Music Monday|BTS — BE| Comfort & Reassurance During a Pandemic
Hihi BAYOG Fam!~ It’s Monday, so you know it’s Music Monday! Did you also know that BTS dropped their new album on the 20th?~ So yeah, it shouldn’t be a surprise that I’ll be covering BTS’ BE album today~ Despite being a BTS ARMY, I will say that I do have an objective reason for choosing this album today.
Actually, I didn’t choose this album just because I’m BTS ARMY. I was honestly really impressed with it as it’s an album that embodies the thoughts and feelings we’ve all had during this crazy COVID-19 pandemic. After all, this album is the product of BTS choosing to be productive and expressing their own frustrations due to the pandemic. Pandemic aside, I just think this album could really help those who are struggling with depression, anxiety, and other issues. Especially when this time of year is when there’s a spike of depression and anxiety.
Album: BE
Genre: K-pop, Pop, Disco Pop, EDM, Hip-Hop, Funk, Ballad
Language: Korean, English
Release: 2020
I’m not going to do artist background info, cuz y’all know I’ve [covered] [BTS] [plenty] [of] [times]~ BTS ARMY LIFEEEE~ BE is BTS’ 9th studio album. Anyway, as I said this album is a product of the BTS members dealing with the pandemic. 2020 has been a crazy, difficult, and sad year for all of us. Especially because of the COVID-19 pandemic. For BTS, it affected their Map of the Soul 7 album promotions. It also affected and ultimately caused their Persona Tour to be indefinitely postponed. This obviously really saddened BTS ARMY, me included. I worked hard to secure tickets for what would’ve been me and my bestie’s first BTS concert. We were excited, but then COVID was like “NAH BITCH”. Of course everyone understood the precautions taken were for everyone’s safety, yet everyone was also understandably saddened and frustrated. Including the BTS members, who obviously worked very hard and looked forward to seeing and performing for their fans. Just like everyone else, BTS struggled with frustrations and lament during this uncertain time. Just like us, they were dealing with disappointment, stress, anxiety, and depression. However, they chose to be productive. They learned new skills, and put all that frustration into new music. They decided to work on a new album to express themselves as they were dealing with the pandemic.
Now BTS has always been involved with their music. They’ve always produced their own music, and able to put have their input for everything. However, BE is a special album because it’s self-produced. This time the members were directly involved with behind the scenes and planning such as the concept, visuals, teaser photos, music video, etc. Jimin was the music project manager, and officially credited as the A&R (Artists & Repertoire). Basically he oversaw the group’s creative activities and was the liaison between the group and the company executives and staffs. V (Taehyung) was the visual project manager, officially credited as the Visual Creative. He was basically behind the visual aspects such as the concept photos. RM (Namjoon) was credited with the Album Design. He helped design the album cover, tracklist, etc. Which isn’t too surprising because the monochromatic theme and aesthetics of this album design is very reminiscent of his solo mixtape [mono.]. That’s his handwriting on the album cover. Honestly, I’m jealous. I wish I had nice handwriting instead of my trashy chicken scratch…Anyway, Jin (Seokjin), Suga (Yoongi), J-Hope (Hoseok), and Jungkook were credited with the Production and Coordination. Jungkook also co-directed the music video.
So for me I was very interested by the concept that it would be the groups first self-produced album. I was also interested in how it was a product and reflection of dealing with this pandemic. It’s very relatable, and shows that they’re struggling with the same things we are. I actually liked the individual rooms concept for the teasers. With the pandemic, we were basically confined to our own personal space. However, our rooms are also a reflection of us, our sanctuary, and the place we feel most comfortable.
As for the music itself, I feel like overall it has a more mellow and mature sound and vibe to it compared to their previous albums. It does use several different genres and sounds from pop, acoustic, disco pop, EDM, and even old school hip hop. It’s actually funny that the first half of the album sounds really sad and melancholy, but the second half is basically dancing at a club. Another thing in terms of sound… I felt like overall it had a more simple sound to it. I don’t mean that in a bad way. I liked that it felt somewhat simple, more direct, and not overwhelming with too many bells and whistles so to speak. It just felt very down to earth. This might have been the first album where I actually liked everything on the first listen. Overall, I think it was a great album and matched the subject. As I said before, BTS’ music has always felt personal and genuine. That’s what I’ve always found appealing about them and their music. However, their direct involvement in the concept and production in the album, visuals, what led to the conceptualization of this album, and the lyrics… it all just makes the album feel more personal than usual. I especially love the lyrics to the songs. They really hit the feels, and truly makes it feel not only personal to them, but personal to the listener as well. I admit that this album may not be something I would listen to on the daily. I’d say it’s a perfect album for when you’re lost in your thoughts, in your feels, or want to feel relieved of your frustrations. Honestly, I really love the album and appreciate it very much. It just really resonated with me. Everything behind it, and the fact that it feels so personal makes it a very special album. The album isn’t like a risky album in terms of trying new things or sounds. However, it’s an album that feels genuinely from the heart, and brings both comfort and reassurance. It was an album meant for healing, and I think that’s exactly what it does.
