The overall theme of the album has been not only lost, but abandoned, and presumably lifeless in a ditch by army’s. It has not even been a full two months since January 16th when they announced the album, and after February 8th they ran with Super bowl, Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny level of cultural analysis theories. Army’s are so convoluted on what the album is about, they don’t know if it’s like what I mentioned before Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny level cultural analysis, or if it’s talking about Korean culture just without any historical context or background, and it’s also simultaneously NOT about Korea.

At Diplo’s age he should know what the Rising Sun flag means. Even if you give him the benefit of the doubt that he just never knew, why collab with him anyways? Especially with the mentioned history of “comfort women” not very “bTs FeMiNiSt OpPaS” of them.

I’ve only heard little tidbits of backstory about the original ‘Arirang’ song, but having previous knowledge of Imperial Japan and its history with Korea especially in this context makes it that much icky idk.

I don’t know if it’s just me with this feeling, but I have a feeling this is album would be more akin to Love Yourself era and english releases than it is to HYYH.

It reminds me of when afrobeats/afro-inspired(?) instrumentals were a trending sound in k-pop when BTS came out with ‘IDOL’. While yes it displayed Korean motifs, and iconography, the sound was to ultimately appeal to the western market (which nothing is inherently wrong with that).

What is the ARIRANG album even about at this point?