On March 29, a video titled “Title Track ‘SWIM‘ First reaction | BTS: The Return” was released via Netflix Korea’s YouTube channel. The clip captured the members listening to and rating the track from their upcoming full album “ARIRANGO” (아리랑), marking their first release with the entire group in nearly four years.
During the session, the RM leader encouraged an honest review, saying: “Let’s listen to it objectively.” After listening to the song, he admitted, “Seems a little slow… definitely.”
Jimin echoed the sentiment, emphasizing it “the track itself sounds a bit draggy,” while V added that the song seemed to be doing well “in the opposite direction to expectations”.
Perhaps the most surprising comment came from J-Hope, who confessed: “When I play it for acquaintances, I hesitate a little… mostly saying, ‘BTS is back after four years,’ and then I show it.” His remark highlighted concerns about how the track might be received by listeners.
Despite mixed reactions, Suga expressed support for the song’s direction, stating that he liked the concept. Other members also made it clear that while they were concerned, they didn’t dislike the track, describing it as “a little scary, but still good.”
The group also reflected on past success Dynamiterevealing that initial reactions to that track had been lukewarm even internally. “Then we thought, ‘This isn’t our usual style,’ and more than half of us didn’t want to do it at first,” they shared, suggesting that experimentation has often been part of their journey.
RM at the end described “SWIM” AS «a mature and beautiful song» this represents a clear evolution in their sound, suggesting that the group aims to showcase a more adult image through this comeback.
BTS have released their fifth full-length album “ARIRANGO” on March 20, reaching over 4 million sales in just three days and topping both national and international charts. As anticipation grows, fans are now eager to see how “SWIM” will be received by global audiences.
Sources: Daum | OSEN
