BTS released their highly anticipated tenth studio album, Arirang, on Friday, marking the group’s first new music in over three years as members fulfill mandatory military service obligations. The album’s lead single, “SWIM,” immediately resonated with fans, with the BTS ARMY playing a key role in its rapid ascent.
Songwriter Derrick Milano, who contributed to both “SWIM” and other tracks on Arirang, described the collaborative environment during a recent interview. Milano recounted walking into a room filled with “the top songwriters and the producers in the world,” feeling the weight of the moment. “The melodies just came,” he said, observing the excitement of the group and the production team.
Milano revealed how he first suspected “SWIM” would be selected as the lead single. “On the track list, how they had it lined up, they had black, black, black, black, black, black, black. And then I think ‘SWIM’ was red. I think that means the single is the only one that stands out.” He credited the BTS ARMY with confirming his suspicions, noting their quick awareness and dissemination of information via social media, particularly Twitter.
The collaborative process with BTS was notably open, according to Milano. He described instances where members would spontaneously begin dancing or improvising vocals while he was working on melodies, creating a dynamic and motivating atmosphere. “They were very open and receptive when it came to the collaborating process,” he explained. “There would be times when they would get up and start dancing, reach by the mic, start vibing out with me and just motivating me and getting me excited and getting me to feel comfortable about what I’m doing.”
Arirang, the sixth Korean-language and tenth overall studio album by the South Korean boy band, is a project that began taking shape in July 2025, with Jimin confirming the album’s completion in November 2025. The title itself references the iconic Korean folk song, a deliberate choice by Big Hit Music to emphasize the group’s origins. According to a statement from Big Hit Music, Arirang “captures BTS’ identity as a group that began in Korea.”
The release of Arirang is accompanied by the announcement of the Arirang World Tour, scheduled to run from April 2026 to March 2027. The album features production from a diverse array of artists, including Sarah Aarons, Sean Cook, Toby Daintree, Artemas Diamandis, Diplo, Donut, El Guincho, Flume, and Mike Will Made-It, among others. RM, j-hope, V, and Jung Kook all contributed to the songwriting process, alongside Milano and other collaborators.
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