"Living as BTS for 12 years is a blessing. But the magnificent crown called BTS is unbearably heavy and frightening," RM said.
BTS revealed the creative turmoil and the burden of being a "world-class idol" while preparing their fifth studio album "Arirang" (ARIRANG) in the Netflix documentary "BTS: The Return," set to premiere on June 27.
The members, who released the new album "Arirang" on June 20 and staged their "comeback of the century" at Gwanghwamun Square on June 21 before a global audience, openly shared their struggles over change and challenge as they launched their second chapter, "BTS 2.0."
The documentary begins last summer, when Jin, visibly exhausted after his solo tour, joins BTS's songwriting camp in Los Angeles.
All seven members gathered, but the album remained at a creative impasse. "We had a rough framework, but I was worried there might be better songs out there," RM said. "We still haven't decided what to change and what to keep. We're trying to figure out what makes it BTS."
With no clear answers in sight, the members — caught between staying true to "the BTS identity" and pursuing something new — voiced the pressure of wearing the BTS crown.
"'How far do you want to go, how much do you want to change' — once the stage is actually set, it's terrifying," RM said. V pointed out, "We wanted to make a bold change with this album, but we haven't changed." Jimin was candid: "We don't want to hear people say 'BTS has lost it.' We want them to say 'BTS is different now.'"
As intense days in studios and recording booths gave way to intimate nights at their lodging, the members' doubts deepened. Moments of self-reproach — "It feels like we're hacking at trees without seeing the forest" — alternated with reassurances: "We can do this, right?" and "We have to do this." The documentary captures the members unfiltered — without makeup, using profanity, and drinking — in raw, unvarnished footage.
Kim Hyun-jung, vice president of BigHit Music, addressed the decision. "There was a lot of internal deliberation, including from the artists themselves. As we opened a new chapter, we thought about what image to present," Kim said. "In starting this new chapter called 2.0, we decided to show a more authentic and mature side of BTS. Some members found the final product unfamiliar, but they were very satisfied."
Conflict and deliberation intensified over two key creative decisions: sampling the iconic Korean folk song "Arirang" in the album's opening track "Body to Body," and selecting the lo-fi track "SWIM" as the title song.
The members agreed that "this is our new Arirang" and that "one thing that doesn't change is the fact that we're country boys from Korea." But they clashed over what approach would be best.
J-Hope danced along joyfully to "Body to Body" with its "Arirang" sample, while V expressed concern that "people might feel uncomfortable, thinking 'Oh, they're going the nationalist route.'" RM also remarked, "It feels like eating bibimbap where you've just thrown everything in — kimchi, donkatsu, all kinds of food mixed together."
The documentary also shows Hybe Chairman Bang Si-hyuk meeting with the members, telling them they are "iconic artists that come along once in decades" and that "your target is the global public." He persuaded them by describing the symbolic power of a stadium full of fans singing "Arirang" together.
Even after deciding on "SWIM" as the title track, BTS remained uncertain. "I hesitate when playing it for people I know," J-Hope confessed. V said the song "runs in the exact opposite direction of what people expect." Members relayed lukewarm reactions from those who previewed their new musical direction: "Our friends say they understand, but they're not convinced."
Jin recalled that "half of us didn't want to do 'Dynamite' either," noting that even the track that made history as the first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 by a Korean act had divided opinions within the group. After much deliberation, the members reached a consensus: "Trends change, and we can't keep doing the same thing. If we're going to change, now is the only time."
"BTS: The Return" was directed by Bao Nguyen, a Vietnamese American filmmaker and producer known for "Be Water," a documentary on Bruce Lee's life, and "The Greatest Night in Pop," a feature documentary about the making of "We Are The World."
"The members said many things to the effect that 'BTS is quite a heavy crown,'" Nguyen said. "I think we sometimes overlook what BTS means and how much responsibility they carry as Koreans and global artists. While filming the documentary, I came to respect and marvel at how they handle that responsibility and channel it into beautiful creative work."
"Arirang," born from this painstaking process, surpassed 4 million cumulative sales by June 23, its third day of release. The album topped the iTunes Top Albums chart in 88 countries and territories, including Italy, Mexico, and Sweden, demonstrating BTS's enduring global popularity.
BTS's stature is often compared to that of the Beatles, the iconic pop group of the 20th century. Yet in "BTS: The Return," Jin confessed, "It's overwhelming. I'm not someone who can handle that kind of fame. I've succeeded beyond what I deserve." Jungkook said, "I'm not that great of a person."
Such anxiety and doubt persisted throughout the journey toward "Arirang," but the members pressed forward, emphasizing the value of being together.
Throughout the documentary, the members describe each other as "a second family." J-Hope said, "The team has held together because of our deep affection and longing for one another."
Ultimately, their answer crystallizes in the new song "SWIM." Just as the track embodies the resolve to keep swimming through life's waves, RM emphasized that despite the unbearable weight of the crown, "we can keep swimming because we're not alone."
"This work is not simply a story about the creative process," Nguyen said. "It's a story about brotherhood, about another kind of family, and about finding yourself while living as BTS in a world that isn't easy to navigate." He added, "The reason they can ultimately get through all of it is because they walk that path together with six other brothers."
To draw out the members' natural behavior, Nguyen employed a filming approach using cameras mounted on tripods to observe their daily lives. The documentary also incorporates home video footage the members recorded on old camcorders.