"BTS Hardly Uses Korean Lyrics? There's Actually Another Reason"

 

Debuting at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, holding the top spot on the Billboard 200 for three consecutive weeks, earning a "Triple Platinum" certification from the Japan Gold Disc Awards (over 750.000 cumulative album shipments), and selling out the largest world tour ever by a Korean artist—these are just some of the achievements BTS has recorded since their comeback on the 20th of last month afte a hiatus of three years and nine months. We recently met Kim Hyun-jung, Vice President of BigHit Music, at HYBE's Yongsan headquarters in Seoul to hear the behind-the-scenes story of BTS's comeback album ARIRANG, which she oversaw in its entirely.

Kim began her career in album production planning at Starship Entertainment in 2012. After working at Sony Music Publishing and HYBE, she joined Columbia Records in the U.S. in 2023 as the first Korean executive at a major American record label. She returned to BigHit Music in July last year and was also selected for Billboard Women in Music 2025 (Label & Distributor category). She appeared in Netflix documentary "BTS: The Return," released last month, introducing herself to fans.

Q: Why did you return from the U.S.?

A: I rejoined at the suggestion of HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk and the members.

Q: What is your role?

A: I oversee a wide range of projects, from BTS's music to brand management. Since the members have very clear ideas about their music and albums, I try to offer different perspectives.

Q: What was the most difficult part of preparing this album?
A: The members felt a great deal of pressure returning to fans after such a long time.

Q: There were even rumors of disbandment.

A: The members would find that quite absurd. Their bond is incredibly strong.

Q: How large was the production scale?
A: The members participated for about two months, from July to August last year. Including producers, there were over 100 people involved. Each producer stayed anywhere from two days to one or two weeks to work on the project. Diplo was selected as the lead producer early last year—before the members completed their military service—to oversee the local production process. Under the direction of the A&R team and Chairman Bang, two "pre-song sessions" were also held in Los Angeles in April and May.

Q: Do you usually conduct songwriting sessions on such a large scale?
A: We've worked on albums in the U.S. before, but we had never stayed together for an extended period to write songs. Since this was a long-awaited comeback, we planned a larger and longer session. It started from Chairman Bang's idea. Rather than assigning a single producer, working with many people allows for more diverse approaches. Thankfully, producers came from various places, including the U.S. and the U.K.

Q: How did the process work?

A: Every day, members and producers gathered in the studio, splitting into three or four rooms to exchange ideas. The members were mainly involved in melody but also contributed to conceptual work. From example, for the track "Hooligan," producer El Guincho—known for experimental sounds—created the song's signature knife-like sound, while Jungkook came up with the title.

Q: How did you recruit so many producers?
A: The A&R team generally handled it, but well-known producers like Diplo had already been arranged by Chairman Bang. Some producers, like JPEGMAFIA, collaborated because the members specifically wanted to work with them.

Q: Jin is absent from this album's credits.

A: Jin was simultaneously on a solo tour at the time, and by the time he joined, much of the songwriting had already been completed. He did participate in later stages like test recordings, but it didn't lead to contributions that would be reflected in the final credits.

Q: How was "ARIRANG" chosen for "Body to Body"

A: We spent a long time considering different approaches, including having the members sing it themselves or recording it with a traditional vocalist. Eventually, a producer discovered a suitable track from a KBS folk music program, which we decided to use.

Q: There has been criticism that there are too few Korean lyrics.

A: The goal was to have more people hear the music we worked so hard on. Songs without English lyrics were sometimes less favored by overseas broadcasters or radio channels. It's well known that international ARMY fans even sent flower bouquets to radio stations early on, asking them to play BTS songs. I think broadcasters weren't discriminating against Korean, but rather preferred languages more familiar to their listeners. In some cases, English also suited the music better. For example, witht he title track "SWIM," we considered Korean equivalents like "swim" or "paddle," but they didn't match the song's overall feel.

Since their comeback, BTS has already held four concerts in Korea (including one at Gwanghwamun_ and two in Japan. Starting on the 25th, they began their North American tour. Their performances have also been a major point of interest for fans worldwide. Kim explained, "This tour marks the opening of a new chapter for BTS. We prepared it with a strong sense that without showing something new, we would inevitably stagnate."

Q: There seems to be less synchronized group choreography than before.

A: The songs on this album havemore distinct tones and a wider emotional range than before. We approached the performance's in a way that highlights each member's individual expressiveness.

Q: The members' new styling has also become has also become a hot topic.

A: Jimin's long hair was his own idea.

Q: Any memorable episode from the Gwanghwamun performance?
A: We began preparing for the comeback performance in July-August last year. Approval from the Cultural Heritage Administration had to be requested about three months in advance, so we couldn't apply too early. In the final stages, RM's injury became the biggest variable. Originally, we planned a scene with all seven members walking together with Gwanghwamun as the backdrop, but we had to change it. We even had to quickly buy a chair for RM to sit on.

Q: One highlight of the tour was the "Airang sing-along" druing "Body to Body."

A: It was one of the most symbolic moments of the tour. Following Goyang, about 110,000 fans sang "Arirang"together at Tokyo Dome, the first overseas stop of the tour. The members also found it very moving.

Original article: JoongAng Ilbo