Viral Video: Hollywood Celebrities Sing BTS Song SWIM in Lyrical Improv Series
A video featuring Hollywood celebrities singing lines from BTS song SWIM went viral on social media on June 17, 2026. The video, part of W Magazine's Lyrical Improv series and directed by Lynn Hirschberg, showed actors performing parts of the track in a studio setting. Participants included Chase Infiniti, Charles Melton, Jason Bateman, and others, who appeared to read the lyrics while singing.
SWIM is the lead single from BTS album ARIRANG, released on March 20, 2026. The song features production by various artists and a music video starring actress Lili Reinhart. Following the video's spread, criticism arose as users claimed the celebrities seemed unfamiliar with the song and were just reading the lyrics from papers.
Despite the backlash, BTS fans defended the celebrities, stating that they were reading the lyrics as intended. On the same day, SWIM reached 600 million streams on Spotify, becoming the fastest song of 2026 to hit that milestone. The track was released on March 20, 2026, and the album ARIRANG received critical acclaim, appearing on several mid-year best-album lists.
ARIRANG also made history by charting for 12 consecutive weeks on Billboard Global Excl. U.S. with all its songs. BTS will release the music video for the album track Merry Go Round on June 19, 2026, exclusively on Spotify through the K-Pop ON! Hub for Premium users in selected regions. Fans are eagerly anticipating the NORMAL music video and the group's upcoming performances on their world tour.