BTS’s Arirang Comeback: High Hopes Meet Controversy and Mixed Reviews
TL;DR
After a four-year hiatus spent on solo projects and mandatory military service, BTS returned with Arirang and an ambitious world tour ahead. The album is more Western-influenced with greater English presence, sparking debate over its Korean-ness, while a Howard University promo sparked whitewashing accusations. Despite record streaming and sales, the rollout faced backlash—from critical commentary to a Seoul performance that underwhelmed in attendance and a dip in Hybe’s stock—though Netflix’s BTS: The Return and the group’s continued global prominence suggest the comeback isn’t catastrophic and a major tour remains likely.
- It Was Supposed to Be the Comeback of a Lifetime for the World’s Biggest Band. What Happened? Slate
- Can BTS Recapture the Magic? The New Yorker
- Review: On ‘Arirang,’ BTS Is Too Big to Fail. But Not Too Big to Succeed. The New York Times
- BTS comeback draws a smaller crowd than hoped, hitting parent company Hybe's shares CNBC
- BTS comeback concert on Netflix draws 18.4m global viewers BBC
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