All language subtitles for BTS.The.Return.2026.1080p.WEB.h264-EDITH

I think we need to turn a bit this way.

Right. With the sun on this side.

- Like this?
- You sure it's working?

- 'Kay--
- Hello!

Wait! Wait, I don't think we're live yet.

You sure?

Come on!

- Don't get carried away, hyung.
- What? Aw, c'mon, man!

UP TO THREE PEOPLE!

Aw.

I think the Internet's bad.
I don't see any…

- Oh!
- Hey, there's a comment!

- Yay, we have a comment!
- Hey!

Let's go. They can play it back later.

- Hello!
- You're right, let's go.

- Ah! Ugh, come on!
- It's complete chaos already.

- Jung Kook, turn the camera a bit.
- 'Kay.

- We've been working hard.
- On the album.

- Yeah.
- Yeah, it's our day off.

- Back to work tomorrow.
- Here for a break.

Taking one day off a week seems excessive.

- Nothing we can do about it.
- No, the signal.

Let's put our military experience to use.

- It's working.
- Comments are popping.

- Nice.
- What's that?

Probably an old reference.

- What're they saying?
- "Miss you, my husband."

Miss you, Wife.

- Oh God.
- Oh God.

- Oh God.
- Oh God.

- 'Kay. All right, guys.
- Time to go.

- Say goodbye. What do we do?
- Sign off like we always do.

Okay, okay. This has been BTS. Two, three.

Thank you!

- Bye-bye.
- Peace!

International music phenomenon…

One of the biggest groups on the planet.

They have made
TIME Magazine's Most Influential list.

And they just became
the first group since the Beatles

to earn three number-one albums
in less than a year.

The biggest band in the world.

Make some noise!

BTS!

BTS! BTS! BTS! BTS! BTS! BTS! BTS! BTS!

Despite being
at the height of their popularity,

BTS has announced a sudden hiatus.

A tough day. A heartbreaking day.

They're actually going on a hiatus.

The BTS ARMY will have to wait

to see their favorite band again
because of mandatory military duty.

It usually means they're breaking up.

A cry of distress from fans.

I was in denial. Complete denial.

I also cried a lot.

Genuinely feel like
part of my soul just died.

"Dynamite" news!

For the first time in nearly three years,
all seven members are together again

after completing mandatory
military service in South Korea.

WWH ELITE SOLDIER, SEOK-JIN!
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR DISCHARGE!

Princes of pop could soon be reunited.

It's official. BTS is back.

They're heading to the US this month

to begin working on new music,
slated for a spring 2026 release.

Hello.

"Hello"?

- Hello?
- Those for me?

- Welcome back, Jin!
- Hey!

And congratulations, Jin.

Aw, thanks guys.
You didn't have to do that.

What? "Worldwide handsome"?

It's a cute shirt.
Here, check out the back.

Man, you guys all bulked-up,
didn't you? I did too. Look.

Yeah, we've been working out a lot

- Dude, there's nothing here.
- What are you talking about?

- I trained hard!
- Look at it.

You did well
despite the sore throat, you know.

- I took a lot of meds.
- Ah.

I mean, you kinda need
the meds to push through.

No. I had to get an IV, like, five times.

- Well, whatever works right?
- Thanks, man.

I mean, I'm kind of
underselling it a little bit.

I'm so tired.

Like, I wrapped last night.

I finished my last show
and came straight here.

- Uh-huh. Yeah.
- Yeah.

That's why I asked if we could
move the dates up a bit. You know?

So, right now,
are we still planning on a March release?

We've got the framework.

But it's possible
that we… might get inspired

and create some new, better songs.

So that's why we're continuing
with the sessions.

The album's almost done.

We just need to write the lead single
and another song for tour.

But nothing's been confirmed yet,

so, right now, I think we should test out
the first two things they've approved

and see if we like 'em.

To be honest, we've been stalled
for about a week now.

Right. So we're in a rut.

At least the view from here
is amazing, right?

- Here? It's nice.
- We've got a perfect view.

Life of BTS, for 12 years, it was blessed.

Normally, life of K-pop artist
is really short.

But luckily, our life has ex… extended.

The pressure is that we still…

I mean, we have to decide

what to keep and what to change.

But for those kind of questions,
no one knows.

Bang is the Chairman of HYBE.

Even he doesn't know,
because he's never been there.

There's no references.

So we're doing a lot of experiments.

Just trying to find out, like,

what makes us… special
and what makes us BTS.

Okay.

Time to work.

Thank you!

- Yes.
- Yes.

Nice to see ya!

Whose eyes are whose?

Welcome to the BTS documentary.

All right, let's show you the studio.

Oh! They're in there working right now.

I'm hungry.

In terms of having a space to be creative,

LA's kind of like an amusement park.

We've been in LA all summer
to find the sound for the album.

I think that's good. I love it, actually.

LA gives us space to experiment.

Different energy
from what we've done before.

After this,
straight to Korea to mix the album.

And spring 2026 is the big comeback.

We promised our fans that we'd be back.

- Two weeks?
- Yeah.

Wow, that soon?

Well, shoot…

So, the official recording sessions

are currently scheduled
for the majority of September.

We understand
that you're very tired, but--

No, we're fine.

- No risk, no reward.
- Yeah.

In that case, we're looking forward to it.

The higher we go, the farther we fall.

Hey, hyung, how 'bout we try this?

Let's set up the mic,
and not listen to anything.

- Just go for it?
- Yeah, let's just go for it.

I do that anyway.
So let's start as soon as we go in.

No, it's more like…

Punch it up.

And make the tone more… …more annoying.

- You're throwing it out there.
- Throwing it out there? Okay, let's try it.

Let's go.

But now I feel like the vibe is off.
This is hard.

- Yeah, I do think it's a bit tame.
- Right.

There's needs to be that "swag", right?

It's a little slow.

It's like…

What about…

Let's, like, move on
to another melody, maybe.

- Yeah.
- Yeah. Because, we got, like, tons… yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah. We can arrange it
once we get a solid topline.

