According to Dispatch, immediately after completing their military service, BTS started thinking about the group's next chapter. They understand the weight of reappearing with a full squad - which means having to overcome themselves once again in the past.
No one knows exactly what to do. In the Kpop idol world, no artist has reached the level of BTS. Moreover, the period of interruption of nearly 4 years due to military service is something that even world-famous pop stars rarely experience.
Netflix's documentary "BTS: The Return" records BTS's journey to find that answer. The members return to their original values, reflecting on the group's identity. From this platform, they gradually shape the direction for the next music product.
Director Bao Nguyen shared: "I can feel the weight of responsibility weighing on the members. The process of them turning that pressure into a truly admirable beautiful work of art".
The documentary records the scene of the members composing music together in Los Angeles (USA) last summer. The beginning is the scene of Jin finishing his solo tour and returning to their shared accommodation, the members running out to greet her with radiant smiles.
Their common life is simple but warm. The members dress comfortably, play in the pool, exercise, and then gather in the evening to eat grilled meat and drink soju.
They also take turns holding cameras to record each other's moments, creating classic-style footage, like a family video. They together reminisce about old memories, watch videos from the group's debut day.
Leader RM shared about the pressure and responsibility BTS has to bear: "Every time I think about resting, I feel like I'm making a mistake...".
The process of making the album "Arirang" went through many difficulties, because blending traditional Korean music into modern pop was not easy at all. The members fell into a state of daily concern, even at times wanting to give up the theme "Arirang".
With the determination "if you hesitate here, there will be no more opportunities", they do not hesitate to break their own limits. The core spirit of "Arirang" that they interpret is cohesion - the image of people holding hands, overcoming language barriers to dance together.
Above all, they do not give up their Korean identity. The company's A&R team once suggested using English lyrics to target the global market. But the members remained steadfast: "At least in the rap part, there must be more Korean lyrics".
Thanks to Suga staying at the "base" to focus on production, the songs in the album were completed quite early. Only one most important task remained: the title track.
The members argued fiercely for many days and nights. When entering the age of 30, they wanted to express a more mature musical color. During that process, Jimin expressed concern that the performance could be significantly reduced, and also shared objective perspectives from the outside.
But after all, what shines is team spirit. After tense discussions, they agreed that "Swim" is the best choice. Going to the conclusion together "this is the right time to change" shows the group's strong cohesion.
