“안녕 Seoul, we’re back,” BTS leader and rapper RM said, opening their comeback performance.
Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul is a historic landmark built more than 600 years ago and the site where the seven members of BTS made their own mark on history. Live on Netflix, the group returned to the stage.
The epic backdrop was fitting for the highly anticipated moment, as this event marked the group’s first performance together in nearly four years, following the completion of their mandatory military service and the recent release of their newest album, ARIRANG.
RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook are treading new ground. Many Korean groups disband after enlistment, struggling to maintain their identity amid a rapidly changing pop culture landscape. So this event was also a statement: BTS is back and ready to show the world exactly who they are.
Fans were ready, and so were we. We chronicled the highlights of the evening and the can’t-miss moments that audiences around the globe watched live, whether in the early hours of the morning or during prime time. This is the biggest band in the world, after all — they were bound to put on a show to remember.
Follow along here for the standout moments and everything you might have missed in real time.
BTS opened the show with “Body to Body”
To open the epic comeback performance, BTS chose “Body to Body,” the first track from the group’s newly released album, ARIRANG. It’s a striking — and fitting — choice, emblematic of the group’s identity and declared with clarity and power: “Born in Korea, playing for the world.”
The members walked — well, if you can call their effortless swagger walking — onto the stage, flanked by a group of dancers. “안녕 Seoul, we’re back,” said RM, words fans have been waiting to hear for nearly four years. The reception from the audience in Seoul was pure joy — the sound of people who’ve been holding their breath for years and can finally exhale. The song’s pulsating beat built to a crescendo as the members formed a line across the stage.
Pause.
Then the party started.
BTS “Body to Body” performers: Who were the traditional Korean musicians and singers?
In the latter half of “Body to Body,” the focus shifted to a group of singers and musicians wearing hanboks and other traditional attire from the Joseon era. They performed the “Arirang” sample featured in the track. “Arirang,” which is also the name of BTS’s recently released full-length album, is Korea’s most famous and beloved traditional folk song, often considered an unofficial national anthem and a symbol of Korean identity and pride. The song expresses themes of love, separation, and resilience — themes BTS says reflect the emotional landscape of the new album.
The song’s history mirrors the group in a striking way: The first known recording of “Arirang,” in 1896, was also the first Korean song recorded in the United States. It was recorded by a group of young Korean men — seven, in fact — who had arrived at Howard University that same year. In this performance, BTS expressed their sorrow and longing at being separated from their fans, as well as their joy at finally being reunited.
BTS chose Gwanghwamun Square for their historic comeback stage
BTS’s return to the stage is not just musically significant but culturally significant as well. The performance was held in Seoul’s historic Gwanghwamun Square, the first standalone concert ever staged there.
The set design made full use of the location. The back of the stage was shaped like a massive square, built from layers of LED screens that framed the Gwanghwamun gate and the mountains rising behind it.
The gate marks the entrance to Gyeongbokgung, a royal palace of Korea’s Joseon dynasty, which ruled for more than 500 years until 1910. Today, Gwanghwamun Square is home to statues of two of South Korea’s most respected figures: King Sejong, who created the Korean Hangul script in 1443, and Admiral Yi Sun-shin, who led critical battles during the 16th-century Japanese invasions.
The sprawling square is primarily used for cultural and public events, but it also holds deep political significance, having served as a gathering place for rallies and protests over the years.
The symbolism was unmistakable as BTS proudly celebrated their legacy as Koreans who have grown into global icons.
“We are finally here and seeing you again,” main dancer and Professional Mochi Jimin told the crowd. “The fact that I am speaking here… I am so moved. All seven of us standing on stage together makes me so happy. Thank you all so much. You have filled Gwanghwamun Square today.”
“Hooligan” choreography made a big impact with BTS’s signature showmanship
“Hooligan” opened with Worldwide Handsome Jin pulling on a black leather face mask, and soon the group gave viewers their first glimpse of full power. In many ways, it felt like classic BTS — visually striking, hard-hitting choreography, made even more impactful here by a horde of masked backup dancers.
Amid the chaos of the packed stage, the members held focus with a natural charisma that clearly hadn’t faded during their time away. Even RM, who suffered an ankle injury during rehearsal and remained seated for parts of the performance, commanded attention.
But the song itself felt like a new flavor in the group’s repertoire: a sighing, orchestral melody unfolding like the soundtrack of an old film. Magnetic vocalist V closed the number with a close-up of his signature smoldering look. (The sound of thousands of fainting fans hitting the floor echoed around the world.)