Tae-hyung, you wanna try?

Nah, I'm good. It's too hard.

Could we try it with a 130 bpm?

It's upbeat,

but it sounds like what I'd listen to
in my early twenties.

It doesn't feel "cool."

At this point,
should we kill it, or keep working on it?

There's something subtle we're missing.

Trying to make music sound "trendy"
is harder than you'd think it'd be.

- Let's go up half a key.
- Okay.

I think it might be my vocal range.
That's the issue.

"Slump" would make a great song.

What if we made
something super depressing?

Maybe we need to stop writing
the "lead single" and just have fun.

- I think that's the right way to go.
- Should we just have fun with it?

- Sure, let's see what happens.
- Fuck it, to hell with the "lead single."

Let's stay in G.

I mean,

we'll write one eventually.

I'm not even sure where I am right now.

C'mon, don't be like that, hyung.
Snap out of it. We got this.

- Get it together.
- Stop trying to kiss me and go.

- Hyung.
- Stop it!

- You gotta snap out of it.
- All right, all right.

Are you okay?

I honestly don't even know anymore.

Hyung, it's gonna be okay.

It doesn't go far if I throw too hard.

What if I can't throw it that far
at the stadium?

Got it!

I haven't been out
of the military for long.

But I think I've always had this desire

to spend some time living abroad,
like what we're doing right now.

We've been living in LA
for about two months.

It's great.

But I do miss Korea.

It's pork belly time, baby!

- My stomach…
- It's good.

What is this?

Oh! Now I'm hungry.
You want another drink?

- All right, cheers!
- Cheers!

- I really don't like soju.
- Great job today.

- Thanks.
- It's not about drinking it.

It's about accepting it.

I knew it.

I knew you were gonna say that.

Soju isn't something
you drink with your mouth.

You drink soju with your soul, man.
Open your heart to it!

Ah.

You know, that's kinda beautiful
when you think about it.

Oh man…

All right, I'm done for the day.
Enjoy, guys.

- Hyung, come eat with us.
- Eat what? It's all gone.

It's been, what, an hour,
an hour and a half since we ate?

Oh, really?

This is a challenging album.
And that's the point, right?

We're trying to push ourselves
and experiment more.

But I don't feel like we've changed much.

- You're wrong.
- It's the same.

Listening to what we've made already,
it's really different.

Well for me, I'm honestly
not too stressed about that

but what does
kinda stress me out a little bit,

I mean, speaking for only me,

is that I just wanna have fun
making music.

But I feel like
we're all restraining ourselves.

We're kind of operating like a factory.

Well, here's what I think.

Obviously, this album is special to us
because it's been so long.

But that's the issue.

We wanted to avoid taking a long break
after being discharged,

so now we're rushing,

when it's a special project.

And we're a little short on time.

We've got the album shoot
as soon as we get back.

It's a lot of pressure.

Look, we don't want people to think,
"What was that?"

- "Guess they're past their prime."
- Exactly.

"It's not as good as we thought."

We want them to think,
"We always knew BTS was next-level."

That's the goal, right?

I'm confident that's how they'll react.

- We're good then, right?
- Yeah, we're good.

- No pressure.
- Pressure's off.

Yeah

- I don't feel any pressure.
- Really?

It's like, I know
there's a lot to consider,

but if we can just be happy
making the album,

and if we can make our fans happy,

and all of us
are happy together in the end,

then I'm pleased with that outcome.
And I feel strongly about that.

I just wish
you could've been here the whole time.

Especially because it's been
such a good experience.

- Like, I enjoyed making it.
- We've learned a lot too.

- Okay.
- Oh, RM.

All right, begin!

Ugh, I hate this.

Okay, hold up.

You so look good.

Tae-hyung,
you still look exactly the same!

- Really?
- Yeah.

But you've become a man now.

How do I look on camera?

- What's that?
- Right, we made…

Hello! I'm V, I'm 19 years old,
and I'm a vocalist in BTS.

- It's our youngest--
- It's hot, right?

Is this good?

My name's Jung Kook, I'm 17 years old,

and I'm a vocalist
and dancer for the group.

I wish I were an adult.

I can't wait to grow up.

Then all BTS members
can get together and throw a party.

What's wrong with me?

Why am I drinking somaek
while watching this?

Hey, look, you're in this video too!

Hello. My name's Jimin,
and I'm a dancer and vocalist.

Nope, too scared.

Whoa!

I didn't see. Do it again.

- We recorded it.
- Do it again.

- C'mon, I didn't see it!
- Then you can watch it later.

Hello! I'm Jin, the eldest member of BTS.

Hi there!

I'm gonna film a lot of content,
so please keep watching.

- Hello there.
- Hey.

- What'cha doing?
- Uh, I am currently "standing by."

Yoon-gi, we're all so young.

Hey there, I'm SUGA,
and I'm a rapper for the group.

- "It's your hope, j-hope!"
- I love you, BTS.

My name's j-hope,
and I'm a rapper, dancer, and singer.

Holy shit, j-hope. Whoo!

- Love you, j-hope!
- I love you!

Hello. I am Rap Monster,
and as the name suggests, I'm a rapper.

Right, signing out, this has been BTS.

- Two, three, Bang…
- Tan!

Thank you! We'll do our best.

- Okay. Stop!
- No, keep going!

Busan, make some noise!

It's been three years already.

I started making music

because there was something
I wanted to say to the world.

But being a K-pop idol means
you're always producing something,

'cause you need to be doing something.

So there was a point
where I didn't know who we were.

If I say, "I need a break…"

…it almost feels like
I'm committing a crime.

Aw man.
Seeing Nam-joon cry is making me cry too.

Hey!

I want us to be together for a long time.

Then we have to do this.

I don't think
I really need to say anything.

I think you all know how I feel right now.

Uh, all seven members of BTS

feel the same.

And if you're able to trust in us,

then, no matter what the future holds,

we're determined
to overcome any challenge.

So please, have faith in us.

All right, cheers!

- Well done!
- Great job, guys.

- Drink up, everyone.
- Watching that…

and now seeing all of this

Forever, we are young

Damn.

