arirang: my thoughts

so the bts comeback was today! i watched the mv for swim and listened to the entire album. as stated in the title, this post will be my thoughts on everything.

in all honesty, i wasn't a big fan of the album. i didn't feel anything. i've been a fan of bts since late 2018, and i've seen them transition through many different styles over the years. the truth is that bts doesn't have a set genre. they're always trying new things, and arirang is a new sound they are experimenting with.

and yk, maybe i'm just completely blinded by nostalgia, but bts' music has always managed to make me feel something. their songs held meaning, and they were memorable. i could play them over and over and never get tired.

for example, outro: wings is such an energizing song. every time i listen to it, i feel like i'm ascending. and anpanman is so fun!! the instrumental has to be one of my favorites. spring day and butterfly make me so emotional, and they're such beautiful songs.

but with this album... i didn't get any of that. sure, the beat in "body to body" had me moving a little bit, and i liked the arirang part. "merry go round" was pretty good, too. but overall, none of the songs really resonated with me.

the mv for swim was also kinda confusing to me. in the video, there's a girl walking through this museum type building, and she comes across a ship sitting in a glass box. in the next scene, she wakes up and she's with all the members on a ship (like the kind you see in pirate movies). they're dressed up as shipmen and they're following her around. at the end, she steps up on this platform or whatever and ends up back in the building she started in. only this time, she's soaked with water. the credits roll.

also guys, please don't attack me but i just found out who lili reinhart was today. i had no idea who she was when i first watched the mv, and i was in the gc with my sister and cousins like "who is this white lady in the mv.." apparently, lili is supposed to represent army? idk, i feel like they could've had multiple people of different backgrounds, bc army is very diverse.. but i digress.

anyways, there are lots of mixed opinions online. some people absolutely loved the album, others hated it, and some people are just in the middle (like me). i feel like SOME kpop fans are veryyyy protective of their faves, and any criticism about their idols or the music is automatically perceived as hate. some fans act like it's illegal to not like everything an artist puts out. like it's okay guys!! people don't have to like everything!!! it doesn't make them any less of a fan if they don't like it. but what do you guys think?

bts will always be dear to my heart, so i'm willing to give the album a second listen. i think i just need more time to sit with the music. i may come back with a new post about it, so stay tuned~

i hope everyone has an amazing weekend. i wanna wish a happy birthday to koi, and a happy spring break to eugene!!!! i love you guyssss !!!!! (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)

- nara ❤︎