Most of us recognize music genres like metal, rock, hip-hop, pop, garage, folk, ballads, and traditional or culturally based music. ARIRANG took listeners to a whole different level, specifically Hooligan. I have to say, for me, listening to the album was and still is an innovative back-to-the-future event.

The phrase “drop it lower than chopped and screwed” captures the essence of a hip-hop genre that has shaped musical culture.

For BTS listeners, this was their first experience with a unique sound rooted in a region with deep historical roots in the South. So, the idea to reintroduce a regional Black Southern hip-hop technique to a global audience was an amazing decision.

BTS’s “Hooligan” is a creative and innovative venture — musically, visually, and lyrically. It deliberately breaks structure, bends genre, and weaponizes chaos as an artistic identity. ~ poplyrics

The Fusion we experience in the Hooligan track connects Houston’s rich legacy with K-pop’s expansive reach, creating a powerful cultural narrative. The chopped and screwed technique involves slowing down a song’s tempo to craft a hypnotic, extended rhythmic foundation, enhancing the lyrics and storytelling. Pioneered by DJ Screw in Houston, who tragically passed away in 2000, this style has become a cornerstone of the hip-hop scene, echoing with Southern influences.

While BTS doesn’t use DJ Screw’s traditional method—like a full 60 BPM slowdown or extensive chopping—they clearly draw from the aesthetic. Their work features: Slowed vocals, Lowered pitch, Echoing repeats, and Dragged-out transitions. For many younger fans, BTS is their first experience with anything resembling chopped and screwed music.

In Houston, it’s a whole culture

Chopped and Screwed is everywhere —

• mixtapes
• car culture
• local radio
• DJ Screw’s legacy
• The Screwed Up Click

If you were in Houston, it wasn’t a trend; it was daily life.

Thank you, DJ Screw, for influencing both local and global music!

Connecting Houston’s legacy to K‑pop’s global reach. That’s a huge cultural loop.

Update:

So, after listening to others discuss tracks from ARIRANG… I had to dive deeper into the

Glitch`trap is a cross‑continental hybrid fusion from

• Southern U.S. trap rhythms

• Japanese/German glitch sound design

• Modern global pop production

We recognize the sound: it’s familiar (trap) but also broken, warped, and digital (glitch).

Glitch‑trap production — The track fuses aggressive trap percussion with distorted basslines and glitch-hop textures. Music Analysts describe it as “organized sonic mayhem” built to feel unruly but engineered with precision.

Did you know that while K‑pop didn’t invent glitch‑trap, it turned it into a recognizable, polished, mainstream style — something the U.S. never did, and has been using the G/Trap sound for over a decade. It didn’t become a recognizable sound until the mid-2010s, and it didn’t become mainstream until the late 2000s

For many younger listeners, including myself, this is our first exposure to anything resembling Glitch-trap and Chopped and Screwed genres!

In fact, ARIRANG not only symbolizes the journey of BTS, but also an amalgamation of several genres, a puzzle, a different piece of Korean identity, global influence, and personal storytelling. But the magic is that the pieces interlock — they don’t clash.

Thanks to BTS!