Aw, look at them.

- Aw, I really miss them.
- Forever, we are young

Forever, ever, ever
We are young

Time for a comeback.

BTS! BTS! BTS!

I think Jimin
briefly mentioned it to me yesterday.

We were talking about how
there always seems to be this

wave of poignancy that creeps up
whenever we're talking to one another.

But after we all got together last night,

and after re-watching those old videos,

and looking back on all the experiences
we've shared together,

I think I get what he's saying.

It resonates with me a lot.

And I wonder if

that collective sense of longing
that all of us seem to share,

and the thought of being together again,

and being BTS again,

was the thing that got us through
these past few years.

Is this it?

I think it's been 11 years now.

Yeah, this is it. I remember.

For me, creating music
is a way of documenting myself,

or the version of myself in that moment.

But I want my music to be intentional.

I want the art I create
to have a distinct message.

So, you know,

it's a pretty interesting conflict.

It requires a little more consideration
to solve.

I feel like we keep missing the forest,

and now we're starting
to hack away at the trees.

It's almost like
we just keep running in circles

trying to finish these last two songs.

And right now, I don't have any real sense
of what this album's supposed to be.

When we were thinking about the album,

and the kinds of ideas that we needed

to keep building on
the legacy we've created,

we thought, "What if we took inspiration
from a legendary story in history?"

Now, you may have heard this story before,

but… in the year 1896,

a group of young men
from the Joseon Kingdom

arrived in America.

They traveled to Washington, D.C.
in hopes of receiving an education.

Alice Fletcher, an ethnologist
whose work paved the way

for music production as we know it today
met these young men.

Since they didn't speak the same language,
they had to communicate through music,

and that's how they shared
their cultures with one another.

These men were trailblazers.

They put everything on the line
to go to the US.

And so, this was the first Korean song
to be recorded in America.

This song holds deep cultural significance
for our people.

- What song?
- So then….

- It's "Arirang," right? It was "Arirang"!
- That's what I thought.

It's a very old song,

one that dates all the way back
to the 13th century.

And like most folk songs,

it was spread orally
by members of the working class

as they crossed mountains and rivers.

The origin
of the word "arirang" isn't clear,

but according to linguists and scholars,

"ari-" means "charming" and "beautiful,"

and "-rang" means "longing."

Roughly translated, "The longing
for the beautiful people we love."

And with your passion for Army and music,

we felt that "Arirang" really resonated
with BTS as a whole.

I love that. It's an incredible reference.

I really like the phrase
"Legacy in motion."

This represents BTS very well.

So, I think this is an excellent framework

for you to try and guide
your creative decisions.

But, ultimately, you need to try
and show everyone

that… this is who you are.

Well, is this who we are?

Like, logically, I get it.

But personally, comparing ourselves
to heroes and legends

gives me an icky feeling.

- Yeah.
- I understand.

I mean, yeah, at our core, I think…

Here, how 'bout this,

"We're not global heroes.
We're simply humble Koreans."

- I can't get a feel for it.
- Wow, look at all of these.

What specifically aren't you feeling?

I just can't wrap my head around it now.

We need to feel it out ourselves.

"Ari, ari, ari… Arirang!"

Yeah, and then the riff can come in.

We're losing our minds.

I guess you'll get sick
of anything if you hear it for five hours.

Oh, shoot.

- Hyung?
- What?

- How screwed are we?
- Only a little.

At least we got something out of it.

- What exactly did we get?
- We got a starter, right?

And we had fun.

Besides, this is how we figure out
what not to do, right?

Exactly.

"Failure" doesn't exist.
It's all a part of the process.

Straighten your back. And reach… Yep.

I should go work out with them, but…

Man, why are they working so hard?

- Damn it.
- Eight.

Nine… Ten.

Here, like this. Like your pushing them.

- All while you're holding this?
- Yep.

- Just close your eyes.
- Three.

The first one's a warm-up.

Oh, I see. That's what these are.

"Off" and "Play…"

Maybe it's just me,
but… between the streets…

the recording spaces,

and even the restaurants I visited,

everything started to feel the same.

"Am I the only one
who hasn't changed that much?"

"Has time stopped for anyone else?"

For the first time in…
four, maybe five years,

we're going to see ARMY again as BTS.

And I can't help but think

about how much ARMY may have changed
since the last time we were together.

Dave Roberts. Nice to meet you.

Welcome to Dodger Stadium.
Good to have you.

Fans, please join us
in welcoming a special guest now

for tonight's ceremonial first pitch.

Throwing out for tonight is V!

V is set to return
with his fellow members of BTS

for a highly-anticipated reunion

that the world has been waiting for.

We're all waiting now, V.

The mound is yours.

And throw.

That's V throwing out the first pitch.

The place is going nuts behind us.

It's time for Dodgers baseball!

So, right now,
how many songs have we confirmed?

- Confirmed?
- How many have we decided on?

- We have 14 songs confirmed.
- Fourteen?

Yeah. And that includes "Body to Body."

Oh, of course.

Speaking of "Body to Body,"

you were gonna sample
that first recording of "Arirang" right?

- Yeah.
- Did you end up going with that?

Well, we tried it,

but no matter what we did
with the track in-studio,

we couldn't really hear the vocals.

Got it. Since we're still working
on it, let's get some feedback

and we can go from there, okay?

We might be able to use "NORMAL"
if we need to.

- So "NORMAL" is good?
- We got it.

I think there's too many English lyrics.

I wanna go back in
and add some more Korean.

- Especially in those rap verses.
- Yeah.

I agree. There's a level
of authenticity we need to have here.

So, if there's too much English…

I agree
that authenticity is important here.

But I think there's a way to do that

while still appealing
to the global market.

We just need to figure out how.

And how to do it within the timeframe.

Right.

Because the reality is, at this point,

we don't have the time
to check for the English pronunciations.

"Kerosene," "melatonin…"

I mean, I can still send you
a voice note of the pronunciations.

- "Kerosene, dopamine, chemical-induced…"
- Yeah, don't worry.