You can find the full BE album by BTS on Spotify, here:
Full playlist on YouTube, or click [HERE]:
Life Goes On
“Life Goes On” was the title track for the album. It’s a mellow pop track that captures brightness and hopefulness in the darkness. The song sounds a bit melancholic, but has an aspect that is still bright and hopeful. However, the chorus is the part that really brightens it up, telling us to push on and be hopeful. Again, this is a response to the pandemic that we’re all facing. It’s that despite the pandemic, it’s meant to be a message of healing. We’re facing a new normality, but life goes on. I think it really captures the sentiments and frustration we all feel. However, it’s true. Things seem bad, but life goes on and we’ll move forward. The MV was released simultaneously with the album on the 20th. Again, it was directed by Jungkook. It captured the frustration, disappointments, and regret we and the members have felt. It shows the longing for the fun times we’ve experienced, but in the end we can still press on and enjoy what we have with us. However, it also showed that we had new opportunities as well. For BTS, they were able to pick up and learn new hobbies. Not only that, they were able to get closer while they had to quarantine together. Although, I will say that this MV really got ARMY especially emotional. The music video shows V/Taehyung looking somewhat sad and longingly at the stadium. This is a message of how the members are also disappointed at their tour being cancelled, but mostly that they’re disappointed because they long to see their fans. It hits extra hard as the shot later changes to the members singing in an empty concert venue that has the BTS ARMY Bomb (BTS fanclub light stick) in the seats in place of ARMY. NGL, this song hit the feels for me and I wanted to cry too.
One day, the world stopped
BTS|Life Goes On|Translation: [Genius]
Without any warning
Spring didn’t know to wait
Showed up not even a minute late
Streets erased of footprints
I lie here, fallen to the ground
Time goes by on its own
Without a single apology
Like an echo in the forest
BTS|Life Goes On|Translation: [Genius]
The day will come back around
As if nothing happened
Yeah, life goes on
Like an arrow in the blue sky
Another day flying by
On my pillow, on my table
Yeah, life goes on
Like this again
With the “hello” that we start and finish the day with
BTS|Life Goes On|Translation: [Genius]
Let us thread tomorrow with today (Ooh, ooh, ooh, oh-woah)
Stopped for now, but don’t hide in the shadow
Only again, daylight will glow
There’s no end in sight
Is there a way out?
My feet refuse to move, oh
Close your eyes for a moment
Hold my hand (Hold it)
To the future, let’s run away (Oh, oh, oh)
내 방을 여행하는 법 (Fly to My Room)|
“How To Travel To My Room”
This is a sub-unit track with Suga (Yoongi), J-Hope (Hoseok), V (Taehyung), and Jimin. The Korean title translates to, “How to travel to my room”. While the official English title of the track is “Fly to My Room”. This song is about the frustration of stay-at-home and quarantine orders that were put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s more directly a response to how we’re not able to travel freely, and how traveling will have changed due to the pandemic. Although, Jimin says it’s not a sad or melancholic song. Rather it’s meant to be a fun song about traveling to your room. I take it as we’ve had to find new ways to have adventures at home in the comfort of our homes, and in our rooms. Again, although we’ve been restricted, our rooms are typically seen as our sanctuary. It’s a place where we feel free and comfortable.
Everyday
BTS|내 방을 여행하는 법 (Fly to My Room)|Translation: [Genius]
It’s so frustrating, it’s driving me crazy
Feel like it’s still day one
Somebody turn back the clock
The entire year got stolen
I’m still in bed
A bloated stomach
It’s killin’ me slowly, nah
Anyway
I want to leave any way
There’s no way
This room is all I have
Then, what can I do here?
