BTS: The ARIRANG Interview with Zane Lowe | Apple Music

I'm so excited Did you put it in the bag What are you thinking The bag's fine I've put it in the T-shirt I'll go without my jacket Yes I understand I'll be back in a month Yes I understand Thank you I'm taking the slate shot One two three Checked What Let's go let's go Let's go let's go Be quiet Let's go let's go Let's go What's up boys Oh my god What's up boys Long time no see How are you doing It's been a while I've come a long way Nice to see you Thank you for coming How have you been Thank you for coming today Thank you I'm so excited Welcome to Korea thank you The plane is long here isn't it But it's so nice here It's so peaceful here I love this city these people this music so much And thank you from all across the country You already said hello then Yes yes He invited me a day ago sat there and spoke so beautifully So how many years have passed One year has passed But one year has also passed for you and Ami as well And another year has passed for you and Ami too You're here I'm here Ami is right here too And waiting I've been waiting for this very moment waiting for everything I'm back How are you feeling It's a big question for you too but if you're eager to get to the point here's what it means to be true Please share your thoughts Will we be able to come together again as time goes by So exciting It's been such a long time since we've had this kind of vibe It's been so long since I've felt this kind of atmosphere and honestly doing an interview with Jiein again like this makes me realize all over again that this is truly the beginning It's been such a long time since I've shown you this side of me and just thinking about it makes me so nervous fans Something cozy yet strangely unsettling You know what I mean Today we've talked about far too much It raises many questions but I' ll do my best from now on in Ami First I'd like to mention handsome men from around the world The one thing you worldwide most likely missed right here is whether I've been with you all along—this is what I want to talk about here It's been a really long time since we lived together but this time we're living together in the U S with our members I used to really enjoy and feel happy about having a fixed time to eat and do things something I hadn't experienced in a long time It's like going back in time or something Woke up in the morning had breakfast together then went out to work out After having lunch going to work coming back and eating dinner Such ordinary moments where I could smile and fall back asleep were the most joyful times for me Yes it's funny to talk about those past times The moment we wished we could go back and live together again I wonder if those moments felt as fresh as they did at first When things started off in a completely different direction the room was much smaller Did it feel somewhat similar to that It seemed like it Because it was really odd for all of us to live together We almost lived in the same house We lived together for seven years The two-month session in LA was a major change It was a dreamlike experience for us too Back then when you spoke here about each of you working on solo music projects It felt natural When we wanted to live together again it felt natural When we all wanted to live together When we first met how do you think it began Honestly what feels most natural to me is Rather than solo activities I've always actually done a lot things together as a group It kind of felt like something that should have been expected I could have easily left things hanging with Junmumu just as things were Anyway to get the group performance done as quickly as possible we ended up doing the choreography somewhat naturally which actually turned out to be of little significance It just felt completely natural It was effortless Like a series of ordinary seamless moments I always feel that when an artist takes a break it's an opportunity for something entirely new—like a fresh 0.0 or a new era Did it feel that way to you Or did you find the place you'd left it behind In any case the truth is The members who had already discharged from military service were already active so in that regard they were actually ahead of the other friends There was a part where some preliminary adaptation was needed but doing things collectively was another matter It seemed to have a huge impact on me while working sessions in the U S So working together like this We all need to adapt a bit more quickly come back and then organize all the many aspects related to the new piece These aspects seem to have become so naturally integrated and in fact all activities have truly adapted in various ways It's been so much fun doing these activities with friends after such a long time and as a result the things we'll need to show going forward There were so many moments where I didn't feel any real pressure at all just genuinely enjoying myself Before we became a band In such a unique situatio Passion for the nation and military but you're still a musician after all You're still creative Sugar if you're thinking about music can you respect that passion and also respect someone serving in the military Are you still thinking about songs or melodies When they recorded for them what piece did they create completely starting from scratch reshaping the entire framework creating something entirely new in order to achieve something incredibly fres We talked among ourselves quite a bit and it just felt that way Especially with this album it was even more so When RM first became the group's leader now they are for the people It wasn't about the band—it was about the people so let' s go back together and see what your perspective is like These kids were people I knew but how did the leader's role change when they were younger Now they've all grown up I'm a man now Yes that's the hardest part I don't know Sometimes I put too much weight on myself Being a leader means you have to do something—just not just anything Take out the phone just go outside share the album or the music with people but as you know We've all grown up now