How does one of the biggest groups in pop figure out its next act? It’s the question explored in “BTS: The Return,” a Netflix documentary about the chart-topping K-pop boy band that was released on Friday.
Directed by Bao Nguyen (“Be Water,” “The Greatest Night in Pop”), “BTS: The Return” follows RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook as they reunite in Los Angeles in the summer of 2025 to work on “Arirang,” their first album following a four-year hiatus while all seven members completed their mandatory military service and pursued solo projects.
The film chronicles the group’s creative process as it hashes out song ideas and records (and rerecords) in the studio. It offers a surprisingly intimate look at the musicians, stripping away their larger-than-life image as they grapple with their legacy and attempt to chart the next phase of their careers. Here are five key takeaways.
BTS’s members admit to feeling the pressure of fame.
While many K-pop stars helped propel the Korean Wave during the 2000s and into the 2010s, BTS’s success turned K-pop into a global phenomenon and helped cement South Korea’s status as a cultural powerhouse. At times, that’s meant feeling like they’re shouldering the expectations of an entire country.
“Being part of a team like BTS is like wearing a big, incredible crown,” RM says. “Sometimes, the weight of the crown can feel so heavy.”
The members explain that their superstar status doesn’t align with how they see themselves. “When I look at myself, I’m not anyone that great,” Jung Kook says. “There’s a part of me that just wants to be seen as a singer.”
‘Arirang’ refers to a beloved Korean folk song that has parallels with BTS’s own story.
When BTS struggles to land on an overarching concept for its album, a creative director at Hybe, the company that manages the group, suggests it could draw inspiration from a true story that, in many ways, mirrors the septet’s own path.
In 1896, seven Korean men arrived in Washington, D.C., to study at Howard University. Despite the language barrier, they were able to connect with the campus community through their vocal performances. Alice Fletcher, a pioneering ethnologist, recorded several of the men singing the Korean traditional folk song “Arirang,” the first recording of a Korean song in the United States.
The song is believed to be at least 600 years old, with roughly 4,000 variations. Though the original meaning of “Arirang” isn’t clear, the interpretation offered in the film is that “ari” derives from the Korean word for “beauty,” and “rang” can refer to a deep longing for someone or something that one loves.
There was a lot of debate over the creative direction of ‘Arirang.’
In the movie, BTS explains that it wants to try something new and experimental, but it’s uncertain how far it’s willing to go and how audiences might react. There’s some debate over whether “Swim” should be the lead single, since its low-energy vibe contrasts sharply with BTS’s usual style, but the group ultimately decides to go with it for its mature, accessible sound.
The members disagree on some of the other tracks too, like “Body to Body,” which includes a sample of the most famous version of “Arirang.” In one of the film’s more hilarious moments, J-Hope dances enthusiastically to the track, while RM and Suga shake their heads in disapproval.
Like other K-pop groups, BTS has to balance the preferences of Korean and international audiences.
To make their new album feel more authentic, Suga and RM propose incorporating more Korean lyrics into the songs, but a Hybe representative insists that most of the lyrics need to be in English to appeal to global fans. Though RM worries that there isn’t enough time for the group to master the English lyrics, they move forward with the plan. The film cuts to scenes of the members struggling to pronounce some of the English verses.
At the same time, Hybe still wants BTS to showcase its Korean identity — but in other ways. Bang Si-hyuk, the company’s chairman and BTS’s chief producer, urges the band to insert a sample of “Arirang” into “Body to Body.” Some of the members express their concern that sampling such a quintessentially Korean traditional folk song — especially one that’s considered South Korea’s unofficial national anthem — might seem too nationalistic to Koreans, but after much discussion, the sample is included.
The group’s genuine chemistry is key to its success and longevity.
Most K-pop groups initially sign seven-year contracts with their agencies, after which members can choose to terminate their agreements. Some don’t even last that long or undergo lineup changes shortly after their debut.
Nguyen’s film captures the tightknit, brotherly bond that has held BTS together for nearly 13 years, in scenes where its members are hanging out in the pool, sharing a meal or unwinding at the beach. Jin says at one point that he can tell what his bandmates want him to do just by looking at their eyes.
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