SEOUL - March 13, 2026 - Pop royalty BTS have released an animation titled "O2? (ARIRANG) Animation Trailer : What is your love song?' on BTS' official YouTube channel ahead of the highly-anticipated release of their fifth studio album ARRANG. The animation serves as a visual prologue, tracing the historical and cultural inspiration behind the new album.
The film opens with animated versions of the seven BTS members gathered around a gramophone. As the
record begins to play, the scene transitions back to a historical moment: a ship crossing the Pacific Ocean carrying Korean men, introducing the origins of the Korean folk song "Arirang." The folk song "Arirang" sings of distance, longing, and the resilience to move forward - emotions that resonate across cultures and generations.
The following scene shows Korean men singing "A-ra-rang" at Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1896, making it the first known recording of a Korean song. The animation rewinds to the pivotal moment in history, depicting the men singing the song that would go on to become one of the most widely recognized Korean songs in the world. The scene also portrays them sharing the song with students at Howard University, illustrating how the music traveled beyond Korea.
The story then shifts forward to 2013, highlighting the global attention BTS has received since their debut. It shows the unfolding of their journey with a stadium concert filled with a sea of BTS official light sticks. The sequence captures the band performing in front of a roaring global audience, bridging the historical moment of
"Arirang" with BTS' own journey from Korea to the world stage. The scene then cuts to the seven members gathered around the gramophone, singing and dancing, as a subtitle appears reading, "When the world feels heavy, when your heart feels light, what is your love song?" The line continues with the subtitle, "My love song is...," before the animation closes on the final shot of the ARIRANG logo.
Ahead…
Press release on BTS' ARIRANG Animation Trailer!!
“ARIRANG stems from personal experiences and expands into a universal narrative that transcends generations and cultures. With this, BTS declares their identity with clarity and power: born in Korea, playing for the world.”
