BTS Radio UK Weekly Playlist - 2022
A brand new year, a brand new playlist. Our team brings you a new one each week.
It’s All About Namjoon
With the release of Indigo, our team was powerless to prevent a Namjoon exclusive playlist from happening so here it is:
CLICK HERE: NAMJOON SPOTIFY PLAYLIST
Our playlist team answered this thought provoking question:
Q. What would you say was your favourite Namjoon track?
Michayla - What a question! I have several because Mono is one of my ultimate favourite albums so that covers a few. I have to place Trivia: Love near the top because witnessing the live performance is a memory I have and that is special to me. I’m also a huge fan of the collaboration with Younha ‘Winter Flower’ which is probably on every playlist I have created. So, I suppose the answer is ‘no’ because I have many!
Charlie - This is such a difficult question, because Namjoon’s music really resonates with me. We’re both introspective overthinkers, so I turn to his solo music when life seems too much. But ‘moonchild’ is the one that I have loved enough that it is on my list of potential tattoos.”We’re born to be sad, suffer to be glad” is a quote that I remind myself of when I feel sad and wonder what the point is in feeling like that. Because I know that hard times are necessary in order to appreciate the happier times. ‘Everythingoes’ is an honourable mention as, after a bad day, it’s good to just let it out with a cry and listen to ‘Everythingoes’ while thinking, “this will pass”.
Bicycle - Michayla
I always have trouble when it comes to choosing a song to write about, especially when I think about how many songs we have covered in the years we have been creating this wonderful blog. The difficulty this time was how much I love Mono and the introduction of Indigo! So, I did the sensible thing and opted for neither. ‘Bicycle’ was recently added to Spotify after living on Soundcloud since its release for Festa in 2021 so I felt it deserved the recognition.
I really resonated with the lyrics to this Namjoon masterpiece. I have a love for the songs released unexpectedly on birthdays or for festa because they always seem to hit hard and provide us with something we didn’t know we needed. Bicycle is exactly one of those songs.
This song was written about how Namjoon felt during the heights of the pandemic when many people were in lockdown and I think he describes it beautifully:
‘I wanna keep the bass down low
Already my heart is in weekend mode
I don't see no open cars, no open bars
It's not bad, I'm completely alone on the road
The hearts of people floating like islands
A night that may never come
I walk across the horizon and roll again
To that vanishing point we set’
It was certainly a challenging and strange period of time. I think that we could also relate the lyrics to other times in our lives when it seems that the world is somewhat against us. We all need to remember that it’s okay to cry and to release emotions so this part of verse 2 are my favourite lyrics:
‘What's really important is invisible to the eye
get your feet off the ground
bird-like
Let's float like an island
dance with the wind
Yeah you can cry
sad when you're happy’
Namjoon is a genius. His way with words is just beautiful and this song should definitely be up there with his greatest accomplishments. It is a song that puts the ‘C’ in comfort, it was a big warm hug at the time it was released but the lyrics are timeless and can provide comfort no matter what challenges you are facing.
Still Life - Charlie
Still Life was quickly one of my top songs from Indigo - so I was very chuffed when it also got a music video. The track, featuring anderson .paak, is about how Namjoon’s life is put on display, always going forward and kept alive, even when his old self has gone. Namjoon described this song as being inspired by Still Life paintings he saw, in which flowers (for instance) that had died long ago were kept alive by being displayed on canvases.
‘I'm still life (Ooh-ooh)
Yeah, can't lock me in the frame, I'm movin', yeah-eh
I'm still life (Ooh-ooh)
Life is better than the death, I'll prove it’
In Still Life, Namjoon raps about wanting to be let free from the canvas in which he finds himself. He just wants to keep going forward, still living, even while enjoying living in the present moment.
‘I want to escape the frame of this canvas (Oh-oh)
The shadow cast over me by yesterday and tomorrow
I just calmly livе errtime (Oh-oh)
24/7, yeah, baby, I’m on timе
I just live every minute and every second of today
Bet everything you have
What you know about me, huh?’
I’m going to get a tattoo with the mantra, ‘just live’ on it, so the concept of just going through life, wanting to move past the past and just carry on enjoying each second of life as it happens, is one that I’m really into right now. It’s also a theme I saw throughout Indigo, particularly in No. 2, which is about healing from the past and not fixating on it in regret.
Still Life feels very positive and breezy for me. It’s about enjoying the moment, and it’s an acknowledgement from Namjoon that while his life is on display, he accepts it and he’s still moving forward. Especially with the line in the chorus, “life is better than the death, I’ll prove it”. To me, that line sums up Namjoon’s worldview. That while life can be lonely and frustrating, he will keep moving through it because ‘that’s life’.
No. 2 - Cheryl
This week we are giving our leader all the attention, quite rightly so. Indigo is such a masterpiece and when I first heard No.2 it had such a pretty opening melody that I knew it would be something special, to me (although I am sure I am not alone).
Park Ji Yoon has such a contrasting voice to Namjoon that they compliment each other really well. Having a female singing on the song definitely implies a relationship feel and they call each other ‘My love” which enforces this.
Chorus
‘My love, don't look back anymore, mm
After all those waves passed through, mm-mm
Even if countless things bother you
You will protect yourself now
My love, don't look back anymore, mm
Behind the clearly mixed memories, mm-mm
These remaining lives stays like a bonus
You've done your best’
Verse
‘My love, don't look back anymore, mm-mm
Which way to go? There'll be no regrets, mm-mm
Yeah, you're not that special (Yeah)
I won't cry at these words anymore
I smile
That I ain't gotta prove myself
That I ain't the one, that I ain't the shit
A child who was hungry for recognition
Older people that are suited mind
My balloon filled with myself, explode
After it exploded, I knew it was empty inside
I asked endlessly, can it just flow?
Can I belong where I don't want to?
Oh, seemed to my melody last forever
Yes me, my felony (Ooh-ooh)
I've only learned one thing so far
I'll be forever me (Ooh-ooh)
All the accidents I believed were inevitable
All those nights that were as long as eternity
You've done your best (Ayy)’
Just listening to the song gave me sentimental thoughts and then reading the lyrics (which I’ve placed above) there is definitely a sentimental nostalgic sense to the song. The song seems to be reflective of Namjoon’s journey to date and an acceptance of who he has become.
This song does appear to be drawing a line under the past, with the repeat of don’t look back anymore. I look forward to the future and what delights Namjoon has in store for us.
Japanese Songs with BTS
From time to time our team like to delve into the songs that some ARMYs may not be familiar with so this time they have explored the vast Japanese catalogue of songs.
Do you have a favourite Japanese album or song? Don’t be shy, tell us, we’d love to hear from you. You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Weverse @BTSRadioUK
CLICK HERE for the Spotify playlist.
Outro: The Journey - Michayla
I had a very difficult time choosing which song to write about because I’m a huge fan of the Japanese versions of BTS’ well known songs and the original tracks. My ultimate Japanese song is Crystal Snow which is closely followed by Lights, Let Go and Your Eyes Tell. The Japanese catalogue is extensive and I was so excited when I heard versions of Dope, DNA and Boy In Luv for the first time.Of course, the one time I was nervous was when Map of the Soul: The Journey was released and I realised there was going to be a Japanese version of ON! If you follow me on Twitter or you read this blog regularly, you will know that I am weak for ON and have no shame in my obsession. As it turned out, I love the Japanese ON so all was good with the world, phew!
It always surprises me how many ARMYs aren’t aware of the Japanese MV’s. There are some fantastic additions to the wonderful world of BTS MVs so I would highly recommend searching for Japanese Blood, Sweat & Tears and Danger, too! The Blood, Sweat & Tears MV is particularly colourful and the version of Danger, I actually prefer to the Korean version MV.
Due to the difficulty in choosing this week, I thought I would give the spotlight to the outro of the album MOTS: The Journey. It is 1 minute and 17 seconds of haunting beauty and it transports me to a place of tranquillity. This outro feels like an outro, if that makes sense? It feels like an ending, something that concludes a magnificent journey.
The only lyrics are distorted and from ‘Your Eyes Tell’ so primarily this track is instrumental. You can hear a piano and synthesiser and the way the tune dips and peaks is kind of magical.
If you click on the link in the introduction above, you can listen to the outro and the Japanese discography that BTS have gifted us over the years and I truly feel that there are some absolute gems there.
Stay Gold - Cheryl
This week we decided to give attention to the plethora of BTS Japanese songs and so I chose my current favourite Stay Gold. This was their first Japanese single off their album: Map of the Soul:7 - Journey and I found it to be such an uplifting song, especially as it was released during the pandemic. Firstly, I really enjoyed how the song started slowly and intimately with Jungkook and then it built gradually into the chorus. What a punch the chorus has - so much depth and feeling and of course it’s also very catchy.
Upon reading the lyrics it would appear to be a love song, particularly with regards to the bridge:
‘Just close your eyes
Say nothing
I'll steal your heart
Like magic
If it's a miracle, I'll tell you, yeah
Reach out those hands’
Also, RM’s and Suga’s verse:
‘Charming moonlight
Another sleepless night
Playing hide and seek under the moonlight
Dive into your heart, getting closer
Before you know it
Don't know the impurity
Your eyes are like diamonds
Prettier than any other gem
I am constantly fascinated
Can't take my eyes off you, no more’
Exploring the video, it’s interesting to remember that this song and album were released during the period when we were all having to stay home and the video seems to capture that time as it is set in a homely environment and filmed in a way that gives an old movie kind of feel. With regards to the outro BTS are reminding us that they are with us, they are holding our hands and do not want to let go:
‘Peeking moonlight
Won't let sleep tonight
Hold my hand tight
I don't want to let go’
What does Gold mean to you? For me it means success (like winning a gold medal at the Olympics or winning a trophy), so maybe it’s a reminder to remember your successes (even the small ones) and try to stay positive.
Black Swan, Japanese Version - Charlie
Black swan is already a beautiful song to me, both in terms of the meaning of the song, and how it sounds. It's a devastatingly beautiful track about BTS' fear of falling out of love with their music, and no longer wanting to dance or perform. However, as we get towards the end of the song, the members realise just how much they adore music, and are struck with a feeling that they will never fall out of love with it. BTS describe this emotional and audibly pleasing track as emo-hip-hop.
"If this can no longer resonate
No longer make my heart vibrate
Then like this may be how
I die my first death"
I love BTS for creating a song like this; it takes a lot of courage to admit to yourself, let alone to the world, that you’re scared of losing your love for the thing that you’ve built a career and huge following on.
When thinking of BTS' Japanese releases, I usually think of their original Japanese songs, like Don’t Leave Me and Lights. However, the Japanese release of Black Swan should not be overlooked; the song itself took ages to be performed in-person and appreciated on the stage it deserved, due to the pandemic, so the Japanese version is a great way to appreciate the song in a different format. We are blessed to have the orchestral version of Black Swan, the studio version, and the Japanese version, so I love to appreciate all 3!
Plus, BTS have a really cool ability to make their existing songs, which I’ve already listened to so frequently, sound fresh and even more beautiful in other languages. Sometimes, with this and ON, for instance, I’ll listen to the Japanese versions instead of the original Korean versions, just because they sound more fresh to my ears and there’s something different about them that I keep going back to, even when I’ve heard the original versions so often that surely I should be bored of every version by now! Truly, BTS’s songs never have an expiry date or allow me to fall out of love with them.
“Slowly, I open my eyes
I'm in my workroom, it's my studio
The darkness go darkly in a throe
But I'll never get dragged away again
Inside, I saw myself, myself”
The Beginning - BTS
Our team wanted to provide ARMYs with a playlist of songs from the beginning of BTS' journey. Whether you are wanting to reminisce or watch for the first time, this YouTube playlist brings it all, CLICK HERE after reading what our playlist team has to say about 3 of the videos below.
Dope - Michayla
There may be only 12 videos in this playlist but deciding which one to write about was tough! I delved deep into my mind and as much as I adore each MV and dance practice, there truly was only one that was destined to write about.
The Dope MV is responsible for dragging me down into the BTS rabbit hole and here’s the admission… It was Jungkook in that policeman’s uniform that first grabbed my attention. There’s no point trying to come up with something else because that’s the fact right there, I was lured into the fandom initially for shallow reasons, but wow, I didn’t ever expect to fall as hard as I did for the amazing group I knew nothing about at the time.
The concept for the MV was the brainchild of our sweet Jimin and subsequently each member chose their profession. I love Jin as a doctor and Hobi as a racing driver and if you have seen any of the comeback shows from the time, there are plenty of outfit changes and some of them are great too (I loved Tae as a sailor).
The MV was filmed in a very long day and I remember seeing Yoongi cheering when the members were told they had finished and could go home. With rigorous choreography and all the different scenes, I’m not surprised they were looking forward to getting back to the dorm and I’m sure they couldn’t wait to get to bed!
This MV is iconic in my opinion and not just simply because of the special meaning it has for me. There are the outfits and choreography which I would know without even hearing the song itself. The dance moves are far too energetic for me (I’ve tried and failed) but I can do Jin’s solo part (which becomes a vocal line dance), Yoongi’s solo part (I can count with my fingers) and the actions for Namjoon’s ‘Satori sedai yutori sedai’ verse with Yoongi. If you know the MV you might therefore laugh when you see which parts I am referring to but I’m certainly not a dancer!
The Dope MV will always own a piece of my heart and it definitely left me Jungshook. It is also responsible for making me Taehyung biased so it really is responsible for a lot and it is one I will always go back and watch with fondness… “Thank you for everything, Dope MV.”
Just One Day - Cheryl
This week we are looking at the early days of BTS and so I have chosen the video of Just One Day. When I first got into BTS this was one of the first songs that I fell head over heels for. Such a sweet song about the dream of spending just one day and one night with that special someone.
The lyrics are very seductive; wanting to fall asleep intoxicated by your sweet scent, want to put my body in your warm deep eyes, breath-taking neck etc.
Every time I hear this song, I smile and my heart swells. The video is so simple and tender, BTS dancing on and around their chairs. Due to the simplicity there is nothing to detract from Namjoon’s platinum blonde hair and V’s which is the colour of a setting sun. They are dressed in white jumpers and trousers, no bright colours. Their dance moves appear very simple, but I believe this is just an illusion caused by the imagery I have described above and the synchronicity is pure BTS. My favourite lyrics are:
‘Then just give me one day
Even if it’s in my dream, just one day
Out of all those words I had to swallow
Because of the excuse of reality
I’ll pick one and tell it to you for sure
Let’s meet when the morning glory blooms
And part when they wither
I didn’t think I’d get over you easily but
Is it selfish of me to hope you are the same?
I’m still lying, saying that it’s all for you
You are standing in the center of my life’
This is because there is the confusion of dream and reality, vulnerability in the hope that the other person feels the same, that they are as important to the other person. Then there are the final lines, where it is expressed that the other person is just so important, the centre of their life – what an amazing picture this depicts, so much emotion and is very poetic. The lyrics include normal everyday things, like watching a movie, having a bite to eat, holding hands, which I believe makes the song relatable to everyone and brings a sense of normality and closeness to BTS and Army.
If you enjoyed this video, then I suggest you take a look at the Just One Day dance practice, where Tae has the giggles and Jin throws a Mario toy – it is just the cutest, how the members try and manage to keep their composure (mostly), I find funny and adorable, such professionals. Also, for once Jimin doesn’t fall off a chair.
We Are Bulletproof Pt. 2 - Charlie
When I was first getting into BTS, I found myself rewatching music videos like War of Hormone, Dope and Boy in Luv over and over again. Then one day, I decided to watch We Are Bulletproof pt. 2, after having a binge of the Bangtan Bombs that showed the behind-the-scenes of this video. And my love for them increased even more as a result of this sleek but adorable video, so if you need a refresher or you haven’t seen it yet due to being a baby ARMY, allow me to reintroduce you to We Are Bulletproof pt. 2.
“(What) Now we’ll take it
(What) You’d better be nervous
(What) The ultimate king at the end
(What) We are bulletproof
We are bulletproof
Bulletproof”
In the video, the members are standing in clothing typical of this era, with a lot of black baggy garments and gold accessories. Somehow, they look just like the Tannies I know and love, but so different to how I usually see them, at the same time.
While they stand on a chessboard-style floor, we see motifs like bullets to signify oppression against the youth, and battered trainers that represent all their hard work in the practice room. This song is all about BTS aggressively but proudly rapping about how hard they’ve worked to tirelessly run towards their dreams. It’s another one of those songs that feels so satisfying to look back on, because back then they had no idea just how much their hard work would pay off. Plus they look so young and inexplicably adorable (despite their tough performance style), that it’s amazing to watch and know that these guys are about to become the biggest group in the world.
Watching videos like this reminds me of why I became an ARMY. I see the young, hard-working guys that made me fall in love with their music and work ethic, and I’m transported to my first year as a baby ARMY. It’s a song that is in their original hip-hop style, and it still works so well for them that it’s no wonder that they resurrected it for their 5th Muster and for the 2019 MAMA’s.
“Look at my profile, I’ve got nothing yet
Still a trainee and a rapper man, yeah, I do know that’s nothin'
I was worried once but now no need to
You’re still amateurs, I’m a major, hope you’ll be rotten like that forever”
Frights & Fireworks 2022
With Halloween upon us and Firework night in the UK on 5th November, our team thought it would be the perfect time to give you a playlist full of BTS bangers.
Find the Spotify playlist here: FRIGHTS & FIREWORKS 2022
Danger - Michayla
This week’s playlist is certainly a full, jam packed one with songs for both occasions whether you are celebrating with a party or just sitting indoors and avoiding it all. I decided to write about a song that had a title that was fitting to both Halloween and Fireworks so went with ‘Danger’.
For the ARMYs reading this that haven’t heard Danger, I would highly recommend listening to the whole Dark and Wild album because there are some absolute gems on it.
Danger is the angsty story about a one sided relationship that breeds confusion and the search for an answer as to whether the other person even wants to be with you anymore. Many of the tracks on dark and Wild are quite hormonal which is obvious when you think that the album was released in 2014 so given the ages of the members, it makes a lot of sense.
‘It's always like this, you are you, I am me
That's your kind of formula
Your cellphone is just an accessory
Am I really your boyfriend? I’m sick of this
Why do you put off your feelings like homework?
Are we doing business? Or do you hate me?
Be more affectionate
Today I put a spell on you again’
Many of us older ARMYs may remember the difficulties of teenage love and it’s quite possible that relationships in later life have faced the same issues. When someone no longer seems interested it is a tough situation especially if you have deep feelings for the other person.
When I was at school, we didn’t have mobile phones and technology was pretty non existent but I do have teenagers as my own children now and I’m thankful that I grew up in the time that I did. Hobi’s verse describes the frustration amazingly well:
‘Missed calls, unlock, you're wanted
I'm trying to find out your real intention
You always send me 1 or 2 lines of text messages
Is this the relationship I've wanted and dreamed of?
Where did all the love stories go?
Get the main characters of TV dramas out of my way
I grab my hair like this hundreds of times
You look calm, you dump me’
‘Danger’ is dark and angsty and the eyeliner in the MV is worth a watch for that alone. There is also a Japanese version MV which is also worth seeking out and that one is my favourite. The choreography is fantastic and I could talk about the many positives all day. So, if you haven’t heard this song for a while, definitely click on our playlist above and relive it.
Arson - Charlie
For me, the entire Jack in the Box album felt quite eery. With reflective songs about fame and greed and hope and fear, Hoseok delivered an album with a very specific and consistent vibe. Arson, as the title track of the album, is a prime example.
Hoseok, who we usually see making loud noises (that we love) and telling us all that we're his hope and he's ours, begins the song by staring into the camera and just repeating the words 'burn' and 'done'. It's eery and haunting to me. It also sounds very final, like he's finished rushing ahead with his usual eagerness and he's ready to slow down. The lyrics themselves are even in the past tense.
‘My life, burn
Every day I ran
Couldn’t stop
Back then
I burned it all
And I wanted it all
Fame came first (First)
Money? Of course (Got it up)
Popularity too (Woo)’
With the above ominousness, Arson is suitable for the Frights part of our Frights and Fireworks playlist. This is also because it's one of the few BTS concepts which uses Halloween-appropriate prosthetics, i.e. Hoseok's fake-burnt outfit and fake burns on his face. So if you're going to a BTS Halloween event…
Fireworks.
Louder Than Bombs - Cheryl
Our theme this week is Frights and Fireworks, so with that in mind I chose to write about Louder Than Bombs, as a firework theme. However, the song also references the pain endured through life, so that could also cause some frightening references.
The melody of the song is so mesmerising and the background singing sounds so textured and full of harmony. It’s the kind of song that stays in your head long after listening to it, I found. Reading the lyrics there is a definite thread of melancholy, with the opening verse there is a build of emotion, where it references sadness and the threatening waves in a still and quiet sea:
‘Now it has grown to be so clear
The unfamiliar shadow amidst those cheers
Perhaps I wouldn’t be able to believe the words:
“Let’s see and hear only good things” no more
Your silent sadness, it shakes me
In my quiet sea, waves would sometimes rise’
With the chorus comes the “Louder than bombs” but then with the added “I break”, it sounds like BTS cannot endure the pain of being an Idol. Could this be the additional pressure; the constant training, dance routines and perfection being sought or, the loneliness endured once all the screaming subsides following a performance.
‘Louder than bombs, I break (Ah)
All the pain pour out (Ah)
From the moment I knew
The expression you had on wasn't that expression
Louder than bombs, I break (Oh, oh, oh)’
With the second verse, I can see the self doubt of feeling unworthy and yet being told by others that they are more than they feel themselves to be and wondering where they fit in and if this life is really where they want to be. Again, the lyrics are just so heartfelt and relatable, which I believe is part of BTS’s charm – we have all had similar feelings growing up and it is a pain that we have all endured.
‘Baby, I’m nothin’er than nothin’
Brighter than the light
Don’t you want a thing from me
But you say I’m somethin’er than somethin’
Brighter than the light
Don’t you give up your life
Here I stay, pray
Just for better days
Everyday a maze
Wonder if this is my place’
With the third verse the questions continue, but then there is a feeling of reassurance, about not giving up and fighting and that BTS will continue to shine.
‘Where’s my way?
The ground keeps quaking
I collapse on my own, mute
Louder than bombs, yeah
I want to tell you, that darkness
Exists everywhere, don’t be afraid of it
Whatever night may swallow me, I won't give up
The fight for you, we’ll shine.
With the pre-chorus comes a feeling of being joined, whether that be all the members of BTS together, or BTS and Army there is the feeling of sharing the experience of emotions and that together there is no coincidence that we all picked this life or fandom.
‘You and I, we feel it together
Sadness and pain
Its not a coincidence
Yeah, we picked this game ‘
With the next chorus the song builds with expressions of sharing feelings worldwide and not ignoring or running away any more. It sounds like a mature acceptance of feelings and growth.
‘Louder than bombs, I say (Ah)
I'll tell it in front of the world (Ah)
The times I've ignored you
The days where I kept running away, there won't be any more
Louder than bombs, I say (Oh, oh, oh)’
During the 4th verse the question is asked “If not us, who will do it?” and this is a curious question, because I believe there is only one BTS – they cannot be replicated or replaced. Army are a loyal breed!
A Gentle Playlist
We thought that with all the emotions that ARMYs are experiencing from the Yet To Come concert on Saturday to today's Military Enlistment news, we could all use a gentle, calming playlist so that is exactly what our team has created for us. However you are feeling, wrap yourself in the gentleness that these songs provide.
Find the YouTube playlist here: GENTLE PLAYLIST
Are there any MV’s here that you haven't seen before? Share your thoughts with us on social media.
Euphoria DJ Swivel Forever Mix - Michayla
My memory doesn’t always serve me well but I remember the day this MV was dropped because it was so very emotional. If you have ever spoken to me on a personal level or you are a regular reader of this blog, the chances are that you will know how sentimental I am about Euphoria.
My love affair with Euphoria started from the very moment that I heard it for the first time and even though it was ‘Dope’ that dragged me down the rabbit hole initially, it was the release of Euphoria that made my heart soar. It quickly became my comfort song and when things were bad, I would literally have it on repeat until I felt able to carry on. My emotional attachment was compounded further on both nights at the O2 when I witnessed Jungkook performing it while sitting in a chair due to injury. It was less than eight months later that I saw Jungkook fly over my head and perform Euphoria as he wanted to and that was everything to me. My heart bloomed with happiness for our Maknae and I think this song will forever hold a place in my heart.
‘Take my hands now…’ - a special line because my Daughter held my hand when JK sang that part at the O2 on day 1.
If that wasn’t enough, I was an emotional wreck when the MV was released as part of the Festa 2019 celebrations and it’s the most perfect MV. It wasn’t possible to hold the tears when it was titled ‘JK Memories’ and we realised it was JK through the eyes of the other members. Talk about tugging on those heartstrings!
This MV is heartwarming, funny, comforting and depending on how long you have been ARMY, it holds some amazing memories. For me, I remember all of it and my mind goes back to each occasion, like watching JK busking in Malta for Bon Voyage 3, the release of Boy With Luv and ‘Happy Ever After’ to name but a few.
The description of ‘gentle’ is one of a thousand words that I could use to describe Euphoria and this MV. Jungkook has the most beautiful voice and it pulls on so many emotions for me. I also love hearing Taehyung sing it as he has done a few times and it’s amazing how his tone suits the song.
Euphoria is one of many BTS songs that I have formed a deep connection with over the years and I am so grateful to have seen it performed live several times. It’s extra special when you feel a part of the story and that’s how I feel about this MV.
For You - Cheryl
This week we are exploring the gentler side of BTS and so I chose the video For You. I mean what could be more gentle and soft than Jungkook dressed in a huge fluffy teddy bear costume?
