In a captivating episode of ‘First We Feast’, global music icons BTS talk about their latest album ‘ARIRANG’. The discussion revealed their deep connection to the traditional song “Arirang” and provided a behind-the-scenes look at their meticulous process of selecting 14 distinct songs out of 100 songs.
BTS has embarked on their tour as well as other promotional activities related to the release of their latest album “ARIRANG.” Recently, all seven members of the group appeared on a popular YouTube show where they gathered to eat chicken wings, talk about their album and comeback, and have a good time with each other.
BTS talks about their album ARIRANG
The group appeared on the final episode of First We Feast, which featured Shaun Evans as host. All the members came together to discuss their latest album, talk about what inspired them, and find out their tolerance for spice through chicken wings. The group explained the concept of “ARIRANG” in depth, and when the host asked about including the traditional song in their song “Body to Body,” Suga was quick to provide an explanation about it.
He cited, “To be honest, Korea held the Olympics in 1988 in Seoul. There was a song called ‘Hand in Hand’. It’s the title of their official song. So we thought of doing a 2026 version of that song, and we started from there.”
Then we thought about sampling other music specific to Korean culture. While reviewing the list, we then came upon Arirang for that.
BTS explains how they chose the songs for the album
During the interview, while the group was dealing with the hot and spicy heat of chicken wings, the host also asked how they were able to put the finishing touches on the 14 songs for their latest album.
Speaking about it, V mentioned that they all have a lot of opinions about the songs and what should be included. Jungkook also added, “To put it simply, we all gathered in one place and listened to all the songs, from song No. 1 to song No. 100.
” He also shared that they will all be discussing more and more, what makes them the perfect addition to the album or not. The host also added that there were about 120 songs they had to choose from and that there were only 14 songs included in the album. V also shared that they have a point sharing system to rank all the songs they listened to to know what to include and what not to include.
RM also explains the concept of “Namjooning”
On a funny note, the host also asked the group’s leader to explain the meaning of “namjooning,” a popular term among the fans. RM explained that the term itself is something fans use to describe when someone goes for a walk, to a museum, or does an outdoor activity.