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BTS ARIRANG: SWIM, a Folk Song and the First Group Album in Three Years and Nine Months

Published: 2026-10-13

• Category: Album & Song Guide
• Artist: BTS

KPOP NO1 Editorial · Sources checked October 25, 2026

A week before the album, BTS posted a one-minute animated film. Its description points to a real story: seven young Koreans written up in The Washington Post on May 8, 1896, some of whom made the first known audio recordings of Koreans that July, including the first recording of “Arirang.” The film asked one question: What is your love song? On March 20, 2026, the answer arrived as ARIRANG, BTS’s fifth studio album and their first group album in three years and nine months.

Fourteen tracks

The official listing on Apple Music (℗ 2026 BIGHIT MUSIC) has the songs in this order: Watch on YouTube ↗

No. 29 is named after a national treasure. The interlude features the Divine Bell of King Seongdeok, a Silla-era bell that is South Korea’s National Treasure No. 29. The bell’s patterns later became the motif for the album’s official merchandise, made with MU:DS, the brand of the National Museum of Korea Cultural Foundation. Weverse Magazine: ARIRANG merch

SWIM: the lead single

The SWIM video went up on HYBE LABELS minutes before the album’s 1 p.m. release. Tanu Muiño directed it, and the actor Lili Reinhart stars. Its credits list RM among the songwriters, with Tyler Spry and Leclair as producers.

The performance video followed on March 25 (KST), so you can see the choreography the video doesn’t show.

On tour, the song has changed meaning for the group. “The meaning of ‘SWIM’ keeps getting refined all throughout the tour,” RM told Weverse Magazine. He also said, “When ‘SWIM’ comes on, sometimes I take out my in-ear and just listen to the crowd.” Weverse Magazine: tour interview

Hooligan and 2.0: the other two videos

Two more videos came in the album’s first month. 2.0 came first, on April 2 (KST). Mike WiLL Made-It and Pluss produced it, and RM, j-hope, V, Jung Kook and SUGA are among its credited songwriters.

Hooligan followed on April 8. El Guincho, Fakeguido and Jasper Harris produced it, and Jung Kook, RM, j-hope and SUGA are among the songwriters.

On tour, Hooligan comes right after the traditional gugak opening, with j-hope taking the lead. “Since I’m the one kicking things off with the opening of ‘Hooligan,’ I felt like it absolutely had to hit hard,” he said. Weverse Magazine: tour interview

Our take: The album runs from Body to Body through the No. 29 interlude before SWIM arrives. If you only know SWIM, play tracks 1 to 5 in order and listen for where the mood shifts.

On stage: Gwanghwamun and the world tour

The day after release, BTS performed BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, streamed live on Netflix on March 21. Hamish Hamilton directed the show. Musicians and singers from the National Gugak Center performed the folk song during Body to Body. Weverse Magazine: comeback live review, Weverse Magazine: feature

SUGA spoke to the crowd about the album that night. “During the time we had to pause for a bit, we spent a lot of time thinking about what we should hold onto no matter what and what we need to change,” he said. “We’re still not completely sure, and still feel anxious at times, but I think even these emotions are a part of who we are.”

The world tour began on April 9 at Goyang Stadium. Weverse Magazine reports that 88 shows in 34 cities were announced, making it the largest tour ever put on by a K-pop artist. Weverse Magazine: tour report The setlist has no solo or subunit songs. “We all felt that we should be focusing on the group rather than subunit or solo songs,” V said. “I think that is the core of this tour.”

The “Arirang” part of Body to Body has become a crowd moment. “I think the ‘Arirang’ part of ‘Body to Body’ has become one of the most iconic moments among the things we wanted to do on this tour,” j-hope said. Weverse Magazine: tour interview

NORMAL: a video in July

The ninth track got its own video on July 19 (KST), again directed by Tanu Muiño. Ryan Tedder and Sean Cook produced it, with RM, j-hope and SUGA among the songwriters.

Official videos from this era

Dates are upload dates in Korea time.

How to listen for the first time

1. Watch the animated trailer. It sets up the album’s question in about a minute.
2. Play the album from Body to Body. Listen for the folk song inside the first track.
3. Then watch SWIM, 2.0 and Hooligan. Each one shows a different side of the album.

Where to go next

• New to BTS? Our beginner guide has a card for each member.
• Another studio album: WINGS, the 2016 album built around member solos.
• The anthology: Proof, released before the group’s break.
• On tour: BTS ARIRANG in Santiago, from the October shows in Chile.

Sources

• BIGHIT MUSIC: ARIRANG album introduction, release notice
• Track list: Watch on YouTube ↗
• Weverse Magazine (HYBE’s official magazine): album review, comeback live review, feature on the album, merch interview, tour report, tour interview. Only factual details and statements by BTS and HYBE staff are used; the writers’ opinions are not.
• Official videos: HYBE LABELS and BANGTANTV YouTube channels (see the table above). Credits come from each video’s description.
• No lyrics are quoted.