BTS is officially back. After a four-year hiatus for mandatory military service, the massively popular K-pop group has returned in full force with their new album Arirang, released March 20. The record debuted at number one on the ARIA Albums and Vinyls chart, and has held its place atop the Billboard 200 for two weeks in a row.

But it hasn’t been a flawless comeback – as Arirang has reignited concerns over the outsized influence Western tastes may be having on mainstream Korean pop music. More than 80% of the album’s lyrics are English, as opposed to the group’s native Korean.

Arirang can be seen as an attempt to balance global accessibility with Korean cultural representation. But striking this balance is hard – especially for the biggest boy band in the world.

Framed as a tribute to Korea

The long-awaited album borrows its name from the Korean folk song Arirang. This song, registered on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, serves as an unofficial anthem in the Korean peninsula.

It is a symbol of unity, resistance, identity and pride for both North and South Koreans – as well as those in the global diaspora.

The decision to name its newest album Arirang appears to be a confident affirmation of BTS’s Korean roots.

This is also evident in several of the group’s creative choices, including a video tribute to the Korean students who made the first known recording of Arirang in 1896 at Howard University, Washington D.C., and the ringing of the Sacred........

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