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BTS goes noir in ‘2.0’ music video, paying tribute to South Korean film Oldboy
Twelve days after their record-breaking comeback album ARIRANG, BTS dropped the music video for '2.0,' a cinematic homage to Park Chan-wook's Oldboy
BTS members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook appear in the official music video for "2.0," the follow-up single from their fifth studio album ARIRANG.
BTS are not the kind of group to put out filler content between promotions. Just twelve days after dropping their fifth studio album ARIRANG, they released the official music video for “2.0,” and it has given fans and critics plenty to talk about.
The video is a deliberate homage to Park Chan-wook’s 2003 Korean thriller Oldboy, one of the most celebrated films to ever come out of South Korea. The reference is impossible to miss. The music video opens inside a cramped elevator. When the doors pull apart, all seven members step out into a narrow hallway wearing tailored suits, facing a crowd of rough-looking strangers. The whole setup mirrors the iconic corridor sequence from the film, though BTS swap out the violence for synchronized choreography. Their dancing, not their fists, clears the hallway. It is a knowing piece of self-awareness from a group that understands exactly what they represent.
RM appears at the end of the teaser wearing a wig and oversized sunglasses, lowering a newspaper to reveal his face in a moment that landed somewhere between intimidating and genuinely funny. The newspapers the members carry are printed with mock headlines reading “Brand New 2.0 Launch, Strategy Fully Revamped” and “Hidden Code of 2.0 Discovered,” a wink at the song’s title and the broader idea of BTS entering a new phase.
“2.0”
“2.0” is a B-side on ARIRANG, built on hip-hop and trap production with an unconventional rhythmic structure. The title is a direct reference to the idea of a new version of BTS, the group re-entering the world after nearly four years away. All seven members were discharged from mandatory military service in South Korea by 2025, and the album was written and recorded during sessions in Los Angeles throughout that year. V and RM both have writing credits on the track.
The song’s theme of reinvention fits the album’s wider identity. ARIRANG is named after a centuries-old Korean folk song associated with longing, resilience, and homecoming, and the group has described the record as a reflection of who they are now, not just who they were before the hiatus.
The numbers
ARIRANG has been commercially dominant since its release on March 20. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 641,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, the largest opening week ever recorded by a K-pop act in the United States, surpassing BTS’ own previous record of 422,000 units set by MAP OF THE SOUL: 7 in 2020.
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Lead single “Swim” reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, the group’s seventh chart-topper on that chart. “2.0” entered the same chart at number 50 on the April 4 dated issue, with 13 of the album’s 14 tracks appearing on the Hot 100 simultaneously.
The comeback concert held at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on March 21 was livestreamed exclusively on Netflix and drew 18.4 million viewers globally, reaching the top ten in 80 countries.
What is next?
BTS begin the ARIRANG World Tour on April 9 in Goyang, South Korea, with dates running through March 2027 across 34 regions. A deluxe vinyl edition of the album, which includes a hidden track, is set for release on April 3.
Watch Chetak Screen Awards 2026 LIVE on YouTube, Sony Entertainment Television, and Sony LIV on April 5 at 8 pm.
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