in our thirties returning with unique experiences— truly extraordinary ones But what I'm thinking is that it's been almost a year and a half now and it's been seven or eight months since the LA session In this team what I can do is probably communicate through the album or perhaps express the other person They are what will drive the team forward And as touring activities increasingly occupy their time It feels like that role is becoming a bit more comfortable Encouraging each other Yes we've lived together for 15 years It's been a very long time We're family in every sense of the word When we looked into each other's eyes we knew Oh I see you went through a tough time Then I'll do more—I'll take care of you I could have done it without saying those words They cheered me on and I was able to do my part But I always find it hard to put in too much effort as a leader But I'm one of the members a part of the team I'm one of seven So sometimes you just have to make it happen Just go with the flow as one member of the team So I'm still figuring out what it means to be a good leader A good leader Thanks bro Thank you bro Thank you in English Word peace This is a festival We will talk about music We will talk about tours We will talk about it We will fill everything we desire We are celebrating right here And all I can imagine is Perhaps the biggest festival is It was when Sugar finally returned home because he was the team's last remaining member When Sugar finally returned home what happened When Sugar was his last member It must have been a very special day for Sugar And for everyone else too When I saw this story on social media that day When you first appeared on Wevers you were with your cat and everyone went crazy He spoke truly about his heart How long did it take before I could finally greet Ami And when you return once more How did you feel when you realized how thrilled you were the first time you watched streaming It wasn't so much that time passed slowly but rather that I was just intermittently doing various things and suddenly found myself with a cat like this The cat came out because it came along and well there was nothing I could do about it so it ended up coming out like this and before leaving how often it had done this sort of thing I don't exactly remember the details of my conversations with people but my style seems to have been like this It's better to simply appear unexpectedly have a conversation and then retreat into my own time Isn't that just each person's own unique style That's what's funny about it When you become someone who streams those things seem to shift a little Is it intentional When Jimin was streaming and especially when he was streaming coming back home How did you learn about yourself I had so many thoughts when I first arrived but I'm glad I can work and pour my passion into something It was a time that made me deeply feel how precious it is to have time and not only that but also how young the Korean people were at the time Korean men go into the military at a very young age and there are friends who work extremely hard there and seeing their dedication inspires me I keep thinking I still need to work even harder constantly and I've also been practicing a lot with Jung-guk separately as well as practicing within the military It feels like we spent that time together that way I'm so glad to be back I'm delighted to be here again And when I go to Los Angeles The only thing I understand is that because Los Angeles is a city of music there are many places where one can work Most people seem to come to Los Angeles looking for people they can work with—you already are Why would someone looking to work go to Los Angeles and spend their time like that We all knew it because LA is truly a city of music but after arriving in LA I was genuinely surprised The people we met included hundreds of composers players and producers and most of them were I had a house in LA They gave it to us Life in LA seems truly wonderful We thought the weather and creative energy in LA were truly excellent and we've been here for such a long time I always think it's the best choice—really you have to go to LA for the musical basecamp or the sessions probably that's why V when did the recording start How did the album begin Right after it actually ended we That's right we started straight away after he finished his service He just got out and now he' s the last remaining member—Sugar兄 just finished his service and from now on it's straight ahead Julie I think I left about three or four days ago Yes right after that we're all going to be at the beginning of July Now let's all go out and start working together in LA where we first began talking but now the conversation isn' t working so try saying it in English You want me to try translating this into English So during the session the first issue was that conversation was impossible because no one could speak English We're still learning Yes yes In my language It was beyond my understanding Like a baby kitten Yes yes Oh wow but now that I had about two months to work on it I ended up creating so many songs while working on it Now I was a bit stuck wondering what song to work on next I started to lose my ability to decide Yeah exactly myself figuring out which songs should be on the album and Which songs should I write and as I keep going new songs keep coming up that are needed so working on those required songs as well I got the sense that weren't really enjoying it much so maybe we ourselves found that pretty difficult didn't we Listening to this album you feel the immense energy poured into it and everyone has returned to their highest level I want to congratulate you on this album — from start to finish it's truly an outstanding work Have you ever heard of it Yes Oh wow Really Yes I have to do it otherwise if we don't do it differently we won't be able to say what we mean—right yes okay you know— I've listened to this album worked with amazing people on this album Deepflow the album created by Michael Wil Algensho You're amazing Kevin Parker What Touch Dance teaser Touch Dance Wow that's really