BTS has become known for their messages about self-love through their Love Yourself album series. The group ended their Love Yourself tour, fulfilling their goals to spread love and uplift individuals all over the world.
On April 12, BTS came out with an extension to Love Yourself with their newest album Map of the Soul: Persona, an album based on Jung’s Map of the Soul: An Introduction, a book written by a psychiatrist named Dr. Murray Stein. This new installment from the K-pop group has a fresh sound and specifically focuses on the little things about their journey to fame.
The first track of the album “Intro: Persona” is sung, or rapped I should say, by none other than BTS’s leader RM. The intro even gives off a throwback vibe with the use of a sample from their song “Intro: Skool Luv Affair” back in 2014. RM uses “Persona” to introduce his inner conflicts while questioning why his flaws created those conflicts. In the latter part of the song begins to embrace the qualities seen as flaws. “Persona” is definitely a bop with lyrics that almost anyone can relate to and appreciate.
“Boy With Luv” is a record-breaking song that has contributed to the groups’ success with Map of the Soul: Persona. Their collaboration with American singer Halsey in this upbeat and poppy song has been performed in multiple American shows including the BBMAS, SNL, and GMA. Their message here is pretty generic - to find joy and happiness in the smaller things in life, which isn’t a bad message and totally fits in with the theme of the album. Although the message is fairly basic, the sound is what catches the listener’s attention. The upbeat melody, the rappers’ unique individual moments, the vocal line and Halsey’s contribution complement each other to make the perfect main track.
BTS is known for having an extremely large fanbase called A.R.M.Y.. “Home” is a song BTS has dedicated to their fans, saying that home is wherever their fans are. Along with “Mikrokosmos” BTS shows that they have an unbreakable bond with A.R.M.Y.. While “Home” is directly dedicated to their passionate fanbase, “Mikrokosmos” is a love song that shows the deeper relationship BTS has with A.R.M.Y..
When Map of the Soul: Persona was released, fans were more than happy to hear the fourth track of the album, “Make It Right”, which was created with a collaboration with Ed Sheeran. Even though we don’t get to hear Sheeran’s sweet vocals in the song, it’s easy to recognize that it’s definitely the type of song he would write. The message, which is to make things right with the person you love is what formed the perfect love song only Ed Sheeran could create for the most popular boy band in the world right now. The song ultimately sounds repetitive in its simple beats, but the use of a unique piano sound and the falsettos of the vocal line create an amazing call and response throughout the song.
Jamais vu is the distortion of memory that produces an illusion that a moment is happening in a way that it seems to be occurring for the very first time. Basically, the opposite of déja vü. Personally, “Jamais Vu” is my favorite track on the album even though it’s only sung by three of the seven group members. It’s the only song to really be considered a ballad whereas the other tracks are a lot more poppy and upbeat. This song is about feeling pain and heartbreak as if it’s the first time you’ve felt it and that is relayed very well with the slow pace of the song and moments of slight intensity in the rap incorporated.
“Dionysus” is definitely the stand out song from the album. Dionysus is referred to the Greek god of wine, ritual madness, and ecstacy. BTS has brought messages about self-love and not needing to meet society’s standards in their past albums, so the very mention of Dionysus is in reference to the messages they have introduced throughout the years. “Dionysus” is definitely a party-type of song where the beat drops and seems to settle there for the rest of the song, but that’s probably its best feature.
Persona definitely exceeded my expectations and I would recommend it to anyone open enough to give the album a chance. The meanings and messages within every song are a major part of the experience of listening to BTS’s most recent songs and it makes them that much better.
On April 12, BTS came out with an extension to Love Yourself with their newest album Map of the Soul: Persona, an album based on Jung’s Map of the Soul: An Introduction, a book written by a psychiatrist named Dr. Murray Stein. This new installment from the K-pop group has a fresh sound and specifically focuses on the little things about their journey to fame.
The first track of the album “Intro: Persona” is sung, or rapped I should say, by none other than BTS’s leader RM. The intro even gives off a throwback vibe with the use of a sample from their song “Intro: Skool Luv Affair” back in 2014. RM uses “Persona” to introduce his inner conflicts while questioning why his flaws created those conflicts. In the latter part of the song begins to embrace the qualities seen as flaws. “Persona” is definitely a bop with lyrics that almost anyone can relate to and appreciate.
“Boy With Luv” is a record-breaking song that has contributed to the groups’ success with Map of the Soul: Persona. Their collaboration with American singer Halsey in this upbeat and poppy song has been performed in multiple American shows including the BBMAS, SNL, and GMA. Their message here is pretty generic - to find joy and happiness in the smaller things in life, which isn’t a bad message and totally fits in with the theme of the album. Although the message is fairly basic, the sound is what catches the listener’s attention. The upbeat melody, the rappers’ unique individual moments, the vocal line and Halsey’s contribution complement each other to make the perfect main track.
BTS is known for having an extremely large fanbase called A.R.M.Y.. “Home” is a song BTS has dedicated to their fans, saying that home is wherever their fans are. Along with “Mikrokosmos” BTS shows that they have an unbreakable bond with A.R.M.Y.. While “Home” is directly dedicated to their passionate fanbase, “Mikrokosmos” is a love song that shows the deeper relationship BTS has with A.R.M.Y..
When Map of the Soul: Persona was released, fans were more than happy to hear the fourth track of the album, “Make It Right”, which was created with a collaboration with Ed Sheeran. Even though we don’t get to hear Sheeran’s sweet vocals in the song, it’s easy to recognize that it’s definitely the type of song he would write. The message, which is to make things right with the person you love is what formed the perfect love song only Ed Sheeran could create for the most popular boy band in the world right now. The song ultimately sounds repetitive in its simple beats, but the use of a unique piano sound and the falsettos of the vocal line create an amazing call and response throughout the song.
Jamais vu is the distortion of memory that produces an illusion that a moment is happening in a way that it seems to be occurring for the very first time. Basically, the opposite of déja vü. Personally, “Jamais Vu” is my favorite track on the album even though it’s only sung by three of the seven group members. It’s the only song to really be considered a ballad whereas the other tracks are a lot more poppy and upbeat. This song is about feeling pain and heartbreak as if it’s the first time you’ve felt it and that is relayed very well with the slow pace of the song and moments of slight intensity in the rap incorporated.
“Dionysus” is definitely the stand out song from the album. Dionysus is referred to the Greek god of wine, ritual madness, and ecstacy. BTS has brought messages about self-love and not needing to meet society’s standards in their past albums, so the very mention of Dionysus is in reference to the messages they have introduced throughout the years. “Dionysus” is definitely a party-type of song where the beat drops and seems to settle there for the rest of the song, but that’s probably its best feature.
Persona definitely exceeded my expectations and I would recommend it to anyone open enough to give the album a chance. The meanings and messages within every song are a major part of the experience of listening to BTS’s most recent songs and it makes them that much better.