Ah, sorry. What did you want again?

No, that was good! I like the vibe.

Sorry! I'm sorry.

Oh! The pronunciation.

Oh, that's tough.

"They thought that we would."
Does that fit?

'Cause it's only three syllables
in Korean.

Are we able to say all that
in just three syllables?

Let's play it back.

Today's soju.

That hits the spot.

- It's good.
- It's sweet.

That means we had a good day.

- Did you write new lyrics, Nam-joon?
- Yeah.

But I'm a little worried about
how they might sound.

I don't want them to come across as
awkward or off-putting or something like--

- Pronunciation?
- Yeah, that too.

- It's really hard.
- That's why we practice.

We practice the English lyrics
more than the Korean ones.

But if the lyrics are a little clunky,
they'll sound bad, even if we practice.

Don't worry, Jimin. You'll get there.

It has to be more… evolved.

- Yeah, especially in our lyrics.
- Mm-hmm.

They gotta be a bit more mature
than they were before.

- Till the dawn.
- Hm?

Or like… Like something like,
"I could hear they come. " Stuff…

- Well, then, that's… that should be said.
- Um…

Like "they" could be, like…
the bad dreams or, like, insomnia,

or like… I literally just don't know
what I want.

Like, after work, I just, like,
you know, after the session,

we go… we go home at, like, eight.

And, like, we have, like, I don't know,
like, five, six hours before I sleep.

I just don't know what I want to do.

So, then, that's the line, then.
Because that's your real emotion.

- You don't know what to do with yourself.
- This is normal.

That is normal.

"Kerosene, dopamine, anything you want."
It could be that.

Or, like, "Chase it to…
Chase it till we know."

Like, or it could be, like,

"They don't even help to turn me off."

But doesn't it sound awkward?

Like… Like, m…

Like, melody-wise?

Not to me.

I'm not a native, so I don't know, so…

Personally, I really hate
to be stuck in a routine.

But, funny thing is, we spent
a year and a half in the military.

And now, it all feels like a dream.

It feels like we were never there.

In old Greece, there were two ways
of thinking about time.

One is Chronos, and one is Kairos.

In the military, we had to do
the same thing over and over again.

Time just passed by.

That was Chronos.

But here in LA…

time with the members…

my second family…

this feels like Kairos.

Time really stretches.

And you really feel…

I don't know how to say it in English.

The "impermanence" of time.

JK, swim for us!

Hey.

What was that?

All right, ready?

Let's see who can
hold their breath the longest.

Acres

A visible horizon…

Right where it starts and ends

Oh, and then we start the end…

Acres

A visible illusion…

Oh, where it starts, it ends

Love like a sunset

I think this needs to change a bit
in 2.0 as well.

The audience won't like these lyrics
'cause they only matter to us.

But if you look back
at some of your previous songs,

like "ON" or "Black Swan,"

those didn't initially seem
to be relatable either.

- Yeah, that's fair.
- Mm-hmm.

So let's use "SWIM" as an example.

Let's say we decide
that's gonna be our single.

But when it comes to singles,

we want to push the songs
that we feel are more inclusive, right?

At least, I think
that's what they're saying.

Well, single or not,
it's still an important song.

I think we should at least try
some different things.

We just have to make sure
we don't lose focus.

- Yeah.
- I agree.

The energy's different.
It's just a more "mellow" song, you know?

Which is… Honestly,
it's just not our typical vibe.

It's different.

But there's nothing stopping us
from picking that.

And I think we're at a point
where we can at least consider it.

"2.0."

There's nothing to it. Like, right here?

Yes, exactly. Exactly.

At the…

…it'll be fine
once it's been edited and mixed. You know?

- So, like here?
- Or something like…

- No, that's not it.
- It keeps going after that.

I meant we can add effects
on top of the vocals.

We need to make room for the rap verse.

We'll just have to work out
the structure later.

- For now, though, let's fix the hook.
- Right.

Got it.

Just let me know
when you're ready in there.

- I'm ready.
- Okay, let's go for it.

- Nice, one more.
- Okay.

- Sorry.
- No worries.

When the song keeps, like, singing "swim,"

it's, like, just, like,
it's not, like, a command.

It's not, like, recommending.

It's just, like… "Swim." "Swim."

It could be, like,
just describing, you know,

somebody like, or myself

almost give up
but not give up, like, 100%.

I'll try again.

I'm not sure if we're making it work.

Damn, where was I? This is hard.

Of course it is.
Otherwise, everyone would do it.

- You sure I should sing it?
- Just try it.

The idea of waking up every day
freaks me out a bit.

Not the actual waking up,

but the idea of days repeating themselves,
like in the military.

Nowadays, everything changes all the time.

Trends shift every quarter.

A bunch of talented new artists
are breaking into the industry.

And we have to change too.

How are we supposed to evolve
if we keep pushing against the tide?

That's just existing.

That's good.

The guys have made
a great album so far. I love the songs.

But I got here

really late in the process.

So coming in late,
not really knowing where everyone's at,

is extremely stressful,

because you have to figure out
how you fit into everything.

But having spent
the last 12 years together,

I've kind of figured out what to do
without being told.

I just have to catch their eye.

Ooh! We're at the beach!

Oh shoot!

Sorry!

Here we go.

- Ah…
- Whoa!

Damn it.

Sorry. We just broke it.

Can we walk on the beach?

- I think so.
- Yeah, let's go! C'mon!

Vocalists versus rappers.

- Is that what we're doing?
- Yeah, one of us can sub in.

Oh. Oh-oh!

That was all you, Jimin.

Aw, come on, hyung. It's hard!

You can do it.

- Very impressive.
- What a man!

Come on! One more time!

That was fun.

Wow, look at him go.
LA suits him, doesn't it?

You guys aren't gonna come in?

Jimin, LA suits you.
Doesn't this make you happy?

- Wow.
- Look at that!

Beautiful…

Think we've done good?

I hope so.

We've been working hard.

j-hope?

- Huh?
- Did you hear me?

Sorry, I was distracted.

