- 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 you know sticking to like the formula that has worked
03:10so far in your career?
03:12I had a lot of collaboration with new producers and we had a lot of collaboration with new producers.
03:21We had a lot of collaboration with new producers and we had a lot of collaboration with new producers.
03:34So I think I won't have a good result.
03:38That did absolutely. And there's so much to be proud of on Arirang. If you had to choose though,
03:43if there's one song, what is the one that you're like most proud of? At least right now from the
03:47project.
03:47A quick fire. Body to body. Body to body. Fire.
04:00Of course theme. Yeah. Swim.
04:04No more. No more. No more.
04:07I think Hooligan that laugh is so hard to nail. I feel like that's tricky. You know, but yeah. All
04:13amazing.
04:14I want to know how this album should be listened to. Like what is the ideal experience?
04:19Is it from top to bottom like start to finish? Is it in the car? Is it alone with somebody?
04:23Like what is the ideal experience to listening to Arirang?
04:26First of all, we have a lot of conversations with the album. We have a lot of conversations with the
04:35tracklist.
04:35So when I heard the album, I recommend listening to the album from the 1st to 14th.
04:41And then, I think that's better to listen to the songs with the song.
04:50Well, first of all, I like to listen to the fire when I'm doing the workout.
04:53I like to listen to the song.
04:54So we talked about the song you're most proud of. And you also talked about new sounds you tried out
04:59on this album.
05:00What is maybe the most experimental song that you guys felt like is on this project?
05:08Not a Hooligan?
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 and all
05:25those like hip hop stars.
05:26And I like to pick like animals. We made it with Diplo and Artemis.
05:31And also Merry-Go-Round with Tame Impala and they are very psychedelic and like trip pop dark.
05:42I think we've never tried that sound before in our career.
05:45Yeah. Well, it worked out. So good. Thank you!
05:51You know, I feel like not many artists get to unplug like you did.
05:54And I know you're obviously in the military, but like being away from the industry, I'm so curious on how
05:58it affected you.
05:59Whether it was like you feel that desire to get back into the studio and get back to work.
06:03Or was it a gap where you felt grateful for it and needed that time and space?
06:06Well, at first I was a bit curious.
06:12How long did I make teams with a team too?
06:15And what we agreed to could ever do when we were together?
06:18And what we agreed to do is we were able to perform music and our music together we would like
06:25to make sure we would ever make our music together.
06:26I think it was very full of thought.
06:29Yeah, it's like, what if, you know?
06:32You guys, it's so fun seeing what you guys missed about each other being away.
06:35I want to know more about the FOMO.
06:37What was it that you saw that you were like,
06:38oh my gosh, I have FOMO, I'm missing out on this,
06:41whether it's from the single career or just in general life?
06:44I was on my own, so I went to Paris to go to Paris.
06:52But at that time, Jimin's album came out,
06:56when Jimin was in the military.
06:58So, I thought,
06:59if Jimin was coming out and I thought it would be so good in the society.
07:09I love that. I was there too. I don't know how I missed you.
07:11We must cross paths.
07:13How wild is it to have individual solo eras that, you know, 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 think that's really interesting that not many groups get to experience.
07:26I was working on this album as part of a album.
07:31And, when Mr. Hobie mentioned,
07:35I felt a lot of waiting for the album because of a lot of that.
07:43I didn't see my experience through my experience, but I didn't see my experience in this session.
07:51So, I was really excited to see that in this session.
07:55I was really excited to see what I wanted to do.
08:00That's right.
08:03Amazing.
08:04I want to talk about the Netflix special.
08:06It was so good, guys.
08:07So much fun.
08:08What was the priority coming back for your first performance in over four years, and how was the preparation different
08:14for that event?
08:15It was a long time ago, so we were prepared for the first stage.
08:21We were prepared for the first stage, and we were prepared for the first stage, and it was the first
08:26stage that we prepared for the first stage.
