After their longest prep-period to date, BTS is back with their latest album, Map of the Soul: 7. You are probably already familiar with BTS due to their recent takeover of the global music industry and theircollaborations with various artists, appearances on talk shows, and attendance at award ceremonies. Though their music is predominantly in Korean, this pop group has worked its way up the ladder in the music industry by pushing the boundaries between k-pop and pop music.
A follow-up to their previous album released in April of 2019, Map of the Soul: 7 is titled aptly, seven being both the number of members in the group and the number of years they’ve been a band. The album represents a new direction for BTS’s music, though they already have a reputation for mixing up their sound and delving into new genres. Their ability to experiment with their sound is partly due to their diversity– four members are singers and the other three are rappers. They work together to create a variety of songs consisting of either singing or rapping or a combination of both.
When they debuted in 2013, their sound was largely inspired by western hip-hop artists. Their previous album, Map of the Soul: Persona, had a bubble-gum pop sound and featured Halsey on its title track. What makes Map of the Soul: 7 different is its inclusion of EDM elements and heavy bass as well as the introduction of trap beats throughout the album. These new elements combine with the boys’ vocals to create a sound that is both familiar and fresh, ushering the group into a new era.
The album begins with five tracks from their previous album. Their inclusion makes the difference between BTS’s old sound and their new one even more obvious when they are followed by two new songs, “Interlude: Shadow” and “Black Swan”. From the get-go, we’re surprised by the introduction of trap beats and a heavy bassline, a stark contrast to the bright pop sound of the first five songs.
“Filter” has a sweet guitar-driven melody that sounds Latin-inspired and gives the vocals a chance to shine. “Louder than bombs” features the entire group and serves as a strong example of their skill in combining singing and rapping; it is sure to be a fan-favorite. It’s another darker sounding song with heavy bass and trap beats, but the culmination at the chorus is a great reminder of BTS’ beautiful melodies. “00:00 (Zero O’Clock)” combines soft trap beats with a lo-fi sound that you can’t find in a lot of the band’s other discography.
My favorite song from the album is “Inner Child.” This song changes up the sound of the album and features soft guitar, a simple drum beat, and violin behind the chorus vocals. It is written from the perspective of one of the members to his younger self. In one verse, he sings “I wish we would smile more / It will be okay, because today’s me is doing fine.” The song is a sweet reminder of growth and self-love. Another favorite is “Friends,” a song which reflects on the seven years of friendship between two of the group members who attended school together. If this song makes it onto their tour set-list, it will for sure prompt the crowd to raise their flashlights for an emo moment.
The album wraps up with “We are Bulletproof: the Eternal,” another full-ensemble song. This is a callback to the band’s other songs titled “We are Bulletproof,” parts one and two of which are largely rap-based songs, making the piano melody that opens “the Eternal” a complete surprise. Utilizing EDM elements and beautiful harmonies throughout, this song reflects on how the band’s strong relationship with their fans makes them not a team of seven, but of eight.
BTS has yet again proved their versatility as artists and their ability to appeal to millions of fans who do not speak the same language. They are exceptionally skilled at bringing emotion into each and every one of their songs. As Bong Joon Ho stated at this year’s Golden Globes ceremony, “Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.” This applies to BTS’s music as well: if you take the time to look into their lyrics, you’ll see that they are sharing not just beautiful melodies but beautiful and timely messages of strength and encouragement that anyone can learn from.