I’ve been holding off on writing about this song and release for a while now so that I could really get my thoughts in order. Just like every other K-pop fan on the planet, I was incredibly excited for ARIRANG. I have been a BTS fan ever since I got into K-pop and for a long time, they were even my favourite group! Yet, recent years have tested that allegiance with musical choices that felt more corporate than artistic. Sometimes this worked wonders (yes I genuinely love this song). Other times, it did not. Yet, even with my open mind, the groups new project left me in the most confused state I have been in a long time.
After a month of deliberation, my honest opinion on both the song and album is that the final product just isn’t very good. It feels incredibly half baked, unfinished and lacks the kind of inherent charm and character carried by almost all previous BTS releases. As someone who had BTS as their entry point into the industry as a whole, I’m presented here with a set of songs from a group I no longer recognise. I have felt the urge to discuss the album as a whole but I’m honestly at the point where I don’t really have too many productive things to really say. My thoughts range from incredibly negative to varying levels of beige. And while they may be a fun read for some, they aren’t really that exciting to talk about.
In regard to SWIM specifically, it’s a fine song. That’s really It honestly. It’s one of the tracks I would classify in the beige category, performing its duties admirably but without any real impression or identity. The opening verse is probably its most promising moment, teasing something a little more electronic before moving into a more expected rap line led sequence. It’s classic but enjoyable, offering the requisite nostalgia for long time fans while still giving enough for new fans to chew on. In many ways, the same could be said for the rest of the song though those elements are less successful.
The hook entices but gets old quickly, coming across as plodding rather than sentimental or mature. The delivery here feels almost apathetic, confusing what I assume was intended to be emotional with a sense of boredom(?). It’s an unfortunate side effect of many acts attempting to break into a more mature sound or international market, diluting their once expansive soundscapes to something more attuned to mass radio play or general audiences. Once again, this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad but given the circumstances it once again does the one thing many wished it didn’t. Underwhelm. The production attempts the right the ship as the track continues, injecting additional synth textures and more dramatic percussive elements but still end up feeling too reserved and safe to leave an impact. And before you even know it, it’s over. Clocking in at 2 minutes and thirty seconds. Evaporating away as fast as it came around. Portraying what was meant to be the years most triumphant return as nothing more than a whimper.
Verses: 7
Chorus: 7
Production: 7
Performance: 8
Final Rating: 7.25 / 10
KBopped 