The world’s biggest and most successful K-pop group, BTS, released their new comeback album Arirang on March 20. After four long years with the band members completing their mandatory military services, BTS fans aka the ARMY were over the moon about this album release with 14 new tracks of the hip-hop and pop genre. Fans were excited to see their favorite idols return after years of hiatus and music critics responded to the album with positive reviews. The extremely anticipated album shattered records, selling a record of 3.98 million physical copies in one day and becoming the most-streamed K-pop album with 110 million first-day streams.
The history behind the word “Arirang” dates back to the 600 year old iconic folk song that most, if not all, Koreans know. It symbolizes the national identity, resilience, and the emotional themes of longing, separation, and joy. BTS chose this title for their comeback album after being separated from fans for a prolonged time signifying the longing of being back and the joy of finally coming back to their beloved and devoted fans. Arirang is a primarily hip-hop album, reminiscing back on BTS’ earlier albums such as Dark & Wild (2014) and their 2013 debut album 2 Cool 4 Skool that were extremely hip-hop and rap influenced. Many Koreans chipped in with their knowledge of the Korean language and their opinions, explaining the lyricism about the songs in this album that foreign fans wouldn’t understand.
Many western fans that begged for English songs years ago are now complaining that BTS is “too westernized” and “too generic.” Arirang has faced some negative backlash from a large portion of fans that claim it is “not Korean enough.”
What does westernized even mean?
After BTS’s first English release of “Dynamite” in 2020 followed by “Butter” and “Permission to Dance” in 2021, many people claim that BTS has “lost” their Korean charm and have been “chasing” western attention.
BTS started gaining global recognition way before their English releases, in 2017 they broke records and barriers and became the first K-pop group to win a Billboard Music Award for Top Social Artist. They were also the first K-pop group to perform at the AMAs in November 2017, performing their hit song “DNA” from their album Love Yourself: Her.
BTS has always been a global sensation, gaining fans from all over the world and having a huge global impact on all kinds of platforms all around the world.
The literal definition of being “westernized” is “having adopted or been influenced by the cultural, economic, or political systems of Europe and North America.” (from Google)
Although BTS has incorporated western elements to their music, they are still Korean. They still come from the K-pop world and were born and raised in South Korea. Many people claim that BTS is chasing western success just because they have released some singles in English and include English lyrics in their music. That is not exactly how being “westernized” works.
Taking inspiration from different cultures is how music works in general–the same way that BTS started out as a hip-hop group, taking inspiration from Black culture and incorporating it with Korean lyrics to make it their own style while still giving credit to the origins of hip-hop and rap. That is just how music works, many different genres besides K-pop have taken inspiration from different cultures all around the world and have incorporated it with their own music. If people didn’t explore different cultures and diffuse it into their own art, music would not be as impactful and global as it is today.
Remember, BTS started gaining western attention because of their Korean songs. Fans were the ones who asked for English songs. Now people don’t want it anymore.
Arirang Impact
BTS have always spoken about deep topics in their music, hence being known for doing many campaigns and standing for what they believe. Arirang examines diverse issues, specifically Korean issues, and what it’s like to be in the western spotlight as Korean artists.
At the first listen of the first track “Body to Body,” you can assume it is about fans as the song starts off with “I need the whole stadium to jump” implying that the song was made to perform at their world tour to support the album. Though, the more you look into the song and the deeper you go into the lyrics, it pays a tribute to the enduring strength of the Korean people, particularly during the violent past of Korea’s democracy movement. “총 칼 키보드 다 좀 치워” (Put away the guns, knives, and keyboards), the song transitions to traditional Korean drums and instruments, with a chorus of women singing the ‘Arirang’ folk song.
“Aliens” is the third track of the album and arguably the most impactful track. The song is a reference to racism, the name being quite self-explanatory as the song talks about the members feeling “alienated” and facing racism from the West. “태생부터 다른 seven aliens” (Different from birth, seven aliens).
One of the most powerful lines in the song is “Pardon, 김구 선생님, tell me how you feel (How you feel?)” (Pardon me, Mr. Kim Gu, tell me how you feel) This part of the song has a powerful affect referencing Kim Gu, was a well-known Korean independence activist for over 50 years who was the leader of the Korean independence movement against the Empire of Japan. By mentioning Gu, BTS reflects on their global impact and asks in effect: “Are we fulfilling the dream of being a top-tier cultural nation?” The theme of “Aliens” meaning “outsiders” aligns their success with Gu’s desire for Korea to influence the world through culture.
Overall, tArirang has proven to be just as Korean as any of their other works. This album holds so much Korean influence as the members establish that even if they explore different genres, they remain rooted in South Korea and nothing can change their heritage whether they speak English or not.