The video is about the hardships of youth, working hard and not being appreciated. Whether delivering pizzas, handing out leaflets, cleaning cars, washing dishes, working at a patrol station, working in a shop.
The love of friends and that special someone will lift your spirits and make you soar and feel appreciated. These are my favourite lyrics:
‘We live far away from each other
Today too I feel lonely
I want to see you
The night that I am alone I unnecessarily feel the lonelier
With distance my heart opens more
It feels unbearable when I hear your rumour
I become more frustrated with more time passes
The amount that overflows always
Oh girl your smile still remains here
Even if we are apart my feelings are
Still the same, we are always together’
I remember having these feelings when I was separated from my husband when he was away. They are so relatable regardless of age. I also like the mention that the relationship feels like it just takes place in the smartphone, which I feel is a blessing and also a curse. No one can escape from their phone but the blessing is with all the photos held there we can go back to our memories and the feelings become real once more.
Such a gentle song, the video has a soft focus feel, the colours are important, the colourful balloons and the bear head really stand out. The dance moves and precision are just perfect. Then add how his friends rally round to help Jungkook see the girl - it’s super cute! Enjoy.
Yet To Come - Charlie
After the Busan concert, which will have aired by the time this goes up, I think we'll all be in need of some perfectly gentle music. Post-concert depression is real, especially when we haven't seen many OT7 concerts lately.
"Was it honestly the best?
'Cause I just wanna see the next
Diligently passing through
All our yesterdays so beautifully"
Yet to Come ties into this mood of feeling comforted by BTS, and missing them when a concert is over, because the whole song is a love letter to ARMY, and to BTS' whole career. The music video has references to so many of their other videos; Jimin covers his face in the same manner he did in the Spring Day music video, we see the You Never Walk Alone carousel, the No More Dream Bus is back, etc.
In Yet to Come, BTS promise us that, no matter how big they and their concerts get, and how long they go on for, they'll always be around for us.
"Full of these unfamiliar names
Now they just feel heavy
We just loved music
We're just running forward
Promise that we'll keep on comin' back for more"
This comforting message is the perfect one for ARMY, who feel so reassured by BTS' presence. BTS came to many of us at a time when we needed them the most. Listening to this song now would be perfect timing, especially as last Monday was World Mental Health Day, and BTS have spent their careers advocating for positive mental health. This is because they, like us, face their own struggles, which they're open with us about. Songs that reference this are among BTS' strongest gentle songs.
"That uncomfortable title we were given one day
We are still abashed by being called the best
You know, I, I just love music
Nothing much has changed from back then"
MVs To Warm You Up
With energy prices rising and temperatures dropping, the team have created a YouTube playlist to warm you up one way or another.
The playlist can be found here: MVS TO WARM YOU UP
Which MV's raise your temperature?
You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, Weverse, Twitter and our website: btsradiouk.com
Super Tuna - Michayla
My temperature certainly rose when trying to choose which MV to write about this week because I knew that writing about the Kinetic Manifesto version of ON was something I've done more times than I'd like to admit and for any regular readers here, you'll know that I could write about that song every time and never get tired of it. So I graciously released it from my clutches for my lovely team member, Charlie, to write about.
There are so many MVs that warm me up either because of the outfits, choreography (watching them do it or my attempts to copy them). Two great examples from our playlist are Black Swan and Permission To Dance. I'll let you decide why they are there.
I felt the urge to write about something different and so I chose Super Tuna! This song is 1 minute 13 seconds of fun and pure warmth for the heart and soul. I didn't think it was possible to love Jin more than I did and then on 4th December 2021, his 29th birthday, he released Super Tuna. He also did a Vlive that day and spoke about it which was lovely to hear.
The song falls under the category of trot music which is a genre that originated in Korea and is popular amongst the older generation because it was the biggest genre before K-Pop. The term 'trot' derives from the name of the dance 'foxtrot' which influenced the music because of the two beats. The songs are upbeat and catchy, which is exactly what Super Tuna is.
The MV is bright, cheery, filmed on a beach and has choreography that even I can copy. The graphics on the screen add to the fun and I don't believe that there is anyone who could fail to smile while watching it.
Jin came up with the song while on a fishing trip with BUMZU who is well known for writing and producing songs for Seventeen and NU'EST. He also co-wrote Jin’s song 'Abyss' in 2020 and has extensive credits on many songs. Jin wanted ARMY to have fun and enjoy watching the MV and I would say he certainly achieved that, especially with the dance challenge that came of it.
The lyrics are exactly as you'd expect, all about fishing! I can't help but smile while writing this and my heart feels so full.
'It would be great if it's tuna
It would be great if it's flatfish
It would be great if it's mackerel too
It would be great if it's a shark too
Please bite on my fishing rod
At that moment the tuna asked me
Hyung, hyung, please take me'
On a cold dreary day, this is exactly the MV to put on. I feel blessed to live in a time when there are amazing people like Kim Seokjin in the world.
ON: Kinetic Manifesto film - Charlie
The temperature has suddenly dropped for everyone it seems. In a way, this is great news, because it means that I can learn and practice dances without immediately getting all sweaty - which hasn’t been the case all summer.
This brings me to ON - I danced to this at a random dance play the other day - in town, outside, in a t-shirt. Which is a testament to how amazing dancing is at warming you up - especially an energetic dance like ON.
“Find me and I'm gonna live with ya
(Eh-oh) Bring it, bring the pain, oh yeah
(Eh-oh) Come on up, bring the pain, oh yeah
Rain be pourin', sky keep fallin'
Everyday, oh na-na-na
(Eh-oh) Bring it, bring the pain, oh yeah”
Whenever I rewatch the Kinetic Manifesto film, the first thing I think about is how insane it is to me that they’re performing this song in leather. ON is such a straining song, with demanding vocals that do justice to the intensity of the song and its message about always fighting back against whatever life throws at you. It also has incredibly tiring choreography, which is a lot of jumping around and getting down on the floor and standing up. So many levels, such a high difficulty level. I will never forget when BTS performed ON at Grand Central Station and Jimmy Fallon said that he could feel Jungkook’s heartbeat through his back, the performance was that tiring. Not to mention, the boys immediately sat down after the performance.
So, ON is the perfect song to warm someone up. And I have not even mentioned the metaphorical hotness of the song - yet. Yes, I cannot finish this review without making special mentions of the boys’ vest tops, Jungkook’s tattoo peeking out from his shoulder, and Taehyung’s tattoo running up his neck. Plus, the fact that BTS can perform such a song like this, at the very start of the concert, and still have enough energy for a 2-3 hour set after this, is incredibly attractive.
“Bring the pain
It'll become my blood and flesh
Bring the pain
No fear, now that I know the way
Breathe on the small things
My air and my light in the dark
The power of the things that make me, "me"
Even if I fall, I come right up, scream”
We Are Bulletproof: The Eternal - Cheryl
This week we are looking at music videos which will keep Army’s warm in these colder days, so I chose We Are Bulletproof: The Eternal. The reason being I find the animated video just so adorable and cute, that it warms my heart and thus makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.
The references to their past and how through all their hard work they now have all the Army’s behind them is just so uplifting and I can only imagine how they must feel comparing how far they have come and how they have been continuing to grow from day one, getting stronger and stronger.
The colours used in the video are also reflective of the bond between BTS and Army with all the purple hues. Everything about it feels warm, welcoming and definitely reflects that we are all united together through this journey. I then decided to research the Bulletproof songs and I found out that it first started life as “We Are B.P.B” before October 2010. It was produced and released by RM (and two others not from BTS).
Pt.1 appears to be about other performers and outsiders judging them and their reply being that they are bulletproof. Were BTS psychic? They sang about History in the making and being the future sons of Hip-Hop. Jimin sings about showing their superiority on the stage and I definitely feel that BTS’ performance live is on a whole other level. Pt.2 seems to be a comparison between peers and how hard BTS have worked and sacrificed to achieve what they are achieving. Jung Kook’s lyrics show this:
‘I pulled all-nighters at practice rooms
Instead of school, dancing and singing
While you guys partied
I gave up sleep for my dreams’
The pre-chorus is about sharpening their sword, which sounds like a threat to those who judge them. Jimin sings that others can throw stones at them, if they have achieved as much as BTS have. Due to their hard work, determination and a little bit of luck they are bulletproof.
We Are Bulletproof: Eternal addresses the 7 years BTS have been together since debut (seven winters and seven springs). They sing about how stones can be thrown because they have no fear and that together they are bulletproof. This song appears to be a reflection upon how far they have come. How they used to have fear of being judged and laughed at and how now that they have Army and success they are bulletproof. In JungKook’s outro he sings that they are no longer just 7 - they also have you (us Army). My favourite lyrics are the bridge:
‘Oh, oh, oh, oh
I will never stop again
For we are together here
Tell me your story
Tell me why you don’t stop this
Tell me why you still walkin’
Walk-in’ with us
(Yeah we got to heaven)’
With these lyrics BTS are expressing their curiosity, they want to know about us and it feels like disbelief that we are all walking the path with them and they really wonder why? But with all the support and love they feel like they have reached heaven. Here I don’t think heaven is being thought of as the place you go when you die, but it’s more about the unattainable place, that higher plane.
The first thing I noticed about We Are Bulletproof: Eternal is that it doesn’t sound as raw and aggressive as We Are Bulletproof Pt.1 or Pt.2. The first two bulletproofs were created in the earlier days when perhaps they felt they had a lot to prove and were judged. Whereas this version appears to be an acceptance of how far they have grown and that they are no longer afraid. The song sounds more mature and reflects upon their past journey. Happy watching!
BTS In The Classroom
The new academic year has begun and this week our playlist team has explored the songs that are perfect for studying or have a message to teach us something.
Check out the Spotify playlist here: BTS IN THE CLASSROOM
Boy In Luv - Michayla
There were so many choices for this week's piece. At the ripe old age of 43 there are songs that have provided me with lessons of inspiration that I try to apply to my life and there are songs that make me look back to a time when I was much younger. I'm grateful to have found BTS at this stage in my life because I'm not sure whether I would have taken on board many of the messages 30 years ago. Life was very different back then and the younger generation today are so very lucky to have a group like BTS as role models.
I chose to write about 'Boy In Luv' because the MV is set in a school and it's an opportunity for me to tap into my own school days. I have children of my own now, two of which are at school and I remember the trials and tribulations of growing up and finding your way in life. Boy In Luv showcases this time in your life so well as it explores the confusion of finding love.
‘You make me so angry and mad for no reason
I'm serious but you make me into a loser who picks fights with you
Why do I care so much about you?
You're making a big boy act like a little kid
But, I'm going to flip the situation, from friends to lovers’
When hormones come into play as you go through school, you can experience so many emotions and everything feels so intense at times. I often wonder how young people manage to study and work hard with so much going on inside them but I suppose it’s something we all go through.
There are many differences that today’s generation faces compared to when I was at school and part of Yoongi’s verse is evidence of that:
‘You checked my text message but you're not pressing send
The "1" disappears, making me so anxious’
We didn’t have the internet or mobile phones or anything that my children have today but I can appreciate the anxiety at being left on read after plucking up the courage to send a text to your crush.
I think that older ARMYs can all relate to this song in one way or another and many, like me, may be pleased that this stage in their lives has passed. Younger ARMYs have the luxury of having a group like BTS whose lyrics are relatable and hopefully help them to realise that they aren’t alone.
Dope - Cheryl
Having not listened to Dope for a little while, I forgot just how exciting and dynamic this song is. It definitely made me feel energised and positive. It has such a confident vibe and tone, considering how early it was in their career - released in 2015.
RM opens the song with such style and is so confident and this just continues throughout the whole song. He starts with “Welcome, first time with BTS?” Jungkook states how different he/they are with their style, which in my mind could relate to their clothes, hair and songs.
Jimin then reiterates Jungkook by stating that whilst others are out clubbing he/they are working every day and night - so don’t be surprised, I think he means they deserve to be successful because they are so dedicated.
The chorus is, ‘I have a feeling that I’m kind of sick’, which I believe means very good or amazing (American slang).
J-Hope sings about the smell of sweat in their studio, which implies how hard they work on the choreography and when you watch either the Dance Practice or the video for Dope their dance moves are incredible and BTS make it look so effortless. He also criticises others calling them cry babies, losers and idiots - I am assuming he means others that do not put the amount of effort and work in, that they do.
Suga sings about being sick from head to toe, being sick due to working and being sick in the studio and that their youth may rot away. Here I believe sick means unwell and that they have been ill and not enjoying their youth like others their age. He then mentions how due to all their hard work they are running towards success and he mentions that the girls scream louder.
The chorus is so passionate and sounds so exciting - about not wanting to say yes (which I feel is, that they do not want to conform by saying yes), feeling like they are on fire and then Jin sings “I gotta make it”
Once again the positivity shines through they say to reject rejection and follow them for it will be amazing. Having followed them for many years, I can only reiterate and agree with them, this journey has been truly amazing.
RM mentions that the media and adults say they have no willpower and they condemn BTS and that they are being killed off before they can even try.
Suga then sings ‘Enemy Enemy Enemy’
RM then asks ‘Why are you accepting it?’
Suga replies ‘Energy Energy Energy’
Then there is more positivity. ‘Do not ever give up, you know you’re not alone. Our dawn is prettier than the day. So can I get a little bit of hope yeah. Wake your sleeping youth.’
‘This is the Bangtan style, different from the lying wack jobs. Everyday is about the hustle life. I gotta make it fire, baby.’
I like the play on the word sick - either meaning extraordinary or amazing and actually feeling sick from the amount of work and effort they put in - more than their peers would do at their age (out clubbing)
I personally, do hope they realise that older people do appreciate the amount of work they put into their careers and admire their dedication!
I also feel that this applies to their extended break at the moment - trying to enjoy the lives of “normal” people their age and exploring their individuality whether personal or through their musical careers.
Reflection - Charlie
Unfortunately I am no longer a student, but I do remember how difficult it was to concentrate on schoolwork. The right song is essential when you need background noise to work, and Reflection is The Right Song for so many situations. BTS’s more upbeat songs are great motivation for working, but I couldn’t possibly listen to them and get work done, as I’d simply be doing the choreography in my chair or otherwise bopping around, and I’d end up forgetting all about the work I was meant to do. So, songs like Reflection are more the type of song that I can personally be more productive during.
Reflection starts with audio Namjoon recorded at Ttukseom. White noise like this, just sounds of people walking around and going about their day, is often ideal background noise for classwork. And the rest of the song stays at that understated sort of level, so it doesn’t become a distraction.
“I know
Every life’s a movie
We got different stars and stories
We got different nights and mornings
Our scenarios ain’t just boring”
When I work, it’s easy for my mind to wander and get distracted. So, lyrically Reflection is also a good song - it does the reflecting and wandering for you. It discusses feelings of hating yourself, of wanting to love and take care of yourself, of feeling happy and unhappy at the same time. It carries you along like a train of thought, as you get your work done. A lot of Namjoon’s songs are quite like that: warm hugs that carry you along as you try to work, while doubting yourself.
Plus, Reflection came out during the Autumn term of my final year of Sixth Form, so I always associate it with that feeling of a new school term, and a clean slate to work with.
“Dduksum, which has swallowed up the night
Hands me an entirely different world
I want to be free
I want to be free from freedom”
Collabs with BTS 2022
Recently we have been treated to several collaborations so this prompted our team to revisit the playlist full of all the collabs.
Do you have a favourite? Don’t be shy, come and tell us. You can find BTS Radio UK on Twitter, Facebook, Weverse and Instagram.
Listen to the Spotify playlist here: COLLABS WITH BTS 2022
Gajah - Charlie
Gajah is a collaboration between Namjoon and rapper Gaeko. Released in 2017, the song is all about the worries one faces as they go through life. Namjoon and Gaeko rap about how exhausting life can be, especially as they desperately try to find some meaning in it.
“In this battlefield of a society
My eyes are like a target-less sniper
I'm disconcerted and sweating
Why am I endlessly looking for a goal?”
The above rap by Gaeko starts the second you press play on the song - there’s no intro to prepare you; you’re just thrusted straight into it. Much like how life hits you immediately, without giving you a choice, and you’re constantly forced to navigate it. It reminds me of songs like Tomorrow and Paradise; it belongs in that contemplative but reassuring subset of BTS songs, which remind you that everyone is in the same boat of just trying to figure out life together.
In the choruses, Namjoon and Gaeko talk about taking “elephant steps”, saying that there’s no way to predict life or make it slow down, so you just have to take elephant steps through life. This links to how the Korean title of the song is ‘elephant’ (Gajah is also Malay for elephant, but sounds like the word for “let’s go” in Korean, hence the chorus telling you to keep going forward - as always, songs featuring Namjoon always have layers of meaning in every single word).
“You shouldn't hesitate, too
Just do what you want
When it comes to matters of people, even matters of tomorrow
There is no way of knowing what will happen, so just take
Elephant steps, steps by twos and threes, twos and threes”
Namjoon’s verse hits home for me; partly because you can tell that it was back when he had a more ‘grey’ aesthetic and was writing songs for the ‘mono.’ mixtape. He even specifically mentions it (a year before mono’s actual release). It seems pessimistic in how he states that no-one chooses to be born; life just chooses us. This is quite bittersweet to look back on.
“We're all forcibly-selected players
You don't choose life chose you
The world is a "mono" that's pretending to be colored
Cuz everything so gray”
The end of the song is just as direct as the beginning. The final line, “keep this in mind, you”, ends with a short echo, and then the song abruptly stops. Leaving you to continue going through life and hopefully remembering to take your elephant steps as you do.
Bad Decisions - Cheryl
This week we are looking at BTS Collaborations and I chose to write about Bad Decisions. To be honest I wasn't too sure what I thought about BTS collaborating with Snoop and again I was surprised to learn it was the vocal line and not the rap line that would be on the song. I know Snoop pops up unexpectedly but I felt he hadn't released a song in ages and I wondered if his bad boy image would somehow tarnish BTS.
Putting all my doubts aside, I really love this song - it is just full of fun with a real summery vibe. There are lots of tantalising lyrics and Snoop's tone compliments the vocal line beautifully and it is just so catchy - every time after listening to the song I am playing it over and over in my mind.
The song is about the feelings of wanting someone all the time and the strength of emotion that is quite raw in places and rather obsessive but, in a positive, passionate way.
With verse 1, the mention of being beautiful without makeup, is such a great positive message.
‘No makeup on, I love that sh—
You're so damn beautiful, I swear you make me sick
I want your love, I want your name
Inside my heart, there's nothin' but a burning flame
If you want my love
Come a little bit closer
Don't make me wait
Let's make some bad decisions
I want you, ooh, baby, all of the time
So give me all your kisses
I want you Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, baby, every night
And it feels like (Ooh, ah)
I can't seem to ever get you out of my mind
And it feels like (Ooh, ah)
I want you, ooh, baby, all of the time
Everybody see me lookin' fly (Oh, yeah)
And I think I know the reason why (Oh, yeah)
'Cause I got you right here by my side (Oh, yeah)
And I can't let you just walk away
If I ain't with ya, I'm not okay
Let's do things you always wanted
Have some fun and live your life
Help me waste a day and find a place
That we can face-to-face
Let me show you 'round my hood
It's bad meaning bad like bad meaning good
When it comes to rules, I break 'em’
My favourite lyrics are the pre-chorus and "I can't let you just walk away, if I ain't with ya, I'm not okay" as I find both to be very seductive and poetic.
Winter Flower - Michayla
When looking through our extensive playlist that spans a number of years, it wasn’t an easy choice when deciding which song to write about this week. I think that this would have been an ideal opportunity to write about ‘ON’ but I may have done that once or twice already. Instead, I decided to write about the track that is probably my favourite collaboration and is in the majority of my personal playlists.
‘Winter Flower’ is the collaboration between Namjoon and Younha. At the time that it was released on 6th January 2020, I hadn’t heard of Younha but that quickly changed because I fell in love with the song and was keen to listen to the whole album, ‘Unstable Mindset’. The album is one of my favourites now and I’m grateful to Namjoon for bringing Younha into my life.
The song addresses the struggles of life and touches on mental health which I can relate to. It is such an emotional song and once you delve into the lyrics and listen to it, you will see what I mean.
‘Freezing cold wind of the winter
Blooming alone under the deep footsteps
I'm lost trying to find the reason
I was born and met you
The sighs are frozen tears
Abandoned dreams give birth to other wounds
Where is the end of this season
If there's eternity
Hold on, hold on, hold on’
I really like that they use the season as an analogy. When you are experiencing a period where you are struggling, you do wonder when it will end and there are times when it feels like it never will.
Namjoon’s verse is so poignant and I feel that once you read the verse and you know that he was involved in writing it, you will see how perfectly ‘Namjoon’ this is:
‘Why did I meet you?
Here, now, in this winter day
When I close my eyes, spring seems so far away
And there's only cold breaths here
I was born in crimson from the blood you shed this harsh winter
Plum blossom, camellia, daffodil
Yeah, call me whatever you want
They say life is full of paradox
All you gotta do is gettin' used to this marathon
"Do you think the world is harsh on you only?
Everyone has it hard"
To the grown up you
Those words can't be your consolation
Listen carefully, winter
You made me bloom
Now I will send forth my blue aroma with my branches
I'll show you that there's another sky
I'll call forth the autumn that was once like you’
‘Winter Flower’ is simply a very beautiful, haunting song but once you delve into it, you realise that it is that and so much more. It addresses personal thoughts and hope of spring coming when the dark winter is here. This is a song I can relate to and I can so easily lose myself in it. Younha has a beautiful, soothing voice and if you get time, I would recommend listening to ‘Unstable Mindset’ because it is a great album.
Introducing BTS 2022
For many of the people at Lollapalooza, that was the first time they’d heard of J-Hope and BTS so it had our playlist team thinking about the perfect songs to introduce newbies to the group we’ve grown to love.
Which song would you play to someone who had never heard of BTS?
You can find the Spotify playlist here: INTRODUCING BTS 2022
j-hope 'Intro' & 'MORE' @ Lollapalooza 2022
Heartbeat - Michayla
I thought long and hard about which song I should write about this week because in all honesty, I have used many different songs to introduce BTS to people depending on who that person was. I usually show them an MV so I wanted to choose a song that had an MV. Let’s face it, nowadays I would show someone ‘ON’ first, starting with the Kinetic manifesto MV version and go from there but for the purpose of the blog, I chose ‘Heartbeat’.
In June 2019, ‘Heartbeat’ was released as the main song on the BTS World game OST. The album is possibly one of my favourite BTS items that I own and it was all so beautifully packaged. So much love and care went into the soundtrack that it was actually mind boggling and I think that spoke volumes about who BTS were.
The main reason that I would choose this song to introduce someone to BTS is because each member is showcased in the MV so learning names wouldn’t be too much of a challenge and the song directly relates to the fandom. What better way to explain to someone who BTS are, than to let them listen to a song and watch an MV that is primarily exploring the destined relationship with ARMY?
In BTS World the individual members meet differently as to how they did in reality and Heartbeat describes how they believed that destiny would always have brought them together. In Jimin’s verse he sings about how he would’ve felt had the members not met as they did in 2012:
‘If I was only by myself
If I didn't know you
Maybe I'd have given up
There is just so much to this song that it’s tough to explain it all in such little time. Watch the MV linked below and tell me all the emotions that hit you, especially when the whale appears! Take time to absorb that this song was on an album for a mobile game. At the very least, I would hope that someone who hadn’t heard of BTS before, would be impressed and understand why I adore them.
BTS (방탄소년단) ‘Heartbeat (BTS WORLD OST)’ MV
Dope - Charlie
For me, Dope suits the Introducing BTS theme as it was the song that introduced me to BTS. I saw an edit of their dance in the first chorus and instantly, I was entranced. Then I watched the full music video, and it became the one I always use to get other people into BTS too. The way that they showcase each member by giving them their own little verse, which they perform in a different career-related costume, will always be iconic.
“Welcome, first time to BTS?
Ayo, ladies and gentlemen
If you're ready, we'll sing, yeah!”
Dope is a great introduction to BTS’ philosophy, too. It may be a cool party song, with a catchy brass-filled chorus, but the lyrics are one example to teach new listeners that BTS are more than meets the eye. Firstly, the song is all about how dope BTS are in that they work tirelessly towards their dreams. One read of the lyrics and it’s clear that BTS didn’t achieve their fame overnight; they’ve been working hard for over a decade.
“I worked all night everyday
When you were out clubbing, yeah
Don't be surprised but listen, everyday
I got a feel, I got a feel”
Furthermore, the lyrics to Dope showed me for the first time how politically in-tune BTS’ words are. Namjoon references the phrases “given up on 3” and “given up on 5”, to describe the generations who gave up on the 3 aspects of dating, marriage and children, and later the additional 2 aspects of employment and housing, because of economic problems. I very quickly discovered that BTS’ music wasn’t just super catchy, but it was also teaching me little tidbits about Korean sayings and political views.
“Given up on 3? Given up on 5??
I like the number 6, how about giving up on 6?
The media and adults say we don’t have willpower, condemning us like stocks
Why are they killing us before we can even try, enemy enemy enemy
Why are you hanging your head and accepting it already? energy energy energy”
Yet To Come - Cheryl
I chose Yet To Come as an introduction to BTS for people who haven’t yet heard of them (where have these people been hiding). This song just has such a vibe and so many layers that it is great to think about and get lost in the lyrics.
They sing about their feelings of being labelled “The Best” and wonder how on earth did this happen to seven people who just loved music. There are feelings of pressure and disbelief as part of this verse depicts:
‘Not sure since when
But they say we're the best
Full of these unfamiliar names
Now they just feel heavy
We just loved music’
Questions are raised about their past being their best as they stride forward and embrace what the future holds in store for them. They also promise that they will keep coming back for more. This phrase for me is extremely important especially as BTS are currently concentrating on solo projects.
