BTS worked so hard on their new album that some members felt they were “committing a crime” when they spoke up to ask for a break.
The K-pop icons, made up of Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook, shed light on their grueling working hours and recording their latest record, Arirang, in the newly released Netflix documentary “BTS: The Return.”
“I started making music because I had something I wanted to tell the world. But being in the K-Pop system means that works are always coming out, so we have to keep moving forward,” RM, 31, shared in the document.
“We lost sight of who we are as a team,” he continued. “And when you express that you need a break, it feels like you’re admitting it, and you feel guilty, like you’re committing a crime.”
Jungkook, 28, compared himself and his fellow BTS members to factory workers.
“I’m a little stressed out because I just want to enjoy making music, but I feel like I’m running like a factory,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jin admitted how the seven-member Korean boy band went through “a lot of suffering” during the creative process. But he also explained why that is no longer the case.
“Now, if a song doesn’t work, it didn’t work and I just move on,” Jin, 33, said. “We don’t feel as hopeless as we used to. At the end of the day, we don’t know if it’s going to be a hit or not.”
While the members of BTS have managed to balance out the K-pop industry’s notoriously high-pressure nature, other artists have tragically succumbed to the demanding workload that comes with it.
Kim Jong-hyun, the lead singer of the Korean pop group SHINee, passed away at the age of 27 in December 2017 due to suspected suicide.
K-pop star Goo Hara was found dead in South Korea in November 2019 at the age of 28. More recently, Astro member Moonbin was found dead in April 2023 at the age of 25 due to a suspected suicide.
However, BTS has become known for breaking traditional K-pop norms, tackling issues such as mental health and social pressure while promoting more positive concepts such as self-love and resilience.
“BTS: The Return” was released on Netflix on Friday and follows BTS as they reunite in Los Angeles in August 2025 to work on “Arirang,” which was released on March 20.
K-pop’s princes announced a hiatus in June 2022 to complete their military service in South Korea, and “BTS: The Return” marks the group’s first time working together since their 2020 studio album “Be.”
J-Hope, 32, opened up about his time in the military and how the “Dynamite” singers “struggled” to record their first new album in nearly six years in a Netflix documentary.
“I wanted to avoid taking a long vacation after being discharged from the hospital,” he explained. “So we’re working fast on this album now that it’s a special project.”
Meanwhile, RM said he was “surprised” to be returning to the K-pop world after a long time away amidst many changes in the music industry.
“I’m a little surprised when I wake up every day,” the BTS leader said. “It didn’t really wake me up, but in the military you just go through the same day over and over again, and I felt it a lot.”
“Everything is changing all the time now. Trends change every quarter. Many talented new artists are entering the industry. We have to change too,” he continued.
Suga also spoke about his demands as a K-pop star and how surprised he is that the group is still at the top more than 10 years after they exploded onto the scene with their single album “2 Cool 4 Skool” in June 2013.
Since then, the group has become the first Korean artist to top both the Billboard 200 and Hot 100, received five Grammy Award nominations, and embarked on three major world tours.
“I thought it would end eventually,” the 33-year-old icon said in a written statement. “And sometimes I still think, “If my body can’t keep up, I’ll have to stop.”
Junk Kook shared similar sentiments about the band’s “intense fame” and achievements while discussing the group’s huge ARMY fan base.
“It’s a blessing to have such a large fan base around the world, but that strong reputation can be a big burden,” he explained. “And when I look back at myself, I don’t think I’m that special.”
The “My Time” vocalist added, “There’s a part of me that just wants to be seen as a singer and doesn’t think about anything else.”
Unlike most made-up artists in the K-pop industry, BTS retains more creative and musical control over their songs and records.
However, global superstars are still forced to follow the industry’s grueling “comeback” cycle, which consists of intense periods of new music, big performances, and endless promotions.
Although they have evolved from what the industry considers “trainees” to the most popular “idols” in K-pop history, the stars still struggle with the weight of their legendary status.
“I think that’s the essence of BTS,” RM reflected. “We end up wearing this big, incredible crown. Sometimes the crown is so heavy that it’s almost unbearable and I’m scared to wear it.”
J-Hope went on to talk about the difficulties the band is facing and how they are working to maintain the status quo when there is no comparison to other K-pop groups.
“Normally, the lifespan of K-pop artists is really short, but fortunately ours has been extended,” he explained. “There is pressure to decide what to keep and what to change.”
“But for questions like that, no one knows…there’s no reference. So we’re doing a lot of experiments to find out what makes us special and what makes us BTS,” the “Embarrassing” singer continued.
Regarding their latest studio album, the seven-member boy band acknowledged the trials and tribulations involved in writing and recording “Arirang” after being away from the studio for nearly six years and from each other for nearly four years.
“Having the opportunity to grow and change makes[‘Arirang]stronger,” Jin explains in a new Netflix doc. “We’ve been working hard to get everything ready for the release of this album. It’s a really exciting moment. We’re really happy.”
She added, “But to be honest, it’s a lot of pressure. I don’t think I was built to live the life of a superstar. I feel like I’ve become more famous than I deserve.”
V, 30, worried that “the audience won’t like it because these lyrics are only important to me and my BTS brothers,” while RM said he felt like the band kept “nostalgic for the forest” and “started to vandalize the trees.”
“It’s like I’m running around in circles trying to get the last two songs done, and now I don’t know what this whole album is about,” he lamented.
