The Grammy-winning songwriter joined BTS after building connections in Los Angeles
Songwriter Derrick Milano is currently one of BTS’ biggest music collaborators. He entered the recording sessions with the septet, open-minded and willing to learn. Known for working with artists such as Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, and Megan Thee Stallion, Milano explained that he did not want to act as if he already knew everything. Instead, he approached the process as “a student.” With that attitude, he became one of the most important contributors to BTS’ album “ARIRANG.” He participated in six songs, including “Hooligan,” “Aliens,” “Normal,” “Merry-Go-Round,” “2.0,” and the project’s single “Swim.”
Milano says his relationship with HYBE started through Jennie from BLACKPINK
Milano explained that his connection to BTS began during previous sessions for BLACKPINK’s Jennie while she was working on her solo music in Los Angeles. Although their work was never released, he stayed in touch with Nicole Kim, vice-president of A&R at Big Hit Music. Kim previously served as the vice president of A&R for Columbia Records in the US, where she managed Jennie’s promotion in Hollywood.
Derrick Milano, the producer of BTS's album Arirang, stated that his relationship with BTS began when he collaborated with Jennie
Milano said his connection to BTS began with earlier collaborations tied to Jennie of Blackpink. Nicole Kim, vice president of A&R at Big Hit Music,… pic.twitter.com/3wjYrl0Bgn
— sdington (@maibogs) May 29, 2026
A few months later, Kim contacted him again to work with BTS. Milano visited Conway Recording Studios in Los Angeles and met the septet for the first time. He admitted he felt nervous because BTS is one of the biggest music acts in the world. However, initial conversations with J-Hope about fashion broke the ice so that the group and the songwriter felt comfortable before music creation.
“She was like, ‘There’s a lot of stuff that you have done that I am a fan of. There’s a record that you did that BTS and their team like a lot,” he was told.
BTS and Derrick Milano worked closely together to shape the album’s sound
During the sessions, producer Pdogg guided Milano through melodies and vocal ideas in real time. Milano said he focused on adapting to BTS’ own style instead of forcing his own approach. He especially worked on melodic flows and rap sections that could feel natural in English. In addition, Milano praised RM’s attention to rap details and explained that he wanted the songs to remain easy for fans to understand. BTS eventually released “ARIRANG” on March 20, 2026, following the group’s return from military service, making the album their most important project since their hiatus in 2022.
