BTS is back — and honestly, they came back strong.
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TOP 5 SONGS
5. Into The Sun
This was such a beautiful way to close the album.
“Into The Sun” is soft, emotional, and full of warmth. It’s about finding someone who makes you want to remember everything — every little moment, every feeling. Someone who matches your energy, your passion, your fire.
It feels hopeful.
There’s this sense of mutual care in the lyrics — waiting for each other, showing up, loving fully and equally. It’s comforting in a way that feels genuine, not overly idealized.
And that final idea — following someone “into the sun”? Yeah. That’s love. That’s trust. That’s everything.
4. Body To Body
The second J-Hope came in, I’m not even gonna lie — I squealed.
“Body To Body” is the perfect opener. It feels like the album starts mid-performance, like you’ve just stepped into a stadium full of screaming fans. It’s loud, it’s hype, and it immediately sets the tone for what’s about to come.
The track encourages you to let go — put your phone down, move, be present.
But what I love is how it shifts as the song goes on. It starts big and crowd-facing, then gradually becomes more intimate. It moves from stage energy to something closer, more personal — literally, body to body.
It’s a crowd-pleaser in every sense of the word, and a strong way to kick everything off.
3. Like Animals
“Eat this life ‘til your heart is full” is a CRAZY line — and it sets the tone perfectly.
This track is chaotic in the best way. It’s about being feral, losing control, and just fully experiencing life without holding back. There’s an almost alternative edge to the production that makes it feel a little darker, a little grittier than some of the other tracks.
But it’s still incredibly addictive.
The metaphor runs deep here — it’s not just about wild behavior, it’s about freedom. About letting go of expectations and just being. The bridge with J-Hope, Jin, and Jungkook? Such a moment. Each of them brings something different, and it blends together so smoothly.
It’s messy, fun, and full of energy.
2. NORMAL
This one had me in a chokehold.
“NORMAL” feels deeper the more you sit with it. On the surface, it’s smooth and melodic, but lyrically, it’s doing a lot more than you might catch on first listen. The song explores fame in a really interesting way — how it looks huge and glamorous from the outside, but doesn’t always feel “normal” to the people living in it.
There’s this constant push and pull between identity and perception.
It uses metaphor across different areas too — not just fame, but relationships, everyday life, and how people define “normal” for themselves. It feels introspective without being heavy, honest without being overly dramatic.
It’s one of those tracks that reveals more of itself each time you come back to it.
1. Swim
This is THE summer track. No debate.
“SWIM” is hot, flirty, and just a little bit wild. From the jump, the energy is undeniable — it pulls you in immediately and doesn’t let up. The lyrics lean heavily into sensual imagery, talking about wet skin, diving deep, and just fully giving into the moment.
It’s playful, but it knows exactly what it’s doing.
The chorus is ridiculously catchy — one of those hooks that sticks after the first listen and refuses to leave. You can already hear this blasting in cars, at parties, everywhere, once the weather warms up. It’s smooth, confident, and a little daring, and honestly? It absolutely deserved to be one of the standout singles.
Well done, boys. Seriously.
SONG BY SONG RATING
1. Body To Body (4/5)
2. Hooligan (3.5/5)
3. Aliens (3.5/5)
4. FYA (4/5)
5. 2.0 (4/5)
6. No. 29 (N/A)
7. SWIM (4.5/5)
8. Merry Go Round (4/5)
9. NORMAL (4.5/5)
10. Like Animals (4/5)
11. They don’t know ‘bout us (4/5)
12. One More Night (4/5)
13. Please (4/5)
14. Into The Sun (4/5)
RGM RATING
(80%)
With ARIRANG, V, RM, Jungkook, Jimin, J-Hope, Suga, and Jin return from their hiatus with a project that feels both familiar and completely refreshed. The album is labeled explicit, and you can hear that shift immediately. This is a more mature, more confident version of BTS — not just sonically, but thematically.
What makes this album really interesting is how much their solo work influenced it.
If you’ve followed their individual projects, you can hear it all over ARIRANG. There are moments that feel very Suga-coded — darker, introspective, sharp. Some tracks sit comfortably in RM’s lane, more thoughtful and reflective. Jungkook has moments where he absolutely dominates vocally, and there are even songs where you can clearly hear V’s signature tone and style shining through.
It doesn’t feel disconnected — it feels like seven individual identities coming back together and blending into something bigger.
Sonically, the album leans heavily into hip-hop while still keeping that flirty pop energy BTS does so well. The transitions between languages feel effortless, and the flow across the tracklist keeps things moving without ever feeling repetitive.
There’s range here.
You’ve got high-energy, performance-ready tracks. You’ve got sensual, playful songs. You’ve got introspective moments that make you pause and think. And somehow, it all works together.
At its core, ARIRANG represents exactly what fans love about BTS — versatility, personality, and emotion. It’s confident, it’s fun, and it feels like a true evolution rather than a reset.
And honestly? It feels like they gave people exactly what they were waiting for… and then some.
Ileyah is a mom, a writer and a musician. She loves late nights and gluten free snacks.
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