Uh, do you have a dream, what's at the end of that path?
Moment is yet to come, yeah
Uh, in the hush of night, we won't stop moving
Yet to come
*Uh, we gonna touch the sky, 'fore the day we die*
**Moment is yet to come, yeah**
*Uh, this is only the beginning, the best yet to come*
This song feels like a stepping stone to their future selves, they express they feel they still have a lot to learn and that in some ways they feel like their younger selves, that they have not yet reached their full potential, which I find really exciting and enthralling.
[Verse 2: SUGA, RM]
‘That uncomfortable title we were given one day
We are still abashed by being called the best
You know, I, I just love music
Nothing much has changed from back then
If nothing much has changed, probably
You'll say it's all a lie, yeah
There were a lot of changes but
I'm still the same, a new chapter
Every moment is my new best
Like I'm thirteen years old again
Spittin' bars just like I did back then, huh
Still got a lot to learn
My life, got a lot to fulfill
If you're askin' me why
My heart's tellin' you
We ain't about it
The world's expectations
We ain't about it
That step of being the best
We ain't about it
Crowns and flowers, countless trophies
We ain't about it
Dream and hope, and goin' forward
We so about it
It's back to square one after making one long turn, back to one’
The thought that we will be experiencing a more mature version of BTS in the future fills me with so much happiness. Any new Army, enjoy learning about BTS and their history of songs and performances, then we can look forward to future BTS together in whatever form we are treated to.
Drive Time & Travel with BTS 2022
Many people in the UK are off on holiday, schools are out for summer and the sun has been shining. Our playlist team has compiled a list of songs to keep you company on your travels.
Find the Spotify playlist here: DRIVE TIME & TRAVEL WITH BTS
Do you have a particular song or album that you love to listen to while travelling?
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Mic Drop (Steve Aoki Remix) - Michayla
I listen to most songs while I’m driving and recently had a 4.5 hours car journey to visit friends. Since I was on my own in the car I turned up the volume and sang my way up the motorway. I like a song that I can move to while driving, as strange as that may seem so songs like ON (I know, I know), IDOL and Fire are perfect for some one handed choreo. Therefore, I decided that Mic Drop would be the song for me to write about this week.
The first time I ever performed the Mic Drop choreo sitting down was in the cinema for Love Yourself in Seoul. That was a fantastic experience when we all had our arms in the air and were ‘bang, bang’ and ‘clap, clap’ along with Hobi. So of course when it comes to driving, the fact that I drive an automatic car means that one hand is always free for the purpose of BTS choreography.
‘Mic drop’ is the ultimate nod to the haters. It’s BTS saying they shouldn’t have been underestimated because they’d achieved big.
‘Did you see my bag? (where?) Did you see my bag? (where?)
It's hella trophies and it's hella thick (hella thick, hella thick)
What you think 'bout that? (well) What you think 'bout that? (well)
I bet it got my haters hella sick (hella sick)
Come and follow me, follow me with your signs up
I'm so firin', firin', boy, your time's up
Keep on runnin' and runnin' until I catch up
How you dare? How you dare? How you dare?’
The special thing about this particular version of Mic Drop is that it is the full extended version which includes the dance break. If you haven’t seen it, I would highly recommend taking a look on YouTube for MAMA Hong Kong 2017 where BTS give an emphatic performance of Cypher 4 followed by Mic Drop. I’ve been fortunate enough to see this song performed live 4 times and the dance break elicits such excitement and it certainly sends temperatures through the roof!
The extended version was released on Love Yourself Answer and maybe I have a special connection with it because that album was my first comeback. Either way, Mic Drop is a great song for a journey. I always find myself singing along and busting some moves from the confines of my drivers seat.
Yet To Come - Charlie
I’ve been able to do a lot of travelling this year, what with restrictions basically disappearing and my family being abroad. In the process of this, I’ve discovered that Yet To Come is the perfect song for travel.
Travelling can be quite anxiety-inducing, especially as I’ve been travelling to and from my home city and the city that I’ll be living in later this year. Yet To Come is such a hopeful song, that it serves as the perfect background music for such journeys.
‘Was it honestly the best?
'Cause I just wanna see the next
Diligently passing through
All our yesterdays so beautifully’
Yet To Come is a song all about how BTS’ careers have been so far, with the music video littered with numerous references to their previous works. They promise us that even though the past is comforting to look back on and feel nostalgic for, the most beautiful times are still in the future. This comforts me when I’m travelling, and looking forward to the future places I’ll be in, as opposed to worrying.
‘That uncomfortable title we were given one day
We are still abashed by being called the best
You know, I, I just love music
Nothing much has changed from back then’
We all love to get a little existential on our journeys as we look outside the window of whatever our vehicle is, and Yet To Come allows us to delve more deeply into the mindset of BTS. We learn how they feel about being so huge, and we hear them say that all they really want to do, when it comes down to it, is make music that makes themselves and ARMY happy. In that way, it’s a great song to unwind to when on a long journey, as you get to just take in the music in its purest form.
Airplane Pt.2 - Cheryl
With a travelling playlist I just knew I had to choose Airplane Pt 2. With all the countries listed throughout the song and the uplifting vibe, this song definitely makes me think about going on holiday or travelling to explore distant lands.
My favourite live performance of Airplane Pt 2 is: 2018 MAMA in Hong Kong on 14th December, if you haven’t seen it I suggest you go and watch it – it's really stunning. BTS dressed in white, V with red hair and white cape and the iconic JK catwalk strut.
Travelling is definitely part of the song, it addresses how much BTS spend in the air when they are on tour and how they sometimes don’t know how to stop, rest and relax. Suga mentions that their passports are almost worn out.
Wherever people are travelling this summer, I really hope that it is infused with rest and relaxation, making memories and enjoying the moment.
Rather like the special performance we were treated with, where BTS dance and play with this song whilst being by a pool in the sunshine - reminds me of holiday vibes, pure happiness.
My favourite lyrics are where they say, wherever they are visiting it is like a party and that they will be singing this song all around the world, such is the ambition and success of BTS. Also where they express their happiness of having no mobile service whilst on a plane:
‘Love the airplane mode, turn off all the concerns
No matter what anyone says
I'll just continue to keep the first
And look at the night sky as it fits my place right now’
Whilst travelling I try to pay more attention to the views than looking at a screen.
Happy travels one and all!
Fire - Onomey
I chose to write about Burning Up (Fire) purely because of the sunny weather we’ve been
blessed with recently. There’s nothing better than an amazing playlist to compliment your journey on a road trip or a short adventure. The songs that are on that said playlist can always bring you back to that point in time. It’s crazy how a song can trigger multiple memories of where you were, who you were with etc.
'Fire' was released in May 2016 and is a perfect summer release. Not only does the song bring the heat, literally, but it also brings energy, great vocals, absolute FIRE choreography (excuse the pun) and crazy thick, saw synths that are the primary hook throughout the song.
The song brings me back to countless journeys with my sister to and from football matches and concerts where we would blast ‘Fire’ repeatedly with our windows down, not giving a care in the world whether or not people were looking or if we would be outed as K-Pop fans at the football match. It is the true power of ‘Fire’ and BTS as my sister isn’t even a fan of K-pop she seems to like EVERY BTS song I force her to listen to so it has now become our theme song along with Seesaw by Suga and ‘Anpanman’.
There are two members of the group that steal the show in this song. One is J-Hope who opens the song with the verse that he shares with Suga. J-Hope has this way of easily riding the flow of chaotically produced songs. It’s so impressive, it’s almost like his energetic personality and the instrumentation bounce off each other incredibly well because he too can be chaotic. This can be seen in ‘Dope’ also in which he’s a stand out in the song again.
‘When I wake up in my room (room), I have nothing
After the sun sets, I sway as I walk
I’m completely drunk, drunk
I’m swearing on the streets
I’ve lost it, I’m like a crazy guy
Everything’s a mess, livin’ like beep’
Another person who stands out is a blonde-haired, pink shirt wearing Jin in the iconic bridge section that has stolen many hearts. His vocal tone sounds so good because it has the power to draw you in whilst the crazy instrumentation pauses. He also builds suspense in his delivery, which, alongside Jimin creates one of the most iconic post-bridge dances ever!
‘(Fire) All you with a lot of fear, come here
(Fire) All you who are suffering, come here
(Fire) Lift up your fists, all night long
(Fire) With marching footsteps
(Fire) Jump and go crazy (Ow!)’
Hobi - Our J-Hope 2022
On the 15th July ARMY were treated to the release of J-Hope’s first full album and its had us all in a spin. Our team created a Hobi-centric playlist that you can access below.
You can find the Spotify playlist here: HOBI - OUR JHOPE
While thinking about Hobi, our playlist team pondered the following question:
Q. Do you have a favourite Hobi moment/song?
Charlie - I remember when I was first getting into BTS, and Vine was still a thing. I used to watch Vines of BTS to easy get to know the members, and I remember first seeing a clip of him from 2015, saying “I’m your hope, I’m your angel, I’m J-Hope!”. I instantly became fond of him, and felt like I knew his role in the group so quickly. And when I saw them live, Hoseok again used his signature phrase and it felt like a full circle moment for me. So, that phrase is my favourite Hobi moment - it sums up who he is, it’s cute and cheesy, it’s his brand, it’s Hobi.
Michayla - I have many favourite Hobi moments! My love for this man escalated when I saw him perform ‘Just dance’ at the O2 in October 2018. I was relatively new ARMY at that time and he blew me away with his stage presence. It’s a challenge to think about my favourite Hobi song, especially now that ‘Jack In The Box’ has been released but I think I will always choose ‘Just Dance’ because it is linked to so many amazing memories for me. As my ARMY journey has continued, my love for Hobi has grown and grown. He shines in everything that he does and I adore his duality. I also can’t ever think of Sprite without thinking of Hobi.
Cheryl - My favourite J-Hope moment is the performance of Boy Meets Evil on the MAMA show 2016. It starts with J-Hope being suspended in the air and the pose is just beautiful. Then his dancing and synchronisation with Jimin is purely breathtaking - a masterpiece. In hot pursuit would be his live performances of "Just Dance".
Pandora’s Box - Michayla
I chose this song before the release of the album because I was drawn to the title. Most ARMYs will know that Hobi’s stage name ‘J-Hope’ is linked to the Greek myth of Pandora’s Box. In Greek mythology, Pandora opened a box left for her husband and it unleashed a wealth of untold evils until the only thing left in the box was hope. Hobi said that he wanted to be hope for ARMY and so his stage name was born, as is also confirmed in the first verse of Pandora’s Box:
‘They call me hope
Do you know why I am hope?
Pandora's history, that's my birth
The sincerity of the sacred heart given to man by great gods
The ray of light that is left in the Pandora box
Put it into a pure-hearted boy
Till the end, framed to become Bangtan's hope
The ceremony of fate, knighted in that name
That's my name
With a meaning from the depths of a myth
On my way’
When I first heard ‘Pandora’s Box’ I immediately thought of the film franchise ‘Halloween’, which some of you may know, especially if you are a horror fan. I am a big fan of horror films so I found it ironic that I made this connection on an album that is showing us Hobi’s dark side.
This song depicts Hobi’s journey and clearly talks about his thought process for the album ‘Jack In The Box’. ARMY’s will probably have heard Hobi’s first mixtape ‘Hope World’ which gave us great songs like ‘Hope World’, ‘Day Dream’, ‘Blue Side’ and ‘Airplane’. The vibe of that mixtape is a contrast to ‘Jack In The Box’, showing such amazing versatility but that doesn’t surprise me because we all know how fabulous our sunshine is.
‘Someone’s light, someone’s smile
Someone’s hope, my activities are someone’s life
Time flows as the name says, someone’s star
The motto and vibes generated from my soul being refined
So I submitted my resume, finally
The first leap, hope world, the inevitability that was necessary
Keep dreaming of progress
“What’s my path?”
“What do I have to say?”
Just keep doing my thang’
One thing that stands out throughout many of BTS’s songs, right from the start, is the mention of ‘paths’ and where life takes you. I love how in many BTS songs, they make us think about our own path and where we are heading in life. There have been many times when I have been at a crossroads and I’ve thought of the messages in their songs where they tell us that it’s okay when life doesn’t go to plan.
‘Jack In The Box’ is clearly a path that Hobi wanted to take and a part of him that he wanted ARMY’s to see. I’m 43 years old so I have already taken many paths that have led me to where I am today. I thought a lot about Hobi’s questions in the first part of verse 2 (above) and I’m not sure what the answers are for me so perhaps I need to give it more thought.
There are 2 lines of the 3rd verse that really stand out for me and I think this is what I will try and remember from ‘Pandora’s Box’:
‘We need hope,
Whether it’s a lot or just a little’
Having hope is something we should all have, even if it feels hopeless at times. As ARMY, we already all have hope… our J-Hope.
j-hope 'Pandora’s Box' Visualizer
More - Charlie
Despite his playful demeanour, Hoseok has always had lyrics that hint at a more serious side to him. He’s often mentioned how being the mood-maker of the group whose job is always to bring hope, can be quite an undertaking. More, the pre-release single of his second solo mixtape, brings these internal thoughts to the outside in a more overt way.
“I'm still (not enough)
Self-learning for 11 years
My highlighting's my art of learning
Endless studying
I crash and fall to make my art”
The song starts off with an extended metaphor of water. Hoseok mentions how thirsty he is for his work, and how he feels in his flow when he’s working. A more accurate translation of his “I’m in my element” line would be that he “is a fish in water”, which again is him describing how he feels the need to always be working hard and sustained by music.
“Yeah! I'm thirsty
I need to go surfing on the beat
I'm in my element
Soak up the music
Eenie, meenie, miney, moe (meenie, miney moe)
Dancing baby flow”
However, this love of his work can also drown him, as we hear in the chorus.
“Hah, shout out
I say "more"
Hah, yeah! right
'cause I want some more
Hah, shout out
I say "morе"
Hah, yeah! right
'cause I want some morе”
The chorus of More sounded rather empty to me when I first heard it; I could hear and see the band in the music video, but Hoseok’s voice sounds drowned out, like he’s underwater or otherwise blocked by something. It’s such an effective chorus because it makes you yearn to hear more of him, just as he sings about being desperate for more. He sounds trapped, just as the song suggests.
I also love the pre chorus to the song. As Hoseok sings “Bring it all”, his voice goes all raspy and he sighs out the line. It’s like he sounds tired or impatient, which makes the explosion of the chorus even more effective.
I knew that Jack in the Box would be my style as soon as I heard More, and it kept me constantly hungry for the rest of the mixtape.
Future - Onomey.
I chose to write about ‘Future’ not knowing anything about the song as I wanted to be fully surprised by what ‘Future’ had in store for me. I was glad that I made that decision but also disappointed because the song was only 2 minutes and 19 seconds long.
We all loved J-Hope's mixtape, ‘Hope World’, released back in 2018 which seems like a lifetime ago. Now we’ve been blessed with a WHOLE album and wow it was worth it.
The one thing I love about J-Hope is that he always manages to make a great bop. I don’t know whether that is just in his soul as a dancer but every song he has makes you groove to the beat by 15 seconds in and this song was no different. When the fresh and upbeat drum pattern kicked in. I was 100% sold on what the song had to offer from then on.
The song starts with a beautifully sung hook, ‘always, I need it too when I said I do. Courage and faith, the rhythm of positivity’ by J-Hope with the backing of only a few super high-pitched vocal shouts.
It gave me ‘Hope World’ vibes, mainly from the song ‘P.O.P’ because sonically it seemed to be light with choir-style vocals, echoes and chimes. I also got a feeling of similarity with his flow at the beginning of the song to his ‘Chicken Noodle Soup’ verse at 41 seconds but in a higher octave, making it sound super positive.
I like the way this starts as it lays down the main focus of the song which is that courage, faith and positivity are the main elements he needed to be able to cope with the life he lives. At least that’s what I think it means. It’s kind of like he has wrapped the song in a blanket of positivity as the middle parts of the song are where he is allowed to release his inner and darker thoughts. As a human and a fan, I wouldn’t say I like it when someone is feeling down about things but it’s honestly refreshing to see that J-Hope can actually show that side of himself as he seems to be stuck in this situation where his whole persona is about being a positive person which I’m sure he is but sometimes it must make him want to scream by the number of times he’s supposed to act like the class clown or a dancing puppet. I noticed that when he raps about the hardships and difficulties at different times of his life, the drum pattern intensifies in difficulty and dynamically adds to the effectiveness of the lyrics like when he says ‘you always fight with yourself. In the end, my heart is covered with bruises’.
The position in which the song is placed on the album threw me as both ‘Safety Zone’ (the song before ‘Future’) and ‘Future is relatively upbeat and chill so I thought it would be future that the album would end with him wondering what the future holds as the “flames” of ‘Arson’ had died down. But when thinking about it more and more, I thought that actually, it makes sense to set things alight to end something.
Stop - Cheryl
Stop is the 4th track from J-Hope’s album Jack in the Box, which was released July 15th 2022. The track explores the negativity in the world from natural disasters to deadly criminals and even if something is said in a good way, it can be misconstrued. The difficulties of friendships and navigating many viruses and the pollution. The thoughts seem to be tumbling through the song and with the background containing people talking its almost like being inside a brain with so much going on.
Then in the middle of each verse is a couple of lines where the first word is said slightly softer “Please”, “Wait”, “Calm down”, “Change our minds” and it changes the song and gives a calming presence – where we can just sit and think and reflect on the verse and perhaps change its perception. In the first verse after the pause, J-Hope takes a deeper look inside and realises, that he must be true to himself and then he can think about his beliefs:
‘How are they all alike, and how are they all the same?
The core essence can't be changed, so realize it, and be myself
A single belief dominates me
"There are no bad people in the world"
In the second verse he explores what’s depicted in the news and questions if a human can actually be so cruel “worse than brutes” and again after the pause he explores everything around and what is different to his “world” and that he is relying on human nature and himself, I believe.
‘Yes, go back to the very beginning
Look at them again
Living environment, education, system
What is different from mine?
I'm just relying on you, just one
Human nature, that one
I'm just relying on you, just one
Human nature, that one
Please be right’
In the third verse after the pause he explores how important ones thoughts are and that if everyone starts a new beginning, a little change can have a huge impact and how everyone wants to affect good change. Then he ends with “That’s right?” which I think changes everything again, it almost feels to good to be true to me and therefore he ends with a question, which I believe raises some doubts.
‘We came into the world to the law of cause and effect
Even so, be careful, everything depends on our minds
What we make
Because small beginnings can make huge steps
The world is changing because there are no bad people’
This track is interesting because there is no chorus, but the repetition of the style of the two lines in each verse creates a hook which, I believe, also gives a reflection to the words in the verses that come before.
Our playlist team wanted to acknowledge that ARMY’s could be struggling with the changes happening as BTS focus on solo projects. For many it has led to uncertainty and there may be emotions that need soothing or uplifting so here is a playlist packed full of BTS songs for that very occasion.
Click here for the Spotify playlist: SOOTHING UPLIFTING 2022
Born Singer - Cheryl
When I first read the tracks listed on Disc 1 of ‘Proof’ and saw Born Singer, I cannot explain how excited I was – I thought to myself, how amazing it would be to actually see BTS perform this song live right in front of me and what a special moment that would be.
Listening to Born Singer it definitely has a feel of an old song, probably because it was one of their first songs, released just a month after debut. So I was actually quite surprised to learn that it is written on top of the instrumental of J Cole’s “Born Sinner”. BTS had to obtain his approval to have the song released as part of “Proof” (according to Genius).
The lyrics of Born Singer really hit hard and reflect upon the hardships of a trainee – waiting and hoping for a big break. They all felt like they were the same people and that they wouldn’t have succeeded back then without the love and support of everyone around them. The verse also explores the difference between being an idol or a rapper and that with either title the person (in this case Suga) is still the same person.
‘The very first stage, named as Bangtan
Remind the mind three years ago I had
Still I'm nothing different from a rural Daegu rapper but
I became a pro, no more amateur
When I'm on stage rapping and dancing which I wanted so badly
I feel alive although it's hard and tough
I can handle it cause you're supporting me
I can stand the pain cause I can hear shouting my name
I'm in a boundary between idol and rapper
Still my notes are full of rhymes
I write down the lyrics between on and off stage
Do I look something different I used to be?
Damn, shit, I am still who I am
Did someone say I've changed? Go tell them
Nothing changed, I'm still rapperman
I still rap and sing as three years ago, I'm out ‘
‘Frankly I was afraid to prove the big mouth I've told
How to surprise the world with something else, I dunno
Maybe I'll let you down
I was afraid of making my people down
But I straighten my shoulders and make my debut
The moment of silence, get my breath back
The people I've seen are now staring at me
Fancy TV stars are now below me
Uh, it was a very fast time the only once play has started
It just took three minutes to show my three years the fierce fought with mic
Though it's a few seconds, I put everything in, I'm fuckin real
Hey, what is your dream? Mine is a rapstar, can't you feel
The shouts after the stage, yeah, I could read your mind (Uh, yeah)
I could read your mind, no more questions, just smile (Uh, yeah)
My team just tapped my shoulder
It seems like yesterday, but already past 20 days
And let the haters hate on me, it's their job
When you play with the keyboard, I've made my career
Sunglasses, hair style, know why you insult me
Anyway on 20 years old I'm better than you’
This explores the fears and doubts of letting people down and feeling haters’ emotions – but somehow they hold their ground and feel like they have achieved more than others through their hard work, flair and determination. They notice how people they used to admire now admire them which I can imagine would be unfamiliar territory.
‘Remember the days we've been through
Three years, we were as one
My blood and sweat drench me
After the stage tears well up in my eyes
Every single time I swear not to forget the very first intention
Always myself, live up to myself
So we go, we go, we go (We go)
Up, up, up (Up)’
Wise words are contained here in the third verse, “always myself, live up to myself” I wonder about these words, I find them very reminiscent of the “Love Yourself” era and living up to your own expectations rather than have others’ expectations thrust upon you, which is extremely poignant due to the break they are currently undertaking.
As the song says they are indeed ‘Born Singers’ and I look forward to the exciting treats they have in store for us, either individually or as BTS!
I’m Fine - Charlie
With the recent announcement of the BTS members focusing on solo activities, it’s always good to remind ourselves that while weird times will come around, it’ll all be fine in the end.
“Open your eyes under the cold blue sky
The pouring sunshine makes me dizzy
My breath is quickening, my heart is racing
I can feel it so easily that I'm alive”
I’m Fine is one of BTS’ most beautifully uplifting songs to me. I remember times that I would cry listening to ‘Save Me' and reading the lyrics, whereas ‘I’m Fine’ perfectly mirrors those lyrics to deliver a much more positive and independent message. Where the lyrics of ‘Save Me' are about depending on someone to stop you from falling, ‘I’m Fine' has counterpart lyrics about standing on one’s own two feet. In a similar way to how BTS have now announced their need for independence, what with moving out to live on their own, and figuring out how they’ll express themselves creatively as solo artists.
“I'm feeling just fine, fine, fine
I'll let go of your hand now
I know I'm all mine, mine, mine
'Cause I'm just fine”
But ‘I’m Fine’ isn’t just about finding strength in being alone. In the choreography, the members act out falling to their feet before picking each other up, and standing forward while leaning on each other. It’s one of my favourite BTS choreographies for this reason - the message is incredibly sweet, and reminds us that BTS will always lean on each other just as they’ll always prop up ARMY if and when we’re feeling low. It doesn’t just tell you “If you’re going through something rough, deal with it on your own”, but it gives a more soothing message of “Once you’re ready to, it’s okay to stand on your own”.
“I'm feeling just fine, fine, fine
I'll yell it out myself casting a spell
On this repeating nightmare”
Lost - Michayla
At first I picked this song because of the title because I know that’s how many of us ARMY’s have been feeling recently. BTS haven’t yet released a song with the title ‘Finding BTS was one of the best things I’ve ever done and now I don’t know what to do anymore’ so ‘Lost’ was my choice.
I was tempted to write about several songs like ‘ON’ (shocking, I know!), ‘Euphoria’, ‘So What’, ‘Blue & Grey’ and even ‘Make It Right’ because to be honest, there are so many songs that I listen to depending on my mood. I suppose this is the reason that this playlist will be played a lot because it covers everything.
‘Lost’ is about feeling lost and not knowing which path to take or where the path you’re on is leading you. I have felt like that at several points this year and it’s even more difficult when situations are out of your own hands. I love the innocence in the first verse and the line ‘Am I becoming an adult?’ At 43 years old I am apparently an adult and I can tell you that sometimes age is irrelevant when you don’t know which way to turn.
‘I’m still standing here with my eyes closed
Lost between the deserts and oceans
I’m still wandering
Where should I go yeah
I didn’t know there were this many
Paths I can’t go and paths I can’t take
I never felt this way before
Am I becoming an adult?’
There is so much that I can relate to in this song, the feeling of confusion and not knowing where you are. Sometimes you can’t make sense of things at all and have to try a new approach before choosing which path to take.
BTS are doing just that right now, finding their own paths and working towards self fulfilment and achieving their personal goals. From being trainees to where they are now, with how much they’ve achieved they certainly deserve the time to explore their individual goals. Personal growth is hugely important and life for many in the last couple of years has been the toughest ever! ARMY’s will embark on whatever journey BTS take because that’s what we signed up for. For many, finding the BTS path has enabled them to get through some of the most difficult times and this is just a different path now or are there seven paths to jump between? Life as ARMY has always been interesting and so it continues to be, with the best yet to come.
For many ARMYs, Proof was their first comeback and for those who have been around a bit longer, we all remember our first. Our playlist team reminisced about their first comeback to create this week’s playlist.
