![Wayland Historical Society Executive Director Scarlett Hoey explains the history of the Cochituate Gatehouse.
"The exterior is still a nice monument to remember buildings [involved in] water history," Hoey said. "We all drink lots of water, and it's such an important resource that we kind of take for granted nowadays."](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IMG_2024-1200x800.jpg)
After BTS announced that they’re taking a break on June 14, 2022, they have finally returned with a new comeback album “ARIRANG.” “ARIRANG” marks their first full-length album in six years since their last album “BE.”
“Arirang” is a traditional Korean folk song, associated with themes of separation, lost love, longing and grief, as well as hope and reunion. For BTS, the word “Arirang” describes the journey of BTS reuniting their fans, also know as the ARMY, after four years.
The release of this album kicks off BTS’s year long Arirang World Tour scheduled to begin on April 9 and will continue through 2027. The tour begins in Goyang, Korea, following with 34 other cities and 82 performing dates.
The album consists of 14 tracks, including opening track “Body to Body,” “No.29” and title track “Swim.” Along with the 14 song tracks, within the album – exclusive to Apple Music – BTS sent a spoken message to ARMY titled “ARMYRANG.”
“Body to Body” is the first track to open the album. Using the folk song “Gyeonggi Arirang” in the bridge of “Body to Body,” ties the song back to the title of the album and pays homage to how BTS started their journey in Korea. I liked how at the chorus, the melody of “Arirang” is layered underneath the singers’ vocals, and then later has its own moment in the bridge where there is chanting, which is so powerful to hear.
“Aliens” is the third track of the album. In the song, the group references many aspects of Korean culture. In the pre-chorus, J-hope sings “Hello, this your, hello, this your new honey/clap and shake it to Jungmori rhythm.” The Jungmori rhythm is a traditional, 12-beat Korean rhythm used in storytelling and instrumental solos. There are also references to the Korean alphabet, and the custom of taking shoes off before entering the house, which are conveyed in the chorus: “From the Ka-Na to the Ha/watch and learn from us/Yeah we aliens/If you wanna hit my house/shoes off at the door/yeah we aliens.” Ka (가) and Na(나) are the first two letters of to Korean alphabet Hangul, and Ha (하) is the end of the Korean alphabet. At first, I didn’t really feel like this song was super memorable, however, after listening to it a couple of times, I started to really like it. I appreciated not only the melody, but its powerful message, calling out the racism they faced, being labeled as aliens.
“No. 29” is the sixth track to the album. If you don’t listen closely, it can just sound like a minute and 38 seconds of silence. However, this track is actually the ring of the Sacred Bell of Great King Seongdeok, which is the 29th national treasure of Korea, hence the title of the song. Listening to the bell is really peaceful, and I think that it was a nice break in between the first part of the album and the second.
The track “SWIM” features reverb vocals and a catchy synth, repeating the same melody throughout the entire song over a slow drum beat, creating a cozy and ethereal feel to the entire song, as if one were swimming in an empty pool. RM’s raps “Bad world/gone away and I still wake up in this mad world” and continues the rhyme throughout the entire first verse. This song explores BTS’s perception on life, and it represents how BTS is moving forwards at their own pace.
The theme of the album shifts after “SWIM,” changing from hip-hop and rap focused songs to more lyrical ones. I really liked the song “Merry Go Round” for its calming melody and solemn backtrack. Jungkook starts the song with delicate vocals, singning “I wish that I could tell you that it’s over/I wish that I could walk away from pain.” When the chorus hits, it makes the listener feel like they’re being enveloped by the music. The guitar blends well with the drum beat to create a resonating feel to the song, enhancing BTS’s voices.
Overall, this album had some really good songs. However, it didn’t have the same energy as older BTS albums, and it doesn’t really sound like BTS’s signature sound. Instead, the overall sound of this album leans more to pop than K-pop, which was disappointing. Another critique I had was that the vocals seem to have been recorded in completely different places, and then thrown together with some autotune, which distorted the natural voices of the members.
Despite the flaws, this album is definitely worth a listen, and the songs all convey really powerful messages. As BTS says in “ARMYRANG,” “Every track has a unique story and vibe, so we hope you’ll enjoy all of them. Thank you for always being by our side, you’re our biggest inspiration.”