- Come on!
- Someone's taking wedding photos!

Killin' it, girl.

Man, look at that view.

Whoa! What was that? A dolphin?

Yeah! It is!

Where is it?

Over there! Over there!
There it is! Right there!

- You sure that's a dolphin?
- Yeah.

- See? Look! There it is again!
- Dolphin!

- Should we do a live stream?
- Let's do it.

- Nam-joon, you got this.
- Thanks.

I'm rooting for you.

- Good luck, Nam-joon!
- You too!

I'm off, j-hope.

- Goodbye, Jin.
- Okay, bye-bye.

Work hard. Do your best. Don't give up.
Don't cry 'cause you miss me.

Don't cry.

Hey, Yoon-gi, I'm leaving.

- See ya, man.
- Bye. Great job!

- Hungry?
- Bye, Jung Kook!

- Are you leaving right now?
- Yeah, I'm the first one out.

I'm so jealous.
I wish I could leave in the morning.

Oh, oh, oh. Hey, let go!

Let go of me!

Isn't Jimin coming?

Yeah, he'll be here in five.

Then stay for five.

Or longer.

I swear, I used to be more flexible.

You know how you wanna go home?

Even though you're already home?
Ever feel like that? You know what I mean?

No? You're home, but wanna go home?

Yeah, you get it, right?

- Once we get back, can I come over?
- Of course.

- When you're not there?
- Oh. No.

Come on, we're family!
You can use my place when I'm not there.

- Give me your house code.
- No way.

I can do fingerprints.

No, we're not doing that.

- Register my fingerprints!
- No.

Jimin's here let's go!

Jimin! I'm leaving now!

Wait. Why are you still here?

I wanted to wait for you.

Ah, thanks, man.

Also, I know it's not much,
but here are the PJs I mentioned

- All right, I'll wear 'em.
- Here you go.

- I'll send a photo as proof.
- I've actually had these in my room.

This whole time?

Yeah, I waited a week,
but at least you get them now.

- All right, I'll see you.
- See you in Korea.

- Keep working hard, okay?
- All right.

- You've got this.
- Thanks.

Of course! You're welcome.

- Safe travels.
- Bye-bye!

Ari, ari, arirang, sari, sarirang

"Arirang" would be
a fucking awesome title.

Because… whenever you think of "Arirang,"

we all get this visual
of what that looks like, right?

We just gotta channel that
into our concept.

That's right. "Arirang" is "arirang"
because we do what we want.

That's the new "Arirang." That's the idea.

- It's our version.
- It's our "Arirang."

That's K-pop.

The pitch dropped.

I used to play the danso.

Okay, I think it's time to go.

Maybe we could do that,
or something like, uh…

All right. Think about it.

I think I'm gonna feel
a little numb once we're back in Korea.

I was talking to Jimin about that.

I'm gonna miss this place.

I mean, it's not really the place itself.
I think I'd hate being alone here.

But I'm gonna miss being with you guys
'cause it's been so long.

Like, waking up to grab a glass of water,
and seeing you up, playing Pokémon…

- It's like how it used to be.
- Wanna share dorms again?

I've had a lot of fun.

Let's do it again sometime. I'd be down.

- Weren't you just saying that?
- Let's do it!

- This is for you!
- Yes, yes, yes, yes!

But in all seriousness,

I'm gonna miss this place.

We're always talking among ourselves,

especially when
we're drinking together at night.

I mean, it's nice to chat
about the music we're working on,

but it's also nice when we get
to chat about meaningless things too.

Look, obviously I'm a member of BTS.

It's part of the job.
The seven of us have to get together.

We create music as a group.
We perform as a group. That's who we are.

So a part of me's like, "Yeah."

"Now that we're together again,

I can go back to doing
what I'm supposed to do."

I hope we've done a good job.

Ultimately,

I do think the concept
should be "Arirang," no matter what.

But there are a lot of different ways
to express "Arirang" and its meaning,

and how it's expressed
is ultimately up to us as the artists,

so yeah, I'm keeping that in mind.

I have a lot
of different thoughts about it.

It's tough.

I wish we were able to finish everything.

But we're leaving in two days, so…

No, wait, we leave tomorrow.

RM!

I'm hungry!

I am hungry.

- Seriously?
- Jung Kook!

They're gonna kill us.

Jung Kook!

So, are we starting a new thing?

No, no. We're adding to "Body to Body."

- Nice, like that?
- Yeah, just like that.

I really like adding it there.

I think it's good.
It's like we built it off the sample.

Yeah!

- I think it's good!
- I like it!

- Yeah! I got chills, man.
- Me too.

- It hit us both at the same time.
- Yeah, that was freaky.

What did you feel?

It's like a bolt of energy
surging through you.

- It like creeps up on you!
- You can feel it all over your body.

- Oh yeah?
- Yeah.

- Has Nam-joon heard it?
- Don't think so.

What? I think it's good!

The rapping, the music, the singing,
it's like three songs mashed together.

You don't like it? I think it's amazing.

It's like you made bibimbap,

but you added sliced bread
and pork cutlet and kimchi.

I mean,
that sounds fucking delicious to me.

- Doesn't it though?
- Not if you mix it.

It's too much.

It's kind of…
It pounds in your ear, you know?

To be fair, Si-Hyuk did suggest

that we hire an actual
traditional folk singer

to record that part of the song.

Maybe it's 'cause we're Korean?
That's why it kinda sounds off?

I thought it was fucking awesome.

'Cause if we're already calling
the album Arirang…

It does sound like an event song.

So, from a Korean perspective,
they might think,

"Oh, wow, these fuckers went all in
on the patriotism, didn't they?"

- "They went full Korean."
- Exactly.

- But, like, that's why it's cool!
- Would that make people uncomfortable?

So I'm not a foreigner,
but, I think, usually

when people from other cultures
hear something like this,

they think, "Oh! That's so cool!"

- But it's way too direct.
- It's not.

- I don't think so.
- "Arirang" is…

- Can I just say--
- You should do this part.

- Wait, wait.
- Hold on, one at a time.

