In the K-Pop world, things have been moving fast for BTS. The musical boy group is taking the genre by storm. They are having a very successful year as proven by their win of “Social Artist” at the Billboard Music Awards in 2017; they came back to perform for the first time ever on that very stage this past Sunday, May 20th. But that’s not all, after winning the same award for the second year in a row, they also premiered the promotional single of their latest album “Love Yourself 轉 ‘Tear’,” showing their musical and artistic versatility to the whole world.
This album is the continuation of the “Love Yourself” series and their third full album since “Wings” (2016) and “Dark&Wild” (2014). With 11 great songs to choose from, I took the time to listen to all of them and pick the fans’ favorites and a few personal favorites.
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Intro: Singularity: This is the first song you listen to when you play the album from the start. A strong R&B based rhythm paves the way, not only for the mood of the rest of the album but also for Kim Taehyung’s—known as V—soulful vocals. Lyrics like: “Have I lost myself or have I gained you” express how can someone lose everything in a loveless relationship to please their lover. In addition to this, the scenery, choreography, and cinematography of the performative video are on another level.
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FAKE LOVE: The promotional single has a great impact in and out of the album by being the face of the whole concept. With an emo hip-hop genre plus a grunge rock guitar sound and a groovy trap beat as described by the Korean media, the song talks about a love that’s supposed to be lethal. A lyric that stood out when I listened to it was: “I wish love was perfect as love itself” because it perfectly describes the feeling everyone goes through whenever they get their heart broken. The video is also well-produced, and it reflects the hopelessness while maintaining the constant storyline.
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The Truth Untold (feat. Steve Aoki): Now, let’s take a moment to appreciate this song. This kind of style is pretty new for BTS, who constantly focuses on heavier rhythms to express their dissatisfaction towards society. The song co-produced by Aoki, the same person who made the remix of their single “Mic Drop,” talks about not being able to fully show oneself to someone fearing they’ll leave after the reveal. In lyrics: “What I can do is / In the garden / In this world / I bloom a pretty flower that looks like you / And breathe as the me that you know / But I still want you / I still want you,” they show these feelings through a beautiful metaphor.
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Magic Shop: With a hopeful, upbeat sound BTS delivers another song for their fans. This song dedicated to ARMY talks about the trust they have on them and how their love and their recognition inspired the members to do better, forgetting their self-hate. Composed by the members RM and Jungkook, the lyrics bring a safe place where both parts can rest for a while. “I wanted to comfort you, move you / I want to end your sadness and pain” and “You gave me the best of me / So you’ll give you the best of you” show, through great vocals, their endless gratitude.
- Airplane, Pt. 2: This song is a continuation of “Airplane;” part of Jung Hoseok’s, known as J-Hope, mixtape “Hope World.” It reveals the fears and struggles of the members since their debut until now while sharing a sneak peek of their everyday life. With a strong Latin fusion in its beat, they mention a couple of the top countries and cities around the world to show how far they have come. They also call out artists who have changed drastically after acquiring fame.