“…sound of their collapse.”
Koreaboo
1 hour ago
A brutal review of BTS‘s ARIRANG album has sparked hugely divided reactions among netizens.
The members of BTS
BTS recently returned with their new album and title track “SWIM.”
Amid the positive reviews of the album from outlets, Pitchfork has sparked major shock after giving the group a 5.3/10 rating.
From the start, the author seemingly shares their lack of enthusiasm for the album, even saying it includes “generic” songs.
There’s a lot riding on the sensational K-pop group’s first album in four years, but its generic songs ring hollow and lack the vim and vigor of the band’s best work.
Throughout the rest of the article, the author continues to tear apart the songs on the album, highlighting issues stemming from a large number of foreign producers, the composition and techniques used in the songs, and how they reflect Korean culture’s “desire for Western validation and global dominance.”
In the final paragraph, it states that the album shows the group “crumbled” under pressure, even calling it the sound of their “collapse.”
But that message carries a weird, even depressing undertone. “Arirang” has long functioned as a polysemic anthem—of deep longing, collective resilience, even the reunification of North and South Korea. For an album this vacuous to wave “Arirang” as a banner of triumph makes any pride feel empty—an embrace of “good enough” as a national identity. With so much weight on their shoulders and money to be made, BTS could only crumble under the pressure. ARIRANG is the sound of their collapse.
While international fans shared anger at the review…
it’s always so interesting to read something so obviously written with a presumptive high ground of taste above the art they are reviewing, the snark undertones throughout ultimately do not present it as critical but patronising… hard read tbh https://t.co/0sFCeih3MY
— :/ (@bbymeyah) March 24, 2026
Pitchfork lost its integrity by choosing a critic who openly dislikes BTS to review their new album . Instead of an objective critique the reviewer used unprofessional language that felt more like a ‘fan war’ than journalism… https://t.co/oREKPZobYW
— ikreet (@tetaesthetic_) March 24, 2026
When you start to mention other artists in the reviews. It’s biased review
Don’t take a serious review. https://t.co/SxdA8MuRsp pic.twitter.com/RtfDHV9WNm
— Sonia⁷⁺¹ 🪭⦿ ☰ ☲ (@SoniaKouas76856) March 24, 2026
Korean netizens shared their grievances with the album, and they thought the score was accurate.
| theqoo
- “5.0 – 5.5
It’s not that great, but it’s not bad enough to call it a total flop either.
That seems pretty accurate..” - “They could’ve just released a single first and then dropped the album later.”
- “Overall, it felt kind of loose and didn’t really suit them.
They should come back with something more intense again.” - “The score seems decent. I thought it would be lower, honestly.”
Source: theqoo and Pitchfork
BTS