Okay. So, I really do get
what you're saying here.

- Me too.
- I get your critiques.

But when I heard it, I fucking loved it.

Maybe it's 'cause I'm Korean,
but it gets me pumped!

- Absolutely.
- Look, I'm not against it.

It's just…
Well, "Arirang" does fit thematically.

"Body to Body." Bodies against bodies.

Let's fuckin' jump around and celebrate.
That's the song.

- Exactly.
- I think we can do it.

I think we can make a version
we all agree on.

Half of us agree.

The album's gonna be called Arirang,
so why not go all in on the sample?

- That's what I'm saying.
- Let's listen one more time.

- Okay. I don't know the song.
- Okay.

Brand-new BTS album.
Let's start at the top! Let's go!

Ooh, goosebumps.

We still have
a good amount of work to wrap up

now that we're back in Korea.

Lots of stuff hasn't been finalized.
It's gonna be tough.

The older we get, the harder it is
for us to be on the same page.

This album marks
the start of our second chapter.

No matter how much
BTS might evolve with our sound,

at our core, we're still
just a group of kids from Korea.

And that's never gonna change.

It's been years since our last album.

Sorry, I keep looking over.

Okay.

While you were working on this album,

did you get the sense you were creating
something completely new? Or no?

As an artist, what would you say
has been the biggest change?

Do you feel like you've gone back
to something familiar?

Okay, cheers.

Man, it's been so long.

Way too long. Cheers.

Do you ever dream about
being back in the military?

For sure.

I dreamt I was discharged and woke up
as a Private Fourth Class or something.

You were already dreaming of leaving, huh?

It must've been really tough.

I feel like there's nothing to do
when I'm home.

I thought about selling it
and just moving in with you.

I've got a spare mattress.

With Tae-hyung's separation anxiety?

- Sorry, sorry, I'm late.
- Hey.

- You're here!
- Congrats!

- You wrapped today, right?
- Aw, thank you.

- Hyung! Congrats on wrapping today.
- Thanks.

- C'mon, sit.
- Great job, man.

- Thanks.
- Sherbet?

- How've you been?
- Good.

So, Tae-hyung, what are you working on?
What's next?

- The album's releasing soon.
- Oh yeah? When?

Before the tour.

- It'll be March.
- Of next year?

Excuse me. Here you go

Right around my birthday. Oh, thank you.

To be honest I'm a little worried.

I wasn't sure we could pull it off.
I mean, a three-year hiatus is a long time.

Yeah, that's a lot of pressure.
How many songs are on the album?

Fourteen.

- Fourteen? That's a huge flex.
- Wow! Full-length?

- Mm-hmm. Full length.
- You got a lead single?

- Yeah.
- Ooh.

- I can't wait.
- Mm!

The songs have lots of personality.

They're very… "Hello! This is me."
That energy.

- Yeah, I can see that.
- Yeah.

Like, "Hip-hop! Let's go!"

- It's intense.
- You need that bam!

- Strong impact.
- They've got spice. They're provocative.

But it's the more mild track,
the one that's more subtle.

That's the lead single.
It's a little more--

More soft in tone?

Yeah. We picked the one that
we could listen to over and over again.

I can't wait to see how you stage it.

- Yeah.
- Mm.

- I'm really intrigued.
- Me too.

WILD

Hello.

- Hello, guys!
- Hello!

- Hello!
- Hello, everyone!

- Hi!
- Hello.

So, today,
we're listening to the recording

of the song we're considering
for the lead single,

which is called "SWIM."

All right.

This isn't the final version of the song.

There's a few parts that Nam-joon
and Yoon-gi will need to edit today,

so just keep that in mind.

- Copy, copy.
- Ready?

- Go.
- Let's go.

So…

…I think it drags a bit. Tonally.

It's just a little too heavy

I feel like we're going in
the opposite direction of what we wanted.

I agree.

Yeah, I'd hesitate to lead with this.

It'd be like "Here's BTS!
Back again after four years!"

"SWIM."

That's totally gonna be
the reaction when they hear it.

I mean, I kind of like that reaction.

Do you? Honestly, I don't mind it either.

I don't dislike it.
I really like the song itself.

I'm just… not sure it's the right fit.

But that's how we felt
about "Dynamite." Right?

- Even though we liked it.
- We weren't thrilled with "Dynamite."

We thought it didn't suit us.

Yeah, more than half of us
didn't want to do it

- The point I'm trying to make is--
- It is weirdly similar to "Dynamite."

I think people would be impressed by this.
"What, they make music like this? Cool!"

I agree. It's relaxed,
and I like that it's different.

It's a cool, mature song,
and it shows a lot of change.

That's true.

And right now,
I think we need that kind of vibe.

ANGLE

So, we agreed to go forward

with the "Arirang" version
of "Body to Body" at our last meeting.

So, if you haven't heard it yet,
we'd love to play it now.

All right, let's hear it, then!

- Okay. Get ready! Body!
- Yeah! "Body to Body."

"Body to…"

It's the New Millennium Exercise!

Ha!

Ha!

Is that where those moves are from?

- Yeah.
- Ha!

This one's longer.

This is the part I'm on the fence about.
The "Arirang" specifically.

I think it's gotten too long.
It's really long.

Mr. Si-Hyuk wanted to emphasize
that it's a folk song.

- What?
- He wants the sample to be more obvious.

- Right. If you're gonna do it.
- Got it.

- Something missing?
- There's more at the end.

Hold on a second.
First off, I think that--

- Could I share my opinion?
- Yeah.

- Of course.
- I don't think this is the right choice.

I think the extended length of it
would be fine for a live performance.

- But if you're just listening to it…
- It's too much.

Personally, the longer it goes on,
the more embarrassed I get.

I'd also like to hear
the "somebody like" part

with the guys' voices switched around.

Right now, it feels like I'm eating
kimchi fried rice at Paris Baguette.

How do you feel
about the original version?

- I think that version…
- The original's a lot better.

- ARMY'll find it hilarious!
- Can you play the mix?

Let's play the original.