impressiveRegarding that part Shall we talk Jeong Guk Tell me about your story regarding the collaborations and what you like most I started working with Kim Cho-rang It was pretty impressive really—like he put in a lot of effort especially with the song "Hollygun " where Jungkook basically did the entire touch dance At first they play so many tracks you know Back then wow really these people actually think about stuff It was so fresh and innovative I couldn't believe you could write a track like this —create something like this I think I first had those thoughts the most and now I' m wondering how to write it here properly so well thus The burden was incredibly heavy so I guess I actually just wanted to stay close by her Anyway that's it The feeling was completely different —it was incredibly fresh and if I get the chance again I'd definitely work with the same people once more I also feel like I want to go through another session once more — you're all producers and composers They're all incredibly creative but was working with others on this track important To gain new perspectives We thought it was extremely important to gain new energy and since were seven from an outside perspective it was like "Oh you're seven too " You might think you can create your own track but I believe there are many things to consider and at the same time many genres to explore It could be digestible after all because clothes are always about what we're trying to wear so their colors and creativity depend on that especially the younger generation and in LA Europe Russia and the United States Change is constant and after leaving the military there are many things that change and increasingly rapid changes which is why our channel focuses on The frequency needs to be adjusted to a new channel Their thoughts and creative minds helped them greatly starting the album was difficult the beginning was tough but in the end it became beautiful thoughtful and meaningful There are really emotional and heavy songs so I just escape into the music But the first four five six songs go like this: bam yeah body bam Who wants to talk about that song What about you your favorite track I have a few My favorite song is I Love Aliens Oh My Well Man got lost in that song I really like Aliens I like Normal too Oh Ryan Tedder is also one of my favorite songs—I love Normal They Don't Know About Us and Please so many But do you remember all the titles A few a few I remember every single title I like Mary Go Round Oh yes What a beautiful title Kevin Fowler Did you get to meet Kevin Or did you just run into him normally I used to be able to meet Kevin The producer Sam was there—he was a close friend of Kevin's—he came to our sessio Maybe seven or eight times We've talked a lot about our music He liked my Kevin Fowler Kevin Fowler was my friend He listened to my tracks Ten tracks Mary Go Round was around the third or fourth time so I thought this track was really great and I thought Kevin Fowler was great too Did you manage to meet Kevin And there was Aude Kevin Fowler is a genius Kevin Fowler also did a lot of work on our album and The track was a perfect fit for Kevin Fowler I'm with Kevin Fowler Suspicious He wanted to share the lyrics of this song with you — the song was so good — it was really great — yes that song The last line of that song was Dawn It's changed Down has been switched Down Down is going It was really great Seeing that line in the lyrics Down has become the final line It was a truly awesome song Thank you In the lyrics it seems they managed to address their maturity It seems they managed to address their maturity It feels quite mature The album as a whole is really cohesive Especially the track "Swimming " don't you think It's kind of like that isn't it Same with Mommel not that I'm saying it was bad but when I heard your raps as lyrics the lyrics to Into the Sun felt just a little too grown up It's less about growing up and more about being slightly moved— wolf When writing lyrics I actually try to make them a bit lighter I did put in a lot of effort but personally I thought it might be too heavy so I ended up writing it lightly The punchy feel of this track seems light yet impactful with a really cool bassline that really stands out to me The lab It feels like we've come back to where we started Lately the band's grown bigger the songs have gotten bigger the melodies have expanded the stadiums have filled up and Sugar RM J-Hope— The first five tracks are Alien is a rap song It's a rap song Over this period we have shown much about our roots and our identity and the aspects we wish to convey as Koreans Because of that trying to capture every single detail honestly and straightforwardly It turned out pretty well in the parts I was able to express but regardless of that there was quite a bit of rapping and at the same time Isn't it possible that albums and songs have emerged where each artist's style blends together more harmoniously What's amazing is that both J-Hope and I started as rappers on Soul Street but Suho was a dancer The street dancer and this album's my favorite rap verse was the part from the song 2.0 Wow Extremely interesting and It's so funny Sugar seemed really happy when she got on the mic and started rapping as if rediscovering something she 'd once loved from her childhood Now it's time I was really incredibly envious that seven of us could handle everything involved in making the album So it seems like a great album came out And actually when working on this album in cases like Songpom it was just pure freedom to do exactly what they wanted Just doing whatever I felt like just going straight ahead for now making it as freely as possible seems like I've done a lot of work this way This album feels like it truly knows itself it's as if everyone is getting to know each other better it's truly astonishing Even as time passes this album is still called Arirang Oh it sounds so beautifully done—Arirang It's not called Arirang it's called Arirang—Arirang—why is it called that This album is for the people of this country and for you with keywords They call it Arirang