To find the Spotify playlist, CLICK HERE
After reading this week’s blog, why not come and tell us which album was your first comeback? You can find us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @BTSRadioUK
Michayla - Love Yourself: Answer
I was introduced to BTS briefly in April 2018 but at the time I was struggling to live life after the traumatic loss of my mother in June 2017. I had never heard of them. I worked in a school so had all the school holidays off so when the summer break started, I had the world of BTS trickle into my life courtesy of my daughter and two nieces. By the time that Love Yourself: Answer was released on 24th August 2018, I had pre-ordered the album, I had a bias and I was so deep down that rabbit hole that less than two months later I was also at the O2 for both nights of the tour!
I will never forget sitting with my daughter and niece, waiting for the IDOL MV release. It’s such an experience and for me, who was 39 years old then, I had no idea what to expect and it was definitely a whole new world. I remember how vibrant it was and how excited my daughter and niece were. I think I was a whole lot more reserved then because I was taking it all in.
When my albums arrived, I was then introduced to photocards and everyone was so eager to discover who I got and even that was mind boggling. There was such an incredible level of excitement when we were all getting album versions and sharing pictures on Whatsapp of who we got. There was such a buzz and to be honest it was such a welcome distraction from what I’d been going through. I was also about to embark on life changing surgery so the whole ‘Love Yourself’ stuff really hit home and I was taken, hook, line and sinker.
There are so many songs on Answer that are embedded in my heart now. I actually feel incredibly emotional just writing this. Euphoria became a song that I listened to on repeat when my mental health was suffering. It was made even more special in the year that followed from seeing Jungkook perform it from a chair at the O2 to flying around Wembley and the Stade De France. At the O2, my daughter ‘took my hand’ when JK sang that line so it will always be super special to me. Singularity is a song that forces my soul from my body, whether it is the audio itself, the MV or any of the 4 times I’ve seen it performed live. I do not have the words to describe it so I won’t try. Tear is also special. The rap line are phenomenal and Hobi’s voice sends me into a spin. What a song! Tear is pure motivation and one I play often when I need to give myself a kick up the backside.
The last two songs that stand out for me, without talking about Mic Drop and that dance break or I’m Fine (which I wasn’t at any of the concerts), are the songs that open and closed the Love Yourself tour. It took me a good couple of months before I could listen to Answer, Love Myself without crying, so it was skipped a lot. From the day that I bought this album, I had the CDs in my car and everyone had little choice but to listen to it. The final song is IDOL because it was my first comeback MV, the title track and the song that burst into life on tour and created a storm on stage. It’s the song that was blasted out loudly on so many occasions and I even attempted to learn the choreo.
I feel so many emotions looking back at my first comeback, so much has changed in my life as BTS ARMY since then. When Yet To Come came out and I heard the line ‘the past was honestly the best’ it really hit me hard because I’d give anything to go back to my first year as ARMY. My daughter and nieces have moved on from K-Pop and so the time we had with BTS together will forever be precious and I am thankful to them for introducing me to this amazing group. Comebacks are always exciting and I do hope to have many more with BTS because I signed up for lifetime membership.
Cheryl - Love Yourself: Tear
Back in May 2018 Fake Love was my first comeback and I remember the excitement and build up prior to the release of the song and the performance on the BBMA’s.
There were 2 video teasers, which were both very intriguing and definitely left me wanting to learn more about the song and being impatient to actually hear it in full and yes, see it performed. The performance at the BBMA’s was the first time I had seen BTS perform in a live situation and what a dramatic performance it was – it has remained one of my favourites. The other portion of the song which totally blew me away, was the Army’s participation, here was a brand new song and there were already fan chants to accompany it.
Fake Love featured on the Love Yourself:Tear album which was the second of the Love Yourself trilogy. Tear followed Her and Answer followed Tear. Her focused on the all consuming love of another person and Answer focused on the healing power of love. Tear focused on the darker side of love and the pain it can cause, with Fake Love being the title track.
Fake Love focuses on the emotions of being in a relationship, where you cannot be truly yourself, you have to hide some part of yourself to fit into someone else’s perception as these lyrics demonstrate:
‘For you, I could pretend like I was happy when I was sad
For you, I could pretend like I was strong when I was hurt
I wanna be a good man, just for you
I gave the world, just for you
I changed everything, just for you
But I don't know me, Who are you?
Trying to erase myself and make me your doll
Love you so bad, love you so bad
Mold a pretty lie for you’
Although I really love this song and the lyrics, at the time I remember thinking that this song could relate to fame and the pressures put upon BTS, as they have said many times that it is not possible to share everything with Army, even though they have grown up with us. Obviously, they are entitled to their privacy and shouldn’t share everything with us, but I wonder if this somehow makes the relationship feel a little fake, as something has to be kept hidden.
The excitement I felt for my first comeback is something that will stay with me forever, partly because I shared it with my daughter but mostly because it was the first time I had experienced anything like it. The photos and teasers certainly built the anticipation and the performance did not disappoint. It really was an exciting time for Army!
Charlie - Young Forever
I got into groups, including BTS, over a long period so I don’t have a fixed idea of my first comeback, but Young Forever was the first comeback I experienced in terms of seeing teasers and watching the titular music video when it dropped.
I remember studying for my AS Levels when the Fire teaser, and then the music video, were released. I was overwhelmed by the aggressive music that kicks in right as Yoongi taps on the tape he holds and the hooded man is lit on fire. I immediately got addicted to watching live stages of the song, and I was captivated by the energy and stage presence of the members when they performed it.
“When I wake up in my room (Room), I have nothing
After the sun sets, I sway as I walk
I'm completely drunk, drunk
I'm swearing on the streets
I've lost it, I'm like a crazy guy
Everything's a mess, livin' like beep”
Young Forever was also the first album I listened to. I had it playing as I did some coursework, and I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to listen to while I worked. Tracks like Hold Me Tight and Autumn Leaves were very soothing at a time when I was studying and figuring out what I wanted to do with my life. I had no idea of the significance that Epilogue: Young Forever would later have in my life.
“Forever we are young
Under the flower petals raining down
I run, so lost in this maze
Forever we are young
Even when I fall and hurt myself
I endlessly run toward my dream”
It was also the first BTS album I got a physical copy of - my family bought it for me for my birthday and we had it playing in the car on the way to school some days. My family really enjoyed Run, so I hold it close to my heart as a song that helped my family understand why I’m so into BTS’s music.
“Make me run
Make me run more
Let my feet rip apart with wounds
At least I can smile when I see you”
Onomey - Love Yourself: Her
My first BTS comeback was Love Yourself: Her which was released in September 2017. Wow, it’s so long ago but seems so recent to me. I remember being so confused as to what was a comeback although I had listened to other music by Korean artists I had never experienced the hype and love fest that is a comeback. I had no idea what to expect, nor did I think I would get caught up with it but I was all in as soon as I saw the first teaser for ‘DNA’ with Jungkook casually walking and whistling that famous tune until he reached his other members in a dance formation. Followed by them delivering a smooth but small bit of choreography that leaves you wanting more. I may or may not have squealed like a little girl.
Speaking of ‘DNA’, it is one of my favourites from the album because at the time, especially, it was something that I had never heard before and the overall performance of the song in the MV. This song is one of my favourites of the album because of how impactful it was on the wider world plus, I’m a sucker for top-quality choreography, and this song has it throughout. When I listen to this song, I often wonder how on Earth they don’t die of exhaustion when performing it. The vocal stability needed and used for this song is top-notch and was shown when they performed at the BBMAs for the first time which made the American audience wake up and take notice of our boys for the first time on a big stage.
It might not be on everyone's list of favourite songs on this album but I really like ‘GoGo’ mainly due to its lyrics and the context behind them. I must have spent hours researching more about the song because of it. It was the first time that I felt truly tricked by not only the lyrics of the song but the upbeat party vibes and the fun choreography and outfits when they performed it on their comeback stage. Even at the start of the song, they’re acting so cute and adorable by doing hearts, etc., so you would never think that this song is about society and how toxic society can be when you have money but no morals to live by. You find yourself ‘squandering it all in one day' running away from something until one day you realise that you’ve not got any money left because you were living beyond your means. A positive to their lyrical deception is that the choreography is one of the few that I can actually keep up with which doesn’t say much about my dancing abilities but says a LOT about BTS.
MIC Drop is another iconic song from this album and has gone on to have a remix version with Steve Aoki and a feature from Desiigner also. Still to this day, it is my go-to song when trying to persuade people to fall in love with BTS. What blew my mind about this song was the MV because it was movie quality with cars on fire, things falling from the sky and more. The contrast between ‘DNA’ and ‘MIC Drop’ is something BTS should always be proud of as it shows quality in both genres. This song has me so hyped every time I listen to it because the rap line delivers absolute quality with bar after bar of fire verses. J-Hope especially, absolutely dominates vocally and choreography-wise. I always love when BTS have songs about them bragging because I don’t think they brag enough about their achievements but I guess that’s why they have us. We’ll continue to tell the world how great you guys are, don’t worry!
The titled track of the album ‘Her’ gives me major old skool vibes. I don’t know if it’s because of the drum pattern but it makes me think of a track that would be in the movie ‘Honey’. It’s just a pure street-sounding song from the rap line which makes me smile from ear to ear whilst bobbing my head along to the music. I think it’s a great way to end the album as it is light sounding but as the song progresses it begins to talk about negative things that come from loving “Her” like putting on a mask and “substituting myself to be the most me for you”. It leads to perfecting into Love Yourself: Tear.
By the time you read this, ‘Proof’ will have already been released and boy I was excited for this one. It feels like it has been too long. I’m loving the title track ‘Yet To Come’ because it gives me pure family feelings which take me back to my youth and makes me happy. It makes me think of a lot of early tracks from the boys that have a New York 90s beat to them.
I have no doubt that there will be plenty more to come from you guys. You never leave us wanting more, instead, we are blown away each and every time you release something.
In the UK, the Queen has been celebrating her platinum jubilee and with ARMY preparing for comeback our playlist team thought this was the perfect theme.
Click here for the Spotify playlist: CELEBRATING WITH BTS
The team also answered this question:
Q. With only days left before the release of Proof, what are you most looking forward to?
Michayla - I have been writing the comeback diary entries (available on BTSRadioUK Instagram and Facebook) so I have been following the schedule intently. At this point I am excited about the surprise coming on the 6th! I do love a comeback and I am filled with so much excitement after the announcement that BTS will be performing on the music shows once again. I’ve been longing for a full Korean comeback and it looks like that is exactly what we are getting.
Charlie - New eras are always so exciting. What I look forward to the most is the fact that during comebacks, we get to see so much more of BTS. The TV appearances, any comeback stages, cute sketches… It’s a great time to see so much more content from the boys, from performances to funny interviews. While BTS have given us a lot of content this year already, I find myself often missing them and wanting to see more - and fresh new tracks to perform are so exciting. I remember previous comebacks, when songs like Fake Love were yet to be released, and I had no idea of the art that I was in for. Soon, we’ll all have new performances to watch with gorgeous new styling and choreographies, and that never stops being exciting.
Cheryl - With the release of Proof being just days away, I am most looking forward to the 3 new songs, a new video and hopefully a brand new dance practice. Just putting this in writing is giving me goosebumps with anticipation. Who knows what we will be gifted with and what it will sound like and the visuals? Exciting times ahead!
Come Back Home - Charlie
BTS’ Come Back Home cover was released as part of Seo Taiji & The Boys’ 25th anniversary in 2015, so to me it fits the theme of celebrations well. As we celebrated the Jubilee this weekend (and I write this on my anniversary of seeing BTS at Wembley), the theme of celebrating anniversaries is quite relevant.
“Hunnit band, hunnit band, hunnit band
An honour to my family, to my mother
And to make my family get stuffed til their stomachs explode
I continuously work hard, work hard, work hard”
I didn’t listen to Kpop much in the 1st generation, so I didn’t know what expectations to have about Come Back Home and how BTS would reinterpret it. However, it instantly became one of my absolute favourite songs. The way that BTS sing high pitched but we also hear them yell out the lyrics in deep voices, is so replayable and it’s impossible to listen to this without headbanging or toe-tapping. It’s a very unique-sounding song, as I can feel the heightened emotions of it, and the instrumental is very interesting.
So, it’s great for a celebration song! The lyrics themselves are about being young and feeling lost, while being told to just get on with life. However, the lyrics also have quite an uplifting end-message about persevering through it all and going back home to find the warmth that you were missing. Furthermore, BTS’ lyrics are altered somewhat from the original, to add the signature BTS style of giving the youth hope for the future. In the same way that the song starts with gentle but foreboding guitar noises that then become the intense backing of the rest of the song, BTS start out describing a difficult situation that the youth are going through before then promising that it’ll all get better.
“Because we are still young
There is a decent future
So let’s wipe that cold tears now and
Come back home”
In that way, the song is great for a celebration theme. Because it can be about celebrating that hard times are over, or celebrating yourself and the fact that you achieved something difficult.
IDOL - Michayla
When I think of celebrating and BTS in the same sentence, I think about the song that means a lot to me. We have recently had the 3rd anniversary of the Wembley concerts and I can definitely say that I celebrated with BTS when they performed Idol.
‘Idol’ is special because it was my first MV release, which I won’t talk about too much now as you’ll have to keep an eye out for the next blog (spoiler alert). It was also the song that BTS opened with during the Love Yourself tour and I will never, ever forget the moment they came up out of the stage at the O2, in magnificent military style costumes. I attended both O2 dates and of course bought the Europe DVD which is day 2 of the O2 and I still get so emotional watching it. I’m always transported back to 2 very hectic, chaotic days of work, school (for my daughter) and driving to and from the O2. ‘Idol’ became the car song and we danced our way home on the 90 minute car journey.
During the Speak Yourself tour and various awards shows, we have heard different remixes of Idol and I would love for these to be released. The best thing about it is that BTS always look like they are having so much fun when performing this song and a great example of this is the performance at MAMA Hong Kong 2018. One of my favourites! See the link below.
‘Idol’ has great lyrics that I think we can all relate to and take onboard if faced with negativity from others:
‘Keep on chit-chatting, saying this and that
I do what I do, so you do you
You can't stop me lovin' myself’
We should never let people drag us down and stop us from loving ourselves. This month is also the month of Pride so this message is even more important. You be you and love who you are. BTS have risen above so much hate and negativity since debut and celebrate their success in songs like ‘Idol’.
So, put on our playlist and turn up the volume. Celebrate who you are, the things you love or just because you feel in the mood for celebrating life.
DNA - Cheryl
This week’s playlist is all about Celebrations, so with that in mind I have chosen to write about DNA. Celebration and DNA are linked for me as this was one of the first songs that got me hooked on BTS and I just love the beat and vibe of the song and it definitely makes me want to dance and be happy.
Straight away the opening whistle causes intrigue and accompanies the beat beautifully and then the song just builds and gains strength with the lyrics and the melody. It is such a punchy song.
DNA is a love song about young passionate love, where the possibility of the couple finding each other was predestined due to their DNA, which has a scientific reference, it is also claimed that their love will be eternal, there is also a mention of their meeting being a mathematical equation.
My favourite line is: ‘My hand reaching out to you is my chosen fate’
My favourite verse is the third one:
‘I want it this love I want it real love
I only focus on you
You steer me a little harder
The DNA of the genesis wants you
This is inevitable, I love us
We are the only true lovers
Every time I see her, I freak out
Surprisingly, I keep gasping and it's weird, maybe
This is the emotion they call love
Because from the very beginning, my heart runs to you’
These lyrics are very romantic and cause me to reminisce about how my husband and I felt in the early days of our relationship, where we were totally consumed by each other and felt like we were the only ones who could understand and feel what we felt. The funny thing is that now that our children are growing up I can see them experiencing these same feelings with their new partners and I can totally imagine them having these same thoughts and feelings.
The DNA dance practice was a YouTube video that really got my hooked on BTS and it is one that I have really enjoyed revisiting over the years. The synchronisation, the style and moves are just mesmerising choreography. The only issue for me, is that although I want to dance, thinking about their dance moves is rather intimidating, so I just bop to it in my own way, in the kitchen usually whilst making dinner. It’s the little celebrations in life that count too, not just the big parties and big gestures. If something gives you cause to celebrate and makes you happy I suggest you catch it with both hands and do not let it go and I believe this to be what makes BTS and ARMY so strong!
It’s been a while since our playlist team looked at the songs performed by units of BTS and with the recent release of ‘Stay Alive’ it seemed like the perfect time to refresh our memories.
Find the Spotify playlist here: UNITS 2022
Intro: Never Mind - Michayla
This was a very tough choice this week because there are so many songs on the playlist that I absolutely love! I have been thrilled to learn that ‘Cypher 3: Killer' will be on ‘Proof’ because that’s my favourite Cypher and I was also tempted by my favourite rapline song, ‘Tear’. There are so many songs that I could wax lyrical about but I decided to go with ‘Intro: Never Mind’ because I feel it is probably one of the more underrated songs.
You will find this song on ‘The Most Beautiful Moment In Life Pt. 2’ which was released in November 2015. Many ARMY’s might not have listened to Pt.1 and Pt.2 because they tend to naturally gravitate towards the ‘Young Forever’ album.
‘Never Mind’ was written by Yoongi and is quite simply put… 2 minutes and 16 seconds of pure emotion. The piano really adds to the whole feeling because Yoongi’s delivery feels even more raw because the music seems to take a back seat to the lyrics.
Yoongi bites back at those people who wanted him to fail:
‘I only lived how I wanted, guided by only my beliefs
In your eyes, how do you think I’m doing right now
How do you think I am
I want to ask the several people who prayed for me to screw up
Does it seem like my home is going broke, you bastards?’
I appreciate that some people may not agree but I really like the explicit language used in the lyrics. For me it brings the rawness and grit into the song and when expressing yourself, you shouldn’t be bound by a limitation on vocabulary.
‘I don’t give a sh*t I don’t give a f*ck
Like I always said hundreds of time every day,
“Never mind me”’
This is such a motivational, inspiring song. It tells us to trust in ourselves, not to let our failings prevent us from moving forwards and not to let obstacles get in our way. There are some things in life that happen that we have no control over but never mind!
‘Never mind, never mind
No matter how thorny the road is, run
Never mind, never mind
There are lots of things in the world that you can’t help
You better’
If you are reading this but haven’t heard it, be sure to click the link at the top and grab that playlist. I can’t write about Never Mind without mentioning our lovely sweet Jimin who has it tattooed on him as per the lyrics:
‘Never Mind
It’s not easy but engrave it onto your chest’
Waste It On Me - Cheryl
This week looking at Unit songs, I chose to write about Waste It On Me which was released in 2018 (wow how time flies). I remember the buzz of these coloured balls gradually appearing on a Billboard in America until the whole ad for the song was shown.
Waste It On Me is another collaboration with Steve Aoki (following The Truth Untold and Mic Drop), an all English song released by BTS and went to No.1 on the iTunes Chart in 66 countries. The song features Jungkook from the vocal line and RM from the rap line. Whilst researching this song I found an interesting quote from Rolling Stone magazine “Waste It On Me being sung in English is besides the point… they have gone to No.1 twice on the album charts in 2018 alone while still singing and rapping frequently in Korean”.
The song tells the story of two sides of love, one where it is seen as a waste and the other being hopeful of conquering love.
‘You say love is messed up
You say that it don't work
You don't wanna try, no, no
(You don't wanna try, no, no)
And baby, I'm no stranger
To heartbreak and the pain of
Always being let go (Always being let go)’
With the first verse, we can see that this is a message to someone who has given up on love and the relationship and is no longer willing to try and fix things.
‘So we don't gotta go there
Past lovers and warfare
It's just you and me now (Yeah, yeah)
I don't know your secrets
But I'll pick up the pieces
Pull you close to me now (Yeah, yeah)’
The second verse sounds so reassuring and healthy, not looking at past issues, but being there to help pick up the pieces and holding the other person close.
‘Yeah, don't you think there must be a reason?
Yeah, like we had our names
Don’t you think we got another season
That come after spring?
I wanna be your summer
I wanna be your wave
Treat me like a comma
I'll take you to a new phrase
Yeah, come just eat me and throw me away
If I'm not your taste, babe, waste
Waste it on me’
I find these lyrics to be so hopeful of the future, another season that comes after Spring and wanting to be their Summer. Even suggesting that they treat you like a comma, which could mean temporary – but then RM says he will take you to a new phrase, all sounds quite tantalising and intriguing. Throughout the song, we are treated to the catchy melody of the Pre-Chorus and Chorus:
]And I know there's no makin' this right, this right (Yeah)
And I know there's no changing your mind, your mind (Oh)
But we both found each other tonight, tonight (Oh yeah)
So if love is nothing more than just a waste of your time’
‘Waste it on me, waste it on me
(Waste it on me)
Tell me, why not waste it on me? Waste it on me
(Waste it on me)
Baby, why not waste it on me? Waste it on me
(Waste it on me)
Tell me, why not waste it on me? Waste it on me
(Waste it on me)
Tell me, why not?’
Honestly, this song is just so summery and the lyrics are so real and well thought out that when I hadn’t heard it for a while, I just knew I wanted to play it over and over and write about it this week.
Dimple - Onomey
I have a significant bias towards this song, I seem to choose this song A LOT but I can’t help it. I don’t know what it is about vocal line songs but everyone sprinkled with magic start dust that makes your heart flutter like crazy. I’m convinced that RM deliberately wrote this song in order to make all of ARMY lose their minds. He claims in the song that ARMYs’ dimples shake BTS’ hearts causing them to love us even more. But I think that he wrote this song knowing that the hearts of thousands shake every time BTS members' dimples show. A song that starts with a verse with lyrics like ‘don’t lie, I know you’re an angel’ has and will always have me shook.
Why I love this song so much is that I don't think I have heard a song that is similar to ‘Dimple’. Call and response songs are popular but they tend to be in jazz or R&B mainly, not pop. The call and response have a little spin on them by making the response full of harmonies. To me, the harmonies are vital as they give you goosebumps added to the storyline. They act as their hearts flutter, which is super cute and VERY clever.
It is quite ironic that they sing about dimples being illegal when they have choreography during the chorus that should be made illegal
‘that dimple is illegal ille gal
no, it’s dangerous oh yes
so I call you illegirl ille girl
your existence alone is a crime
was it a mistake made by an angel?
or a deep kiss?
that dimple is illegal ille gal
but I want it anyway anyway anyway’
My favourite section is the chorus because it starts with V’s deep voice which pulls you from the happy drunk on love song to really focusing on each vocalist one by one. I would describe it as you being in a room alone face to face with each other as V and Jimin each take turns to sing ‘every time I see you, my heart gets dangerous’ and ‘every time I see you, it gets more dangerous’. Followed by Jin’s beautifully sung falsetto ‘oh baby no hey’ then Jungkook brings the song back to speed with passionate, powerful and throaty vocals ‘You’re too dangerous to live in this world’.
Ooooo and Jin’s ‘Ooo ooo ooo oo ooooooo ooo’ in super high falsetto this time in the final chorus is something special that should forever be celebrated.
I’m excited about the next vocal line unit song as they always deliver with high standard quality vocals.
Friends - Charlie
Friends was the unit song that Jimin chose to include in the ‘Proof’ album. An excellent choice, as I hold this song very close to my heart. It’s also very touching that out of all the subunit songs he features in, he chose the one which he produced, and sang with his best friend.
“Me from the moon, you from the stars
Our conversations were like homework
BFFs on one day, enemies on another
I just wanna understand”
Even just reading the lyrics makes me emotional; this song is so cute and it’s so precious to me that Jimin and Taehyung released a song together that’s all about their friendship. I hear so many songs about typical topics like romantic love and parting, but I love that they released a song that’s just about how much they love being friends.
Friends talks about how Jimin and Taehyung first met, and bickered like siblings through their extremely close and beautiful friendship. They hint at ‘the dumpling incident’, which we later learned was about how Jimin and Taehyung had a big fight after arguing about when to grab some dumplings to eat - during or after practice. Jimin and Taehyung are so close that their petty arguments turned out to make them love each other even more, and became defining moments of their friendship.
“I remember our uniforms
Our memories are movies
The dumpling incident is a comedy movie yeah, ayy, yeah, ayy
Heartfelt stories filling the school bus
Now we go out to drive together”
The final verses of the song are so joyful to hear. We hear a chorus of “You are my soulmate”, and that is so special to me. All friendships are special, but everyone needs a Jimin and a Taehyung in their life; someone to bicker with in this loving way, and have as your soulmate through your life, no matter how turbulent it gets.
The release of ‘With You’ by Jimin inspired our playlist team to create an OST playlist and to ponder the question below.
You can find the Spotify playlist here: OST PARADISE
Q. Which BTS track would make a great OST song?
Michayla - I’m not going to hang around, I’m just going to be predictable and state the obvious… my answer is ‘ON’. That song could be the title track for anything and would make a great OST song played at a time when there is some drama going on. It’s such a motivational, strong track that I fail to see how it wouldn’t fit in somewhere.
Onomey - I believe that there are TONS of songs that could be used as OST’s because of the range in emotions that BTS write about in their songs as well as the range of genres. If I had to narrow it down to just one song, I would choose Epiphany because of how beautiful it is but Fire also could be used in a comedy party type movie as well. BTS are a director's dream because they can deliver any song that would make any project that much better.
Charlie - I think that, in multiple ways, Louder Than Bombs can receive even more recognition. I want it to be played for more and more purposes, and an OST would suit it so well. Louder Than Bombs would work so well as the soundtrack to a drama or action film. I can specifically imagine it as the backing music to a trailer for an action-packed film or TV show. K-dramas are really emotionally-charged, so I definitely envision Louder Than Bombs as an OST for one of these. It’d play as the leads are right on the precipice of a dangerous or high stakes scenario, with frantic emotions all over the scene.
