BTS Coverage Compilation
In celebration of the group’s comeback!
While awaiting my review of BTS’s new album (and other “Best New Music” reviews that are currently in the works!), catch up on my previous BTS-themed coverage!
Articles
BTS and My Reinvigorated Love of Reading
An Underrated Message in Agust D’s D-DAY
Podcast Episodes (I made these FREE to stream!)
Tushar Apte talked about the making of “HOME”!
Author and music writer Maria Sherman described how BTS both fits into the history of boy bands and stands out on their own! (This is also an episode of Enthusiasts, my podcast about fandoms of all kinds!)
Lastly, here’s the “BTStudy Guides” Series!
Reviews
Proof
“BTS use Proof and its new songs to reflect on their past and present, but they decline to elaborate on what their future has in store… While this release might feel lacking, it is actually the opposite; it is as complete in its purpose as BTS have ever been. The choice to leave future plans vague, only to say with certainty that the best is still ‘Yet To Come,’ is classic BTS. If they had clarified where their story goes from here, it would not be truthful, and BTS ensure their stories are anything but manufactured… They are just as nervous and uncertain about the future as everyone else, and they try to see the hope and possibilities in that uncertainty. They close a chapter of their lives with the same nostalgia and conflicted feelings as the audience who has grown up with them…”
BTS & Coldplay’s “My Universe”
“In a dystopia, the bands refuse to comply with an intergalactic ‘No Performing’ rule, risking everything in the process. There are only so many times collaborators can make a music video remotely and keep it interesting; a video chat-themed music video quickly grows old. The creative ‘My Universe’ video avoids that, because the members are meant to be seen not physically beside one another. They take the form of holograms projected onto the environment and controlled by a DJ/master puppeteer. BTS and Coldplay combine their artistic sensibilities, creativity, and immense belief in music as a universal language to create the magic that is ‘My Universe.’”
“Butter”
“Although BTS is rightfully known for their incredibly layered, detailed storytelling, their light and fun tracks can be just as enjoyable. This is certainly the case for ‘Butter,’ which arrives at the perfect time to be an early ‘Song of the Summer’ contender…”
“Film out”
“‘Film out’ is a beautiful ballad with a continuously ascending structure. It has an interesting, unexpected composition, with a chorus that lingers in unexpected spots and vocals that stay at the forefront even when instrumentals seem to retreat. The structure of this song allows for it to feel like it is constantly gaining momentum, in an auditory equivalent of an optical illusion…”
“Permission to Dance”
“BTS often comment on the purpose of their work as musicians: they view it not as a mere possibility, but an obligation, to use their music to help others. Whether that is through offering messages of solace or just giving fans a reason to smile, BTS ensure each song of theirs is a step towards their goal of making life better for their listeners. ‘Permission to Dance’ is a perfect continuation of this mission... There is something truly groundbreaking about reminding people to stop and find pockets of joy amidst the chaos, and BTS are continuously producing more of those pockets of joy…”
“00:00 (Zero O’Clock)”
“This might be considered an unofficial BTS music video, since it is an advertisement of sorts for BTS’s ‘TinyTAN’ characters. However, this Pixar short film of a video deserves a nod regardless of how ‘technically’ it counts as an official music video release! ‘00:00 (Zero O’Clock)’ reminds listeners that if things don’t go well one day, there is always a chance to start anew when the clock ‘resets’…”
j-hope’s HOPE ON THE STREET VOL.1
“HOPE ON THE STREET VOL.1 speaks to j-hope’s effectiveness as a springboard off of which other artists can thrive, and his mix of newer and more established collaborators proves his flexibility in seamlessly pairing music of the past with the present… The EP can best be summarized as ‘j-hope through the years’ and shows j-hope can be counted on to stay true to his roots while uplifting the messages of others.”
j-hope’s Jack In The Box
“‘Hope gave people the will to carry on living amidst the pain and strife,’ the narrator says. The following songs are a conversation of sorts with himself, as j-hope contemplates where to find this hope in the bottom of the box, and if he is responsible for finding it. After all, if he considers himself to be the hope, who will be his hope? And what will it take to find his own hope, separated from all the darkness under which it is buried? Ironically, discovering hope requires mining through all sorts of dark emotions and memories, a journey on which ‘Jack’ goes through in Jack In The Box… The grit his mission requires matches the grittiness of his new songs. By the time the album nears its conclusion, it becomes clear how unclear j-hope’s situation is! His quest to find Hope separate from Jack seems to have only reiterated how inseparable they are.”