“2.0” followed — a swaggy hip-hop track kicked off by spitfire rapper SUGA. It was just the septet onstage this time, their choreography relaxed despite the song’s unconventional rhythmic textures. It’s a true feat to make it look this easy — but the members remind us throughout the chorus that it shouldn’t be a surprise. “You know how we do,” they sing.
BTS revealed that the ARIRANG era marks a “mature, evolved version of BTS”
“I don’t think I’ll ever forget tonight,” golden maknae Jung Kook told the audience. “Honestly, I definitely felt some pressure about the comeback, but being here in front of you all, it feels great. ”
“We’ll be sharing a lot of our new songs with you today,” RM continued. “When we were working together in LA for two months to create music that truly feels like us, we spent a long time thinking about it. We wanted this album to capture who we are, and what’s been on our minds.”
SUGA added, “With this album, we wanted to show you the most honest side of the seven of us. We worked hard to show a more mature and evolved BTS, and I’m so happy to finally present it to you.”
What “FYA” stands for
Honestly? No idea. If we had to guess, it stands for “banger.” The word does sound like “fire” (not to be confused with their 2016 hit “Fire”). But what we do know is that this song is unlike anything the group has made before, and BTS clearly love performing it.
The almost Jersey club–influenced, industrial track is made for dancing, and the group didn’t hold back as they moved to the rollicking beat. It was especially striking to behold the juxtaposition of a stadium-ready banger — produced by Grammy-winning DJs Diplo and Flume, along with JPEGMAFIA — set against the backdrop of a historic landmark like Gwanghwamun.
But that’s BTS for you.
BTS revealed the choreography for their new single, “SWIM”
ARIRANG’s lead single does have choreography, as showcased during the midpoint of the night. As the members’ graceful movements evoked the fluidity of the sea, they expressed the desire to keep moving forward along life’s many changing tides. Because a love for life also means embracing its hardships, and simply letting yourself ride the waves.
BTS performed the “MIC Drop” Korean version
We’re still recovering. 미안해 엄마!
BTS add a new dimension to “Normal” lyrics
No, your ears are not deceiving you during that chorus. BTS promised a more mature era, and, well, here we are. Between “SWIM,” ballad “Like Animals,” and now “Normal,” we officially reached the vibey, soft-rock portion of the event. Despite the sheer magnitude of the performance, these relatively quieter moments brought a real intimacy and vulnerability that the members bravely shared with their audience. The crowd engaged in some serious head-banging as the members walked around the stage, expressing the physical and emotional toll brought by immense fame in the “Normal” lyrics: “Kerosene, dopamine, chemical-induced / Fantasy and fame, yeah, the things we choose / Show me hate, show me love, make me bulletproof / Yeah, we call this shit normal.”
Older BTS songs were on the live comeback setlist
“Butter,” a song you may have heard performed at a small American awards show called the Grammy Awards, was the first of BTS’s older hits showcased during the comeback performance. Sung in English, the number felt like a warm look in the rearview mirror, complete with RM and jokester V hamming it up during the dance break.
Then came “MIC Drop.” A swaggering j-hope took center stage, leading the fan-favorite track with power and charisma as fans shouted the song’s chant along to the hard-hitting hip-hop beat. The confident anthem hits differently in this new era of BTS. The group has long emphasized how strange it can feel to have a view from the top — “we’re just seven normal boys from Korea,” they insist — but the audience clearly relished the chance to join them in celebrating their hard-earned accomplishments.
Grammy-nominated “Dynamite” rounded out the set. The performance of the funky English-language track felt more like fireworks than TNT, celebrating the BTS comeback with power and, most importantly, fun.
Of course, it wasn’t over. The members returned to savor the historic moment with “Mikrokosmos,” a song dedicated to their fans. The title is derived from the Greek mikros (small) and kosmos (world), reflecting the idea that each individual is a “little universe” with their own unique light, value, and story — and that together, they form something vast and luminous.
What was the BTS live on Netflix encore song?
The band chose 2019’s “Mikrokosmos” to close out the evening, a heartfelt and meaningful tribute to the stars that dot BTS’s sky: their fans. Fans around the world were given the opportunity to bask in the brilliance of the septet’s journey and celebrate their own roles in it.
What was the BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG setlist?
“Body to Body”
“Hooligan”
“2.0”
“Butter”
“MIC Drop”
“Aliens”
“FYA”
“SWIM”
“Like Animals”
“Normal”
“Dynamite”
“Mikrokosmos”