This is the version we heard in LA!

Yeah! That's it! That's it!

Yeah, I like that!

- Okay.
- I like this version more too.

I like this length more.

- I need the whole…
- Yeah, we need that part there.

This one's more… It's like
going towards a third or fourth verse.

Wait, where is it? Oh, there.

Ah!

Man, it's short.

- Seok-jin set the mic.
- That would explain it.

Oh man, the latency is…
Is it 'cause we've loaded that track?

Yeah, we loaded it on the master track.
I'll take it off.

- Right.
- Give me a sec…

So you know how we were talking about it
for three hours straight?

They really liked "Hooligan" and "NORMAL."

Oh, they did?

But "SWIM" is just…

When people think of BTS,
they think strong, intense music.

- Uh-huh.
- Music you can dance to.

So they were like, "Where's that music?"
You know? That's where their focus was.

Jung Kook] I think
it's good to branch out.

No, I agree. I think it's good.

That's why I'm fighting as hard as I can
to convince them.

And I told them, "I think that this is
the only chance we're going to get

to experiment creatively."

And they said,
"We get that, but we don't agree."

- Oh, yeah?
- Yeah.

It all feels so tense right now.

I just wish everyone else
was on board with it,

but they're not convinced.

They did try to be understanding, though.
Of our perspective, I mean.

Let's play it back.

Oh, that's good!

- The diction?
- Mm-hmm.

- Nice.
- Wow.

One moment… Yeah, I think we're good.

I mean, at this point,
we might as well edit everything.

Yeah. If we're putting it together.

- Ya know, I think this might be a little…
- Little forced?

Yeah. I think punching it
makes it sound kinda disjointed.

Or at least that's how it sounds
to my ear, anyway.

- One sec…
- Great, thanks.

Because it's the lead single,

we're still busy recording stuff
and working on it in studio.

There's a wide variety
of songs on this album.

But on the whole, I think the lyrics
are… a lot more mature now.

I mean, all of us are older now.

I'll be 34 when the album drops.

I think the stories
that we're trying to tell

are more grown-up.

We used to spend
so much time in the studio.

We wanted to get it right.

It was a lot of suffering
through the creative process.

But now, if it doesn't work out,
it doesn't work out.

We just move on,

and, uh… direct our energy elsewhere.

We don't feel the same desperation
that we used to.

At the end of the day,

we never know if it'll be a hit.

We like what we like, you know?
That's how it goes.

Ay, ay, aya.

The pizza place is still around.

- Oh really?
- Yeah.

When we were trainees,

all seven of us,

we'd all get together and order from here.

The pizzas were big and pretty cheap,

so we'd order one and eat it together.

I miss that.

Ah!

I'm hungry

I guess we should
default to "aliens exist," then.

I'm your host, Jeong Yeong-jin,

here to bring you interesting
and mysterious stories

about science and ancient history
in an easy and fun way.

And I'm Professor Kang In-uk,

a specialist in Eurasian
and Northeast Asian archeology

at Kyung Hee University.

- Delicious.
- Nice, we're at Yonsei University.

You've talked a lot about this.

Seeing Science
and Seeing History are both so fun.

Yeah, these are
the types of videos I like to watch

when I'm eating or trying to sleep.

They talk about science.

It's interesting.

It's like an alien
carved into a stone or something.

Yeah, you hear that sound?

Squeaky clean.

I had a really great time in the US,

but nothing beats home.

There's no place like home.

My mom gave this to me.

All done!

Now I can game.

Nam-joon always tells me
he doesn't understand it,

but, personally,

I like lazy days
when I don't go and work out

and… I sit here for, like, ten-ish hours?

I wasn't always an introverted person,

but as I've gotten older,
I have fewer people around me,

so I end up spending more time alone.

It just kind of happened organically.

A lot of my hobbies tend to be
more introverted than extroverted.

I mean, I can only speak for myself.
I can't speak for any other celebrities.

But a lot of them might feel the same way.

Well, I guess
I only really know how I feel, ya know?

This is just who I am.

Yeah.

Some people see this
as a positive environment,

and some people will disagree.

But everyone lives
a little differently, right?

To be honest,
all I've wanted since I was little

was to have this life.

It was less imagining
and more manifesting.

I think I only got this far
because I was confident I'd get there.

Picturing myself performing on\stage,

dressed in a cool outfit,

doing these awesome dances
and singing great songs.

I think investing in my own imagination
is what got me this far.

It's been a while since you played.

- Your aim's a little off.
- Oh man.

But your swing's still good,
so let's just get you back into the habit.

Ready? Nice.

Oh!

Go get it.

Bam's so cute.

Now, genetically,

Dobermans are already high-risk,
since they're prone to fatal diseases.

Right.

But even considering
that aspect of the breed,

Bam's even more vulnerable than average.

I guess that's why I love him so much.

Exactly.

Nice, you got it.

Having the opportunity to grow and change

makes us stronger.

We've worked so hard

to get everything ready
for this album release,

and it's time to show our fans.

It's a really exciting moment.

I'm honestly really happy.

But at the same time,
I'm really overwhelmed,

because I'm just

not the kind of person
who can handle this level of popularity.

I've been too successful for my own good.

I think that,

as much as we appreciate
having a large, global fan base…

that intense level of fame
can be a lot to carry.

And when I look at myself,

I really don't think I'm that special.

I think there's a part of me

that just wants to be seen as a singer,
and nothing else.

Hi. Hi.

Why haven't you guys been working out?

Nam-joon and I have trained every day.

Seriously.

Look how much weight you've lost.

You guys were all so buff in LA.
When did everyone get scrawny?

- What do you mean?
- Hello.

- Hello there.
- Hi.

Tae-hyung's sick today. He's calling in.

Ah, okay.

Having, what, 60 to 70,000 people
in one venue,

and half of them being foreigners,

and hearing them sing along to "Arirang,"

that's an iconic moment waiting to happen.

So, even though it's your decision,

I think, from our perspective,

not even having the discussion
feels like we're ignoring something huge.

This is just me, but I felt like
the original was just so good.

