What are critics saying about new BTS album 'Arirang'?

It's a big day for BTS as their new album, ARIRANG, is out now - marking their first music release in almost four years.

Their comeback has been highly anticipated by their huge global fanbase known as ARMY, after the seven members took a three-year hiatus to complete South Korea's mandatory 18-month military service.

The album name ARIRANG is in reference to a Korean folk song of the same name that is over 600 years old, with approximately 3,600 variations of 60 different versions, all including a refrain similar to "arirang, arirang, arariyo." It has become an unofficial national anthem for the country, and the significance of the band naming their album after this suggests a return to their roots.

There are 14 tracks on the album, including the lead single 'SWIM', which is named after a revered Korean folk song, with a music video recently released starring the band members and actor Lili Reinhart.

What are critics saying?

Following the album release, ARIRANG, has received favourable reviews from critics.

BBC's Mark Savage described how the band "rekindle their fire" with the new record, writing "With Arirang representing a genuine return to form, you can bet their fans will be right there alongside them."

"The fourteen tracks make for a more mature body of work – one that trades the glossy, slightly on-the-nose singles of ‘Butter’ or ‘Dynamite’ for something more layered," CLASH's Maria Letícia L. Gomes wrote, rating the album an eight out of 10.

The Korea Times's Pyo Kyung-min said, "Taken as a whole, 'ARIRANG' unfolds less like a collection of stand-alone singles and more like a carefully sequenced story. Its dramatic progression suggests a collective intent to connect the past with the future through sincerity rather than abstraction."

How are BTS celebrating their new album?

To mark their album release, BTS will return to the stage on 21 March, with a performance at the historic Gwanghwamun, the main gate of Seoul’s Gyeongbokgung palace, which will be live-streamed on Netflix.

A documentary showing the making of ARIRANG, is set to be released on Netflix on March 27.

Elsewhere from Indy100, BTS fear comeback flop after military hiatus: 'Can we pull this off?', and ARMY rejoice as BTS returns to the stage with global Netflix concert.

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