BTS goes rogue with Hooligan music video: A throwback to their ‘Dark and Wild’ era
BTS return with Hooligan, a dark, rap-driven anthem from their reunion album Arirang. The dystopian music video marks a bold change, revisiting their Dark & Wild era with themes of power, rebellion, and legacy.
In a comeback full of symbolism, BTS have revealed what may be their most provocative visual yet. Music video for Hooligan, a standout track from their reunion album ArirangPlays like a deliberate rewind – returning to the chaos, grit and an era when the group was thriving in the darkness.
Set in a brooding, dystopian landscape, Hooligan places BTS at the center of a fractured, chaotic world. Masked dancers, shadowy corridors and an atmosphere of controlled chaos dominate the frame. The visual language represents a sharp departure from his recent, sophisticated work, rather than embracing stylistic rebellion. It’s less about refinement and more about raw power – performative, intense and a little unsettling.
Watch the video here:
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The parallels to the long-range military are obvious. Rogue feels spiritually connected to the group’s earlier, more aggressive hip-hop phase, especially dark and wild agesWhen anger, swagger and defiance shaped both their sound and storytelling.
However, the difference lies in the intention. This is no longer youth rebellion, but calculated dominance. The track leans towards alternative hip-hop, featuring metallic, almost industrial beats with strong rap verses that bring out identity and heritage. An obvious creative choice emerges: the rapline takes center stage.
RM, Suga and J-Hope lead the way with commanding presence, providing a hook that veers into dramatic villainy, underlined by a manic intensity that cuts through the track’s heavy production. His performance imbues the song with a cocky, confrontational energy reminiscent of his pre-global superstardom days. In contrast, the vocal line-up – Jungkook, Jin, Jimin, and V – introduces the soaring, almost ethereal hook, providing balance without diluting the track’s core identity as a rap-driven anthem.
Hooligan arrives at a crucial moment in BTS’s trajectory. After a hiatus of approximately four years and a period of personal artistic exploration, Arirang It was widely expected to signal a reinvention. Instead, BTS is recapturing something more spontaneous – the hunger, anarchy and unapologetic edge that defined them in the first place.
This is not merely a comeback, but a declaration: the artists who once raged against the system are now in control of it – entirely on their own terms.