Those were the first words uttered by BTS leader RM as the K-pop group held court in front of the South Korean city’s iconic Gwanghwamun Palace — a place where kings once roamed — alongside his six groupmates. The performers had assembled for Netflix’s one-hour live concert special, BTS the Comeback Live: Arirang, which streamed March 21 at 8 p.m. local time (4 a.m. PT/7 a.m. ET). It was a powerful image to kickstart BTS’ official comeback — and a declaration that the septet intends to be bigger than ever.
Thousands of fans descended onto the square in central Seoul to witness the world’s biggest band perform its first high-profile concert in nearly four years, and to celebrate the March 20 release of their fifth full-length album, the 14-track Arirang. Approximately 22,000 lucky ticketed concertgoers, including 2,000 raffle winners who received the premium front-row concert experience, watched as K-pop superstars RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook reunited onstage and performed new Arirang songs for the first time as well as beloved hits from the past. For one night, BTS didn’t just re-enter the musical conversation — it dominated it.
But there’s only so much that Netflix cameras can capture, especially with no rehearsal prior to the concert. Gold Derby was in the crowd and saw what the special’s Emmy-winning director Hamish Hamilton and his team missed from BTS The Comeback Live: Arirang, which has surged to No. 1 in at least 77 countries.
1. Netflix’s pre-concert celebration drew cheers
About two hours before the concert began, Netflix brought out dozens of team members responsible for the ambitious effort — from the production crew to the marketing group — to take family photos on stage. When Hamilton took the stage for the group photo, loud cheers could be heard from his colleagues and the crowd. Camerapeople also came by before the show to poll attendees on their interest in holding handheld cameras to capture crowd shots from the audience and of the members on stage mid-show. It didn’t end up happening in the madness of the concert, but it would have been interesting to see.
2. Fanchants started well before Netflix cameras rolled
If you’ve ever been to a BTS concert, you know the fans — collectively known as ARMY — are passionate, expressive… and vocal. So as the minutes wound down to concert time, pockets of ARMY began the group’s signature fanchant, featuring the members’ Korean names starting from leader RM and continuing in age order from oldest to youngest. Fans also sang lines from “Magic Shop,” a 2018 song written by Jung Kook featured on BTS’ Love Yourself: Tear. Signs written in Korean and posters of people’s favorite BTS members, including a Jimin sign, were also sprinkled throughout the front of the crowd.
3. The energy was at an all-time high for BTS’ old hits
Hamilton and the Netflix team had a tall order when it came to capturing the group’s intensity and energy. While cameras did a commendable job memorializing the overall experience by playing up the extreme scale of the concert (seats stretched all the way down the length of Gwanghwamun Square, spanning roughly half a mile) and creating seamless camera work, it’s still no replacement for being in the thick of the action. Netflix cameras simply couldn’t capture the insanity of the crowd during the entire hour, often muting the level of fan screams and yells. It was a true madhouse in the area, especially for the lucky 2,000 raffle winners who were stationed by the stage for constant interactions with BTS members, including a cute moment with Jung Kook and a fan, who was filming a “peek-a-boo” video, that he noticed and took part in.
While BTS kicked off their new era with performances of eight new songs from Arirang — including the single “Swim,” “Normal,” and the album opener “Body to Body,” — it was the group’s beloved classic hits, specifically fan favorites “Mic Drop” and “Mikrokomos,” that received the loudest screams. For some fans at the concert, it was the first time they’ve been able to experience a live performance of “Mic Drop” as it wasn’t included on the set list during the group’s last tour in 2021-22.
4. An ankle injury didn’t stop RM from being RM
Two days before the concert, RM unexpectedly injured his ankle during rehearsals. Despite a notice explaining that his motions would be limited, the BTS leader — who rocked a cast on his left foot — did not relegate himself to the stools provided for him on stage. Though he struggled at times to get from Point A to Point B, limping to get into the next position (sometimes with the help of staff or crutches), he was also so hyped up that he would hop around the stage on his good leg to stay part of the action. He stayed in sync with his bandmates when he was sitting, doing modified choreography for most songs. The group also checked in with RM throughout the show, sometimes even telling him to sit down.
Known as the “god of destruction” for his tendency to break things without trying, RM somehow managed to rip his pants… without doing any of the intense choreography. When he noticed his wardrobe mishap, he laughed and attempted to hide the ripped seam.
5. Suga’s teleprompter fail drew laughter
During one of the group’s ments — a period in a K-pop concert when members talk to the audience — Suga addressed ARMY in English. But then the teleprompter suddenly went out and he abruptly flipped to speaking in Korean without any transition, causing the other members to laugh. Jin found the whole situation the funniest, and could be seen having a conversation with Jung Kook about it later during the show.
6. Tears stayed at bay, but emotions ran high
It would’ve been understandable for any of the BTS members to shed a tear during the concert, since it marked the first time in almost four years that they had shared the stage together. (If you’re keeping track, the last time they performed as seven was at the free BTS Yet to Come concert held on Oct. 15, 2022 in Busan.) Surprisingly, all seven members kept the waterworks turned off. It was only during the closing song, “Mikrokosmos,” where V got visibly emotional. Glowing from happiness at the start of the song, his emotions shifted once the fans began singing along to the melody and his eyes welled up with tears as he took in the entire moment. It’s a track that resonates personally for the singer, who affirmed in a recent video that when he served in the South Korean military, “Mikrokosmos” became a North Star of sorts and gave him renewed inspiration to return to the stage quicker.
7. Jin’s “Hooligan” mask ‘oops’
Jin, BTS’ oldest member, was supposed to take off his black mask during the introduction of “Hooligan,” but he failed to to do so in time. Instead, he walked off stage with the mask on, partially covering his eyes. Offstage and off-camera, Jin animatedly recalled the “mistake” to J-Hope on the side of the stage.
8. Jimin’s hair inspired real time memes
If there’s one visual takeaway from the night, it could very well be Jimin’s long, dyed blond hair. The singer’s hair length caused some fans to express astonishment and awe over its poofiness, which was most noticeable during key choreography moves in songs like “Mic Drop.” It also inspired memes in real time and a range of reactions, with some calling him “a wild cat” and “rapunzelmin.”
9. It was very, very cold
Things heated up considerably when BTS stepped onto the stage, but it was still a very cold evening in Seoul, with temperatures dipping to the high 30s and low 40s by the time the lights went up at 8pm. Many attendees in the sections by the stage stood waiting for more than three hours. Jung Kook and V both noticed the chill, making gestures to fans to keep themselves warm throughout the concert.
10. BTS’ off-camera interactions proved that nothing’s changed
There’s no doubt BTS puts on unforgettable shows, but it’s the small interactions between bandmates when the cameras aren’t focused on them that offer a glimpse into their true dynamics. For example, V affectionately held hands with Jimin, while J-Hope had a gigglefest with Jin. There were also swag-worth moments that Jung Kook shared with Suga, and V got called out for sitting on a stool meant for RM. All of those moments proved that the BTS members are still the same seven South Korean boys with big hopes and dreams.
