BTS - Love Yourself

Love Yourself - Tear

Nae pi ttam neumul nae majima chemul… not singing? Not even humming? Human!have you been living under a rock? Alright, let me just tell you a small story:

Once upon a time not so long ago in a land not so far away from India, say about 5 years back, 7 lads debuted under the BigHit banner with their first ever song. Little did they know that they would be sky rocketing to fame and zipping around the planet like a force that helps keep the world moving. Still nothing rings a bell?

Okay they beat Justin Bieber at the BBMA’s last year by winning the Social Artist Award(Which FYI JB had previously won for 5 consecutive years!). You surely would’ve heard of that?

No? Well then let me tell you a little something about these fabulous boys: Kim Seokjin (Jin), Min Yoongi(Suga), Kim Namjoon(RM), Jung Hoseok(J-Hope), Park Jimin(Mochi*), Kim Taehyung(V), Jeon Jungkook(Golden Maknae**). These boys have done an amazing job of singing songs that are relevant to events in the world today and that’s why have become world influencers. They wrote about –school, adolescence, depression, feminism, millennials, materialism, being the cultural South Korean beapsea*** and many other real world issues. They unlike most South Korean bands offer more than just songs about sex and break ups and that’s why they are miles ahead of their peers.

Apart from talking about topics that are taboo in South Korea they also make references to literature in most of their songs. I like a band that sprinkles its songs with pop culture references from books to movies to tragic incidents that people often tend to forget with time and of course mythology too. In my opinion if they were singing these songs when I was a teenager, I would have definitely gone out of my way to find the books that influenced their writing except now that I’m older I have already read most of the referenced books in their songs and when I did catch these references in their songs I have wanted to pat them on the back and say, “Good job boys.”

If you have never listened to them before you can start today J Acche kaam mein deri kaisi?

Their latest album is the second installment in the Love Yourself trilogy "TEAR"

Tracklist

Intro – Singularity: Have I lost myself? Or have I gained you? This time Kim Taehyung aka V sang a neo-soul track that is heavily influenced by jazz as the intro to the 2^ndinstallment in the Love Yourself Trilogy. The song is amazingly good to the ears and the video is done so beautifully! The choreography and the mask he dons on his face with a tear and that earring that reads “loved” all promised to make this album worth all the hype.

Fake Love:I wish love was perfect as love itself. This is the track they’ll be performing at BBMA’s in a few hours! Fake love continues with the Blood, Sweat and Tears theme except this time it is darker. Just like Blood, Sweat and Tears; the Fake Love music video continues the story arch of the member’s journey from teens to young adults who face temptation and are now trying to reason with themselves to be true to oneself. It is no longer about temptation it is about what lasts after all. There are several Easter eggs in the video the most glaring one being the hands that serve as the background and of course hints by way of choreography at some of their earlier tracks. I have been streaming their video since it released because that’s what the fandom does – break records with every comeback. (50 Million views already! 40 Million within 24 hours!)

Undelivered Truth: Is a song sung exclusively by the vocal line and what a beautiful song this is! This song is their second collaboration with Steve Aoki. He had earlier remixed Mic Drop which reached the Number 1 spot on iTunes chart.

134340(Pluto): Pluto is no longer a planet. It is just a number. Even though it is still revolving as it has all these years around the sun, it suddenly isn’t a planet any more. Build your own analogy in terms of love or any relationship from which you have been unceremoniously disqualified and you’ll be singing Pluto.

Paradise: The real world is different from what is promised. On one hand the boys are singing about it being okay to not have a dream and even if you do have one it’s okay if it is a simple one and on the other hand they are also singing about how different it is when you are constantly asked to buck up and participate in the proverbial rat race.

Love Maze:Ah so many maze theories in my head! Yet again a song about

“If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too.

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise”

I guess the first verse from IF by Rudyard Kipling sums up Love Maze which again is a dedication to A.R.M.Y.****

Magic Shop:Magic shop is defined as a “Psychodramatic technique that exchanges fear for a positive attitude.” This is basically a dedication to their fans. Fans that found solace in their music and got drawn into the stories these seven young lads had to tell. Also, a shout-out to Jungkook who is truly living up to his title as the ‘Golden Maknae’.

Airplane Pt.2: Is a continuation of Airplane from J-Hope’s mix tape Hope World. This is a subtle dis track. No BTS album is complete without a dis track. 5 years since their debut they sure have come a long way but the song is about how they are still the same as they were back then.

Anpanman:This song is a dedication to Anpanman a famous Japanese anime superhero. Unlike our heroes from DC and MCU, Anpanman is trying to save the world with the help of his Bean(An) bun(Pan) head. When he encounters starving creatures he lets them satiate their hunger by letting them have a bite of his bean bun head. This is as metaphorical as one gets with “I can’t give you much but here is a piece of me”. That is exactly what the song talks about.

The song is about members of BTS coursing through a maze as young adults and all the fame that they have encountered and about constantly being in the limelight. It’s about hiding their pain and still coursing through and giving their fandom the best music they can make.

So what:This track is the most carefree track featured in this album. If I were in my 20’s I would have definitely loved this song for exactly what it is, except now in my 30’s I just can’t let things slide 😒 The downside of growing up became so apparent for me while listening to this song.

Outro – Tear: This track is exclusively by the Rap Line. It is clearly a continuation from the outro of the first part in the trilogy and I was looking to see if they had left any hints of what the next album will be called based on their verses in the outro.

Why should you listen to them? Well, they write their own music and songs. They don’t just sing they also dance and when I say dance I mean, they’ll make your eyes pop! Everything they write is drawn from their experience and for fans who’ve been listening to them since 2013 will know the difference between the then and now and the way they have progressively belted out albums is incredible because they have been telling us a story from the beginning and each album is a chapter and each music video a small snippet of the stories to come.

*Mochi – Rice cake

** Maknae – The youngest

*** Beapsea – Crowtit

**** A.R.M.Y – The official name of their fandom!

#BTS #LoveYourselfTear #BBMAs