Cheryl - To answer this week's question, I think Fake Love would be an amazing OST track. I can imagine all the different scenarios it could be applied to and just how dark the story line could get. The passion and depth of the song could be explored through this process and taken in numerous directions, as Fake Love can be found throughout all periods of life and has no boundaries.
Yours - Michayla
‘Yours’ is a beautiful ballad by Jin that is on the soundtrack for the drama ‘Jirisan’. As of this moment, I haven’t watched Jirisan yet but I do hope to at some point. The synopsis sounds like something I would watch and there’s always something special about watching a drama or movie and hearing the voice of someone you adore. I’m that person that gets distracted when ‘Sweet Night’ is heard in Itaewon Class and the same for ‘Christmas Tree’ in Our Beloved Summer.
Jin’s vocals on this track are stunningly beautiful. I love his tone and he sings the higher pitches with such ease that the whole range of notes seems effortless. Jin takes us on a journey with his vocals alone and I find myself easily lost as my mind drifts off to wherever he wants to take me.
The lyrics are powerful and even though I didn’t understand the meaning initially before researching the translation, it was quite evident that there was an emotional story being told thanks to Jin’s delivery.
The first verse sets the scene and is definitely something I can relate to. To me it is someone caught up in their head, perhaps they are lost and stuck at a crossroads, not knowing where to go?
‘A deeper day, a longer grown shadow
The sun is setting in the distance
I guess I’m wandering in the dark
Am I trapped here?’
It’s later on in the song when I read the chorus that I felt that it all made sense. I realised that it’s a story of someone who has lost their love or is losing that special person in their life. It’s that moment when you have been used to something and then it all starts changing and drifting away. When you get the feeling that the love between you is no longer reciprocated as it once was:
‘Every day you seem too far away
Every time you do, i tell myself
I’m waiting right here
Every night I see you in my heart
Every time I do, I end up crying
When I call you in the darkness’
It’s a sad tale and I’m unsure of how it fits into the drama but I can’t wait to watch it. If ‘Yours’ is an example of the depth of emotion of the drama then I am quite looking forward to it.
Friends - Onomey
If you didn’t know, ‘Friends’ made an appearance on Marvel’s Eternals that was released in November 2021.
I chose to write about ‘Friends’ mainly because I’m a massive Marvel fan but because of the weirdness in which the song appears and I love anything weird. The song plays when Kingo played by Kumail Nanjiani is talking about how he can’t leave the show then name drops BTS saying ‘we’ve just got BTS to do a cameo’. Then Karun played by Harish Patel responds with a quote “life affords no greater duty than to protect one’s family”, continuing “your family needs you”. From then you hear the ‘1,2,3,4’ before the scene changes to the cut scene of a plane flying and ‘Friends’ by BTS playing in the background as he delivers his monologue to a camera on the plane. It’s a very short scene but it is HUGE that it was in a Marvel movie. Out of all BTS’ songs, I wouldn’t have expected it to be included; I would’ve thought that it would’ve been used in a love scene or best friend scene because of dramatisation with the big orchestral drums as well as the meaning of the lyrics of the chorus. Oh and let's not forget the absolutely brilliant harmonies and range of octave layers in which this is sung. It gives me goosebumps and makes me say ‘aww how cute are they!’
My favourite section of this song is the bridge to the final chorus. I’m a big lover of bridges that pull on your heartstrings enough to make you crave the boost of the dramatic chorus. It is like it being on a rollercoaster dropping down in a dip and then coming back out of it. The thing that makes this song ending so beautiful is the combination of Jimin’s very light and head voice like vocals with V’s throaty vocals as it makes the perfect vocal combination as they are so talented to hit a number of harmonies as well as a wide vocal range which makes it so nice for any listeners ears. If you don’t feel the need to listen to the full song (you definitely should) you will notice the many different vocal riffs both of them have added to the final chorus to make it that bigger as well as the acapella crowd type sound which I LOVE in a song.
We only get the privilege of hearing the first verse of the adorable song by Jimin and V. But that makes sense as the character is going to his family which is what V and Jimin are at this point. So the first verse is in relation to seeing family again for the first time.
‘Seoul that used to be so unusually sparkling
Was another new world to me
I met you when you were clammy with sweat
A somewhat strange kid
Me from the moon, you from the stars
Our conversations were like homework
BFFs on one day, enemies on another
I just wanna understand’
The Eternals director Chloe Zhao is a big fan of BTS and ‘Friends’ is one of her favourites by BTS which is why she included it in the movie and described it as ‘a beautiful song’. She definitely isn’t wrong about this and described it perfectly. Thank you so much Chloe for including this song!
With You - Charlie
BTS have treated us to some incredible group songs, solos, and collaborations. One such collaboration, which fits our OST theme this week, is Jimin’s collaboration with Ha Sungwoon for the Our Blues OST song With You.
“I wanna be with you
And I wanna stay with you
Just like the stars shining bright
You’re glowing once more…”
With You is a perfectly gentle song. It is a slow song, and yet the vocals are strangely addictive and catchy and carry it along, sweeping the listener on a romantic journey. In particular, the chorus is an earworm which I often find myself softly singing along to without even realising, when I’m pottering about the kitchen or walking somewhere.
“Just take it all
I`m nothing without your love
I promise I’ll never leave your love
My heart is beating ‘cause of you…”
Jimin’s vocals are very unique; they have a certain quality to them which I have no idea how to describe and no-one can replicate. This particular song is 90% in English, and his voice sounds so pretty when he sings in English. Maybe it’s because I understand his words straight away, and they sound cuter coming from him.
Singer (and longtime friend of Jimin’s) Ha Sungwoon joins Jimin on this song; his voice is also very beautiful and carries the tender weight of the song very well. Something about his first line reminds me of Jungkook, and then in later lines, he has a deep quality which occasionally reminds me of Taehyung - I think I’m so used to hearing Jimin’s voice with the rest of the maknae line that, when I absent-mindedly listen to With You, my mind sometimes forgets it’s not a BTS song as I get lulled by Jimin’s voice.
“Forever and ever and ever
Only you can take my heart
Dear my love love love
I wanna stay with you…”
Stay Alive - Cheryl
Stay Alive is the soundtrack for 7 Fates:CHAKHO which is a web-toon released in February 2022 with Naver Webtoon. During a VLive Suga explains that he produced the melody and beat but that he also wrote a couple of verses whilst on a flight to America. He also said that the melody and the beat changed a lot during the song and that Jungkook sang so well and matched the high and low notes that there was no need for a second recording session.
Stay Alive and the repetition of the words “Please you stay alive” run with the theme of the story line, where the 7 characters are faced with harsh fates and they fight to stay alive.
‘When did things start to go wrong?
I can't remember at all
I whisper as I hide myself in this small room
Darkness is my only friend (Only friend)
My hand reaching out for salvation
Am I strange?
A room stained with blood
Please, somebody save me’
The first verse paints a picture of fear and loneliness and the wish to be saved. Salvation is mentioned for the first time, with a hand reaching for it but I get the impression that it is not to be found.
‘The shadow is growing bigger
But it’s okay because you are my big light
Because you are the profit in my life
Just smile like you always do
You resemble me so much
I resemble you so much
At times, I get scared for no reason
Why am I feeling like this?’
With this verse there is such an air of sadness, there is a mention of the growing shadow which could mean the darker side of self, which Suga sang about previously and the big light is the goodness. I wonder if the references to you are an external person, or internal together with the resemblance of each other. There definitely appears to be an internal struggle and the question of “Why am I feeling this?” I think it suggests some inner struggle.
The pre-chorus mentions staying hidden in the moonlight and that there are no miracles and staying awake all night and feeling as if they have been through the nightmare with eyes open, suggests fear and lack of hope and being surrounded by terror hoping for a miracle.
‘You are my fate
No words can express it enough
Salvation that saved a wearied me
Is that easier to grasp
Those few words that saved me
I'll be by your side after many nights
Oh, yeah (Those few words)
I'll stay by your side even if my feet bleed’
With the chorus there is hope, salvation and the comfort of someone staying by your side even if their feet bleed.
‘You are my salvation
No words can express it enough
Please, you stay alive
(Woah-oh-oh, woah)
Please, you stay alive’
With the outro I still have the feeling that they are still talking to their internal self – all these mentions of you and your could be someone else but could also be them telling themselves they are their own salvation and that they will stay strong and supportive and most of all they are willing themselves to stay alive.
The melody and Jungkook’s vocals work so beautifully together, there is definitely a feeling of movement with the different changes, which I think matches the mood of the web-toon, the fight and desperation to stay alive. For info when I looked on web-toon it mentioned that more episodes were coming next month (June 2022).
The alphabet journey with BTS comes to an end with this final playlist that includes the songs that begin with the letters T to Z. Is your favourite song there?
You can find the Spotify playlist here: THE ALPHABET T-Z
As this is the final instalment, our team answered the following question:
Q. What have you enjoyed about the alphabet series?
Michayla - My job is to put the playlists together so for me, I have enjoyed looking back through BTS’ entire discography. There have been so many gems in this set of playlists and we didn’t even include collabs or mixtapes. If I were at school, this is the only alphabet I’d want to learn.
Charlie - BTS has such a vast discography, and many songs, despite us really wanting to write about them, may not fit into a certain theme. That’s where the Alphabet series comes in handy; it makes it easier for us to write about songs that may not particularly fit many themes, or ones that we forget to include in certain playlists. It also gives us a week off from thinking of a new theme, so we have more time to create great original playlists!
Cheryl - Exploring the A-Z of BTS has been a thrill as I have listened to songs that I haven’t heard in a while. I particularly enjoyed We On and Waste It On Me this week and the members’ individual releases over the past months, like Mono tracks and Sweet Night etc. Listening and thinking about these songs makes me very excited for 10th June and I am wondering like so many, what treats do BTS have in store for us?
Onomey - I’ve enjoyed this alphabet series a lot because it has allowed me to experience BTS and their catalogue in a lot more formal way and each playlist is completely different to the others without having to repeat the use of certain songs, allowing me to be reintroduced to songs that I haven’t heard for a while which is always a positive. It was also interesting to see what songs within the alphabet stood out to my fellow Spotify blog team as I myself found it very difficult especially when there were weeks where the playlist was filled with my absolute favourites which were torture but very enjoyable when listening to the playlist.
(Intro) What Am I To You? - Michayla
It was a tough choice this week because T - Z provided us with some absolutely phenomenal songs. Our team appears to have been drawn to the ‘W’ titles which is quite amusing given the range of songs in the playlist.
This intro is only 2 minutes and 45 seconds but it is packed with so much feeling and emotion. It is less than 3 minutes of Namjoon telling us how he feels about someone. You certainly do not need to understand Korean to appreciate the sentiment and raw emotion in the lyrics simply because of the way it is delivered.
This song is a declaration of love when you aren’t sure if the feelings are reciprocated. It’s a relationship that isn’t balanced, one making more effort than the other:
‘Why am I finding an excuse to call you like I’m a sinner
It’s worse than before we started dating
It is not enough that we are a couple?
You always give short answers like yes, I’m sleeping, no
Your messages don’t exceed 10 bytes
You’re like a goalkeeper who has lost her will
I’m like Messi, running all over the place
I knew this wasn’t from the start
A fair game
It’s not that I wanted to win over you
But I didn’t want to keep losing either
Even if we’re not couple-y and affectionate
I want to link arms with you like everyone else
And comfort each other and really mean it’
As a football fan, I do love the mention of Messi and it gives me a complete understanding of the situation and highlights the imbalance.
What I truly love about this song is that there is so much depth to the lyrics if you explore each verse. The meaning behind the lyrics is deepened further by the grittiness of the rap and it definitely showcases Namjoon’s ability. There doesn’t seem to be an end to our leader’s talents, even as early as this on Dark and Wild, the fact that he is a genius is there for all to see.
War Of Hormone - Onomey
I chose to write about 'War of Hormones' because it's the end of this entertaining alphabet theme and I thought the perfect way to end it is to write about an upbeat and fun song. I would say that the lyrics by BTS’ standards are the “naughtiest” as they don’t tend to talk like this about girls throughout a whole song but I guess the point of the song is that the talk is driven by hormones and the battle one has with them. At least that’s how I interpret the lyrics to the song.
If you’ve never watched the MV you will for sure go through a variety of different emotions like ‘aww young BTS are adorable’ to ‘omg, they’re so funny and goofy’ to ‘omg there’s no need for the hip-shaking choreography’. Rewatching the MV whilst writing this, I don’t know why I’ve only just noticed JK doing ninja-like spinning air kicks at the very end. It made me laugh so I thought I’d let others know in case, like me, you missed it.
I really appreciate War of Hormone because it’s like a combination of rock with the instrumentation and hip-hop with the rap lines’ brilliant verses as well as a hint of pop as the choruses are very singsongy and show off their vocals through the catchy melody. I love the fact that out of all the lyrics within the song, it is Suga, who tends to get misjudged as a “moody” person, who creates the most heartwarming verse in a song that is supposed to write from the perspective of a bad boy. He is such a romantic and can’t help letting that side of him out through his lyrics as even listening to his dictation when he raps, you would think he is being cocky and aggressive. In reality, he is giving us great lines such as ‘I studied you and found out you were against the rules' and my favourite ‘if the standards for beauty can be compared with the depth of the sea, you are the deep sea. You are the beautiful cultural heritage and should be conserved by the government’.
The vocal line lets their talents truly show within the harmonies that are sprinkled throughout the song without being too overbearing that sometimes you may miss them. An example of this is the harmony that helps make the link back into the chorus. I can't tell who it is who sings this, I think it may be Jimin but whoever it is, 10/10 marks for you.
Finally, the refrain hook deserves an award in itself because of the addictive and sweetly sung ‘la, la, la, la, la, la, la. Perfect from the front, perfect from the back’ has the song stuck in your head for hours at a time and the choreography during this section of the song can only be described in one way, perfect!
We On - Charlie
I feel like more people should talk about We On; I remember hearing it for the first time when I was first exploring BTS’ discography. It fits their old-style hip-hop sound, and I found it very easy to listen to and enjoy. Which explains why I found BTS so easy to get into.
“I don’t know you and you don’t know me
So please shut up
Don’t worry about me, I’m better than you
And will continue to be so
Where are all the friends who looked
Down on my since before? We on”
As especially shown in the chorus above, the rap line and vocal line’s voices go together very nicely and smoothly.
Speaking of the chorus, it gains more relevance and importance the higher up BTS get in their careers. It becomes more of a mic drop moment to look around and ask about those who looked down on BTS in the past, and continued to do so during and after this song’s release, with today’s context of BTS being Grammy nominees and selling out 4 nights at Allegiant Stadium.
“Look carefully, I’m in the majors
Jealous? Hey chaser
I think it’s too much
For you to follow
Just stay there”
The track is all about the challenges and mocking words BTS faced before and during their debut. It’s got the savage wording of the Cyphers, while being a calmer alternative when one doesn’t want to listen to something too intense. It has the typical BTS magic, of sounding catchy and getting stuck into your head even when it’s a slower song.
“Look out for my future
I’ll go toward the path of my
Success as much as you looked down on me”
We Are Bulletproof: The Eternal - Cheryl
Finishing our A-Z of BTS songs I chose We Are Bulletproof: The Eternal. I then decided to research the Bulletproof songs and I found out that it first started life as “We Are B.P.B” before October 2010. It was produced and released by RM (and two others not from BTS).
Pt.1 appears to be about other performers and outsiders judging them and their reply being that they are bulletproof. Were BTS psychic? They sang about History in the making and being the future sons of Hip-Hop. Jimin sings about showing their superiority on the stage and I definitely feel that BTS’ performance live is on a whole other level.
Pt.2 seems to be a comparison between peers and how hard BTS have worked and sacrificed to achieve what they are achieving. Jungkook’s lyrics show this:
‘I pulled all-nighters at practice rooms
Instead of school, dancing and singing
While you guys partied
I gave up sleep for my dreams’
The pre-chorus is about sharpening their sword, which sounds like a threat to those who judge them.
Jimin sings that others can throw stones at them, if they have achieved as much as BTS have.
Due to their hard work, determination and a little bit of luck they are bulletproof.
We Are Bulletproof: the Eternal addresses the 7 years BTS have been together since debut (seven winters and seven springs). They sing about how stones can be thrown because they have no fear and that together they are bulletproof. This song appears to be a reflection upon how far they have come. How they used to have fear of being judged and laughed at and how now that they have Army and success they are bulletproof. In Jungkook’s outro he sings that they are no longer just 7 - they also have you (us Army). My favourite lyrics are the bridge:
‘Oh, oh, oh, oh
I will never stop again
For we are together here
Tell me your story
Tell me why you don’t stop this
Tell me why you still walkin’
Walk-in’ with us
(Yeah we got to heaven)’
With these lyrics BTS are expressing their curiosity, they want to know about us and it feels like disbelief that we are all walking the path with them and they really wonder why? But with all the support and love they feel like they have reached heaven. Here I don’t think heaven is being thought of as the place you go when you die, but it’s more about the unattainable place, that higher plane.
The first thing I noticed about We Are Bulletproof: the Eternal is that it doesn’t sound as raw and aggressive as We Are Bulletproof Pt.1 or Pt.2. The first two bulletproofs were created in the earlier days when perhaps they felt they had a lot to prove and were judged. Whereas this version appears to be an acceptance of how far they have grown and that they are no longer afraid. The song sounds more mature and reflective upon their past journey.
However, upon choosing this song I could not imagine how the 4 x PTD concerts in Las Vegas would end with the video and announcement that comeback would be 10th June 2022 and the words “We Are Bulletproof”. So, it would appear that the Bulletproof story will continue….?
It’s been a confusing Spring so far with snow, high winds and sunny days in the UK but it is Spring so that is the focus for our playlist this week.
Find the Spotify playlist here: SPRING 2022
Our playlist team answered this question:
Q. When you think of seasons, which BTS songs come to your mind and why?
Michayla - There are the obvious songs that come to mind when I think of certain seasons: Crystal Snow for Winter, Autumn Leaves for Autumn, IDOL for Summer and Spring Day for Spring. There are also songs that I feel are representative of the seasons, like Winter Flower and Christmas Tree for when the weather turns cold. I also think of Butterfly as a summer song, a beautiful tune for walking on a sunny day. My brain automatically screams ‘EGO!’ to me because you can’t have summer without sunshine. If walking through fallen leaves in Autumn, I think of Stay Gold or A Brand New Day. My song for all seasons is ‘ON’ but you already knew that, ha ha ha.
Charlie - BTS’ songs tell stories that can span years, and therefore their different eras are very reminiscent of certain seasons. When I’m hanging out with friends in Spring and Summer, it reminds me of the HYYH albums. Summer also makes me want to listen to Fire and the AGUST D mixtape, because those are the songs that came out in Summer 2016 when I was getting more into BTS. The Wings album makes me think of a cold and dark but oddly comforting Autumn, which then turns into a cold and sunny Spring with thoughts of new beginnings, with the You Never Walk Alone tracks.
Cheryl - Spring Day (of course) - because of the anticipation of winter passing and spring coming and the eagerness of waiting for it to arrive.
DNA - the opening whistle reminds me of birdsong
Just One Day - such a light pretty song about a new love, so a new beginning just like Spring.
Onomey - When I think of seasons there are actually a few songs that come to mind, like Autumn Leaves, Spring Day and Crystal Snow but Rain is the song that makes me think of BTS and seasons because it is such a good jazz song, it’s absolutely baffling how underrated the song is. The adlibbing and scatting that goes on in this song is perfection. I know first hand when trying to sing jazz songs when I studied music, it can be very tough to not only scat but to make it sound like it is another instrument accompanying the rest of the instrumentation. You can get lost by trying too hard or picking too many notes that are out of key but no mistakes are made in this song. I would absolutely love to see them perform this live. Ahhh that would be amazing! It legit gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it because it makes me feel like I’m walking in the rain, in the darkness whilst each step I’m taking is in a puddle.
The Truth Untold - Michayla
I’m sure you may be wondering why I have chosen to write about this song in relation to our theme of Spring because let’s face it, this is a tragic tale. There were a few songs that spring to mind when I think of this season and The Truth Untold is one of them.
During the Love Yourself tour, the stage outfits that the vocal line wore were absolutely stunning and adorned with flowers. Jin’s blazer was littered with flowers of all different shapes and sizes and he looked phenomenal, as they all did. So, when I think of Spring, I automatically think of flowers and when I think of flowers I think of the Love Yourself performance of The Truth Untold.
Flowers play a very big part of this song because the whole story references ‘La Citta Di Smeraldo’ and if you haven’t looked it up I would recommend it. The story is Italian folklore about an ugly man who hides himself away because of the cruelty he had received. He found peace and happiness in his garden growing flowers and one day he noticed a girl climbing the walls to steal some of his blooms. He was angry at first but then he became curious and followed her where he found out that she was selling the flowers to earn money to feed her family. This changed things for the man and he wanted to help her so he grew the Smeraldo flower as it was unique and he knew she could get a lot of money. It took a lot of time and his feelings grew while watching her but he wasn’t brave enough to speak to her because he thought she would be repulsed by him. Eventually he grew the flower and waited for her to come at night but she didn’t ever come back. When he went into the village to find her he found that she’d died… he was too late.
The story teaches us that sometimes we need to put ourselves out there and be brave. It is scary sometimes to show your true self but it could be worth it in the end. We all hide behind masks and BTS themselves have spoken about their public and personal personas.
If I had the courage to stand before you
Would everything be different now’
Spring is about fresh starts and newness. As the trees regenerate and flowers push through the soil, I think it’s the perfect time to think about change and perhaps find the courage to show your true self.
Credit: Michayla
Butter - Onomey
I chose to write about Butter because it’s a song that makes me smile from ear to ear and it has the obvious colour scheme of yellow which makes me think of the first few times that you start to see the sun starting to shine through the white clouds and blue sky.
I’m really big on Spring because although I hate being around too much nature, such as going on hikes because I’m super lazy. I’m fascinated by the slow growth in plants that Spring brings. Seeing those first few sprouts on a tree as the leaves start preparing to regrow, makes me smile. This song would be my backing track if my life was a movie and I was walking around soaking in the scenery around me. A bonus point is that I can walk to this track without making it too obvious that I’m strutting to the kick and the snare on the beat.
“Butter” is a super funky song that has a real disco feel to it, especially in the verses, making it an absolute banger of a track in my eyes. Not only that, I feel as though this song more than others, seems to really highlight everyone vocally and as well through the smoothness and charm that they show when they perform the track or in their MV.
I’d say the 3rd verse by both Suga and RM is a highlight moment within the song because it keeps the listener from getting bored by the song to that point by completely changing the vibe to a more 90s feel to it. It reminds me a lot of “California Love” by Tupac Shakur ft Dr.Dre because it has a Spring/Summer chill out and bobs my head to the beat kind of feel. And I just love the ayyyy parts during Suga’s section because it gets me super hyped and I find it adorable that in the MV the boys are in the background being Suga’s hype men.
‘Ice on my wrist, I’m the nice guy
Got the right body and the right mind
Rollin’ up to party, got the right vibe
Smooth like (Butter), hate us (Love us)
Fresh boy pull up and we lay low
All the playas get movin’ when the bass low
Got ARMY right behind us when we say so
Let’s go’
It is the perfect Spring song as it gets me hyped up and ready for blasting this all through summer because of the easily singable lyrics throughout the song for the audience (ME!) to sing along to on volume 10 but also because of the fun, witty and simpleness. There’s not much to take seriously in lyrics wise but it still captures your heart.
A Brand New Day - Cheryl
This week we are exploring a Spring playlist and the song that I have chosen to explore is Brand New Day. As Spring is about new beginnings, I felt that BTS and Zara Larsson’s
Brand New Day met Spring perfectly.
The music is very springlike with electronic sounds accompanied by oriental musical instruments including the haegeum which is a Korean string instrument. It is on their BTS World album which accompanied the BTS World game.
The song itself explores overcoming fears and obstacles in order to achieve your own dreams and reach your own goals. As mentioned in the intro: “Fear and dread
Will I be able to overcome them?”
The pre-chorus explores how little glimpses of what the future could be can be seen, which is how I view spring. You can see little buds growing on trees and flowers starting to grow and there is a hint of how beautiful everything will look once flowers and blossom bloom.
Though untouchable, the future's fragments are clearly seen
A brand new world, dreams’ sentences embrace me (part of me)
V’s verse
As if hypnotized
Pulled me and led me through
As if in a trance
I became able to listen to the voice inside of me
The first verse sets the scene about finding yourself and listening to your own thoughts and having the belief to believe in oneself.
J-Hope’s bridge
Oh yeah, though I was fearful, I didn't lower my head
Though I was dreadful, I just ran ahead
Because I believed in myself even at crossroads of persecution
Going my way, choices that are like mine (I heard)
Voice getting louder, the sound of breathing from happiness
I suddenly realized, I would make my dream come true, haha
J-Hope’s bridge is my favourite lyrics, talking about even though he was scared he stayed strong and ran forward believing in himself, listening to himself and the more he believed in himself the louder his internal voice became. Listening to his happy breathing sounds and realising he would make his dreams come true – is just so powerful and empowering. Such positive and joyful lyrics and wow did his dreams come true!
I'll be there when the day comes
(Oh, I'll be there)
(Oh, I'll be there)
(A brand new day)
Head up in the sunlight, baby (baby)
I’ll be there when the day comes (when the day comes)
Oh, I’ll be there
(We know the world)
Show the world just who I can be (yeah)
Again the chorus is about support and facing the sunlight and being there for each other when the day comes, although it is a very upbeat song, “I’ll be there when the day comes” also has a rather melancholic feel for me, I feel that even if when the day comes and it may not be such a wonderful happy day, then the support will still be there – which is both sad and happy at the same time.
