BTS dropped their brand new album, ARIRANG, on March 20, but one song on the record has fans confused: “No. 29.” The song — which is the sixth on the tracklist — is almost fully silent. What’s the meaning behind “No. 29”?
Interludes — aka short breaks in between songs — are nothing new to albums, but they usually aren’t silent, unless it’s track “No. 29” on the new BTS album ARIRANG. What seems like it might be a random meditation break is actually an homage to BTS’s Korean roots. Band members confirmed during ARIRANG’s premiere live stream on March 20 that the track is “purely dedicated to Korean heritage.”
The initial gong-like sound, which kicks off the song, is the tolling of the Divine Bell of King Seongdeok, an artifact from 771 AD and officially designated as South Korea’s National Treasure No. 29. The rest of the 1:38 track is an intentional moment of silence. Band leader Kim Namjoon, better known as RM, explained the duration of the track is the length for the sound of the bell to fully ring out.
Before this ode to history was clarified, fans were confused on their first listen.
Some fans are even saying they can’t hear the bell through certain devices.
The mysterious track was not the only tribute to BTS’s Korean roots on the album. The album name itself is a reference to a historic Korean folk song of the same name. While the word “Arirang” is no longer used in everyday Korean language, the song is iconic, with thousands of variations, and is closely tied to Korean cultural identity.
Avoiding confusion similar to that caused by “No. 29,” BTS explained the origin of the album title in a trailer released on March 12. The trailer depicts what is believed to be the first-ever audio recording of “Arirang” at Howard University in 1896, before transitioning to a debut BTS performance in 2013. The trailer has direct parallels between the men who recorded the folk song and BTS’s existence as a band, and their rise to fame.
After a four-year break following the release of PROOF, fans are so pumped that BTS is back with ARIRANG. The ARMY fanbase has been eagerly awaiting new music, and while they are busy at work understanding the hidden meanings of BTS’s work, the album has been met with exciting reactions, with some fans calling them geniuses.
If you need me, I’ll be listening to ARIRANG on repeat.