that we have to give people to our faces,
11:49or we have to give people to our faces,
11:51or we have to give people to our faces,
11:52or we have to give people to our faces,
11:55or we have to give people to our faces,
11:56or we have to give people to our faces,
12:00or we have to give people to the faces
12:00and they can place each other in our faces.
12:02If you look at each other side and put them together,
12:03it's so happy that we're all together
12:06and the next people come together,
12:07We work together with our fans who are really
12:09who are able to do the same and friendly friends.
12:18It's really good for our fans.
12:21It's like a big old family.
12:22I love to see it.
12:23If we looked at BTS's resume,
12:25it's a long one,
12:26But I mean,
12:26Global pop stars and then there's fashion icons.
12:29I mean, look at the fits.
12:29I don't need to explain today.
12:30Take a look.
12:31Do you guys ever think you would be fashion icons?
12:34And how does fashion kind of inspire, like, the BTS branding and music and videos and everything that goes into
12:40that art?
12:40Yeah.
12:43I...
12:44I...
12:44I...
12:45But it was...
12:46When I was young, I liked wearing clothes.
12:50I was up to Seoul and I would like to see the Yung-gi-yung clothes and follow the same
12:56way.
12:57I was really curious about the clothes that I had to wear.
13:01But when I was in debut, I didn't have a little bit of time.
13:04We had to wear this to the music, so we had to wear this.
13:08I was really curious about the music and the most.
13:14I think that it's not the most.
13:15I think that it's not the most.
13:17If we go to the stage, I think I can express this song in the way.
13:25I think that's why fashion is important to us.
13:29And I'm trying to keep it in mind.
13:32You've accomplished so much in your career already.
13:35What else is on the list?
13:37What's the BTS bucket list?
13:39What else do you want to do and accomplish before it's all said and done?
13:41How to finish the tour?
13:43I haven't started yet, but it's important to finish the tour.
13:46I think that's the first one.
13:49The first one is that I think.
13:50The 30th is the one I think.
13:54The 30th is the one I think.
14:08Just 30th is now?
14:09The 30th is now?
14:09The 30th is now?
14:10The 30th is now?
14:12The 30th is now?
14:13The 30th is now?
14:14We have the same bucket list.
14:16That's amazing.
14:17Thank you so much for the time.
14:18The check-in.
14:19Congratulations on the new album.
14:20The tour.
14:21Netflix specials out now.
14:22And can't wait to see you on the road soon.
14:24Thank you guys.
14:26Really?
14:27Bro is like too handsome.
14:30So I'm happy to join anytime.
14:32If you need an eighth, I'm ready.
14:34BTS.
14:35Thank you, boys.
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