The final line of the lyrics “Show the world just who I can be” is just so poignant. It makes me want to strive to be myself and be the best that I can be, which I find rather exciting. Which again ties into Spring and the hopes and wonder of what the rest of the year will bring.
Permission To Dance - Charlie
During the pandemic, we’ve often compared the ending of the pandemic to Spring coming again, and BTS being able to no longer sadly miss us once they can do concerts - hence, we’ve often clinged to the song Spring Day.
To focus on the positivity of Spring, that’s why I’ve chosen Permission to Dance - a song that’s all about the gradual ending of concert restrictions, and represents BTS’s Permission to Dance On Stage tour which has allowed the Spring to come and BTS to see ARMYs again.
“When the nights get colder
And the rhythm’s got you falling behind
Just dream about that moment
When you look yourself right in the eye, eye, eye
Then you say
I wanna dance
The music's got me going
Ain't nothing that can stop how we move”
Even though it’s been a while since BTS released a full Korean album, and Permission to Dance was their third English single, nothing about it felt stagnant, or made me go “Ah, another English song…”. Instead, it felt fresh, and I still haven’t gotten bored of it despite how often I have it on repeat. The chorus puts a ‘spring’ in my step (pun not intended) whether I’m walking to meet friends, or on the bus home from work.
Especially last year, when the pandemic outstayed its welcome (and it still is), Permission to Dance felt like it represented the beginning of the end. The first Spring after a long Winter. The lyrics and fresh vocals make it perfectly optimistic, and I feel like good things are on their way when I listen to this song.
“We don't need to worry
'Cause when we fall, we know how to land
Don't need to talk the talk, just walk the walk tonight
'Cause we don't need permission to dance”
In the UK it’s that time of year when we get to celebrate the wonderful women or those that have taken on that important role in our lives. Our playlist team has thought long and hard and devised a playlist especially for the occasion.
Find the Spotify playlist here: MOTHERS DAY 2022
Have you got a question you’d like to ask our playlist team? You could have your question answered right here. Contact us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Permission To Dance - Michayla
I have chosen an upbeat song for this week’s playlist because unfortunately there is a bit of a dark cloud that hangs over my Mothers Day’s due to the tragic loss of my own Mother in 2017. I find the day quite difficult but have three wonderful children to focus on so I wanted to write about a song that quite literally makes me smile from ear to ear.
Permission To Dance is an amazing song. Yes, it is completely plausible that I would say that about the majority of the songs on our playlist and in BTS’ extensive discography but that’s partly why we love them!
From the very moment that this song was heard for the first time, I smiled and I don’t think I’ve stopped smiling! To accompany this wonderful cheery song we had the YouTube shorts challenge and choreography that even those who have two left feet (like me) could do! Not only that but we had English lyrics so we could sing the whole song while copying the moves… What a joyous experience.
The reason I relate this to Mother’s Day is because it was my daughter who encouraged me to submit a YouTube short for the PTD challenge and filmed it for me. I was very nervous and quite self conscious yet she was very supportive and helped me out even though I’m sure I drove her crazy! It also reminds me of being at a football match. I’m a Tottenham Hotspur supporter and they often play BTS before the match. While at one of the games this season, PTD was played through the speakers of the stadium and I sat in my seat doing the choreography! My children were with me and shook their heads but found me amusing.
I found BTS 16 months after losing my Mum and they gave me life at a time when I was barely living. My children were my sole reason for surviving and BTS helped inject happiness and focus into me. My eldest Son is 22 and he says that he witnessed the change in me when BTS came into my life and the music might not be his thing but their impact on me is undeniable.
So, when I went to the cinema this month and watched PTD in Seoul, live, I got up out of my seat for PTD and danced at the front because this song does that. BTS do that. On Sunday if the dark cloud creeps in, I will put this song on and do the choreo and look around me because I have so much to live for and I don’t need permission to dance.
Your Eyes Tell - Cheryl
One of the many things I love about a good song, is just how adaptable the lyrics can be and BTS songs are no different. Looking at ‘Your Eyes Tell’, it is a love song tinged with sadness and pain but woven with a sense of hope. It’s about the uncertainty of the future and the pains of the past but knowing that being together you can face anything, as described in the bridge:
‘To be loved
To love someone
I'll become your eye
For the adventure that lies ahead’
But as our playlist this week is dedicated to Mother’s and being one myself – looking at the lyrics once more and they have taken on a new story. My favourite lyrics are:
‘A future without you is a world without colour
Filled with monochrome coldness
Still unable to verbalise
The hopeless dream in my heart
Looking only directly at you
So you don't go away
The gazing eyes are so colourful
You taught me
That someday the sadness
Will wind us together’
Just sitting here reading them once again, and I feel they could be written by a mother about her child, or a child about their mother. The bonds between both are just so intrinsically linked that will always be joined on some level, whether in a positive or even negative way.
The power in the lyrics just encompass the passion and fear of having that special someone and that if you take your eyes off them for even a moment they will disappear or vanish, which I feel is the true reflection of first or a new love which is totally intense, thrilling and scary all at once. I remember the strength of all these feelings watching my new son sleep and the fear that it wasn’t real was all encompassing because it really was a dreamlike state. Waiting so long for this new being to arrive and then once they do, there is the fear that something could go wrong.
This song is one of my favourites from the Map of the Soul:7 - The Journey album, as the melody and BTS vocalists and rap line just compliment each other so beautifully and the song has that intense feeling which transports me to another place and another time. The emotion the song embodies just flows right through me and it’s both powerful and gentle at the same time.
As I’m sure we all know ‘Your Eyes Tell’ was written and composed by Jungkook as it was meant to be for his mixtape (which to date has not been released). However, it was decided it would be a BTS Japanese song and was presented as the OST for the Japanese film of the same name at the last minute and was chosen. This made Jungkook the first foreign artist to have his song chosen for a Japanese film and he was only 23 (allKpop.com).
I have found myself curious and wondering if the song originally had a different title as, it wasn’t written especially for the film and also thinking how Jungkook wrote and composed this song just makes me so eager to hear his first ever mixtape and I wonder how much longer he is going to make us wait, before he releases it? Yes, still waiting – we are ever so patient – well done Army I am certain we will not be disappointed.
Moon - Charlie
For me, Moon is a fitting song for Mothers’ Day, mother figures, and anyone else in your life who watches over you and cares for you.
“How long has the Moon
And Earth been together like this?
Can I be by your side, shining with existence?”
In this song from the Map of the Soul: 7 album, Jin uses the metaphor of a Moon orbiting the Earth to illustrate his relationship with ARMY. He watches us from a distance and lights up our heart, while never being able to come any closer to us. He’s an idol and can’t ever alter his orbit to be closer to us, but his love for ARMY is still real and constant.
“Suddenly I wonder
If you're looking at me right now? (Oh)
Won't you find out all my pain? (Oh)
I'll be around you
I'll be there for you
I'll be your light
All for you”
In a way, mother figures can be compared to this. As children grow up and leave family homes, for instance, mothers may be at more of a distance, but they still watch and are forever proudly looking on. Their children are what gave them the name and duty of ‘mother’, and they’re proud of that title.
“I didn't even have a name
You loved me until I met you
And now you're my reason”
Moon is such a stunning song - I’m a sucker for songs with celestial names and meanings, and Moon has such a tender message behind it, of unconditional love and support.
That’s what’s so special about Moon - the unconditional love that’s represented in the song. Even if your mother, mother figure, or any other guardian, is far away or no longer with you, the lyrics of Moon do well to represent their love.
Best Of Me - Onomey
My mum and I tend to butt heads a lot when it comes to certain things because we are so similar in many ways but nothing will ever make me doubt or forget how important she is to me.
I love Mother’s Day because my mum is a very selfless person on a normal day, which frustrates me sometimes because she will help people to her own detriment all the time. It’s nice to have a day where my siblings and I can force her to relax and let us spoil her with love, gifts and company. It makes me smile seeing her reaction to things that we have planned for her each year. One of my favourites in recent years was for sure during the first lockdown. My sister and I secretly planned an afternoon tea style set up in the living room. She came and dropped all the stuff off and watched me set it up through the window before then calling my mum down as we sang happy mother’s day. She sobbed like a baby being able to see my sister even if it was through the window because it had been a long time since she had seen her face to face. I didn’t think it was that big of a gesture but to her, it was everything and more which makes me thankful that I have someone who raised me and values such little things in life.
There are actually quite a few BTS songs that can be linked to Mother’s Day, I guess because all members are very reflective of what and who made them become who they are today which tends to appear a lot in their lyrics.
I had to choose this song for mother’s day, not only because I love it but because many of the lyrics make me think about the impact that my mum has had on me in my life. One verse in particular sticks out to me which is the verse after the bridge before the final chorus.
‘You just give me the confidence within myself (oh yeah)
That’s all I wanted (woo, woo)
There may not be rules between us
But the way to love exists
Who got the best of me? (Best of me)
Who got the best of me?
No one knows, but I know me
You are my best master (oh)’
To me, this song is one of the stand out songs in BTS’ EDM tracks. I'm assuming it’s partly due to the help of The Chainsmokers with their producing powers. The first thing I think of when I just read the title of the song is the earworm chorus melody. It gets stuck in my head for hours because it’s fun but also not difficult to sing or hum along to. I absolutely adore the way the song begins and ends with Jimin's lightly sung but perfectly pronounced vocals. It gives me goosebumps and has my full attention when I hear it for the first time and leaves me wanting more when the song finishes on it too.
‘When you say that you love me
I walk above the clouds
Tell me about eternity just one more time’
Our playlist team thought they would shake things up this week by looking back over past performances at awards shows. From MAMA, to Golden Disk Awards, Melon, to Billboard, there are so many to choose from. Did your favourite make the playlist?
Click here for the YouTube playlist: AWARD SHOWS FAVOURITES
Dynamite - Michayla
Melon Music Awards 2020
This was actually a really difficult choice because BTS performing at awards shows is something I think we all look forward to, especially pre-pandemic. However, I have opted for a performance during the difficult times that the world has faced in the last couple of years because MMA 2020 blew me away.
Most of you will know that one of my reasons for loving this particular awards show is because they performed ‘ON’ and even though they also did it at MAMA, I loved the stage version as opposed to the football stadium version. The outfits for MMA in ‘ON’ were absolute fire and as usual, the whole set and performance was unreal!
However, it was ‘Dynamite’ that quite literally caused an explosion of emotions for me and I couldn’t stop the tears while watching it live. I know that may sound strange to some people because ‘Dynamite’ is hardly a sad song or a tear inducing tune but it was the outfits and the dance break that are responsible because of the heavy Michael Jackson influence and the fact that long before I fell in love with BTS, I was a huge MJ fan.
We all know that there are several links to MJ in ‘Dynamite’ anyway but this one performance really hit me hard because it took it to another level. Aside from the MJ dance moves and lyrics, I now had a very MJ inspired outfit worn by Jimin to contend with. I couldn’t take my eyes off him in the sparkly jacket with band on the arm and the trousers with the stripes down the sides. It was ‘Billie Jean’ inspired and I was living for it!
By the time that Jin is centre screen and the lights dim while the music ceases, I was already quite emotional. I wasn’t expecting the dance break that followed and I still struggle to watch it without crying. The beat and the breathy sound is so MJ that I could almost hear him doing it. The beat and the dance moves were also hugely connected and I genuinely couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I’ve spent most of my life, probably 30 plus years watching Michael Jackson performances and was fortunate enough to have seen him live in 1997 so I really do feel it when I see an artist paying homage. BTS do this spectacularly in ‘Dynamite’ and at the point when Hobi takes centre stage with the black fedora, I’m a bit of a mess.
BTS outdid themselves in the MMA performance of ‘Dynamite’ and I think it will forever be one of my favourites. Since it’s release, there have been many wonderful performances but the dance break and outfits just catapulted this one straight to my heart.
Boy Meets Evil + Blood Sweat & Tears - Charlie
MAMA 2016
Whenever I think of great awards show performances, MAMA 2016 always comes to mind. I’m enthralled by the dramatics of the Wings era, and this performance does it justice and then some.
We start with Boy Meets Evil, which allows us to see a stunning solo dance by Hoseok in front of an electric blue backdrop. The camera pans around his body as we see him do all the incredible dance moves on one spot, with power and force.
“The light of my future is dimming
Because of my childish love, I lost my way on a path of dream”
Then, right after he sinks to the floor with a boom, Jimin appears to perform Lie. The aggression of Boy Meets Evil fades into the haunting beauty of Lie, which Jimin is blindfolded for. His moves are controlled, fluid and incredible in front of the red backdrop, contrasting to Hobi’s blue which has turned to black.
“Caught in a lie
Find the me that was pure”
Suddenly, Hoseok’s spotlight is on again and the two of them dance to the rest of Boy Meets Evil together. I was in awe seeing Jimin join in on Hoseok’s incredibly complex choreography, and in a blindfold no less - and his and Hoseok’s two dance styles marry well in this gorgeous performance.
Then, the rest of the members emerge from the shadows to perform Blood, Sweat and Tears. The backdrop seems to resemble a burning path to a castle or church, which then becomes bright and fast-moving patterns, reminiscent of the chaos that comes from temptation in the music video. Each and every member performs in such a sleek way in their gothic prince-like outfits.
“My blood, sweat, tears, and my last dance
Take it all away”
When BTS perform this song, it appears effortless, even though I know that this was an intense era for them. They shift between jumping around onstage in the chorus, to slowly walking to their places in the verses. Everything has a perfect pace, and everything fits meticulously. This performance is no different, and is one of the things that I most remember when I think of the MAMAs as a whole in the 6 years I’ve been watching it.
These songs also go together perfectly - from Boy Meets Evil, where the boy is tempted by something, to Lie, where he has already fallen for the temptation and feels trapped in whatever he’s become tied up in, to Blood Sweat and Tears, when he enjoys being tempted and is revelling in it.
Fake Love - Onomey
MAMA 2018
I’m going to start by saying that BTS has always been great at delivering top-quality performances of their songs. What I LOVE about them and their performances is that they go to the effort to make sure that every performance of a song is performed in a different way, whether that is an added dance break, an MV monologue, an extra chorus, the list goes on and on. They will find a way to keep the audience on their toes all the time which is great not only for us but I’m sure for them too as it must mean that they never get bored of performing a song because they are always adding their creative spin on each one.
I can say with certainty that ‘Fake Love’ is one of my favourite BTS songs. I think it’s because of my metal and rock days, I love a good dark-themed song and top quality choreography and this hits all of my criteria.
I chose to write about the 2018 MAMA performance of ‘Fake Love’ because it has plenty of added choreography to the song than just what’s in the music video. The performance starts with a mass of people, wearing black robes, huddled in a circle as there is a deep Gregorian monk-like voice humming in a melodic way. Kind of like most theme tunes on any Halo game for any gamers out there. The boys appear at different times with V being introduced first, with his pink hair, jumping over the top of the people before then breaking out into what looked like an improvised dance. He is then joined by Jimin and Suga who show off their wave-like movements and body locking then being surrounded by the black mass of people again. Jin and RM’s section is quick but cool because they both get lifted up into the air. Considering I was a cheerleader for 10 years and have seen how people panic when they get lifted up sometimes. The two were calm, smooth with the cheeky look they give each other before being dropped back into the darkness. I can’t even describe Jungkook and J-Hope’s section as it was so elegant, flexible and in sync with one another that I am forever baffled every time I see it.
It’s crazy how this whole section is before the song even begins. It clearly had the effect on the crowd that it wanted as they go crazy once this intro begins.
AHHH the emotion in this song makes my heart beat like crazy. From the aggressive shouty rap tones to the beautiful vocal performances from the vocal line with highlights from V with his deep ‘for you, I could pretend like I was happy when I was sad. For you, I could pretend like I was strong when I was hurt’ and Jin with his centre dance section with powerful vocals and his ‘cause it’s a fake love, fake love, fake love’ before they break out into a dance break on top of a trap beat with chants of ‘fake love’. The chorus after the dance break is so powerful because it turns into a full rock song and feels intense and aggressive. You can see it in the way the boys really push themselves that extra bit to make the impact of the song that much better.
I cannot express how much I’m doing a disservice to this song but I feel like if you haven’t seen this performance before, you don’t want all the spoilers, or maybe that’s just me. I feel it’s best to highlight a few eye-catching sections that will make you want to go and check out our playlist instead because it’s totally worth it.
Black Swan - Cheryl
Melon Music Awards 2020
This week we are taking a look at YouTube videos and BTS show performances. So once again I was drawn to Black Swan and the MMA performance. I really don’t know what hold this song has over me, but I just love it. The performance begins with planets and their names depicted as constellations which feel very much out of this world. Then there are clouds, which disappear and we get to see the moon and sun together. As the moon moves to eclipse the sun, it turns into a dark circle on the floor with Jungkook kneeling looking down, he is dressed head to toe in white, with his long black mane tied back.
Jungkook is then joined with a swarm of dancers dressed as black swans, sweeping around him and the floor appears wet – like a lake. Then Jungkook starts to dance and spin, his long white sleeves act to lengthen his arms and extenuate his movements. He then jumps and lands in the arms of the dancers. The lifts and spins are just so powerful and mesmerising.
We then get to see the black swan dancers jump and fall which resembles falling dominoes and the precision just takes my breath away. We see Jimin start his dance section and the lifts and movements are so modern and beautiful. Jimin is then joined by Jungkook and Jungkook spins him by the arm, which reminds me of ice dancers.
We are treated to duets with Jin and RM where they too are being lifted, followed by Jo-Hope and V. Everyone’s dancing is fascinating and matches their style. The members, all dressed in white, are joined by all the black swan dancers.
As the focus returns to BTS they are now all wearing black outfits and are doing the hand movements in time to the chimes of the music. Jin is then lifted and lowered and he walks alone to the edge of the lake, where a white dove flies from his hand a circles the stage.
Writing about this performance, it is hard to express the emotions that fill me. I find it so romantic, powerful and mesmerising. I have watched it so many times, but each time I watch I notice something new. I particularly enjoy the drama of the lifts and costume change, but I enjoy the softness and subtlety of the performance too. The gentle movements of the arms and how their bodies just seem to flow.
I personally find I am so taken in with the performance that I don’t even notice that they are not singing, such is the power of BTS!
Did you make a new year's resolution to be more active? Or perhaps you need some motivation to go for a power walk? Whatever drives you to work out, the playlist team has the perfect set of songs to motivate and inspire you.
Find the Spotify playlist here: WORKING OUT WITH BTS
Question: Earphones in, treadmill or path beneath your feet - which song keeps you going?
Michayla - The first answer is one that the majority of people could answer for me because I am highly predictable… ON. That would be my immediate choice but there are so many others that keep me motivated: ‘So what’, ‘Tear’, ‘P.T.D’, ‘Cypher part 3: Killer’, ‘Idol’. When I think about it, the list is extensive and the power of BTS is realised once more.
Charlie - For me, Fun boyz always keeps me going. It's an energetic, fun song that I listen to on long walks so that I feel less tired, because I'm excited to hear each line and each verse. I get a bit of a break in the chorus because the tempo seems slightly slower, and then I speed walk through the verses - especially the raps. Listening to rap is a must when trying to walk quickly. Also, the lyrics themselves are quite motivating as they remind me to just have fun and not think too much about how tired I may be; just keep moving.
Cheryl - The song that gets me moving and motivated is Idol. The song sounds so fresh and inspiring with the catchy chorus and vibes of self love. I don’t think I had ever heard a song like it before. It was just so new with so many emotions. I found it to be aggressive, passionate and powerful and the video was this and more with BTS wearing traditional Korean costumes - it was such a stunning visual, vibrant with colours, rich lyrics and sound. The imagery just springs to mind whenever I hear it and it just motivates and excites me.
Onomey - I had to be very strategic in choosing a song for this question because there are some songs that I listen to that tend to make me get caught up in the music resulting in me trying to dance whilst walking down the street. Yeah, thanks J-Hope. You get me every time, especially with ‘Ego’. That song is a health hazard in regards to being on a treadmill. There’s just something about it that makes you want to whip out your best dance footwork resulting in me nearly going flying off the treadmill. I think my safest all rounder song that I could stick on repeat is ‘Permission To Dance’. It’s at a brisk walk tempo and the dance moves are mostly in your hand and arm movements so there’s no risk of falling over which is a big one for me seeing as I’m super clumsy. All I need to do is bob my head from side to side and be on my merry way. I’d love to know what everyone else’s is because there are so many options to choose from.
No More Dream - Michayla
I adore this song. I would always recommend that new ARMY go back to the beginning and listen to the song that started it all! What a debut song this was, especially when you consider that it is close to its 9th birthday and still proves to be popular.
‘No More Dream’ is a very strong song both musically and lyrically. I love the strong hip-hop beat and the strength in the way the lyrics are delivered by all 7 members. It has become iconic with Yoongi’s: “I wanna big house, big cars and big rings.” A line that I always sing along to.
This is a powerful song, written to mock the lack of motivation in young people. Jungkook at the time was only 15 years old when this was released, so very much a member of that generation. The work ethic of the 7 members is certainly something that people of all ages should respect because it is that drive and determination that has ensured they are where they are today.
The MV for this song is wonderful to watch with each member introduced at the start and the big yellow bus. The outfits, choreography and overall look is iconic now. If you haven’t watched it before or perhaps haven’t seen it for a while, click on the link at the end of this piece and see how far they have come!
There are several live performances of ‘No More Dream’ that we have been treated to over the years but I have to admit that my favourite one is probably 4th Muster. When this was performed between ‘Come Back Home’ and ‘Mic Drop’ and included the dance break, I truly didn’t think I would survive. If you haven’t seen it, I would highly recommend doing a search because that particular trio of songs is a sight to behold and a gift to your ears.
I wouldn’t say that I ‘work out’ as such but when I go for a walk and I have my BTS Galaxy Buds in, I definitely have this song playing and it powers my strides!
Ugh! - Charlie
Now, the only exercise I do is dance, so I'm not an expert on workout songs. However, if there was one song that I could probably count on to keep my motivation high, it's Ugh!.
This song is one of the many reasons why Map of The Soul: 7 is such a great album. Ugh! bursts with energy and gives me everything that I want a hype, angry, adrenaline-fueled song to give me.
"I go UGH! UGH!
I go UGH! UGH!
I’m raging at the malice-filled rage
I’m raging at the malice-filled rage
I go UGH! UGH!
I go UGH! UGH!
I’m raging at the rage that had to die out
I’m raging at the rage that had to die out (yeah yeah)"
Ugh! is a song all about being angry at the anger in the world. The Rap line complains about how everyone seems to be angry about something, and everyone feels they need to have a nasty opinion on something. In Hoseok's verse, the reason behind the members' anger is revealed: one person's nasty words can hurt another person significantly.
"I can rage, but if there were to be damage done
To others' lives, I don't like
That’s stop, ayy
Someone gets hurt at someone's actions
Someone becomes gloomy at someone's speech and behaviour
Someone's spur of the moment becomes someone's moment"
Some people take new year's resolutions to work out because other people have mocked them for not working out enough. If someone's been hurtful or angry towards you, you can channel that hurt into looking after yourself or working out in a more fun way.
And beyond the lyrics, this is the one song that'll make working out satisfying. It's hard to lose energy when rapline are being so hype, and it's got such a punchy chorus that you can get a good rhythm with your reps.
Stay - Onomey
Let’s start this piece off by being honest with each other about whether or not we have started a new year's resolution. I’ve never been a New Year’s resolution type of person because I feel like if I set myself a goal I spend most of the time stressing about trying to reach that goal. Whereas if I have a vague idea of what I would like to achieve, I tend to stress less. One of the most popular resolutions is usually wanting to get in better shape through working out. So whether you are like me who doesn’t have a set goal in mind or you are someone who has already chosen their resolution as getting fitter then this week's playlist will definitely give you the motivation to move. I chose to write about ‘Stay’ because it is a song that makes me feel very relaxed and free but also gives me the motivation to move. Whether that is whilst I’m on the RingFit adventures, doing weights or just bouncing around being silly. It’s perfect for all types of workouts so there’s no excuses to skip this great track.
Speaking of this track, it completely shocked me when I first listened to this and realised that it was a Jungkook, Jin, and RM track. I didn’t know I needed that trio in my life so thanks Jungkook for writing such a great song!
Although this is an EDM song, this is still a song about someone missing someone else which is quite sad. Compared to a lot of BTS songs this is not one famously known for making you want to dance or get hyped up to liked ‘Idol’ or ‘Just Dance’ does but it’s my go to song because it’s a song that I can sing along to whilst doing my workout because of its 126 bpm and spacious sounds. My favourite thing to do is to use the verses to run at a steady paced tempo until it builds up to the amazing beat drop which is when I try to push myself by going as fast as I can. In terms of lyrics, it’s the refrain section that sticks with me every time I listen to this song and just reading them gives me goosebumps.
‘I gently cast a spell
My heart beats louder than ever
We’re always in this moment
Together, wherever, yeah
Wherever, yeah’
The added bonus of this track is that I have Jin singing that he wants me to stay which is extremely motivational.
Fire - Cheryl
This week as part of the getting going with News Year’s resolutions, whether yours is going really well or you just need a little nudge, I have chosen Fire for the added push of will power.
Energy:
I personally love the energetic vibe of the video. Boys being a bit scary - setting fire to a person, signs, cars, bikes and even playing with fire. I believe there is a gang theme to the beginning of the video where BTS are behind a chain-link fence and others are looking in on them. Although by others that would appear to be us as there is only one person standing watching them and then Suga jumps over the fence and shakes his hand. The person then catches fire when Suga presses play on his personal stereo.