j-hope & Crush’s “Rush Hour”
“While some of Crush’s most famous songs are slower and more serious, and j-hope’s most popular songs now are in the realm of grunge music, they both also pull off upbeat styles with flying colors…”
j-hope & J. Cole’s “on the street”
“As they both reach crossroads in their lives… they revisit where their stories began: on the street, j-hope dancing there and J. Cole filming his debut mixtape there. Starting and ending a chapter of their lives on the street brings home its multiple meanings. Streets can represent both a possibility to go somewhere new and the roads previously traveled… They represent something that is universally known and used but turned into very personalized memories. Most summatively, the street represents the journey being as important as the destination, if not more…”
Jimin’s FACE
“FACE crystallizes the sensation of both having and fearing losing it all. The messiness within Jimin’s emotions stays top of mind with unmissable background noises: a muffled house party, an alarm going off, screaming fans, the sound of getting a glass of water, sighs… The purposeful inclusion of the soundtrack of Jimin’s daily life beyond the typical definition of a soundtrack gives each song an intimate feeling, like the audience is visiting the unfiltered, innermost recesses of Jimin’s memories…”
Jimin’s MUSE
“MUSE is a time machine. It celebrates the Jimin of the past with ‘Closer Than This’... It pays homage to artists who came before Jimin, through the ‘Smeraldo Garden Marching Band’ music video, which is loosely inspired by The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. It moves into the present day with ‘Slow Dance,’ a saxophone-driven R&B song that speaks to Jimin’s newfound maturity, and ‘Be Mine,’ a song that speaks to his new comfort level with genre-blending… Lastly, ‘Who’ puts one foot in the past and one in the present, pairing Jimin’s early-aughts musical influences with lyrics about what is currently on his mind…”
Jimin & TAEYANG’s “VIBE”
“What the ‘VIBE’ music video lacks in plot it more than makes up for in visuals, from the constantly-changing lighting to the leather-filled wardrobe. Since some of TAEYANG’s most popular solo songs are his most emotional ones and BTS member Jimin is known for his group’s substantive discography, it is refreshing to see both artists take a break to just let loose!”
Jin’s Echo
“Soft reverb, live instruments, and melodies on which Jin’s voice effortlessly glides are just a few of the many highlights throughout Echo. The songs are well-crafted and make up for simplistic lyricism with detailed instrumentals… Echo has many flavors and hopefully encourages Jin to keep exploring his vast musical tastes.”
Jin’s Happy
“Despite being the product of worldwide collaborations… despite having some darker moments… and despite its refusal to stay in a specific genre box… Happy manages to be cohesive. Each song sticks to the main theme of optimism…”
Jin’s “The Astronaut”
“‘The Astronaut’ is a touching song regardless of fandom status, but it packs an even more powerful punch for the BTS ARMY. First of all, fans will recognize parallels between JIN’s backstory and his music video character’s… Second of all, returning to the theme of outer space is special for bringing to mind JIN’s previous solo ‘Moon’ and BTS’s Coldplay collaboration ‘My Universe.’ Third of all, ‘The Astronaut’ is a message for ARMY to hold onto as JIN prepares to start his mandatory military service…”
Jung Kook’s GOLDEN
“While it would be nice to hear more self-produced and self-written material from Jung Kook in the future, his ease at bringing the songs he’s given to the next level proves that day will be worth the wait! GOLDEN is a solid solo start, proving Jung Kook has what it takes to have Bieber-level pop-star status, if not higher. He makes it seem easy to pull off smooth dance moves and belt out songs like his life depends on it!”
Jung Kook & Latto’s “Seven”
“It has proven to be chameleonic through remixes, a vibe that varies between the clean and explicit versions, and a chorus that goes from annoying to an earworm! Having an initial dislike for the song and its repetitive, basic chorus is understandable, but so is the impulse to keep on playing the song ‘just one more time,’ because of Jung Kook’s mellifluous voice, the danceable UK garage beat, and the extra bit of personality added by Latto’s rap.”
RM’s Right Place, Wrong Person
“Right Place, Wrong Person is RM’s most genre-averse and purposefully meandering work to date. The instruments and his words alike conjure up nuanced atmospheres and hard-to-pinpoint emotions that clash in the corresponding music videos… Interpretations of the music videos vary widely, but the underlying message is that life often feels the way RM depicts it: like something being constructed in real time. Life cannot be fully planned out; life happens simply as one lives it, like how RM’s video scenes unfold as he roams through them. Forging connections is similarly unable to be planned out in advance, hence why many video characters’ reactions have questionable sincerity, why the line between RM enjoying and merely tolerating others’ company is often disputable, and why RM’s thoughts pertaining to each song’s subjects are tangled balls of emotions…”
RM’s Indigo
“Indigo is both a summary and an expansion of RM’s thoughts and feelings, an invitation to both gain clarity and learn something new about oneself. The reflection prompted by his deep songs comes from his equal prioritization of sharing his story and those of others… he speaks his truth and then gives listeners openings for applying those truths in their own ways…”
SUGA & PSY’s “That That” Music Video
“The silliness is particularly entertaining when contrasted with faux-seriousness, like when PSY and SUGA act out a scene pretending to fight each other and when SUGA carries a PSY feigning feeling weak.”
V’s Layover
“V proves to be an A-plus student of jazz and classical music! He takes an alternative approach to both genres, keeps a firm commitment to throwback aesthetics, and adds personal touches to his music videos, making this release a trip through the decades. The most summative descriptor of Layover is ‘timeless.’ V blurs auditory and stylistic timelines, making trends all his own and creating a soundscape and visual realm that is confined yet creative and curious…”
And, of course, they’re all over the “Best Songs of the Year” lists!