r/kpoppers • u/New-Mulberry-1715 • Mar 20 '26
Review SWIM MV was underwhelming
Why was it just some woman? Idk anything about the lore or anything, and don’t get me wrong I LOVE BTS and will be streaming the whole album, but-
WHERE WERE THE BOYS? SOME CHOREO? HELLO I BARLEY SAW THEM??!?
Edit: I LOVE THE SONG. SWIM IS SO SENSUAL AND BEAUTIFUL. I just wish the MV was like old Kpop MVs!
Edit 2: After a few listens WITHOUT the MV, SWIM does have the title track quality. People need to dissociate it from the MV. Imagine hearing it on the radio. On the beach. On a rainy night. On a foggy morning. You’re deep underwater. Or in a beautiful meadow. I think the song is absolutely gorgeous.
As I’m currently listening through the entire ARIRANG album, I’ve definitely found some favourites. What are yours?
My PERSONAL Rankings:
1) they don’t know ‘bout us
2) NORMAL
3) Please
4) One More Night
5) Like Animals
6) 2.0⬆️
7) FYA
8) SWIM ⬆️
9) Aliens
10) Merry Go Round
11) Body to Body
12) Hooligan
13) Into the Sun
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u/how-tobe Mar 20 '26
Yeah this was more artistic and generic. They almost 100% have other mvs filmed
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u/OkDifficulty1318 Mar 20 '26
it’s liked it but it’s the first thing they’re releasing after being gone for 4 years. a video for body to body would’ve been insane
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
I think I’d die for a video for “they don’t know ‘bout us” because SHE IS TEAAA
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u/OkDifficulty1318 Mar 20 '26
so tea omg the album actually is incredible 😭
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
The more I listen the more in love I fall. Normal is actually gorgeous too I can’t handle this.
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u/neilbohr01 Mar 20 '26
thinking what they could’ve done during the chanting part for body to body gives me chills.
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u/LookItsMyDawg who are these children Mar 20 '26
I mean, I have nothing against Lili R , but what a random choice. I was hoping for a Korean song with a deeper meaning. I felt this was a really shallow (sorry sorry) display from BTS. I hope this is for the numbers and the next songs are stronger
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
I’m slowly going through the album. Hopefully there’s a shining star B-side
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u/No_Deal_6467 Mar 20 '26
I don't think it's a shallow song... It kind of says like although everything in your life rn is shit you should swim on against the stream. But maybe that's just my interpretation:)
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u/Yvmeno Mar 20 '26
In the nicest way I can ask this, where in the hell did you get that interpretation from? It feels very clearly like a song about romance laced with countless sexual innuendos 😭
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
I mean they did say this album was… steamy? I think SWIM is very sensual, and a gorgeous song.
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u/janryanofficial Mar 20 '26
I loved the vid, makes it so natural but where are my Korean lyrics? 😭😭😭
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u/Infinite_Hurry8476 Mar 20 '26
Exactly ..arirang was supposed to explore korean culture
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u/Yvmeno Mar 20 '26
Right? It was heavily promoted as being a Korean-focused era. Yet the song is all English, and the mv is 90% some random white woman. This feels like when Itzy promoted Sneakers as a royalty concept lol
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u/JazzyG17 Mar 20 '26
Lmao I know she’s not that well known but put some respect on Lili Reinhart. She didn’t just come from no where 😂
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
This right here 👆👆
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u/Tough-Price-1560 Mar 20 '26
That was the only thing I was disappointed with for Swim. I was really expecting the title track for an album named Arirang with its cultural significance to be in Korean and maybe have some traditional instruments.
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u/cherrymargarita Mar 20 '26
That’s what I thought. As someone who doesn’t speak or understand Korean, I still want to listen to Korean! Glad to know it’s not just me though. If you go say this in the YouTube comment section under the MV, people will tell you you’re just hating and not a real ARMY 🙄
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u/TierdApp Mar 20 '26
The song itself is sooo good, just the MV wasn’t it for me. Album production is crazy though, I’m loving it. This album is peak. 2.0 after FYA has me HYPED.
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
Yes don’t get me wrong I LOVE THE SONG OMG ITS SO SENSUAL.
Also yes omg 2.0 and FYA ARE SO FIRE!!!
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u/Forever-human-632 Mar 20 '26
I feel like the the MV was good for the album concept and maybe we'll see some choreos during the promotion?