08:28I think it was a good performance, and we were prepared for the first stage, and we had a great
08:39performance.
08:41Totally. Shout out to them.
08:43Getting to be a, I'm sure you've seen this, the Netflix profile icon is iconic in itself.
08:49Question is, who do you pick as yours?
08:51Like, do you pick yourself?
08:52Or do you pick each other?
08:53Like, mine's Jungkook right now.
08:55I'll switch it every day though.
08:55I'll rotate, so it's fair.
08:57How about you?
08:58I already changed it.
09:01You did?
09:01Me.
09:02Me.
09:03Okay, perfect.
09:23Arirang has such a strong Korean root in culture. Obviously, that was the plan. When you think about your legacy,
09:31and how you want to be remembered, what would you think about your legacy?
09:33What comes to mind?
09:35What comes to mind?
09:37Thank you for a great question.
09:39I thought about, we all thought about this a lot, and talked about this a lot, but I think, you
09:46know, when you have some sort of specific intention, when you make something, especially like music, it always fails, I
09:55think.
09:55So, we've been vacant for years, and I think what I've realized is that it's just, we just met our
10:08fans yesterday, last night, Jimmy Fallon, and to just see their eyes and their energy, I felt like that was
10:17everything that we need as a maker for our content.
10:22So, we just want to have a good time with the armies and the people that love us and listen
10:30to us, and the Korean and Arirang was really important for us because we just want to claim ourselves again,
10:40like, as we started, rooted in Korea, and now we're here, like, we're in New York, we're in Europe, we're
10:48everywhere, but still, we just want to
10:52make it clear, we all born in Korea, started everything in Korea, and we just wanted our new album and
11:00our sound from now on could be universal and, like, eternal, like the Korean traditional song.
11:09Well, thank you for a great answer.
11:10That's it.
11:12Shout out to the fans, too.
11:12That was amazing on Fallon.
11:14To see how crazy they got, the 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, it does.
11:21Not at all.
11:22But speaking of the fans, like, how wild is it to have so many day ones that have been here
11:26since the debut mixed in with people that are just now becoming fans and seeing them stand shoulder to shoulder
11:32and, you know, from 2013 to 2026?
11:35Like, what does that mean?
12:03What does that mean?
12:08What does that mean?
12:10What does that mean?
12:11What does that mean?
12:14It's like a big old family.
12:22Love to see it.
12:23If we looked at BTS's resume, it's a long one.
12:26But I mean, you're global 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, and how does fashion kind of inspire, like, the BTS
12:37branding and music and videos and everything that goes into that art?
12:41Yeah.
12:43I...
12:44I...
12:45I...
12:46When I was young, I liked wearing clothes.
12:50I used to be very cool to wear my clothes, and I was to come up to Seoul and see
12:53Yungi-yung's clothes.
12:55It seemed like it was very fun to wear my clothes.
13:01Actually, when I was debut, there was no time for me.
13:04I think we should wear this to the music, and I think we should wear this to the music.
13:09Now, I think it's not the fashion.
13:16If we go to the stage, I think we should wear this to the music.
13:25So fashion is very important.
13:32You've accomplished so much in your career already.
13:36What 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?
13:42To finish the tour?
13:43I haven't started yet, but I think it's important to finish the tour.
13:47I think it's the first one.
13:50The first one is the first one.
13:52You're going to do it now.
13:54You're going to do it now.
13:55You're welcome, man.
13:57I think it's just a healthy...
14:00With seven people who are still working together,
14:03and happy, and living together,
14:07and moving forward to life is a very important location.
14:13Yeah.
14:14we have the same bucket list that's amazing thank you so much for the time the check-in
14:18congratulations on the new album the tour netflix specials out now and can't wait to see you
14:23on the road soon thank you guys thank you really thank you bro is like too handsome so
14:31i'm happy to join anytime if you need an eighth i'm ready bts thank you boys thank you
14:44you
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