Looking behind the scenes of BTS's latest album with BigHit Music's Nicole Kim

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Looking behind the scenes of BTS's latest album with BigHit Music's Nicole Kim

Published: 01 May. 2026, 07:00 Updated: 01 May. 2026, 09:37

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Boy band BTS poses for a photo in front of Gwanghwamun gate in central Seoul during its March 21 performance in the area, marking its fifth full-length album "Arirang." [BIGHIT MUSIC/NETFLIX]

BTS has set a string of major records following its comeback after a three-year and nine-month hiatus on March 20 — topping the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, staying No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart for three consecutive weeks, earning a Triple Platinum certification from the Japan Gold Disc Awards for more than 750,000 album shipments, and, of course, selling out what is now the largest world tour ever by a Korean artist.

With each new news of the megaband, onlookers all wondered the same thing: How did the album come about?

One HYBE executive with stories to tell is Nicole Kim, the vice president at BTS's label BigHit Music, who oversaw the overall production of BTS’ fifth full-length album “Arirang."

Kim began a career in album production and planning at Starship Entertainment, home to K-pop idols like IVE and Monsta X, in 2012 and later worked at Sony Music Publishing and HYBE. In 2023, Kim joined Columbia Records as the first Korean executive at a major U.S. record label.

She returned to HYBE's BigHit Music in July last year and was named in the 2025 Billboard Women in Music list. Kim also appeared in the Netflix documentary “BTS: The Return,” released in March, gaining recognition among fans.

Kim sat down for an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo for a scoop behind the scenes at HYBE's headquarters in Yongsan District, central Seoul. The following are excerpts from the interview, edited for length and clarity.

Nicole Kim, the vice president at BigHit Music [BIGHIT MUSIC]

Q. Why did you return from the United States?

A. I returned at the suggestion of HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk and the band’s members.

At BigHit Music, I oversee a wide range of projects, from BTS’ music to brand management. Since the members have clear ideas about their music and albums, I try to offer a different perspective.

What was the most challenging part of preparing the album “Arirang”?

The members felt a lot of pressure returning to face fans after such a long time.

What about the rumors that they were thinking of breaking up?

The members would find them quite absurd if they heard them. That’s how close they are.

BTS went to Los Angeles for a two-month songwriting session last summer, which was also featured in its Netflix documentary “BTS: The Return.” How big a scale was it?

The members participated for about two months, from July to August last year. More than 100 people were involved, including producers. Each producer stayed for as little as two days to as long as one to two weeks to work on the project. Diplo had been selected earlier in the year, before the members were discharged from their mandatory military service, as the lead producer overseeing the local process. Under the direction of the Artists & Repertoire (A&R) team and Chairman Bang, we also held two “pre-song sessions” in Los Angeles in April and May.

A person grabs BTS's album ″Arirang″ at a K-pop merchandise store in central Seoul on April 13. [NEWS1]

Do you usually hold songwriting sessions on such a large scale?

We had worked on albums in the United States before, but we had never stayed together for an extended period to write songs. Since this was a comeback after a long time, we planned a longer, larger session. It all started with Chairman Bang’s idea as the album’s executive producer. Not assigning a single producer and instead working with a variety of people allows us to approach the music from multiple directions. Producers came from across the United States, Britain and other regions, for which we were very grateful.

How did the process work?

Members and producers gathered in the studio every day. They split into three to four rooms and exchanged ideas. The members were mainly involved in melody parts, but they also contributed to shaping the concepts of the songs. For example, for “Hooligan,” a B-side track on the new album, a producer known for experimental sounds created the signature knife sound, while Jungkook came up with the word used in the title.

How did you recruit so many producers?

The A&R team handled most of it, but for well-known producers like Diplo, Chairman Bang had already arranged collaborations in advance. Some producers joined because the members specifically wanted to work with them — one of them was JPEGMAFIA.

Why is Jin not listed in the album credits?

Jin was on a solo tour at the time, and by the time he joined the project, much of the songwriting had already been completed. He did take part in the album preparation process, including test recordings, but it did not lead to contributions that were ultimately reflected in the final credits.

How did the team decide which version of the folk song “Arirang” to incorporate into “Body to Body?”

We considered various approaches for a long time, such as having the members sing it themselves or recording it with a traditional vocalist. During that process, a producer came across a version from a KBS folk music program that seemed to fit well, and we decided to use that recording.

A still from the music video for “Swim,” the lead track from BTS’s fifth full-length album “Arirang″ [SCREEN CAPTURE]

How do the producers feel about the criticism that there were too few Korean lyrics?

We wanted more people to hear the songs we worked hard on. In many cases, overseas broadcasters and radio stations tend not to favor songs that are not in English. It’s well known that international fans once sent bouquets to radio stations asking them to play BTS songs. I think it was less about discrimination against Koreans and more about a preference for languages familiar to listeners. At the same time, English sometimes fits better musically. For example, with the lead track “Swim,” we discussed it with the company, the members and the producers, but expressions like “swim” in Korean did not match the song's vibe.

How would you describe the new tour?

It is the opening of a new chapter for BTS. We prepared the concerts with a strong sense that, without showing something new, we would inevitably fall behind.

How about the new style of the members?

Jimin’s long hair was his own idea.

BTS perform in Gwanghwamun Square on March 21 [YONHAP]

Do you have any episodes to share from the Gwanghwamun performance?

We began preparing for the comeback performance around July and August last year. We couldn’t apply to use the heritage sites in advance because approval from the palace and royal sites committee at the Cultural Heritage Administration (now known as the Korea Heritage Service) is available only about three months before an event. Also, RM’s injury became the biggest variable toward the end. We had originally planned a scene with all seven members walking in with Gwanghwamun as the backdrop, but we had to change it due to the injury. We even had to quickly purchase a chair for RM to sit on.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHOI MIN-JI [[email protected]]