Music has really been my one constant in this hectic time, and when BTS announced a new album earlier this year I was beyond excited. They weren’t planning on releasing a new album so close to their previous one, Map of the Soul: 7, but they said this album is for their fans to help make this hard time a little better. The release of this album, BE, has definitely been the highlight of this semester, if not this whole pandemic.
The first song is “Life Goes On” and I will not lie, I cried real tears the first time I listened to it. It is so beautiful. This album is meant to console all who listen to it, and right from the start you know they’ve achieved their goal. This song, along with a few others, are more stripped back than usual, and it really showcases their talent as artists as well as their emotion in the song. This song is slow, not a ballad or sad song, but it’s introspective and reflective showing that life does go on and will get better.
“Fly To My Room” is the next song, and follows a similar vibe as the first song but explores the frustration of being stuck at home during the pandemic. This song really shows the emotion that the members have for their fans, as they were planning on a world tour that they had to cancel due to COVID. However, this song ends on a happier note saying that staying home has brought the members even closer than they were before.
Perhaps the saddest song, “Blue & Grey”, notes the lowest point for the members. Meant to showcase the emotion of their problems and then explore them, it really hits home and has made many listeners cry because of the raw emotions. I think the lyrics of the chorus perfectly emulate the whole song:
I just wanna be happier
To melt the cold me
My hands have reached out countless times
Colorless echo
Oh, this ground feels so heavier
I am singing by myself
I just wanna be happier
Am I being too greedy?
“Skit” is not an actual song, but a recording of BTS on one of the member’s birthday when they found out their song Dynamite reached number 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, making it their first song to do so! A translation of the conversation can be found here.
The next song marks a transition in the album to a more upbeat and happy vibe. “Telepathy” is retro and funky-sounding, all about the feeling of being connected while not being together right now. It really is a perfect song for anyone who is feeling a little lonely or is missing their friends.
This old school hip-hop song, “Dis-ease” is about the downsides of being an artist, while also talking about the uneasiness of the pandemic. In the end this song gives hope for the future, which is something that I think we all need right now.
“Stay” is the last new song on the album, and tells the story of BTS missing their fans because they haven’t seen them in so long. The lyrics are very beautiful and showcase the longing of the members to perform for fans:
Those brilliant todays
For all of them
Oh every night and day
Yeah, I know you always stay
The cold wind blows
I take your hand, I feel your breath
I close my eyes
We are together
The last song on the album is “Dynamite,” a fresh and retro song all about making the listener feel good. It certainly accomplishes that, not only with the beats but the all encompassing good vibes that come from listening to it. This is also the first BTS song to be nominated for a Grammy!!
BE perfectly captures the emotion of the pandemic, all the ups and downs, but isn’t something that’s trying too hard to be relatable or a “quarantine song.” It’s just BTS showing their love for their fans during this difficult time, and honestly, what more could you want from an artist?
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