Into my world
Let’s change it, yeah
Let’s go, let me fly to my room
BTS|내 방을 여행하는 법 (Fly to My Room)|Translation: [Genius]
Lower your gaze and zoom anywhere
Come on now, let me fly to my
Get me outta my blues
And now I’m feelin’ brand new
This room is too small
BTS|내 방을 여행하는 법 (Fly to My Room)|Translation: [Genius]
Yes, to contain my dream (Yah, yah, yah)
Landing over the bed
This is the safest place
Somehow there’s no joy, no sadness, no emotion
It’s just me here
Sometimes this room becomes an emotional trash can
It hugs me
They greet me again
The toys in my room, like people
It’s as crowded as if we’re out of the city
The TV sound
I just have to change my thoughts
This is a journey that only I can enjoy
Delivery food
Fill it up with optimism, I’m full
Blue & Grey
AHHH~ This song. I think “Blue & Grey” may be one of my favorites from this album. This track was produced by V (Taehyung) and [NIve] (Park Ji Soo). Originally, this track was supposed to be for Taehyung’s future mixtape. A snippet of the original version, which was all in English, can be heard from BTS’ show In the Soop. The original version is hella sad and made me tear up. However, it’s still really beautiful. The story behind the production is pretty interesting. You can watch NIve talk about it [here]. The theme of the song was gloominess, but about finding hope and comfort in that gloominess. Taehyung said that the colors blue and grey represent the depression and anxiety within us. And it’s true those colors do seem to represent the gloominess associated with depression and anxiety. However, despite the dark meaning and theme, the song itself has a calm, warm, and comforting sound. It’s just a really beautiful song. A very interesting thing about this track is how it uses the sound of a heartbeat during the chorus. It’s very subtle, but you know it’s there. It adds this comforting and human touch to the song. The style of this song sounds very Tae, so I wasn’t surprised to hear it was a track originally meant for his solo. Alot of people were hit with some form of depression and/or anxiety from this pandemic. Although, I say this song is pretty relatable even without the pandemic. If you’ve been following my posts on BAYOG for a while, you’ll all know that I like to touch on mental health alot. Especially because I had been struggling with depression and anxiety myself. Honestly this song just really hit close to home. It’s the track that resonated with me the most. I’m just really overcome with emotions and cry when I hear this track. Another thing to consider is the difference from going “And you’re going to be happy” in BTS’ “00:00 (Zero O’Clock)” from the Map of the Soul: 7 album to “I just want to be happier” in “Blue & Grey”.
I just wanna be happier
BTS|Blue & Grey|Translation: [Genius]
To melt the cold me
My hands have reached out countless times
Colorless echo
Oh, this ground feels so heavier
I am singing by myself
I just wanna be happier
Am I being too greedy?
I felt when I walked on the cold winter streets
BTS|Blue & Grey|Translation: [Genius]
The sound of my fast heartbeat breathing
I still feel it
Don’t say it’s okay
‘Cause it’s not okay
Please don’t leave me alone, it hurts too much
Skit
This isn’t a music track, but a “skit”. It’s just basically a recording of a conversation amongst the members. This particular conversation was when they were practicing for their Map of the Soul: ONE online concert that took place in October 10-11. It was during this time that they found out that they had achieved their first #1 on Billboard Hot 100 on August 31. It also happened to be Jungkook’s birthday on September 1. Anyway, it’s a landmark achievement not just personally, but also because they were the first and only Korean artists to do so.
I think this skit is important and in here to show that although 2020 has been shit, there has been good moments. It’s also to show BTS practicing for Map of the Soul: ONE, a virtual concert to connect them to BTS ARMY again. It shows them adapting to this new and strange normality. Like their title track says, life goes on. They’ll continue to move forward, work hard, and look forward to the future ahead of them. If you’re interested in the whole conversation, you can find the translation from [Genius].
잠시 (Telepathy)|”For A Moment”
The Korean title of this track means “For a moment”, while the official English title is “Telepathy”. It’s a retro-pop disco track. It’s a cheerful track with a retro funk and groove feel to it. This track was basically for those struggling with the pandemic. It’s dedicated to ARMY, BTS’ fans. BTS was disappointed in not being able to see their fans. So this track is a message to ARMY to say that although they’re physically far apart for the moment, they’re still together at heart. With the pandemic there’s been alot of restrictions and social distancing in order to ensure everyone’s safety. It can be sad and frustrating to be far away from and unable to see your loved ones. Take it from me, I already rarely got to see friends and family pre-COVID. I only got to see my besties maybe 2-3 times a year. Now I don’t even remember the last time I physically saw any of my besties. However, we also know that we’re still close despite the distance and being unable to see each other.
Even though we’re far away now
BTS|잠시 (Telepathy)|Translation: [Genius]
Our hearts are still the same
Even if you’re not by my side, yeah
Even if I’m not by your side, yeah
You know we’re together
Every time during the same day
I feel the happiest when I meet you
Every time, even in a different everyday life
You’re the most special person to me
병 (Dis-ease)|”Illness/Bottle”
The Korean title translates to “Illness”, however the hanja can be translated to “bottle”. The official English title is “Dis-ease”. It’s a play on words. Again, the Korean title means “illness” or “disease”. “Dis-” is a prefix that means opposite or not, and would usually change the meaning of the word. So it’s also the opposite of “ease”, meaning it’s also about uncomfortableness. The track itself is a bright kind of old school hip hop type of track. This track is about the disease of an artist’s profession, as well as the feeling of uncertainty they face during this pandemic. However, it’s also meant to be a message of hope for the future.
