As expected, BTS have begun to release follow-up videos from their highly-anticipated ARIRANG album. Many listeners found lead single Swim an oddly muted choice for promotion, and I agree that there are songs on ARIRANG with more commercial appeal. However, for their first follow-up video they’ve chosen one of my least favorite tracks from the album.
Music video aside (I don’t usually factor those into my reviews), I need someone to seriously explain the appeal of this song. I really want to know what people like about it, because to my ears 2.0 is one long monotonous drone of repetitive phrasing over a dull, drowsy beat. Co-produced by Mike WiLL Made-It, the track is essentially one or two rhythmic ideas with slight changes across three (unending) minutes. I struggle to find the appeal of mindless hooks like “You know how I do do do do do” and “Pop pop pop pop pop” and “Ya ya ya ya.” Given the amount of time BTS spent on this comeback album, I’m shocked that a song like 2.0 couldn’t muster anything more interesting. And given their early influence from the golden age of hip-hop (when lyricism was king) this feels like a major downgrade.
Perhaps a jolt in energy might have salvaged 2.0‘s repetition, or at the very least made the song come across as somewhat fun. Instead, we have a self-serious screed over a cavernous instrumental that builds to nothing. Take this verse, for example:
“Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop
Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, uh
Baby gettin’ too lit
Rah, rah, rah, rah, rah, rah (Yeah)
Hit ’em up like pop (Ha)
Hit ’em with the truth like rah, uh
Time to pay your debt, uh, fear me or fear me not
Let it be, let it bleed, uh, hit a lick, uh, in a split (Stop, ride)”
I mean… okay? So, the lyricism is awful, the sound is monotonous and the song goes nowhere. What exactly am I supposed to be enjoying here? I’m genuinely curious.
| Hooks | 6 |
| Production | 6 |
| Longevity | 6 |
| Bias | 5 |
| RATING | 5.75 |
Grade: F
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Picking at my pimples was more interesting than this song and I literally closed the video at the 2 minute mark.
6 (6, 6, 6, 6) for me, and I swear to fucking god, if I see ANOTHER song get rated in 6s or below, I will genuinely crash out.
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Also, Nick, I hope you are prepared cause I fear we’re gonna witness a Permission to Dance 2.0 in this comments section
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An easy 2 for me.
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Wow, this is awful. I didn’t make it all the way through. Shit lyrics, boring production and really grating effects in the vocals for some reason
I’ve not listened to the album – surely there’s better choices on there to release as a single..
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Interesting review! This is the first time I’ve genuinely had nothing in common with a Bias List review 😕
The track keeps me engaged the entire time through changes of flow in the raps and perccussion (j-hope especially blew me away), the various mixes of vocals in the chorus, and the touches of twangy synth. Before I saw the music video, it was probably an 8.25, but the mv was so fantastic that it probably bumped the song up to and 8.5. Super excited for the rest of the Arirang promotions!
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Fair enough!
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This was maybe my least favorite on the album as well. It’s just not good. I’ve only listened to the album fully through twice, but this one stuck out as one to make sure to skip on only my second playthrough…
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I’ll further clarify for comparison that I didn’t even skip No. 29 on my second playthrough…
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I never thought BigHit would drop a disappointment bigger than that of Cortis’ debut. This is quite possibly their worst comeback yet.
Flat 5 for me
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Is this an April fools joke or not cause why tf is hybe promoting such a bland track as a follow up?
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The promotional rollout here has been puzzling to say the least. This is like, maybe the only song from the album that I haven’t seen any fans name as a favorite.
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it’s a 60 second interlude stretched out to a song. Not moody and/or stupid enough for me. So pass. But, damn, Jin, you worked hard on hiatus.
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