NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� All seven members log onto a livestream, broadcast from a beach. A few years ago, it was a common image. But after the pressed pause on their full-band duties for nearly four years, it was revelatory.
That’s the scene that begins 鈥淏TS: The Return,鈥� a new Netflix documentary from director Bao Nguyen (鈥淭he Stringer,鈥� produced by This Machine (鈥淢artha,鈥� 鈥淜arol G鈥�) the South Korean entertainment company behind BTS and countless other international acts.
The mostly-Korean language film offers an intimate look at BTS’ journey to released Friday. It also follows the seven member group 鈥� RM, Jin, Jimin, V, Suga, Jung Kook and j-hope 鈥� as they learned to reacclimate to their life in the fast lane, together again.
Here are key takeaways from the documentary film, which premieres on Netflix on Friday, March 27.
South Korea’s mandatory military service comes up fast
As BTS fans are well aware, 鈥淎RIRANG鈥� is the band鈥檚 since all seven members South Korea鈥檚 mandatory military service. In South Korea, all able-bodied men aged 18-28 are required by law to perform 18-21 months of military service under a conscription system meant to deter aggression from North Korea.
In their documentary, mention of BTS’ service emerges right away. In the first minute, while the band films their live video on the beach, RM mentions that he 鈥渓earned to hustle鈥� in the military. Then it cuts to footage of the guys getting their heads shaved and wearing their uniforms 鈥� and quickly thereafter, rejoining the band. In reality, they were separated for a number of years. Before all seven members hadn’t been seen broadcasting live together since September 2022.
The road to 鈥楢RIRANG鈥� was swift
Shortly after returning from their mandatory service, the band decamped to Los Angeles during the summer of 2025 to begin work on 鈥淎RIRANG,鈥� their 14-track, fifth studio album and first in nearly four years.
They lived in the same house together. It was tight quarters, and a tight turnaround: In the film, Jin says he joined the band in Los Angeles the day after completing his 2025 solo tour. For that reason, he missed some of the early writing and recording.
The journey was also bumpy. As RM mentions in the movie, a long lifespan for a K-pop group is not guaranteed.
Fans of the genre might be familiar with what is referred to as the 鈥渟even-year curse,鈥� where a group disbands, or loses members, or contracts expires, and they fall apart. That has not been the case for BTS, still widely regarded one of the most popular bands on the planet. The question then, for them, became: Where does their sound go from here?
鈥淲e’re doing a lot of experiments, trying to find out, like, what makes us special,鈥� 鈥淲hat makes us BTS?鈥�
They also felt the pressure to deliver a good album, and fast. 鈥淲e’ve been out for too long,鈥� said Jimin in one dinner scene. 鈥淣ow that we’re finally out of the military, we don’t want to extend this break.鈥�
Los Angeles was a creative hub
Working in and around Hollywood was a source of creativity for the band. The documentary shows clips of the guys in the studio working with some recognizable and the South Korean songwriter Pdogg.
It also shows the band struggling to land a lead single and their in-studio dynamics: Suga playing guitar, serious and studious, V comforting an anxious Jin, so on and so forth.
Then they returned to South Korea to finish and mix the album.
The album really started to connect when they had a story
Boyoung Lee, executive creative director at Big Hit Music, told the band that in 1896, a group of Koreans arrived in the U.S. for an education, where they met music producer and ethnologist Alice C. Fletcher. Together, they recorded the first-ever Korean-language song in the U.S.: 鈥淎rirang,鈥� the traditional Korean folk song that dates back to the 1400s and that inspired BTS’ album title.
It also meant that the album was a true celebration of South Korea and BTS’ efforts to bring their country and culture to the world. In one scene, Suga mentions changes needed to the song 鈥淣ormal,鈥� which he felt originally featured too much English and not enough Korean. 鈥淔or this album, authenticity matters,鈥� RM agreed.
Preparing for their comeback was daunting
Some members expressed reservations about how they may be received 鈥� what did their fans want from them, after so much time apart? And in an industry that demands reinvention? So, they worked as hard as they could, and in surprising ways: In one scene, V throws a baseball in a parking lot 鈥� seemingly to blow off steam. Days later he’s throwing a pitch at It’s clear he was practicing as to not disappoint their fans.
Even when the band is relaxing at night together at their shared home in Los Angeles 鈥� enjoying pork belly, soju and beer 鈥� they are still shown talking about their music, what could’ve been done differently in the studio, what they might want to try in the future. It’s a 24/7 process.
鈥淚 wonder if we’ve done a good job here,鈥� Jung Kook asks aloud.
They were unsure about 鈥楽wim鈥� as the first 鈥楢RIRANG鈥� single
Some members of the band thought the song 鈥淪wim鈥� might be too low in energy to serve as their lead single. But they also weren’t sure about which became a huge international smash. It was their first all-English-language single and it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 鈥� a first for an all-South Korean musical act.
Suga appeared to be an early believer in 鈥淪wim.鈥� 鈥溾�極h, they can come back with a song like this?鈥� I think it’ll be cool,鈥� he told his band mates, fantasizing about fan reaction.
鈥淚t’s a cool, mature song for us,鈥� RM agreed. 鈥淚t’s time we give off a grown-up vibe.鈥�
Appearing more adult 鈥� and writing songs that mirror where they are in their lives 鈥� was a priority.
鈥淲e’ve all gotten older in general,鈥� said Suga. 鈥淲e tried to express more about being an adult.鈥�
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