#BTSxCorden - Charlie Murray
The Late Late Show with James Corden
#BTSxCorden: BTS on The Late Late
Show: A Review
By
Charlie Murray
I now know what Namjoon meant at the Grammy's when he said
this new comeback was "harder". We have come to expect incredible
things with BTS, but after setting my alarm for 5:15am (European ARMYs, how US
time zones make us suffer) and seeing a barrage of dizzying claims such as
“ASHTON KUTCHER CARRIED JIN OVER HIS SHOULDER!”, “JUNGKOOK’S TOP IS
SEE-THROUGH” and “THEY DANCED BAREFOOT” on my Twitter timeline, I, well and
truly felt delirious and not ready for what I was about to witness.
We were teased at the start with James Corden slipping BTS
references into his recap of the news, and after patiently waiting to see our boys;
there they were on the sofa. I have to give a special acknowledgement for the
boys’ English, I can see how much studying the boys have been doing behind the
scenes, as Namjoon encouraged the members to listen to and answer the questions
in English as opposed to translating for them.
There were no collaboration
questions; Corden made the boys feel comfortable with his welcoming attitude
towards them, as confirmed by Hoseok and Taehyung in the Vlive after the show.
The game of hide-and-seek also made the language barrier no issue as it was an
easy game that felt like an extra episode of Run BTS. I practically felt the
rush of serotonin through me as the boys hid around the studio with hilarious
results, disguised as cameramen and sound operators. And yes, Seokjin’s stunned
reaction to Ashton carrying him over his shoulder after finding him to bring
him to the stage was brilliant TV.
However, the main event of the night - and the reason why I
was willing to wake up at a ridiculous hour just to see it live - was the very
first televised performance of Black Swan. I held my phone very close to my
face as I stared and attempted to digest
just what was happening. This was ARMY’s first ever viewing of a brand new
choreography to set the stage (literally) for a new era - I was not going to
miss a frame of it. I am not sure where to start as it was overall such a fresh
and unique performance for BTS. It had aspects of what appeared to be
contemporary dance, which of course meant that Jimin shone. His solo dance part
was a highlight, as his stage presence is always obviously captivating but
seeing him in his element with those fluid moves felt like such a privilege.
Jungkook and Yoongi had moments together, as did Yoongi and Hoseok, and overall
the members were so ridiculously in-sync that I could hardly comprehend it. It
was perfection, through-and-through. They clearly practiced even more than we
know, and their meticulously-timed movements were so pleasing to watch.
Certain movements, such as the hands on ears and the
outspread legs, reminded me of Blood, Sweat and Tears, while the sheer black
outfits and the outstretched hands reminded me of Fake Love. This performance
told me that fans of darker concepts like Tear and Wings will greatly enjoy the
Map of the Soul: 7 era. The gorgeous backdrop of the forest and the lake made
me feel quite fortunate that the first televised performance of Black Swan was
here, on their own beautiful set, with very good camerawork that did not once
pan to the audience, on a show that respects them.
As the Black Swan studio version uses certain autotune
techniques, hearing the live vocals was also wonderful. Their mics were on and
turned up (obviously - they never differ from professionalism) and the vocals
were crisp, clear and clean. With that complex choreography, it still astounds
me how BTS manage to achieve such stability live, especially at a probably
incredibly nerve-wracking performance as it was their first time showcasing
this song live.
Watching the show, laughing and gasping at it, following
other fans’ reactions online, all gave me such a buzz that I admit I did not
want to go just go back to sleep afterwards (although I needed to nap as I had
woken up very early and probably needed more sleep before my classes). However,
I eventually managed to drift back to sleep, happy in the knowledge that even
after all this, we still have the carpool karaoke to look forward to (according
to ARMY who were in the studio audience). The show ended occupying many of the
top worldwide trends, from intentionally-trended hashtags to phrases that
simply caught ARMY off guard, such as Taehyung’s “Never Better!”.
Overall, the Corden appearance was even more uplifting and
mesmerising than I thought it would be, and it gave me happy feelings for the
rest of the day. I would like to thank James Corden for making BTS feel so
comfortable on this highly-anticipated episode.
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