BTS World OST - Instrumentals

The Story of 7 Different Worlds

by
Shufei Chen

Here I am writing a review of the BTS World soundtrack, yes, I must be in love with it. This time though, it’s a different take. It’s a new challenge for me because as I write this I realise that I haven’t actually yet listened to the tracks I’m about to review! So, these will be my first impressions based on a first listen to the instrumentals. Yes, I said instrumental. This is the review of the 7 different tracks of the 7 members on the BTS World Soundtrack. So, without further ado, let the music be the story.

Kim Namjoon - ‘Captain’

The very first 3 seconds of the song, I instantly thought this is a song you’d hear on James Bond, or those older detective shows. It's no surprise as Namjoon’s job in BTS World: Another story is as a literature student turned detective. For me personally, it told the story of a detective solving a problem, before slowly starting to give up as it was too hard and at the end when all hope is lost, the problem gets solved. The constant changes in tone and volume makes it all the more mysterious and spy like. It’s a track worth listening to when you need uplifting or energy.

Kim Seokjin - ‘Wish’

The song starts off with a piano before introducing the strings. Throughout the song, there is a constant switch between just piano and the mix of both piano and strings. Personally, it felt like a story of hope. One minute you have the hope, the next you lose it and it’s a constant journey between the two. At the time of silence in the song closer towards the end, it can reflect that moment of realisation. With the end of the song reflecting the idea that hope has been found and it’s steady. It can be quite similar to Jin’s story where he has what he’s looking for but it gets taken away from him and it’s a constant battle that he faces. This track is worth listening to if you need to let out inner emotions.

Min Yoongi - ‘Shine’

This track is one of the more joyful ones of all the theme tracks. It starts off on the piano being played on the higher keys, showing a happy theme. This then progresses to whistling which then progresses to vocals humming to the original tune. I think it reflects a story of someone who goes on a journey of happiness. They start off themselves and then reach many different levels of happiness and experiences, many different types of joy and this happiness escalates higher and higher. Until at the end, they realise that being themselves makes them happy enough, hence the ending is similar to the beginning. I think that this is worth listening to on days when you are in need of happiness.

Jung Hoseok - ‘Friends’

This track, unsurprisingly, is incredibly jolly. There are a variety of instruments used such as the drums, guitar, glockenspiel and many more. To me, the song kind of tells a story of a journey that a person goes on with people close to them and the fun that they have throughout that time. At the end of the song when it becomes calmer, it becomes more like the person reminiscing at the memories which makes them feel happier as they look back at the fun days. I think that it suits Hoseok’s personality perfectly and his storyline of looking after animals; perhaps it’s the time he spends with the animals that make him happy. This track I would recommend listening to on a good day, a bad day, any day.

Park Jimin- ‘Cake Waltz’

Jimin's theme definitely makes us all dream of Disney. The bubbly sound of the strings allows us to picture the image of a prince and a princess dancing. Reflecting the innocence and cuteness within the story at the same time. The track mirrors the personality of Jimin as well; his softer, sweeter, cuter and more innocent side. Seeing as on his story, he is a baker, I think it matches perfectly and shows us the joy that he has making food to sell to people as well as the fun that he has doing what he does. It's definitely worth a listen to when you feel like you need cheering up.

Kim Taehyung- ‘Flying’

I really think that this tells the story of someone who is trying to reach their dreams. At the start, they establish their dream and are constantly finding ways of reaching it. The music builds and when it climaxes it feels like this person is getting closer and closer to reaching their dream. The song repeats this cycle again showing us that the journey to reaching the end point is not easy and that you’ll have the downfall before you get back on track again. It ends on a high showing us that the ending is a happy one; worth listening to when you need inspiration or motivation.

Jeon Jeongguk- ‘Not Alone’

This theme track takes us on a journey of belonging. At the start with the calmer music, it feels like there is a lack of belonging, yet as it progresses the music builds up and, in the end, we feel that sense of belonging. This could be a reflection of Jungkook’s character in the game. At the start he doesn’t really feel like he belongs in any of the clubs despite him being good at everything but in the end, he feels that sense of belonging when he joins the taekwondo club. I think that it tells us that no matter how alone you feel, there is a place in the world for you and that there will be point when you feel that belonging but the time it takes varies for different people. I think that this track is worth a listen to if you ever feel sad, lost or overwhelmed.

This ends the review of the theme tracks. Remember that this is a review based on a first time listen and my own opinion, therefore it is completely open to your own interpretation. Perhaps you view them differently?

I hope that you enjoyed my thoughts about the instrumentals; you can also check out the reviews of the songs from the soundtrack album at the following link: BTS World OST

All the tracks are available to purchase and stream on all platforms. BTS Radio UK have created a playlist where you can listen and stream the OST tracks as well as Persona at the following link: spotify.com/playlist

Image source: @BTSW_official