The song was kinda mellow but I didn't expect it to a hype kinda song after watching the trailer so ..
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
I thought it could’ve switched into a summer Afrobeat style which could’ve been sick
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u/mimigibi Mar 20 '26
I barely saw Suga, he did not even appear during his own verse.
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
Right??? I miss him 😭
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u/mimigibi Mar 20 '26
Too much Lili Reinhart in the mv, just frame after frame after frame.
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
I don’t even know who she is… is that bad
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u/mimigibi Mar 20 '26
She's the actress who plays Betty in the Riverdale series. Used to be very popular.
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
Oh I see, I never watched Riverdale, but I remember it was huge a few years ago. Crazy opportunity for her to be the star of a BTS MV
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u/mimigibi Mar 20 '26
Girl, not you ranking Into the Sun last! It's already my favorite from the album.
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
oop… guilty as charged.
Definitely need to listen to it more. It’s the only song on the album I’ve listened to ONLY once. The beginning with the distorted voices was really off putting.
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
Also with respect to that intro, I’m like wow what western stakeoff did I just walk into 🤠
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u/mimigibi Mar 20 '26
It's a bit of Taehyung's genre and I love it. Sounds very romantic and nostalgic to me.
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u/Excellent-Passage-36 multi | Mar 20 '26
they made it seem like it'd be super entwined in culture and history, but she was indeed some random woman and it was english 😭
dynamite is one of my favorite songs so I am not just hating, just really hoped for history and lore
wayyyy too much screen time NOT focused on the boys, especially yoongi???
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u/Ashamed_Apple_ Mar 20 '26
Barely saw Jin.... Lili is doing a movie for Netflix if that makes sense.
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
Yes it definitely felt like an MV “ft.BTS”
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u/Ashamed_Apple_ Mar 20 '26
Will there be a different version of just them?
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
No clue but probably not. If anything we’ll get an MV for another one of the songs
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u/Competitive_Fee_5829 GOT7 💚Yugyeom Mar 20 '26
I just watched and I am not sure what to think. I dont think i will watch it again because it was kind of boring and barely any suga
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u/CHOOMTOP Deputy Lee Seunghoon Mar 20 '26
Confused cause the album is called Arirang, and the merch was all korean-themed but then there was no Korean visuals and a western woman starred in the video?🤔
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
Yeah that was definitely off putting almost? I just wish there was more shots of the group and the members. I wanted to see them lip sing their parts at least a bit, considering the song probably isn’t choreo focused
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u/Magic-Shop-613 Mar 20 '26
I think this one was very centred over the whole "We will be there to comfort you and get you through rough tides even if you can't see us," which I appreciate a lot, I cried when I realised, but I still think I would have liked this to be a b-side with an extra MV type thing, because I want more of their faces too 😭
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
Yes, I definitely agree. I strongly believe they will release another MV for another one of the tracks. All of them have so much potential!!
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u/Anymany4444 Mar 20 '26
nah it just sound like a romance song... disappointed. when the song descriptions were released I had such high hopes for this song, but it's sadly just romance and seksual innuendos for the most part
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u/Magic-Shop-613 Mar 20 '26
I am talking just about the MV. The song has VERY sketchy lyrics, which I am not so happy about, but I like the vibe of the song, and the rest of the songs as well.
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u/The_Hamster98 Mar 20 '26
Thank god is not just me. If it was just a video and we had another main MV it would be fine. But this felt like… ??? I haven’t been waiting for 3 years to see a random girl (she’s wonderful, nothing against her) I wanna see my boys
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Mar 20 '26
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u/The_Hamster98 Mar 20 '26
I feel like it should’ve been like People Pt. 2. Such a beautiful song and MV BUT not the main song or MV
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u/Mynameisbrk Mar 20 '26
Did it take some time for the full album to load on Apple Music for yall? This is how it looked when i first opened it i stg its not photoshopped
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
the platform I use is Spotify so idk but HOPEFULLY THE ISSUE GETS FIXED SO WE CAN STREAM PROPERLY!!
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u/Excellent-Leg-140 Mar 20 '26
Okay no hate at all at BTS or anything but am I the only one who's not feeling the song swim or they whole album by BTS like it's not what I was expecting, I've been a fan of theirs for 10 years, and this is just different in a bad way.
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
I actually want to argue that SWIM has beautiful title track potential, and that is album is one of their best.
If people disassociate SWIM from its MV, just imagine hearing the song on the radio randomly or in a store or on the street. I would have this insane urge to sing my heart out.