The theme of rebelliousness or energy continues with them playing music loudly and playing video games - again with things being blown up.
Although they are just boys being boys - I think it is the attitude that is being portrayed that gives the video its energetic feel.
Moves:
I think the choreography of this song just screams “FUN”; the flirty looks they give to the camera, the slow motion moves, the pumping and kind of robotic finger pointing and bouncing around with each other. Even the ironing of Jin is funny - I’m guessing the iron wasn’t actually on!!!
Lyrics:
Continuing with the energetic vibes of the song, the lyrics contain references to being drunk and swearing in the street and setting things on Fire - BTS being naughty!
My favourite lyrics are:
It's ok to just live because we're still young
Who do you think you are to say otherwise
Stop comparing, I'm only human
(So what~)
I wish I had these thoughts when I was younger!
Hoping Fire helps you achieve your goals, whatever they may be!
Our playlist team continues their look at the BTS alphabet this week with songs that start with the letters O through to S. Does this week’s playlist include some of your favourite songs?
Click here for the Spotify playlist: ALPHABET SONGS O - S
Stigma - Cheryl
Continuing the A-Z of BTS, I have chosen Stigma this week and decided to start by looking into what the word Stigma means. I found that Stigma is associated with the feelings of disgrace regarding a particular circumstance and that a similar word is shame.
Stigma is a very emotional and heartfelt song. V’s voice sounds so sincere and as if he really is sorry, which is also conveyed in the lyrics where he is requesting forgiveness for something bad he feels he has done. Whether that something is actual he describes blood pouring, or being unable to protect others.
Upon reading the lyrics of V’s Stigma - they definitely describe the feelings of shame. He sings about pain, regret and having no courage. These are very huge emotions. My favourite lyrics are:
‘Deeper, deeper, the wound just gets deeper
Like pieces of broken glass that I can’t reverse
Deeper, it’s just the heart that hurts every day
You who was punished in my stead
You who were only delicate and fragile’
With this hook I believe he is feeling the pain because someone was punished in his place and that someone did not deserve this as they were so delicate and fragile. Later on in the song he also apologises for being unable to protect them, to his brother and sister, for what has happened and that he feels guilty. There is also the mention of keeping things hidden (like a secret) and that he finds this to be too difficult and he is trying to find some kind of peace with what has happened and that in doing so, he deserves to be punished first.
In this song I also enjoy the small parts where V speaks in English - his voice is just full of emotion and sounds deep and raw. The words of the Outro:
‘That light, that light, please illuminate my sins
Where I can’t turn back
The red blood is flowing down
Deeper, I feel like dying every day
Please let me be punished
Please forgive me for my sins
Please’
In the outro the lyrics talk about shedding light on his sins and he pleads for forgiveness and that he should be punished. The lyrics feel heavy and full of emotion and the soft caress of V’s voice just resonate so perfectly with the lyrics.
People - Michayla
The pain felt this week when choosing which song to write about was real (insert crying emoji for effect). Many of you will guess that the reason for the agony involved was due to ‘ON’ being in the playlist of songs beginning with letters O to S. I have written about that song from every angle possible and as tempting as it was, I thought it would be a better option to choose something else for you to read about.
When looking through the options on the playlist, I wanted to choose a song that ARMY may not have had the opportunity to listen to so I chose ‘People’ by Yoongi, AKA Agust D. from his album D-2. If you haven’t listened to the album, I would recommend giving it a listen because you hear a whole host of great songs courtesy of Min Yoongi.
‘People’ really stood out to me because of the pre-chorus:
‘Umm. Why so serious? (Why so serious?)
Why so serious? (Why so serious?)
Why so serious? (Why so?)
Umm. I’m so serious (I’m so serious)
I’m so serious (I’m so serious) I’m so, I’m so’
The first time I listened to this song my immediate thought was the Joker from the Dark Knight film, as played by the great Heath Ledger. I wondered if perhaps Yoongi relates to the complex, tormented character.
The overall vibe of this song is about how people change and the effects on others when that happens. Yoongi seems to be aware that he has changed at points in his life and that could be as a result of others changing around him or maybe he is simply aware that the changes to himself have had an impact on those around him.
‘People change, just as I’ve changed
There is nothing permanent in this world’
I love the second pre-chorus which in its simplest form explains how much two people can change and what that can mean for the other person:
‘Your ordinary became my special
Your special became my ordinary
My ordinary became your special
My special became your ordinary’
The sound of this song is quite gentle. It has a lovely calm, soothing sound and Yoongi’s voice is melodic at times. This song is certainly one of my favourites from the album.
Pied Piper - Charlie
I find BTS’ discography so interesting as they sing about topics I don’t typically hear about in songs. Pied Piper is a great example; in this song from the Love Yourself: Her album, BTS taunt ARMY for spending too much time on them, consuming their content instead of concentrating on classes or work (yeah, we’ve all been there).
“It's dangerous so it's better
You know deep inside
You can't stop it now (You can't stop)
So be honest with me now”
As we can see from the very first few lines of the song, Pied Piper has a seductive and flirty vibe. It’s so perfect; it teases ARMY for being in love with them, while also making it harder for us to step away by flirtatiously telling us that they know how deep our feelings are.
I love how the entire song uses their discography as an extended metaphor for the song the pied piper plays in the fairytale. It’s sort of dark comedy, and an eerie but fun metaphor at the same time.
“You're not being punished
Come here, I'm your paradise
Can't close your eyes (Can't close your eyes)
You can throw a fit but it's no use (Don't reject me)
Just close your eyes, tune your ears”
The members’ voices lend themselves to this vibe of the song. They play with their voices well to make it sound playful and sure of their power, and Taehyung uses his deep voice to sound sultry and tempting, so anyone who hears the song can know it’s no surprise why fans would be lured by songs like this. And if they saw the 5th Muster performance of this song, they’d have an even better idea.
“Follow the sound of the pipe, follow this song
It's a bit dangerous but I'm so sweet
I'm here to save you, I'm here to ruin you
You called me, see? I'm so sweet”
It’s Valentine's Day and with love being a focus that made it the ideal time for a love themed playlist. Come and share our love for BTS and find the spotify playlist here:
Our Playlist Team answered this question:
Q. Which song/s represent love for you and why?
Michayla - I could write an essay in response to this question but I will try and keep it brief. ‘Euphoria’ because it has saved me from some pretty dark times over the years and I felt so much love for JK at the O2. The moment my daughter took my hand and we shared that moment together will always be special. ‘Magic Shop’ because I can feel the love that BTS has for ARMY and vice versa. I felt so much love when leaving the Stade De France, in the crowd of ARMY, walking and singing ‘So show me, I’ll show you’. There are so many songs that I love and am thankful to BTS for producing but this wouldn’t be right without mentioning ‘ON’. That song is everything. It represents staying up all night with my daughter and nieces waiting for the MV release. It voices the strength and fight I’d experienced just before it in what was a very dark and difficult time in my life. Saying ‘I love this song’ doesn’t really touch how I really feel about it but I look at the lyrics inked on my arm and smile because it will be a part of me forever.
Onomey - There are plenty of songs by BTS that represent love to me but the first song that came into my mind was ‘Dimple’. The reasons being is that it is a song that is basically the vocal line singing about all the things that make them in love with that person especially their dimples, ‘that dimple is illegal’, which to me is a cute characteristic that not many people would notice of love about a person unless they are in love with that person. ‘Every time I see you, my heart gets dangerous. Every time I see you, it gets more dangerous’. It is an extremely cute song and let’s be honest now, the majority of ARMY are in love with the choreography of this song as well which is a massive bonus. Shoutout to Trivia: Love and Home too which are the other two songs that came into my mind.
Charlie - I always relate the songs “Best of Me” and “A Supplementary Story: You Never Walk Alone” to my best friend, who I love (it’s partly why I have a tattoo representing the latter song - that song is love to me). Best of Me represents feeling like you’re at your best but also your most authentic self when you’re around a certain someone. YNWA makes me feel like I’m never alone and I always have someone at my side. All of the above are what love should be about.
Cheryl - When I first got into BTS this was one of the first songs that I fell head over heels for. Such a sweet song about the dream of spending just one day and one night with that special someone. The lyrics are very seductive; wanting to fall asleep intoxicated by your sweet scent, wanting to put my body in your warm deep eyes, breathtaking neck etc.
Every time I hear it I smile and my heart swells. The video is so simple and tender and the dance practice where Tae has the giggles and Jin throws a Mario toy - is just the cutest, how the members try and manage to keep their composure (mostly) I find intriguing.
Christmas Tree - Michayla
I was so excited about the blog this week, more so than usual because I love BTS and though I express that each week here, having love as the theme means I get to express it even more.
It isn’t often that we get to write about a song that we haven’t written about before so I grabbed the opportunity to write about this wonderful song. ‘Christmas Tree’ was released on Christmas eve 2021 and is the OST for the Korean tv series ‘Our beloved Summer’. I have very nearly finished the romantic comedy series that stars Choi Wooshik who is one of Taehyung’s closest friends and my daughter and I are really enjoying it. The lead actress in Our Beloved Summer, Kim Da-Mi is also one of the lead actresses in Itaewon Class, which Taehyung produced the song ‘Sweet Night’ for, (another drama that comes highly recommended).
‘Christmas Tree’ is such a beautiful heartfelt song. The gentle sound produced by a guitar in the background really does set the scene well. Taehyung’s voice is every bit as perfect as usual. The depth and velvety smooth tone that gives way to some higher pitched sounds at certain points has my mind floating away as I listen to the words.
I adore Taehyung’s pronunciation of English words and this song is no exception to my love affair with that. I find myself melting during the chorus which is just captivating and could quite easily be the words written inside a card for Valentine’s Day:
‘So, I’ll tell you a million tiny things that you have never known
It all gets tangled up inside
And I’ll tell you a million little reasons
I’m falling for your eyes
I just want to be where you are
Tell you a million tiny things that you have never known
It all gets tangled up inside
Tell you a million little reasons
I'm falling for your eyes
I just want to be there you are’
‘Christmas Tree’ makes my heart feel full and it’s of no surprise that it broke the records that it did. Taehyung is his own competition and this song has made its way onto all my playlists along with ‘Sweet Night’. Let’s also not forget the song from Hwarang that was performed by Taehyung and Jin ‘It’s Definitely You’ which is yet another OST masterpiece.
I’m constantly in awe of the talent held amongst the BTS members and feel so thankful that I found them because my life has experienced a love that will never fade now.
MAMA - Charlie
If BTS has taught me anything, it’s that love isn’t just limited to the type of romantic love that we might see. And for a Valentine’s playlist, I’ll be damned if I write about romantic love so here are my thoughts about MAMA by Hobi.
“She floated the small boat of dreams
But I didn't know my mom's support
Was not a open shortcut road
But a road of dreams while gripping debt
Always
The problem of money eventually my mother
Go away
Had to work away from home”
MAMA is such a beautiful song about Hoseok’s love for his mother, and how she sacrificed a lot so that he could follow his other love: dance. At the beginning, it sounds like a cassette playing, and the instrumental is so unique and brings up all these happy memories. By the end of it, it’s a song to clap along to and smile to. It feels like love in its purest form.
I love the Wings solos for the effect they had on me as an ARMY. After hearing them, I learnt about what love meant to each of the members, and what lives they led before joining BTS. I learnt about the love Hoseok has in his heart, and that’s what made me really see him as an artist with something important to say.
“Hey mama, now you can lean on me
I'll always be by your side
Hey mama, because you gave selflessly to me
Because you were my support
Hey mama, now you can believe in your son, you can smile
Hey mama
Hey mama”
Whether you’re spending Valentine’s with a partner, just hanging out with family, having a date with yourself, or a friendship Valentine’s (Galentine’s, anyone?), I hope your day is full of love.
Euphoria - Cheryl
With Valentine’s Day this week, love is in the air, so I chose to write about Euphoria. This song for me is about the hope or dream of love, whether childhood ones or adult ones. There are a lot of references to dreams, either being inside one or being scared of waking up from one, which I think is very much like love; whilst in love it can feel very unreal and quite delicate, which can feed into the fear of waking up from the state of love and realising that love has gone and you are back in the reality of sadness and pain.
‘I hear the ocean from far away
Across the dream, past the woods
(Please don't wake me up from this dream)
Following this clarity
Take my hands now (hands now)
You are the cause of my euphoria’
There is also the power of that love and when Jungkook sings “Take my hands now, you are the cause of my euphoria” it just fills my heart and brain with happy thoughts and feelings. What could be more special than being the cause of someone else’s euphoria.
‘Were you wandering around (around)
Looking for an erased dream too?
It's different from what destiny suggests
We share the same painful views
Won't you please stay in my dreams, yeah’
Let’s face it, Valentine’s Day is not the happiest day in the year for some people, there can be the realisation that the dream of love is just like the oasis in the song; or a mirage in a desert, which makes me think of unrequited love, which I feel is the hardest pain to heal. The pain of loving another person and for them not to reciprocate the feelings is just so tough. With the 2nd Verse the pain and erased dreams are being explored, which leads to wanting to just stay within the safety of dreams.
With regards to Euphoria I feel that the mirage could relate to the love felt by so many for BTS, it’s there we all know it’s there but it’s so hard to grasp and hold onto because there is the fear that it could all end. This is probably the hard part for me - loss, just the thought of it is hard to imagine. Although the song is a generally happy upbeat song, there is definitely an element of pain, especially with the lyrics of the third verse:
‘Were you wandering around
Looking for an erased dream too?
It’s different from the typical definition of destiny
Your pained eyes are looking at the same place as me
Won't you please stay in dreams’
I can hear an air of desperation, perhaps about wanting to stay safely cocooned in the dream-like state, like that of an early relationship. Then there is the chorus:
‘Euphoria
Take my hands now
You are the cause of my euphoria
Euphoria
Close the door now
When I’m with you I’m in utopia’
I find the chorus rather seductive, you are the cause of my extreme excitement and happiness (euphoria) and then close the door, when I’m with you I’m in an imagined state of perfection (utopia) - who wouldn’t want this?
First Love - Onomey
This week's theme made me realise quickly that BTS are the kings of love songs. They are able to write about so many different areas of emotion in love and not just your typical puppy dog love songs that fill the charts often. It's the reason why I chose to write about ‘First Love’ because it is a different type of song compared to many, given that the song has an inanimate object as its source of love. Knowing now how much of a great songwriter Suga is, it doesn't surprise me that he wrote this.
The song begins with individual notes being played as Suga sets the plot for the song in his rough sounding talk rap style. The song makes me feel anxious but in a good way because straight away it is very atmospheric and empty through the use of a LOT of reverb which has a massive effect on the sound. It makes you focus more on the small number of sounds that you can hear, which are Suga and the piano. I picture it as him being in a big empty hall with just him and the piano in the room as he reminisces about the relationship.
The goosebumps I get every time I listen to ‘First Love’ is ridiculous because the range of emotions he goes through in this song is something special. If you listened to this song for the first time, you’d think that he was heartbroken over a human being. He goes through a lot of the different emotions that you would go through when you are in love such as remembering how happy he felt at the moment when his eyes first met his piano ‘I looked up to you, I yearned for you when I touched you with my small fingers’.
Whoever was involved in the production and instrument playing; needs to give themselves a pat on the back because the way the song develops in timbre, intensity and difficulty in playing the instruments as the song goes on, is amazing. What I mean by this is that the instruments follow Suga extremely well. When he increases his speed and tone, the piano improves its difficulty followed by the stringed instruments. They all move as a unit to show how the piano stuck by his side through all of his life even when there were times when he neglected and took it for granted.
Every single time without fail, I tear up when the bridge section occurs because of the combination of the turmoil, regret and aggression in his voice and how well the strings do to reflect this. It’s almost like a tragic scene in a movie or when the protagonist is begging for his loved one to forgive him whilst he confesses his love for them. ‘Those days with you, those moments are now in memories. I said, grasping my crushed shoulder, I really can’t do it anymore. Every time I wanted to give up, by my side you said kid you can really do it’.
I know this review has not been about your typical Valentine’s Day love, but then again, Suga has never taken the conventional route when it comes to any song topic. He always finds a way to put a different spin on it which I thought was perfect because not everyone wants a typical love song.
This week our playlist team has decided to continue the BTS alphabet as they focus on the letters K, L, M and N. Does your favourite song begin with one of these letters?
Find the Spotify playlist here: K L M N by BTS
We are always looking for theme ideas so please get in touch on social media. You can find BTS Radio UK on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Weverse.
Cypher pt. 3 - Killer - Michayla
‘Killer’ is my favourite of the 4 Cyphers and was released on the Dark & Wild album in 2014. It is an album I would highly recommend to new ARMY because it has some absolute gems on it and I think everyone should hear songs such as ‘War of Hormone’, ‘Rain’, ‘Let Me Know’ and ‘Danger’. I can’t recommend this album enough.
Track 7 is ‘Killer’ which is the 3rd of the 4 cyphers and such a fantastic, gritty song. It was produced by Supreme Boi who also features on the track. If you haven’t seen the Red Bullet tour from 2014, I would also recommend doing a search for the performance of this cypher because it is brilliant, as you may well expect.
This song is a rapline response to the hate and disrespect they received in the early days. Namjoon, Yoongi and Hobi were the subject of criticism for trading themselves and their roots for the idol life. Being accused of that must have been very difficult given the huge pressure of starting out with BTS but as always, the rapline replied in the way they knew best!
It is the hook, performed by Supreme Boi that encapsulates the feeling of the song:
‘Haters I have a lot but no problem, I kill
The shovels digging on my career in order to bury me
Bitch i don’t care, You can’t control my shit
I became a ninja who has endured distrust and returned again’
Some of my favourite lines, one from each of the rapper’s verses are:
Namjoon, ‘Rather than those who do hip hop through the keyboard, I live a hundred times harder’
Hobi, ‘Someone’s cussing at me, tell them to look at their own situation and then come to me, I don’t have anything to be jealous of others.’
Yoongi, ‘If you try to damage me with simple words like that, I only become stronger.’
This is a great song! Full of confidence and bravado. This is a song to play when you need motivation or to release some pent up frustration. Yet another fantastic song by our very talented rapline.
Mikrokosmos - Onomey
As we continue to fly through the alphabet of BTS songs, it's starting to hit me in regards to the size of BTS's song catalogue. Some artists could only dream of song names that can almost fill the whole of the alphabet. This week I chose to write about Microcosmos because why not? It is such a beautiful song and is an uplifting power ballad. I say uplifting, but I find myself nearly tiering up every time I listen to this song.
We know that BTS have a love for writing songs about the universe, universes and alternative worlds. This song is no different as the boys take the title of the song in reference to the ancient Greek philosophy of microcosm which is the perception of viewing humans as tiny little beings in their own tiny little world in comparison to the universe and its vast size.
The song starts with a repeated arpeggiated pattern that plays instead of the chords whilst the bass can be heard playing the route notes of the chords subtly. What I love is how easily the song compliments the lightly sung voices but at the same time still fluctuating in timbre. An example of this is how the first verse sang by Jungkook and V is sung very breathy and has a sparse sound. This changes once the rap line delivers the 2nd verse with the main added element being the loud drums, especially the kick, that give thickness and support to both the rap and vocal lines.
The vocal line absolutely nailed the vocals in this song, the technique used is magnificent to quickly change from chest voice to head voice in an instant is amazing and how they all change who is singing the higher and lower harmony so they all get to showcase their vocals. There’s no need for the emotion in which this song is sung as it gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. Never mind listening to this masterpiece. V especially with his deep airy voice is just something else.
The song is filled with so many beautiful lyrics that make you sit down, listen and reflect on life and the world. If I was forced to choose a verse that I love solely based on lyrics then I think it would be the 3rd verse where RM and Suga rap.
‘One history in one person
One star in one person
7 billion different worlds
Shining with 7 billion lights
7 billion lives, the city’s night view
Is possibly another city’s night
Our own dreams, let us shine
You shine brighter than anyone else’
There’s nothing better than a stadium anthem chant, especially if it’s how you end a song because when it’s played live, that’s when us Army can take over and sing our hearts out with ‘na-na-na-na- na-na, na-na-na-na-na-na-na’. Oh and shoutout to that beautiful bridge section that might as well be done in acapella with how minimal the instrumentation is during that section. Not that I’m complaining as we really get to hear the harmonies and falsetto. That extremely high octave ‘SHINEEEE’ though, wow, just wow.
My Time - Charlie
From the first time I heard the Map of the Soul: 7 album, My Time became one of my favourite songs. It’s addictive to listen to, helped by Jungkook’s beautiful tone and the hypnotic chorus.
From the very first line, the song runs at you like Jungkook is midway through running through a chapter of his life. The tempo is fast and commanding as we hear, “24, feels like I became a grown-up faster than everyone else”, before he slows down to give a song that overall is somewhat slower, like he’s out of breath from sprinting through life and wants to figure out a different pace.
“Oh, I think I was in yesterday
Cause everybody walks too fast
I’m a little kid grown up not knowing it (Like a child who got lost)
This got me oh just trippin’
It feels like I’m roaming over
Don’t know what to do with, am I living this right?
Why am I alone in a different time and space?”
I love the lyrics of My Time; they are Jungkook being totally honest and vulnerable about how he feels about his life in general; it’s very introspective and it’s also relatable in an odd way - just in the sense that a lot of people worry that they’re not living life “correctly” as they compare their lives to other people. It’s crazy to me that Jungkook feels or has felt the same way, considering how talented and hardworking he is. I’m very grateful to him for opening up in this song.
I also love My Time for how it progresses; by the end of the song, Jungkook’s gone from “Oh, I can’t call you, I can’t hold you” to “Oh I will call you, I will hold you”. I love songs that have a beginning and end, and attitudes change throughout it. In the case of this song, Jungkook realises that his life, as unique as it is, makes him grateful for his position and ARMY.
“One time for the present
Two time for the past
Happy that we met each other
Now 'til the very end”
Not Today - Cheryl
This week’s playlist is continuing the A-Z of BTS songs and we are up to K-N and so this week I have chosen to write about Not Today.
So, this is the reason why I chose Not Today, because sometimes I want to stamp my feet, go on strike and make a stand and say “No, not today”!
For me, it is totally impossible to listen to this song whilst in the car or in the kitchen, without BTS doing the dance moves in my imagination and I absolutely love the video that accompanies the song. This song just has such a powerful vibe that it just gabs me and demands my attention. My favourite lyrics are:
If you can’t fly, then run
Today we will survive
If you can’t run, then walk
Today we will survive
If you can’t walk, then crawl
Even if you have to crawl, gear up
Aim your gun! Ready! Fire!
And
I believe in you by my side
Together we won’t die
I believe in you by my side
Together we won’t die
I believe in the word together
I believe in BTS
Aim your gun! Ready! Fire!
I feel that the first verse, where we are encouraged to move at our own pace, as long as we do move, could be applied to anything that is challenging or new, which is very apt for any tricky or anxiety provoking situation. Taking baby steps and trying not to rush to achieve success or be the best is just so reassuring. I am sure we have all tried to run before we can walk during some point in our lives. Or even felt so daunted about a future prospect that we do not even want to face the day ahead, but by listening to the song and understanding the lyrics, BTS are encouraging us to take a deep breath and go at our own pace.
The second verse I have chosen is all about believing – someone by your side, or in the word together and of course believing in BTS, I guess if you are reading this then you already believe in BTS. For me, BTS have helped me appreciate who I am and trust who I am. I am lucky to have family by my side but having the music of BTS has truly enriched my life.
The positivity is just overflowing in these two verses and the whole song of course and I know the song lifts my spirits and gives me so much more energy. This song transports me out of the mundane and into an exciting imagining of dance and BTS. Escapism at its best!
Shower With BTS 2022
Who doesn’t love a good singsong in the shower? And what better way to pass the time in the shower than to sing some tunes from the extensive BTS discography?
What is your top shower song? Did it make it onto our playlist? Find the Spotify playlist here: SHOWER WITH BTS
Boy With Luv - Michayla
There are several songs that I sing in the shower and I don’t mean to state the obvious but ‘ON’ is one of them. Mostly I sing badly and my poorly pronounced Korean travels around my bathroom but I do now have the luxury of being able to sing ‘Permission To Dance’ ‘Butter’ and ‘Dynamite’ in full. I’m not sure whether my neighbours will thank BTS for the English songs or not.
This week, I decided to go with a song that feels like it was released ages ago, not just 3 years ago. I think we can all agree that 2019 feels like a lifetime ago and most of our lives are determined through memories that are pre-pandemic. I know that I can honestly say that I have very fond memories of 2019 since I saw BTS live twice that year and given that I was soaked through because of the water cannons at Wembley, I definitely felt like I’d showered at that point. Which brings me to ‘Boy With Luv’, the song that features Halsey and was the title track of the album, ‘Map Of The Soul: Persona’.
‘Boy With Luv’ is the story of growth from ‘Boy In Luv’. There is definitely an element of maturity about the song because the lyrics talk about wanting more than a fleeting moment now and being ready for a stronger, long lasting love/relationship. There’s a level of deeper understanding of their feelings in this song too and I always sing Yoongi’s ‘ay, ay’:
‘From the moment I met you, my life was all about you, ya
You’re the star that turns ordinaries into extraordinaries, oh yeah
One after another ay, ay, everything is special ay, ay
The things you’re interested in, the way you walk or talk
And every little trivial habit of yours’
Even as I type this I find myself singing the song. I can picture the MV in my head too. There is a lot to love about this song and I have the added bonus of having precious memories of seeing it performed live. This is such a fun song so why wouldn’t it be an ideal song to sing along to while washing your hair?
