For the past four years, BTS has been something international fans watched from a distance, as the members completed their mandatory military service in South Korea. In the meantime, they pursued solo projects and toured globally as individuals, while the group itself lived on through archived livestreams and social media posts.
On Monday night in New York City, they were back on stage as seven.
By late afternoon, fans had already lined up along the downtown Seaport, bundled in layers and rain ponchos, waiting for BTS to take the stage at Pier 17. The group’s return to the U.S. wasn’t a surprise. It was a moment fans had been tracking, anticipating, and counting down to. Still, the energy felt surreal once it was actually happening.
Just days after their massive live comeback concert drew tens of thousands of fans to central Seoul, BTS arrived in New York for Spotify x BTS: Swimside, an invitation-only event that marked their first public appearance in the U.S. as a full group since 2022. It also doubled as the first time they performed songs from their new album, Arirang, stateside.
The setting did a lot of the work. Pier 17 overlooks the East River, with the Brooklyn Bridge stretching out on one side and lower Manhattan lighting up the other. Even in the cold, with wind cutting across the rooftop and temperatures dropping into the 30s, hundreds of fans packed the space, many selected as top Spotify streamers in the area. Even producer Diplo was spotted in the crowd.
Mashable’s social manager on the ground captured the scene as it unfolded. Fans traded freebies, compared signs, and documented everything in real-time across social media. The night already looked like something built for the timeline. The difference was that everyone was actually there in person.
The event opened with a Q&A moderated by Suki Waterhouse, pulling the group into a more relaxed, conversational mode. BTS spoke about making Arirang together, including the experience of living in the same house again while recording in Los Angeles for two months.
“‘Swim’ is a really special song for us,” Jin said through a translator, describing the lead single as a reminder to keep going through uncertainty. “It’s about not stopping, even when you’re facing tough times and emotional waves, to just keep moving forward like you’re swimming through it all… It reminds us to love our lives and accept whatever comes next, so that’s the message: We want to keep moving forward and not give up.”
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Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Spotify
The conversation quickly loosened. RM joked about Jung Kook’s suitcase never leaving the floor during their time living together. “Whenever we entered his room, we always had to step [around] the luggage,” the leader explained. Suga admitted he doesn’t like swimming. (But importantly, he does like “Swim.”) Jimin, answering a question about habits at home, casually told the crowd he’s usually naked when he walks in the door, sending the audience into a frenzy.
The group also shared details from the making of the album, including a standout lyric from “Hooligan” — “ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, hooligan” — which RM and Suga admitted they hate performing because of its tricky cadence. They broke it down as a rapid-fire “three-three-three” rhythm, then put Jung Kook on the spot to try it himself. He mostly succeeded, as expected from the group’s golden maknea.
The overall Q&A had the tone of a livestream, but louder. Immediate. Unfiltered in a way that only works when thousands of people are reacting at once.
During a short intermission, fans proved just how locked in they were. Arirang had only been out for three days, but the crowd sang along to every track playing over the speakers, lightsticks moving in sync.
When BTS returned to the stage, the focus snapped into place.
The group performed “Swim,” “2.0,” and “Normal,” marking their first live U.S. performances of the new album. The staging was simple, but the response wasn’t. Fans jumped, screamed, ha-ha-ha-ha’d, and waved their Army Bombs with every beat drop. RM, seated with a sprained ankle, delivered his verses from the side as the rest of the group moved through the choreography.
Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Spotify
“It’s really an honor for us to do our first stage in America here,” RM told the crowd. “It’s been four years, but now we’re here.”
In the audience, fans held up red signs that read “We Stayed!” A small gesture, but one that carried weight after the group’s hiatus. V spotted them right away, calling out to the crowd in recognition.
By the end of the night, the mood felt less like a one-off event and more like a reset point. BTS are back in the U.S., performing new music, standing in front of fans who never left.
For years, that connection lived mostly online. In streams, clips, and constant updates that filled the gap while the group was apart. At Pier 17, it felt different. Still documented, still destined for the feed, but grounded in something more immediate.
Not just something to watch. Something you had to be there for.