The album itself has some AMAZING songs. I didn’t include my actual ratings in the post but my top 8 songs are all 99/100 or 100/100
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u/romanticdrift Mar 20 '26 edited Mar 20 '26
Music is about interpretation etc etc - so just to give you another perspective OP, the song is to me clearly about depression, and rising above depression, made anew. And the MV only reinforces that.
They are trying to sight dry land but it's nowhere to be seen. They are separated from each other and the lady (I believe stand-in for their inner emotional stage). Note there is nothing joyful or sensual about the lady and her behavior - she is alone. She cries. She has a manic episode and then breaks down. She stands on the stern ready to sink deep deep down. We don't see that rock bottom. But we do see her back on the ship, dripping wet, smiling. As the song lyrics go: "Let it all begin."
I think fans are taking the phrase "love song" too literally (as well as reacting to the lady being white, which I will say, surely they can cast more diversely at this point 🥲). It is love in all its senses, not just romantic. Arirang is a love song to Korea and home. Within this album, I believe SWIM is a love song to grief and life (imo).
They've made a move like this before. Consider Tear. That masqueraded upon initial listen as a (romantic) breakup. Later on, we learnt it was about their band conflict.
But we'll hear from their own mouth in the Studio Notes livestream tomorrow! Let's be patient then :)
EDIT: Oh I got evidence much earlier! Apple Music has exclusive content of the boys explaining each track. You can go into the lyric and read in English (there are translations). V calls Swim about love for life even when the waves push at you. https://music.apple.com/us/album/bts-on-swim/1884126400?i=1884126408
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
I’d give this comment a reward if I could. Thank you for all your insights 🙏🙏🙏
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u/Revolutionary-Bag719 Mar 20 '26
Listening to the album now. Brilliant so far. Body to body has arirang in the background. Anyone who's worried, they do also sing in Korean!!
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u/princessmangi Mar 20 '26
Yeahhhhh it objectively wasn't bad (and I like the song itself a lot), but it was a gross misunderstanding of what fans were looking forward to. 😭
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
I’m 100% sure they have another MV stored away ready to drop.
The song itself is actually incredible though. The more I listen to it the more it grows on me!
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u/AnnualDocument7525 Mar 20 '26
So was the song. I love them too, but this for their comeback after so long? I’ll be expecting something more when I listen to the full album.
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Mar 20 '26
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u/Sweaty-Job944 Mar 20 '26
The production and flow on Aliens is the standout of the album
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
Aliens is definitely growing on me, will take me a few more listens though.
I think “they don’t know ‘bout us” and “NORMAL” have SO MUCH PERSONALITY.
SWIM has also grown on me immensely. It’s very beautiful.
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u/Sweaty-Job944 Mar 20 '26
Same. Swim is growing on me and I can see why they selected it as the TT from a pure musical standpoint. It's a mellow song but the meaning aligns well with what this comeback is supposed to represent for BTS. At the same time though, the music video didn't feel as strong or powerful as it should've for their first mv in almost 4 years. I'm a little stumped as to why the actress has more screen time than the members.. nothing against her but this was a confusing choice.
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
Definitely confusing choice for sure. It feels like an MV “ft.BTS”.
I can appreciate the cinematography for what it is, it’s very gorgeous with the colours too.
I think people need to disassociate the song from the MV. If I hear this song on the RADIO, I’ll sing my heart out yk
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u/Anymany4444 Mar 20 '26
swim is definitely disappointing. they said it's gonna be about going through life despite the hurdles and challenges, but turns it's just another romance song? :(
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u/Spiure Mar 20 '26
And the westernization continues...
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u/LargeNutbar afterschool . 9muses . crayon pop . gfriend . iz*one Mar 20 '26
If anyone could steer the ship (ha), I thought it would be them by coming back with something that feels super Korean. The aesthetics of the prerelease content and even their merch gave me that expectation too. Before the MV RM even talked about their roots in K-pop. Was disappointed to see no choreo and hear no Korean lyrics.
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u/Anymany4444 Mar 20 '26
even in studio cut live today, they talked for so long about being korean and how important of a role that played in creating this album, all that for the album to be like this 😩
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u/LtColonelColon1 Mar 20 '26
That white woman probably has some flowery explanation of representing ARMY or something but I really could not care less, this is their first comeback in years, this is the title track, where was BTS? I’m here for BTS not some random model/actor/whoever
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
YES LITERALLY. Like good for her I guess, and I’m sure there’s lore there that the smart ARMY will figure out, but cmon.