because Arirang is An old traditional Korean song something like a hundred or a thousand years old—what would you call it The song is— The lyrics are quite complex and nostalgia fills the home where loved ones— family friends and our traditions —sang this song A traditional and old Korean song so In the military e past and the time spent with fans I couldn't do anything about it so naturally We thought about where we came from When we reunite again What should we If BTS continues What should we Will we become one group Will we become a larger group than you Yes we will We became long-time Korean contradictions later The rest is nostalgia for their sorrow and their own intriguing nature So the great art I envision is mostly about transforming their personal experiences into a universe This inspiration So if we can carry Arirang in our own way to 2026 We believe we can bring it to the world One of the things I think is It's that fans and A R M Y fell in love when you appeared You spoke honestly about the inner emotional suffering experienced by children—globally especially in Korea And you felt the pressure of having to live up to others' expectations That's absolutely true You feel it's changing when you create music write songs and speak to children Do you feel that your confidence and ease around children have been growing steadily since you started appearing We're not all 30 years old As for those young people in their twenties I don't know what to say Sometimes I feel sad But young people are always against the older generation Young people oppose the younger generation It feels like it happened naturally just like an airplane We're all thirty now Because changes began happening rapidly young people in their twenties started coming to me I sometimes lose my words when I want to offer advice and I carefully think it through That's truly a profound question I don't know if I can influence influence through my own influence but there's no right answer Every person's journey is unique All of you have come together as one each uniquely aligned on a journey vastly different from Jin and RM's It was a unique journey to have joined BTS a joyful experience Though our paths were different at first in the end they converged Our leader seemed to have guided the members really well leading us in such a way that we could truly feel how fun and joyful the music was Thanks to a true leader many friends have changed everyone has learned to love music and I feel the same way toward Namjoon I’m always grateful to Hobin and to every member If I had lived a different life I wonder… I've been wondering lately whether I might have been happier if I had followed my own best path but it seems our members were the ones who guided me toward it I am always grateful to my team members and continually pray for their well-being That is the truth Thank you Worldwide Handsome Worldwide Handsome everyone Don't take off your mask brother Handsome You know what You all look great You all look ready for a world tour Who was the most out of shape When you all got back together to rehearse Which one of you guys wasn 't ready to get back into it Me I think it was me Me and you Oh yeah It's us Me and you We're out of shape you know How was it getting everyone back together and starting to work on the choreography and figure things out Because it's such a big show you know Honestly at first we wondered if we could actually do it It was a real crisis Is it alright Is it really okay like this I thought we'd gradually get used to it and anyway it's been such a long time because we're performing for our fans we're preparing something even more fresh more impressive and more shocking We'really brainstorming together practicing and putting in the effort so you can definitely look forward to it —it's going to be really really fresh That's great It's a 360 -degree stage I heard Yeah so you could see us from every angle Anywhere Is that the first time you've done that Once but we did it— that wasn’t like a concert Yeah right It was just like a seven-year thing Yeah seven years ago It was like a fan meeting—just a simple event You really have to know your steps right Since I imagine you'll all be doing choreography in different parts of the circular stage it might get confusing but it won't be too confusing I'm still trying hard to remember it The more confused I was the more I have to do it The more I have to do it You know it's remarkable ow you managed to be so in sync with each other perform at such a high level and yet still feel inclusive of the audience at the same time Can someone try to put into words what that balance is between thinking about what you're doing and knowing you can simply be in the flow state And it's practiced and you've got it You should just go up and do it without thinking as if you're figuring it out by thinking That's how it fits perfectly It's supposed to be a great performance but in the end overthinking just ruins it— confusing and messing everything up That's true I also think that how much each of us paid attention there depends on how much we practiced Just thinking that showing up on stage exactly as I am makes practice seem like such an essential part of the process The more freely we can be on stage the more impressive it will look when people see us That process still seems necessary after all That part also feels professional to me My Sam We need a lot of practice time Responsibility Yeah Jung Kook which song are you most looking forward to performing The new song you're most excited to perform Fire Big It's a big one There are a lot of really big songs for this tour Yes Were you thinking about live performances when you were making this album Were you thinking about what would sound amazing in a stadium We need anthem just to energize every stadium So naturally we consider it from time to time especially when we're away Because one of the things I love about all of you is that you have a wide range of interests I've met many musicians who are intensely focused on music But I know you're all curious people RM didn't you learn saxophone during your military