Maybе
BTS|병 (Dis-ease)|Translation: [Genius]
It’s because I’m sick
Becausе of my many thoughts
I hate that
I’m not so simple
I’m too young, my body’s the only grown up
The limp of life
One for the laugh
Two for the show
Just like I’m so fine
Everyday I comfort myself
They’re all the same, ain’t so special
Ayy, man keep one, two step
Let’s calmly treat them all
My disease
Dis-dis-dis-disease
Scare away
This cowardice
Stay
This track was originally intended to be on Jungkook’s future solo mixtape. Apparently it was originally all in English. However, since it was decided to be on BTS’s album, they decided to change some of the lyrics to Korean. This is another more upbeat track on this album. It’s a cheerful EDM track. This is another track reflecting on how BTS misses ARMY, but they know that ARMY will always be there for them.
Hold still, it’s an order
BTS|Stay|Translation: [Genius]
The stars are brighter than ever
No matter where we are right now
Wherever you are
I know you always stay
In the sea where the wind passed by
Stay
I’m talking to you with firm lips
Stay, stay, stay, stay (Always)
Yeah I know you always stay
Yeah I know you always stay
Yeah I know you always stay
Those brilliant todays
For all of them
Oh every night and day
Yeah, I know you always stay
The cold wind blows
I take your hand, I feel your breath
I close my eyes
We are together
Dynamite
We’ve already covered Dynamite in a [previous Music Monday post], so I won’t get too into it. But this song is basically supposed to be the upbeat encouragement that we need during this pandemic. Things are grim, and it’s honestly nice to have something bright and vibrant bring some color in that darkness.
There we have it folks. That’s BTS’ new album BE. I know this is probably my longest Music Monday post, but I really loved the album as well as the concept and sentiment behind it. I really liked how this album was self-produced and it was a bit different. It had a mature, mellow, and down to earth vibe to it. While it may not be something everyone would play on the daily, I think it’s great for those times you’re in your thoughts, when you’re contemplating and reflecting. It’s definitely an album that reflects the thoughts and feelings regarding this pandemic. I truly believe it’s an album to bring healing through comfort and reassurance. All the tracks are great. I loved the concept and idea of “Life Goes On”. The chorus is really beautiful too. I think I also like it because it somehow makes me think of [봄날 (Spring Day)], one of my all time favorite BTS tracks. All the tracks are great, but my personal favorites on this album would have to be “Blue & Grey”, “Life Goes On”, “Fly to My Room”, and “Telepathy”. Have you listened to the new album yet? What did you think? What are your favorite tracks? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on any of my socials!~ The pandemic has us all feeling hella stressed, anxious, and depressed. 2020 has been a crazy year. Still, I hope you’re all doing well. I know it’s frustrating, but we can get through this. Hopefully brighter days lay ahead of us. Until then, please remember to social distance, wash your hands, and wear your face masks. Please, please take care of yourselves. Stay safe, take care, and have a wonderful day friends!~
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Hihi! I’m Minty! I’m Thai-American~ เป็นคนไทยค่ะ~ ยินดีที่ได้รู้จักนะคะ~
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BE SAFE. BE RESPONSIBLE.
WASH YOUR HANDS. WEAR A MASK.
SOCIAL DISTANCE. PLEASE.
Take care y’all. Please stay safe and take care of yourself. All jokes and fun aside…please, please, please, pleaaaase always wash your hands, practice social distancing, and wear a mask! It’s better to be cautious than face irrevocable consequences of health complications or death.
BLACK LIVES MATTER
AS A GROUP OF BIPOC, BAYOG strongly stands with Black Lives Matter. We are all too familiar with the racism that we, our friends, and family have faced on a daily basis. Every life is precious. However, as BIPOC, we also recognize that black people are a group of people that face extreme racism and at a higher risk for their safety. We’ve individually done several donations. Of course, donations to support the cause and support change isn’t the only thing needed. Support for the cause and change also requires conversation and understanding. Make sure to have those conversations. Please remember to be an active supporter, be it through donations, sharing information, and/or conversations and speaking up.
If you can, please consider donating. I’ve donated more than once as well. For one of my donations, I donated through the BTS ARMY x BLM project. I recommend that if you’re unsure of where to donate. This is because the donation will be split amongst several different non-profit organizations. Of course, you can also choose a specific organization(s) if you wish as well. You can find that [HERE].
You can also check out the following:
- http://blmsites.carrd.co
- http://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co
- http://blackliveswillalwaysmatter.carrd.co
- http://blmstanguide.carrd.co
- http://saytheirnames.carrd.co
- http://useyourvoice.carrd.co
Stay strong. Fight racism, brutality, injustice, and bullshit. Don’t lose sight of the goal. We’re witnessing and being a part of history. Be allies and make sure change happens. Once again, BLACK LIVES MATTER.
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