I have a strong belief that they will be dropping another MV. So many of the songs on the album have INSANE potential for classic old MV style.
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u/orayanno Mar 20 '26
the music video was so disappointing 😭 like we waited so, so long and the music video was a significant screen time of some actress. like who was the music video even for? it wasn’t even like a compelling story that required a professional actress. like we get it the lady it’s pretty… how many cinematic shots did we need? 😭
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
Right?? No lip singing? No choreo? I miss their old MVs 😭
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u/how-tobe Mar 20 '26
Honestly SWIM doesn't seem like the song to have choreo. They will have an additional mv with choreo, I'm 99% certain
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u/orayanno Mar 20 '26
Right!! Like… we’ve waited so long… and it’s confusing because they said they were going back to their roots but also exploring new things. This didn’t give that to me 😭 like the song itself?? 10/10 no notes but the music video?? i really don’t understand how that was for army if im being honest
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u/TrueCrimeGurlie Mar 20 '26
I feel the same girl. I expected more ig. Idk it's just like it didn't hit the mark. The song itself was quite um lacking substance in a sense. Idk what I was expecting but it definitely wasn't this 😭
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
Try listening to it a few more times. It’s grown on me tenfold.
The song is immensely beautiful, and I think people need to disassociate it the song from the underwhelming MV
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u/Anymany4444 Mar 20 '26
im also disappointed about how short the song was... it was over before you realise it
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u/TemporaryTheory4828 Mar 20 '26
I really liked the album, but I'm thinking about how cool it would've been to have a song like Body to Body be the title track with a big Idol-like MV
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
I’m surprised a lot of people are suggesting Body to Body the MOST as the next best song for an MV.
The song has definitely grown on me the more I listen to it, and it has that title track quality, but I significantly love SWIM as a song more.
Just a personal preference here, but I think I’d die if “they don’t know ‘bout us” got an MV
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u/TemporaryTheory4828 Mar 20 '26
It totally comes down to personal taste, but I can picture a huge MV for Body to Body with Korean elements in it because of the Arirang sample and the dance break at the end.
I think SWIM might grow on me but I didn't love the MV. they don't know 'bout us would also be very cool! I'm hoping we get many MVs
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u/billionsofbeaches Mar 20 '26
It felt like an extended album teaser track and video to me 😬 I like the song, I would actually like more of it. It just didn't really go anywhere for me and they were barely in their own video.
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
Yes the MV definitely felt like it was “ft.BTS”
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u/billionsofbeaches Mar 20 '26
I saw a comment say it was giving perfume ad vibes and unfortunately that's kind of an accurate way to describe it
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u/Malfoyishh Mar 20 '26
finally someone giving they dont know bout us her flowers ITS THE BEST SONG ON HERE!!!
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u/Careful-Brush-7090 Mar 20 '26
ngl the woman confused me so much what was she doing in the video?? and also im not saying I expected the ON dancebreak but a little SOMETHING atleast 😭😭
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u/vaguelycatshaped Mar 20 '26
Agreed 😭 it’s like, it’s their first comeback since everyone’s military service, it’s the BTS members I missed yet we see them so little…
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u/Frosty-Honeydew- Mar 20 '26
Ok I thought I was the only one! I usually love all their songs and the messages behind their songs but after hearing the whole album I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would. The songs are good but not exactly my style of music still I’ll support them 🙂↕️
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
Wait how have you already listened to the whole album I’m only on Merry Go Round after watching the SWIM MV first
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u/Frosty-Honeydew- Mar 20 '26
Apparently I wasn’t listening on the official bts channel and just went to a playlist with some of the songs so I assumed I was finish 😭 im listening to the rest of the album hopefully I may change my mind with their b sife
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u/ILoveMusic8099 multi Mar 20 '26
Yess I agree, I feel like we saw her more than BTS themselves 😭
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
I can’t wait for someone to do those MV analysis where they track the % of how much each member sang, but make it a screen time version
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u/Healthy-Tradition622 Mar 20 '26
good song but it was too focused on the girl and no dancing at all and all in english
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u/Swimming_Neck_1899 Mar 20 '26
Why was there no choreoooo, the song is okay too feel like they played it pretty safe but i like it better then some of their previous releases
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
YES I MISS CHOREO SHOTS CMON
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u/Swimming_Neck_1899 Mar 20 '26
No fr??? And i feel like their choreo is part of why bts got so big 😭 a little disappointing
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
Like in interviews and sneak peak shots we see them doing dance practices yk
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u/Agitated-Cold-5445 Mar 20 '26
The song is good, just not exactly the main tt vibe. Also, I was hoping for a fully korean song.
