RM is earning praise for his honesty after making a surprisingly candid confession about BTS’s latest comeback and the growing influence of social media trends on the music industry.

During a recent Weverse livestream, the BTS leader took fans behind the scenes of the group’s latest album, ARIRANG, discussing the creative process track by track and sharing stories that many fans had never heard before.

One particular revelation quickly became a major talking point.

While discussing the song “Hooligan,” RM explained that the track played a crucial role in shaping the direction of the entire album. He praised fellow members J-Hope and Jungkook for their hard work on the song, noting that it established a creative benchmark for the rest of the project.

However, RM’s most interesting comments involved the choreography.

According to him, “Hooligan” originally featured a much more intense dance routine. At some point during production, feedback from the company and other stakeholders led to significant changes. The revised choreography was designed with a specific goal in mind: creating a dance challenge that could potentially go viral on social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.

namjoon: "Jungkook and Hobi worked together the most on hooligan……when this song came out from their room about a month later, everyone at the company loved it including Bang PD. This song became the standard and we spent the rest of the August + pic.twitter.com/CLE7ihS8hZ

— jayvee (@uarmyvibe) May 29, 2026

In today’s music industry, viral dance challenges have become a powerful promotional tool. Songs can gain millions of additional streams if a choreography trend catches on online, and many artists now consider social media potential when planning performances.

RM openly acknowledged that this was part of the thinking behind the decision.

But he also admitted that the strategy didn’t work as intended.

Reflecting on the experience, RM suggested that attempts to manufacture virality are often unpredictable. Despite efforts to design a challenge-friendly dance, the official choreography never became the major trend that some had hoped for.

Ironically, what ultimately pushed “Hooligan” into trending conversations was not the company’s planned choreography at all.

Instead, a fan-created dance interpretation gained traction online and helped generate organic interest in the song.

For many fans, RM’s comments highlighted a reality that artists increasingly face in the streaming era: popularity on social media cannot always be engineered.

Shortly after the livestream, fans began revisiting previously released BTS content and noticed something interesting.

Many concluded that a dance video shared earlier by V and J-Hope likely featured parts of the original choreography that RM referenced during the broadcast.

That realization sparked a wave of discussion across social media.

Some fans expressed disappointment that the original version was never fully used, arguing that the more intense choreography appeared more authentic and aligned with the energy of the song.

Others were more understanding.

They pointed out that BTS, like many major artists, must balance artistic vision with practical business considerations. In a highly competitive industry where streaming numbers, online engagement, and algorithm-driven promotion can influence success, it is understandable why a company might consider virality when making creative decisions.

The conversation quickly evolved into a broader debate about the role of social media in modern music.

Many fans appreciated RM’s willingness to discuss the issue so openly. Rather than pretending every creative decision was purely artistic, he acknowledged the commercial pressures that exist behind the scenes and the sometimes frustrating reality that audiences—not companies—ultimately decide what becomes popular.

Ironically, that honesty may have resonated more strongly than any carefully planned viral campaign.

As discussions continue online, one takeaway seems clear: even BTS, one of the biggest music acts in the world, cannot guarantee what will trend. And according to RM, the success of “Hooligan” proved that genuine fan engagement remains more powerful than any attempt to manufacture a viral moment.