And, if you asked me to choose,
I'd actually go with--

- That one?
- Yes.

Personally, I would go
with the shorter sample.

Mostly because I worry
that we'll be overdoing it.

I'm afraid it's gonna be overkill.

Also, not everyone's gonna get
what "Arirang" is.

- At least outside our Korean audience.
- Right, right.

So, looking at it more globally,

we should prioritize making it sound good.

Even if it sounds "better,"
you lose so little musically,

and gain something far bigger
with the longer sample.

So, to me, whether
something's "better" doesn't matter.

Personally, I understand both sides.

And if I was told, "You need to listen
to 'Body to Body' two or three times,

which version do you choose?"

I'd pick the original.

But the first time you hear it,
for some people,

it'll be like the first time we heard
African or Brazilian music, right?

And we thought,
"What's this? It's really cool."

And now non-Korean listeners
might react that way to our music.

- That's all.
- Right.

Look, we all know,

that an act like BTS
only comes around once every few decades.

And there's also no denying you're Korean.

So now we find ourselves in a situation

where your target audience
is extending far beyond just Korea

and is increasingly more global.

Like I said before,
ultimately, it's your decision here.

Making this album,
the question I kept asking myself

was, "How far do you wanna go?"

"How much are you gonna change,

and how much
are you gonna assert yourself?"

And that's the most important thing.

Coming into it,
we were determined to push ourselves.

But now that we have the chance
to do that, we're scared.

If you, like, spit
everything inside yourself out,

then you have to fill it again,
so… you need something from the outside.

Even though it's spinning,

you just need to focus on
one singular point.

I'm not sure what the result will be.

You never know how
people will receive your work.

We just want it to feel authentic.

What matters most
is that we tried our best,

and that we got to enjoy ourselves.

Done!

Done, done, diggy done, done.

"Arirang" is a song
that expresses "han,"

deep sorrow and longing.

For many years,
our people would sing "Arirang"

in an attempt to overcome
great pain and suffering with joy.

I think that, as a Korean person,

the thought of sampling
this famous, traditional song

felt too on-the-nose.

That was my reaction at first.

But when I realized
the weight that "Arirang" carries,

and the message we wanna convey
with that album name,

the sample felt almost organic.

And once we decided to lean into it,

I thought, "Why hold back?"

"Let's commit.
Let's go all the way with it."

And we realized

that it may be a song only we can create.

Yes! That's it! That's it,
that's it, that's it, that's it!

Everybody move.

When I was finally reunited
with everyone in Los Angeles,

it didn't feel like
I was seeing my colleagues.

It just felt like
I was seeing my family again.

Well, if I compare who we were then
to who we are now…

I feel like
everything about us has changed,

at least a little bit.

Like, "We're really growing up, huh?"

I've been spending
half of my life with them.

My second family.

We did it, guys.
The seven of us are back together again.

Wow.

It's incredible.

It feels like a dream.

I used to think, "It'll end eventually."

And occasionally, I'll think,

"I'll probably have to stop
if my body can't keep up."

But if this is what we really want,
then it might be possible.

Well, you know, my motto's just,
"Go with the flow."

Wherever it might take me.

Right now?

Well, it feels like I've come back
to the place where I'm meant to be.

I think that's the essence
of BTS as a whole.

I mean, we get to wear
this big, incredible crown.

At times, the crown is heavy,
almost unbearable.

And it's scary to wear.

There's gonna be pain along the way,

and lots of different emotions,

but in the end,

it'll all unfold with a smile.

Even separated, none of us are ever alone.

And if the seven of us can continue
down this path together,

we can swim wherever the tide takes us.

Wow…

- Okay.
- Cool.

Nice to meet you.

All right, let's do this. Everyone ready?

Man, it's been a while
since we sang together live.

- Yeah.
- Seriously.

It's been three? Four years?
Oh! Nice to meet you.

Yeah.

Wait. What was he saying?

- Okay.
- Okay.

Let's "SWIM." Give us some music.

"SWIM." Let's "SWIM."

Swim, swim

Water falling off your skin

Swim, swim

I could spend a lifetime watching you

Swim, swim

This is how it all begins

Swim, swim

I just wanna dive
I just wanna dive

Bad world

Gone away
And I still wake up in this mad world

Name a place that I could breathe
On this map, world

Lookin' like a goody-goody
In this bad world, bad world

Don't know how to act, girl

I'm in the deep
Tell me where the hell you at, girl?

Oh you ain't even
Gotta love me bad, girl

You know
That I'm never holdin' back, girl

Yeah

So easy
Don't make it so hard

Nights like these
I just wanna get lost

Right here
With the moon and the sharks

I ain't gotta think
'Bout a thing, baby, I just

Swim, swim

Water falling off your skin

Swim, swim

I could spend a lifetime watching you

Swim, swim

This is how it all begins

Swim, swim

I just wanna dive
I just wanna dive

Water, water so deep
Water so deep

Take it off the ground
I ain't never gettin' cold feet

Yeah, you know me, yeah, you know me

Sittin' on the shore
I am ready for the…

Whole sea

I can feel The high waves comin', yeah

Why you run away?
You can run in

Salt on my tongue She's stunnin'

- Yeah
- You're the only place that I wanna be

Yeah

Swim, swim

Water falling off your skin

Swim, swim

I could spend a lifetime watching you

Swim, swim

This is how it all begins

Swim, swim

I just wanna dive
I just wanna dive

- Splash, drift
- Splash, drift

- I make waves with my two fins
- Two fins

- Splash, drip
- Splash, drip

I just wanna take it across the line

Under here, we don't chase the time

Baby, everything can't be so sad

Turn my face from the land

I just wanna dive
I just wanna dive

Swim, swim

Water falling off your skin

Swim, swim

I could spend a lifetime watching you

- Swim, swim
- Swim, swim

Let it all begin

Swim, swim

I just wanna dive
I just wanna dive

And…

Cut!

I just wanna dive
I just wanna dive

- Done?
- Cut. Cut. Cut.

Cut, cut, cut, cut, cut!