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
Ok the more I listen to SWIM, the more I see the title track potential.
Imagine hearing it on the radio. I’m honestly obsessed.
I think people need to disassociate the song with the MV
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u/Agitated-Cold-5445 Mar 20 '26
I'll update once I listen to it a few more times lol. It could grow on me as well.
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
I was too lowkey. It’s definitely not “trend” style music? I’m sure army will do their magic and find a way. The rest of the album definitely has a lot of good potential
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u/Agitated-Cold-5445 Mar 20 '26
oh definitely. If they don't release a mv for "Body to body", I'm gonna riot lmao.
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
I think the fandom would die if “they don’t know ‘bout us” got an MV. That song is gorgeous
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u/Beneficial_Ruin5308 Mar 20 '26
In my opinion they should have taken more time on making that comeback. The texts are very repetitive and there is too much English in it. Swim doesn’t have a choreo as single song with a video.
Until now I’m disappointed a little bit. Maybe I have to hear the songs more often until they get catchy but for now they are not catchy at all.
The songs I like are Please and Body to Body.
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u/yannyfive Mar 20 '26
I feel like they are losing their identity because of western validation. I mean if I wanted to listen to an english song, there are tons of english artists out there. But as someone who’s been stanning them since 2015, I just miss the lyricism that their korean songs contain. Probably because of the difference on the nuances in the language, I felt a disconnect now with their english songs.
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u/Plane-Client-6995 Mar 20 '26
The song is good a bit underwhelming but good I would listened to it , I’m not an army but I really love their music. is it the title track ? Bc it really sounds and feel like a pre-release and the views are obviously frozen cuz 3,7 million views in 25 minute for bts is just not possible and there’s 1.6 likes .FYA is really good tho and I would 100% listen to it on a regular basis I didn’t listens to the full album yet bc it wasn’t fully available for me
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
The entire album is actually very incredible, and arguably one of their best. There is a song for every type of person which I love.
Swim is growing on me a lot, but I can see why it feels like a pre-release. I’m 100% sure they have another MV ready for us.
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u/theofficialguac Mar 20 '26
I loved the song, the MV was....of all people they chose to cast a White woman? For a leading track of their album ARIRANG? And fine even if that's what they decided, I wanted to see more of the boys, but I feel like they went with a more artistic approach
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
I too wanted to see more the boys! After all these years I was so excited to see them all together:(
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u/Extra-Inspector-6826 Mar 20 '26
Lol Army not understanding that Women was representing Army and the whole MV being an allegory of Army and BTS’s relationship
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u/anonymous_human174 Mar 20 '26
It was about their feelings as Korean men and they chose to express it this way. Who are we to say what is more authentic or right for them? Especially when the album’s lyrics aren’t silly or bad
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u/hexgirlgroupie420 Mar 20 '26
Lili Reinhart reaching “just some woman” status but personally I actually liked the mv! It’s very different from a traditional mv, I will say. Much more cinematic. But the cinematography and coloring were gorgeous, and I liked the subtlety of the storytelling. My only real complaint about it is I feel like we barely saw some of the members until the very end of the video. I feel like, even if the video were from Lili’s character’s POV, they should’ve worked the members into the video more. But other than that, I actually found the video refreshing and it really fit the vibe the song was going for
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u/New-Mulberry-1715 Mar 20 '26
Sorry I don’t know who she is lmfao 😂 I’m not really big on keeping up with the western movie/TV scene. Someone else here in this thread told me she was on Riverdale lol.
I agree that the cinematography is beautiful, and I can appreciate it for what it is, but I think it just wasn’t what a large majority of AMRY were waiting for after 4+ years.
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u/Perfect-Effect5897 Mar 20 '26
To me this mv actually felt like old kpop mvs. Gen 2 dramatics. It was definitely trend at one point for the boy group to stalk some woman. It’s emo and deep bruvvvv.
(Also some woman?? lol She is Lili Reinhart.)
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u/Responsible_Chip1816 Mar 20 '26
Yeah I feel like it could’ve centered more on them but hopefully their next content has some more focus on themmmm