service I did From scratch That was my job in the military Right Yeah I was in an army band And yeah it was fun because it kept me close to where I belonged—music yeah And the army band they were all from places like Berkeley The New School and Berlin So I learned a lot because I didn’t know anything about an orchestra or a real band Why the saxophone though That was the easiest one Trumpet You can't even imagine It takes at least three or four months just to get it sounding decent Just to get your breathing right you know Yeah Did you meet Jungkook at the end of his service with it Did you bring it Did you play it when he came out I played it when Jin came out That was their story I just wanted to do it for fun you know just for entertainment because it's a great day Yeah I had about a year to get out One more year to get out So yeah it was like it was like a struggle just to you know admit it and congratulating his discharge at the same time What did you play I think I played dynamite On saxophone Yeah Like a Oh good You don't need a saxophone I'm a human saxophone Yeah he's a phone When they came out we played like I played it for him What did you think when you came out and he's playing saxophone Why is he doing that on my discharge day Because the main character changed What is he doing Celebration Did anyone pick up any new skills or try their hand at something different Or was it just RM with the sax I'm trying to learn bass You are I'm practicing chromatics all the time Oh bass It's fun but my fingers hurt It's a funny story But I'm taking a drum lesson Oh my Did you start He's starting drums I haven't started yet It's like a teacher gathering So he's always gathering just teachers Yeah You know he's like a picker He started this he started that he started this and he started that You know a quick dropper Yeah Oh really Up and down up and down Right But he's into drums right now It's totally TMI but I've been really into reading mystery novels lately Yeah I keep making things up in my head I'd just love to open the floor for all of us to talk about ARMY and what that experience has been like for you getting to know the world through the eyes of your fans Yeah Soon we'll be touring the globe and will be seeing lots of our fans in stadiums too Oh It's been so long I've been feeling all that for the first time in a while Oh It feels so different Arirang yeah Hotel rooms are selling out Tickets are going to go crazy Hotel rooms Do you remember those days when you were walking around trying to convince people coming to see their first show I don’t have any memories in my mind but the images that were broadcast bring back memories —they were wonderful moments though it’s been so long that recalling them is difficult I tried to convince people coming to see the show—these expectations about everything this building this business this tour— I was trying to convince people coming to see the show when I first got involved with this album I was really excited and thrilled in anticipation there were nine people one floor it was April 2010 What stands out is how incredibly amazing those employees were Those nine people were assigned three different roles: someone had to send an email We had to sell it and design it We now have over 2 500 people I believe We still can't quite believe we're actually here Also we've arrived at the BTS army The situation keeps changing Yet we always think naturally They think they brought us here We for them they for us simultaneously It's truly amazing to see us growing They are getting better We are getting better When they debuted they were elementary school students and now they are 25 years old and married Dating fans is truly amazing This is an exciting time Because in my opinion this is legendary craftsmanship The first step is the building itself Success the fans responding to success—it was all that mattered You could have ended it right there It would have been a perfect journey That far When you return you might well be the first generation This experience fuels growth and marks the beginning of legend It remains a significant challenge Moreover I fear new places Because we need to show other things to convince fans and people and we want to help people of different kinds Because we love each other so much we're still here and our fans are right there with us What reason do we have to stop this precious brand And family Because The rest of my life I won't be able to meet people like these Because I'm 33 years old I was 15 when we first met But now I'm 32 Maybe However It was my childhood and they symbolize my childhood Yes yes So I don't want to miss this opportunity and I don't want to regret it in a few years We had to do it again We hope we never have to stop this journey We didn't want it How was that conversation It was truly beautiful And the conversation took place among seven people Is this forever Is this a secret Nothing in this world is eternal but the longer the good times last the more we must each put in effort for one another One can't be certain about this—it might not last forever but then again it might not end either It's just that we do it because we get along and something good is simply good—kind of like that I think what we do today we can still do in our 80s and 90s as long as we both keep this going for as long as possible Seems like we just have to keep trying our best for each other School Cook Damn It's truly a special moment having you here in this beautiful city sharing your life and this time with me—damn it— Thank you for the comments When it first happened 1.0 That was fast and let's all pull together and stay strong How much could you possibly gain You got the biggest possible gain There's no probability in life is there No What I mean is when there was no probability at all You came back and were able to do this again and music fits you better right here Create memories of your best time ever and enjoy every moment Download Thank you It was really enjoyable Thank you V Thank you Thank you brother Thank you Aaron Thank you Ji Je Thank you bra Thank you See you next time My guy Brother