Euphoria - Onomey
So if you didn’t know, ‘Euphoria’ is sung by Jungkook and was released in 2018 on the Love Yourself: Answer album. The track is written by a number of people but it is the producer, DJ Swivel I would like to talk about. DJ Swivel has been an engineer for massive artists such as Beyonce who won a Grammy for the song “Love on Top”.
DJ Swivel rose to fame when he produced big songs by The Chainsmokers which is why he was perfect for this song as he is great at making EDM songs. When I think of this song, I think about being on the beach with the strong sun shining and looking at the beautiful sea. It’s probably why I end up singing it in the shower, to be honest. That and the fact that I am able to really put my heart and soul into thinking that I am on Jungkook levels when singing this song. I can’t help it, it’s the magical bathroom acoustics that gives me the confidence to belt out such a beautifully sung song.
I adore the guitar riff that starts the song off because it is very harmonic and feels light and fresh which compliments Jungkook's voice so well as well as fitting with the meaning of the lyrics as he sings with a very breathy voice.
‘You are the sunlight that rose again in my life
A reincarnation of my childhood dreams
I don’t know what these emotions are
Am I still dreaming?
There is a green oasis in the desert
A priori deep inside of me
I’m so happy, I can’t breathe
Everything’s getting so blurry’
One thing I’d say about singing this song in the shower is that doing the choreography is a big no, no. Despite this downfall, I always find myself picturing Jungkook’s iconic performance of this song at Wembley. I’m always brought back to it when I start singing in the shower, when he was flying over the crowd, in his pastel pink/purple outfit, whilst singing such a difficult section of the song with so much ease and almost playfulness in his expressions.
The bridge is so emotional and dramatic because of the lyrics as they talk about the ‘Earth crumbling’ which is super dramatic. It is sung with raw emotion where you can hear the tone of an outcry on the last word of each line sung. The super high falsetto run in this song is angelic and gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. He uses the ‘you are the cause of my’ section as a run to guide him into the falsetto riffing on the word ‘euphoria’. Unfortunately for me though, the bathroom acoustics don’t create miracles, so I’m never able to hit that note which is upsetting. It doesn’t stop me from trying though. DJ Swivel describes this song as a rainbow and I think that is a fantastic way to describe such a colourful track.
Love Maze - Charlie
For a showering playlist, songs have to be fun to vibe to and sing along to. Because singing in the shower is a must. Love Yourself: Tear is the perfect album for smooth, vibey songs, and one such song is Love Maze.
“What can we do? We did the official thing
So we need to follow the rules
Even in this wandering maze
Even on this mysterious path
We’re taking care of each other”
There’s something so smooth about Love Maze. It’s pretty and it’s pop, but it’s also sort of a trap. It’s cute and sultry at the same time. The perfect balance. It flows in such a satisfying way that I can’t quite justify it with words. Only Namjoon could, with the beautiful lyrics he paired with the song.
“All around us is a maze, different paths
We’re walking in this abyss
There’s a thin light over there
I hope we’re going toward paradise”
The lyrics describe the thoughts of someone who feels trapped in a maze, as they struggle to navigate a relationship while people around them are trying to tell them it won’t work out. They try to look for answers, but they only see the person beside them, and in a way, that’s all they feel they need. It’s beautiful and morose and optimistic all at once, as is the beauty of the whole Love Yourself: Tear album.
Moreover, Love Maze is so fun to sing along to. The chorus, with lines such as “take my ay ay hand”, and Seokjin’s “yeah yeah yeah” line, are very fun to play around with. The song as a whole has some relatively low-tempo lines, so I can basically make attempts to sing along, and the little English bits thrown in mean that I can suddenly belt out a “just don’t give a damn!” or a “just let ‘em talk” when those lines come on.
HOME - Cheryl
Trying to choose a song for showering, most of the songs I thought of would make me dance, which I thought could prove rather dangerous on the soapy floor, so I finally settled on Home. Not that Home doesn’t make me want to dance, coz it does – but it has a lovely fluid flowy melody which would match the pressure of the shower and might cause me to sway gently.
I find Home to be a rich song in both depth and meaning. The whole song seems to have so many layers, the instruments, the melodies and the vocals all seem to be entwined which adds to the richness of the sound and then the depth of feelings in the lyrics make the song a firm favourite with Army I believe. RM opens the song with the words “Man I’m exhausted, Oh, guess what? I just wanna go home”. Then throughout the song they describe what “Home” means to them.
Home definitely includes Army – in the very first verse Home is described as the whole world, which can only imply that as BTS are a global phenomenon; wherever they are, if they are surrounded by Army then they feel as if they are home.
‘Crazy for myself (Yeah)
Like everything would work out when I opened that door (Right)
Like I was about to show something (Uh huh)
I left home
(Hoping all this imagination doesn't end as illusions)’
With this verse I wonder if there is a sense of hope, excitement and tension, the hope that if the door to the future is opened then everything would be ok and they would be successful, the excitement of this situation and the anticipation of showing what they could do is building here. Then the tension and worry of wondering if it could all end, or wasn’t real, an illusion and that nothing is real and it’s all imagined.
‘Oh yeah I did it, me shine with flashin' lights
Got lotta friends, my quiet personal space
Yeah, I remember when I thought I could do everything
I saw the ocean, yeah, before I opened this door
Oh yeah’
In this verse there are references to the successful side of things with the flashing lights and RM shining – which could be references to being in the spotlight and on stage, having lots of friends. But what I find interesting is the mention of a personal quiet space, this causes me to think about the visits to art galleries RM visits whilst out touring as these places are always quiet and a personal space. He also mentions that he thought he could do everything and that he saw the ocean before opening the door. There have been mentions of water in quite a few of BTS’ songs and it is usually described in a calm, thoughtful image, but here I wonder I feel as if there is a menacing tone about thinking he could do everything and the ocean could be so vast – perhaps there is a feeling of anxiety about this verse?
These sad feelings continues with the pre-chorus:
‘Whatever I fill becomes emptier
The more we’re together, I feel lonelier
Half-close eyes, sleepless light
The place where you are’
Could this be how they feel after a concert, remembering the euphoric feelings of all being together and then empty and lonely feelings afterwards – I know that’s how I feel and I am sure I am not alone.
In the chorus they use Spanish “Mi Casa” to say “My home” and this works on two levels, it links to the fanbase being worldwide and links language as many countries speak Spanish, but it also has a deep meaning of my home – where home is a warm place surrounded by love and people you hold dear.
‘Your love your love your love, I miss that
Your love your love your love, I want that
Your touch your touch your touch, I need that
La la la la la la la la I love it’
‘My feet look strange in the entrance with lights off
I still feel strange as I close my eyes inside my blanket
I feel like I'm floating, both eyes spinning
In this fabulous space, I feel completely shabby’
‘Totally shabby
The world thinks we own the whole world
Even if we have what I wanted in my dreams
Big house, big cars, big ring
The unfamiliar feeling of missing something
For someone who has accomplished everything
But I go out the door since I know I have something to return to’
These verses appear entwined, Suga agrees with J-Hope regarding feeling shabby and they both seem to be agreeing that life isn’t as great as we are lead to believe. J-Hope talks about feeling strange and floating which feels surreal and Suga talks about how the whole world thinks they own the world, but even as he accomplishes everything he wishes – there is the unfamiliar feeling of missing something. But he walks out the door perhaps into unknown territory because he has something to return to, this has a feeling of bravery to me as they often talk about being just 7 young men from South Korea and I wonder if they ever dared to dream of conquering the world and having to do interviews etc.
Towards the end of the song the final verse builds to positivity and talking about memories, and how special returning home is to them. Home is somewhere they feel comfortable even if there is complete silence between people and how remembering people who knew them before they were famous makes them smile. Home is where they like to return to.
Storytelling songs 2022
This week, our playlist team were inspired by the introduction of the BTS webtoon and they created a playlist full of songs that tell a story.
Find the Spotify playlist here: STORYTELLING BY BTS
Q. If one of the songs in the playlist was a movie, which one would you like to star in?
Michayla - There are so many songs in the playlist that would make amazing movies and I would love to star in all of them. I can totally imagine the tragic story of ‘The Truth Untold’ and what a great movie that would make but I think my answer will have to be ‘Boy In Luv’. I would love to star in a Korean ‘High School Musical’ especially with BTS as the main characters. Perhaps even a version of ‘Grease’ with BTS as the T-birds? I’d be more than happy to relive my youth, don a school uniform and be the love interest that the guys try to impress with their charm and vocals. What a great movie that would make!
Onomey - BTS has a catalogue of songs with deep and meaningful lyrics. Like I was telling my fellow Spotify playlist members, this question is giving me flashbacks to when I failed at my attempt to be an actor in drama school as a kid. I chose to go with a song that maybe not many would think of and that is ‘134340’. The song is very chill and relaxing in sound which could be used in a scene where you are relaxing and having fun somewhere hot, I really need a holiday, or in a dilemma filled scene that isn’t too heavy. With the lyrics being based on Pluto no longer being a planet in our solar system. I felt like this song could be used in a scene where the actor has lost the person they loved or they no longer feel like they exist to that person. I mean if it’s me playing the role, the standards of acting will be below par but this hard-hitting R&B song can elevate my performance by a percentage for sure!
Charlie - I’m into fantasy and science fiction films lately - stuff with action. So, I’d like to star in Not Today. It feels epic and action-packed, and if it was a film, it’d be a very satisfying one to watch. One where the villains don’t get away with anything, and the good guys get what they deserve. I also just love fun films, nothing too heavy these days, and Not Today is such a fun song that gets me excited.
Cheryl - My answer to the question would just have to be Blood Sweat and Tears as long as the movie is as beautiful as the video. I would love the choker, blind fold, the smokey drink and to jump from the balcony. If I was to revisit my childhood walking through the museum, my toy would be the cuddly elephant my father brought me from Brighton.
Sweet Night - Michayla
It was actually a really difficult choice this week and I had so many songs in mind. BTS are musical storytellers so most of their discography could have made it onto our playlist. I was tempted to write about Heartbeat because that would make a fantastic movie. The story of 7 individuals whose lives are completely separate until fate brings them together, as in the game ‘BTS World’ or maybe ‘My Universe’, an epic love story of two people who fall in love and end up together against all the odds. With all of that said, I went with ‘Sweet Night’ because it is such a beautiful song and it tells quite a sad story.
‘Sweet Night’ was written by Taehyung and was on the OST for the K-drama ‘Itaewon Class’ which stars Park Seo-Joon who most people know is one of Tae’s friends and part of the Wooga squad. Seo-Joon starred alongside Taehyung in Hwarang which is where their friendship started. I would highly recommend watching Itawon Class if you haven’t done so and have a listen to the whole OST because it is wonderful, many of the songs are regulars on my playlists.
‘Sweet Night’ is such a gentle song and we all know how dreamy and amazing Taehyung’s vocals are. The lyrics describe a kind of turmoil of someone not knowing if their feelings for someone else are reciprocated. It’s that time in your life when you maybe realise that you have feelings for a friend but aren’t sure whether your friend feels the same or perhaps you’ve missed the opportunity.
‘I’m wondering, are you my best friend?
Feels like a river’s rushing through my mind
I wanna ask you if this is all just in my head
My heart is pounding tonight, i wonder
If you are too good to true
And would it be alright if i pulled you closer’
The song fits perfectly with the storyline of ‘Itaewon Class’ and I think it’s a situation that many of us older ARMY could possibly relate to. Overall, the song is beautiful and knowing how much Taehyung was involved in it and his connection with Seo-Joon makes this one special song.
Singularity - Onomey
I chose to write about ‘Singularity’ because stories can be obvious in most parts but when it comes to songwriting, I believe the best and more interesting songs tend to hide or mask their true meaning whether that is through the lyrics or instrumentation. This track somehow disguises a tale of love, loss and heartbreak through a smooth and catchy neo-soul track with creamy heartfelt lyrics that make you fall in love, not cry alongside the artist.
Tae does a great job in telling us the main casualty, in his eyes, to affect him in this relationship and that is his voice. Examples of this happen throughout the song but I am going to focus solely on the second verse because I think it is the most impactful one.
‘Over the winter lake, I was thrown
A think ice has formed atop
A winter lake on which I was thrown away
A think ice has formed
In the dream, I shortly went into
My agonising phantom pain is still the same’
He beautifully equates losing himself to being thrown in a winter lake and a ‘think ice has formed’ which gives me goosebumps just thinking about it now. He has abandoned himself for what he thought was love which is now replaced with thick ice that is solidifying him in a layer of fear, isolation and failure from this so-called love. This feeling doesn’t seem to leave him as he can’t avoid it, even in his dreams so it has now become something like a ghost that haunts him. I’m assuming this is why we see him in the music video with a mask that is white and not another colour.
When thinking about it now, the jazzy, swaying feel to the song may have deliberately happened in order to make the listener feel like they are in a body of water with swaying waves that have the possibility of drowning you.
V’s deep-toned voice, enables him to make it sound like he really is struggling to speak like his throat is closing over from allergies but has the talent and vocal experience to make the delivery clear and addictive to the listener's ear.
All of this emotion is hidden through the instrumentation, the beautiful artsy MV with a hint of sensuality through the choreography. To me, I would describe this song as the perfect slow jam if the lyrics weren’t so sad. The story of this song is so powerful that I think it could be turned into a mini 10-minute movie which tells you everything you need to know about the quality of the song.
Outro: Wings - Charlie
From the epic violins at the very start of the song, to the part at the end where the Outro version morphs into Hoseok’s final verse as if it’s the second act of a film leading to a satisfying ending, Wings feels like a phenomenal blockbuster of a song.
For me, the entire Wings album is a beautiful story about a boy growing into a man who faces temptations (it’s why it’s one of those albums I always have to listen to from start to finish and can never skip songs, like chapters), and at the end he spreads his wings and manages to thrive. It sounds like the perfect finale song; it’s victorious and triumphant.
Plus, the album and this song displays the perfect irony that all good films have: it starts and ends with Hoseok - from Boy Meets Evil to Outro: Wings.
“I remember my childhood
Because I had no big worries
I knew these small feathers would become wings
I knew the wings would make me fly
I had that faith along with laughter”
Outro: Wings also represents, for me, the story of BTS, which is fit for a movie. The members sing about a classic narrative of people who feel like they’re struggling, but through hard work and self-belief, they manage to have the happy ending that they were promised. I’m reminded of Namjoon’s speech at MAMA 2016, when he said “Let’s fly with our beautiful wings in 2017 as well” after their daesang win. Back then, I had no idea what he meant. I already thought BTS were super successful; I wasn’t even thinking about Grammys or American talk shows or anything like that. I didn’t know he was foreshadowing an even better future.
“I believe in myself
My back hurting is for my wings to come out
I believe in you, even if things are bleak right now
The end will be great
Fly, fly up in the sky
Fly, fly get 'em up high
It's the path you chose, dude don't be scared
This is just the first flight”
Black Swan - Cheryl
This week I have chosen Black Swan as the song that tells a story and what a tragic story it would be. For me I feel the story would include manipulation, frustration and depths of despair. Throughout the lyrics is the fear of losing the one thing that is currently your passion and how crippling that would be and BTS compares it to a death and then with RM’s lyrics he adds the painful thought process of “What if that moment is right now”.
‘The heart no longer races
When hearing the music play
Tryna' pull up
Seems like time has stopped
Oh that would be my first death
I been always afraid of’
Then RM’s lyrics mirror the same sentiment:
‘If this can no longer resonate
No longer make my heart vibrate
Then like this may be how
I die my first death
But what if that moments’ right now
Right now’
I find the opening lyrics and bridge could be rather manipulating, do what you want with me and tell me what I should be doing, it could viewed that the person is lost and needs help finding their way, or someone has manipulated them to the point where they no longer recognise who they are.
With J-Hope and Suga’s verses (below) I believe they are expressing how they each find their inner peace and themselves through J-Hope’s feet and dancing and Suga’s music studio, which could be the ever-hopeful ending of the story. By expressing this, they are saying that we can all find a special place to make our own and find our own solace and ourselves.
‘Deeper
Yeah I think I'm goin' deeper
I keep losing focus
No, just let go of me
Let my own feet carry me
I'll go in myself
In the deepest depths
I saw myself
Slowly, I open my eyes
I'm in my workroom, it's my studio
The waves go darkly by in a throe
But I'll never get dragged away again
Inside
I saw myself, myself’
Each performance of Black Swan is choreographed differently, we have the treat of the barefoot performance on Late Late Show which depicts the vulnerability of the performance, entwined with the water and dark trees adding drama and depth. The video in the old Theatre mirrors the drama with the huge shadows and the empty seats. Then we have the performance for 2020 MMA’s with the dancers dressed in black and BTS in white, with the powerful artistic lifts and water and the repetition of the dark trees in the background which once more adds the threat of drama, rather like a Disney film (Snow White or Sleeping Beauty).
Maybe it is the darkness of the lyrics together with the choreography which tells the story, the way we are drawn into the depths of BTS’ deepest thoughts and fears is also tantalising and fascinating. I guess I would imagine that with all the love and respect they receive from Army they would be eternally happy, but the eloquent way they let us know their feelings about doubt and the anxiety that they cannot or do not want to be creative anymore, is really special and feels very real and this is what makes for such an interesting story.
New Year, New Hope
Happy 2022! With the start of a new year we have a fresh set of expectations and lots to look forward to. Who knows what this year will bring? The one certainty is that our playlist team will continue to bring you great playlists so if you have an idea for a theme, let us know. BTS Radio UK is on every social media platform so tell us your ideas.
Find the Spotify playlist here: NEW YEAR NEW HOPE
Permission To Dance - Michayla
There are so many songs in the BTS discography that are great for celebrating a new year or reflecting on the year that has just passed. Personally, I would have chosen to write about 'ON' if I hadn't written about it more times than I can remember but I think it's extremely relevant given the world's fight against the pandemic that continues to affect our lives, ‘You can’t hold us down cuz you know we are fighters’!
However, so as not to be as predictable as I usually am, I decided to write about 'Permission To Dance' because that song was one that gave me hope towards the end of 2021 and going into 2022, hope is very much needed.
This song was released on 9th July 2021, which is a special date in the fandom since it is ARMY day. What a gift to us! It is such an upbeat, invigorating song that made me smile instantly. It was co-written by Ed Sheeran and Jenna Andrews, both of whom have collaborated with BTS before.
Permission To Dance is about letting yourself go and even if you lose your way, you should remember that you do know what you’re doing and you got this!
‘We don't need to worry
'Cause when we fall, we know how to land’
Many of us have felt quite lost in recent years due to the ever changing circumstances that have affected our lives. I think it’s important to acknowledge that life has been difficult and the impact has been felt by us all. But as usual, when things get tough, BTS come to our aid and manage to inject some positivity and happiness into our lives. ‘Dynamite’, ‘BE’, ‘Butter’ and ‘Permission To Dance’ were all released during the most unsettling period that the world has faced together and were all very much needed.
Now we enter 2022 and who knows what this year will bring? Whatever life throws at us, we need to remember that we don’t need permission to dance. There isn’t anything that can take the joy away or stop us from smiling the biggest smile that seven men from South Korea continue to put on our faces.
‘I wanna dance
The music's got me going
Ain't nothing that can stop how we move, yeah
Let's break our plans
And live just like we're golden
And roll in like we're dancing fools’
Good Day - Charlie
It’s Blue Monday, and the perfect time to be surrounding oneself with healing music. Luckily for us, BTS have that in excess.
Good Day is one of BTS’ many pretty Japanese songs, and it’s about how their friendship with each other has blossomed, and how they’re looking to the future optimistically because they have each other.
“I said it's alright, oh yeah
One day it'll be a good day, for sure
You won't be alone, always
I'll be by your side, we'll be okay
If we're connected, (sunny light) surely it'll be brighter tomorrow”
Something about the song feels wintery, as if it’s fitting for a song that you listen to just after Christmas. It feels like falling snow, and the voices of the members give me the impression of optimism, although that may also be a side effect of how I associate the members’ voices with optimism and carefree vibes anyway. In particular, the chorus is very bouncy and chirpy, and reminds me of soft, sunny January days where you’re not sure how your year’s going to go but you’re sure that you’re going to be optimistic about it.
One of my favourite parts of the song is Yoongi’s rap. The way he says “yeah bro” makes me smile every time, and it’s a very endearing and conversational aspect to the song. I love how BTS songs sometimes feel like a familiar conversation between friends, that they’re either sharing with us or saying directly to us. Similarly, the song as a whole feels so refreshing as the lyrics are all about a friendship between men, which is so sweet and shouldn’t go unappreciated.
“Yep, bro (Yeo, bro), always the same
Yep, bro (Yep, bro), by your side (Yeah) At anytime, we happy together
This unchanging feeling is the same as from back then (Oh, oh)”
I hope we’re all able to go into 2022 with the optimism that everyday might be a good day and it’s okay even if it isn’t.
Magic Shop - Cheryl
For this week’s playlist I have chosen to write about “Magic Shop” because nothing says more to me about hope and new beginnings than this song.
It just has it all (as far as I’m concerned), the catchy chorus of “So Show Me, I’ll Show You” and the imagery of opening the door to your heart and finding BTS inside, more about this later.
'I know that you’re hesitating because even if you say the truth
In the end it will all return as scars
I'm not going to say anything blatant like "find strength"
I will let you hear my story, let you hear it'
The opening verse explores how even saying the truth can hurt and leave painful scars (memories) which causes people to hesitate and then it follows with not saying simple meaningless phrases, but actually sharing experiences, which can bring a much greater comfort and understanding, knowing that you are walking alongside someone is much more reassuring and offers hope, because you can even help each other.
'What did I say? I said you'd win, didn't I?
I couldn’t believe it (really) Could I win it?
This miracle that isn’t a miracle
Did we make it? (No) I was here
You were the one that made your way to me
I do believe in your galaxy, I want to listen to your melody
Your stars in the Milky Way, don’t forget that I found you anyways
At the end of my despair, you’re the last reason
For me who was standing at the edge of the cliff, live'
In this verse it’s as if we instil in others beliefs, we don’t hold for ourselves – like telling others they can succeed, but not fully believe we too can succeed. Here we are also experiencing that not only did we find BTS, but they found us too and that now we are together, we can lift each other and help each other live life. I also love the imagery of the galaxy, melody and the Milky Way and how they are all entwined.
'Like a rose when blooming
Like cherry blossoms when being scattered in the wind
Like morning glory when fading
Like that beautiful moment
I always want to be the best
So I was impatient and always restless
Comparing myself with others became my daily life
My greed that was my weapon suffocated me and also became a leash
But looking back on it now, truthfully
I feel like it’s not true that I wanted to be the best
I wanted to become your comfort and move your heart
I want to take away your sadness and pain'
This verse is like an awakening, sure the drive to succeed and be the best was the passion that brought us BTS in the beginning, I certainly had never been aware of any group or singer that had worked as hard as them in the past, but then they realised that these feelings can cause more harm than good and in the end they would rather give comfort and take away sadness and pain from others, again gives a feeling of hope and support.
As promised, let's go back to the opening of one’s heart and find the strength and love from BTS inside “Days when you hate that you’re you. Days when you wanna disappear - Let’s make a door in your heart, If you open that door and go inside, this place will be waiting for you” - the Magic Shop ... I found this verse so empowering as ‘you’ have to be willing and want to open the door at a time when really you may want to disappear and are not happy. But by opening the door to the galaxy, Milky Way could relate to the power of BTS and Army – because they truly are world wide and strength and hope can definitely be found out there if you reach out or reach within.
Stay Gold - Onomey
I chose to write about this song because it’s an overall loving and warm song that is not only perfect for the current winter weather we are in but perfect in giving me that added support in making the beginning of the year success to start off with.
An example of this is that I’ve been studying coding since the beginning of the year and I tend to listen to this song on repeat whilst coding because it makes me happy, keeps me smiling and is determined to continue.
It’s almost therapeutic. The way the song begins with a bare piano playing four chords with one played and sustained for each bar. The combination between the chords playing in the 4th octave and the bass notes, C#, C, A# and F# that can be found in both the minor pentatonic scale and the C# major scale around the 1st and 2nd octave. This allows the boys the space that goes in between both the major and minor scales, creating a dissonance that sounds good on the ear as well as pulling on our heartstrings. Jungkook starts in falsetto with a beautiful little riff using F, D# and C#, complimenting the chords with more notes from the C# major scale. Singing ‘Oh, Woah, oh, Woah. I’ll stop talking about technical stuff but I thought I would just mention it as I have always wondered why this song makes me happy but at the same time emotional.
I love that the chords during the verse can almost be classed as a hook because of the repetitive nature. They are played in staccato which keeps the beat chugging along. Without this, I don’t think the song has that much of an impact. The build-up to the chorus relies on the staccato too as it creates a build-up then drops with the drum fill before the elongated ‘STAY GOOOOOOOLD’ which is stretched each time vocally. The chorus still has the staccato sounding string but the higher end of the piano chords has taken over in the mix to layer the song up a bit more.
Let’s just have a look at the chorus lyrics in regard to fresh starts, shall we?
‘Stay gold, even in your dream
stay gold, I’ll find you stay gold, gold. I want to touch you stay gold. Your entire being stay gold. Enthrals me
stay gold I want you as mine’
The chorus can be seen as the boys singing about their love but to me, when thinking about this topic. I think about all the things that I have wanted to achieve and dream about. Knowing that I can reach them and they can become mine if I ‘stay gold’ if I keep thinking positively and on the right path. Plus I’ve got BTS wanting to ‘steal my heart’ in this song, if that isn’t positive then I don’t know what is.
I hope this year will be a success for everyone out there, start it the right way by listening to this playlist to get you in the mood.
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