BTS’ official YouTube channel before the much-awaited release of their fifth studio album Arirang. The animation is a prologue to the history and cultural influences that have inspired their latest release.
The animation opens with the seven members of BTS sitting around a gramophone with their animated versions. As the music starts to play on the gramophone, the scene shifts to a historical scene of a ship crossing the Pacific Ocean with Korean men on board, explaining the origins of the Korean folk song Arirang. The folk song Arirang is about longing and moving forward.
The trailer is inspired by 1896′ Seven Koreans at Howard
The scene that follows is of Korean men singing ‘A-ra-rang’ in Howard University, Washington DC, in 1896, making it the first recorded Korean song. The animation rewinds back to that important point in history, showing these Korean men singing this very song that would go on to be one of the most recognisable Korean songs in the world. The scene also shows them sharing this song with students in Howard University.
The story then moves forward to 2013, showing how the world has taken notice of BTS since their debut. The scene unfolds to show the world’s journey with BTS in a stadium concert amidst a sea of BTS official lightsticks. The scene shows BTS performing in front of a roaring audience worldwide. The scene moves forward to show the seven members gathered around the gramophone singing and dancing. The subtitle appears reading, ‘When the world feels heavy, when your heart feels light, what is your love song?’ The sentence continues reading, ‘My love song is…’ before the animation ends with the final shot of the logo.
Watch the trailer here:
Arirang release date
Before the release of the animation, BTS also made international headlines with their call-to-action campaign ‘WHAT IS YOUR LOVE SONG?’ with large-scale installations taking place in Seoul, New York City, and London to celebrate the upcoming release of the album. The campaign is an extension of the message that ARIRANG is all about: an album that is a symbol of BTS’ identity and the universal nature of the emotions they experience.
Arirang is derived from their personal experiences but also extends to a universal story beyond generations and cultures. This is how BTS clearly proclaims their identity: born in Korea, playing for the world. Arirnag will be available worldwide on all streaming platforms starting March 20 at midnight ET, which means the song will be out in India on March 20, 9:30 AM (IST).
