2013-present
I tried to pick 1 favourite from each album but it was really difficult, so I had to go with a top 4 or top 5 a few times! Decided not to talk about the mixtapes/solo releases this time round, but I would like to discuss these another day 👍🏼
2 Cool 4 Skool (2013)
Like
A 2017 performance of Like
BTS cringing at their past selves during the early eras
O!RUL8,2? (2013)
Attack on Bangtan
Performing the Japanese version of the song in 2016
School Luv Affair (2014)
Spine Breaker
This is hilarious
Dark & Wild (2014)
Embarrassed
Side note: American Hustle Life was wild, might need to do a whole blog post dedicated to that
The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 1 (2015)
I Need U
Dope
I think this era is when you start to see the shift from their original concept.
The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 2 (2015)
Silver Spoon/Baepsae
RUN
Whalien 52
The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever (2016)
Burning Up (Fire)
Save Me
Fire is such a tune. I love the choreography and the video.
Wings (2016)
2016 was a huge year for BTS because they won their first 대상 (grand prize, pronounced like 'daesang'). They had been in the K-pop industry for 3 years at this point, but hadn't received that much recognition.
It was really hard to pick a favourite. I really love Cypher 4, it's probably my favourite from Wings, but I also love...
Boy Meets Evil
Reflection
Lie
Blood Sweat & Tears
21st Century Girl
Sorry bae
In Reflection, RM talks about his self-hatred and repeats "I wish I could love myself"
You Never Walk Alone (2017)
Spring Day
Not Today
2017 was the year that BTS started to break America. They already had dedicated fans in the US, but mainstream platforms like Billboard were starting to recognise who they were and what they were about. They won Top Social Artist at the Billboard Music Awards, despite being up against nominees with hugefan bases like Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande and Shawn Mendes.
LOVE YOURSELF 承 Her (2017)
dimple is my fav 🤗
BTS made history in 2017. They made their US television debut at the American Music Awards, the first K-pop group to do this. BTS have talked many times about how the global success they've had was inconceivable to them. When they debuted, they were terrified because they thought people would hate them. On a Korean quiz show, Yoongi talked about the pressure he felt when they performed at the AMAs:
(Translated from Korean to English)
That was the most nerve-racking day of my life. I don't usually feel nervous but that day was exceptional because I knew what it meant to be on that stage. I cried at the hotel thinking, this isn't what I wanted. I never wanted this amount of pressure.
The K-pop industry has seen other idols make an impression on America and the rest of the Western world, like PSY, but BTS are the first group to really pave the way for other Korean artists. I think the key to their success is that they have remained humble, they have an unbreakable bond with each other, and they genuinely appreciate their fans. People respond well to authenticity, so I think that's why they have such a loyal and supportive fanbase.
A lot of thought went into writing the lyrics for Dimple. I thought "How about I sing this song to myself?"
RM wrote dimple while thinking about the things he would want someone to say to him about his dimples 🥲
LOVE YOURSELF 轉 Tear (2018)
I loooooove 134340 and Outro: Tear.
Tear already sounded like an emotional, powerful song when I listened to it without the translation, but once I understood the lyrics it hit even harder. It was written during a time BTS were struggling mentally and were considering disbanding. This is what Yoongi said in the documentary Break the Silence:
When I was writing the melody, at the time, we were deeply contemplating whether we should quit or not. When I played the song for the members we all cried together.
I also love...
Love Maze
Appanman
So What
I like puppy- Yoongi 🐶
134340 is the asteroid number used to refer to Pluto after it lost its status as a planet. The lyrics describe the feeling of a relationship ending, but still feeling attached to that person. You've lost meaning to them, much like Pluto lost its meaning. It describes the feeling of orbiting around them, lost in space.
LOVE YOURSELF 結 Answer (2018)
Trivia 起 : Just Dance
Trivia 轉 : Seesaw
Trivia 承 : Love
Euphoria
j-hooooooope performing at Wembley, 2019
J-hope's stage presence is incredible. He's a born performer.
I love Seesaw. There are different interpretations of the lyrics, but a lot people interpret it this way. Yoongi uses a seesaw as a metaphor for a relationship. Two people get on a seesaw together and they go up and down. At first, it's fun, but the up and down becomes mentally exhausting. Neither of them are ready for it to end but they both know it's time to get off the seesaw. I'm not doing in justice, there are great translation/analysis videos online though!
A fan-made compilation of RM's Trivia 承 : Love stages
RM uses a lot of wordplay in his lyrics. He uses the word '사람' which means person (pronounced 'saram') and the word '사랑' which means love (pronounced 'sarang'). The words sound very similar and become interchangeable: "You're my person, person, person...You're my love, love love". Furthermore, he uses the words 'live' and 'love' in English: "I live so I love, I live so I love".
MAP OF THE SOUL: PERSONA (2019)
Intro: Persona
HOME
Mikrokosmos
Make It Right
2019 was the first year BTS attended the Grammys! They made history again when they became the first K-pop group to perform at Wembley Stadium.
BTS World: Original Soundtrack (2019)
My favourite from from the BTS World soundtrack without a doubt is All Night, featuring Juice WRLD, who sadly died in December 2019. I think even non-BTS fans can recognise this is a good song.
MAP OF THE SOUL: 7 (2020)
*manifesting a Post Malone X BTS collab*
Black Swan
Filter
Moon
ON
Outro : Ego
This song is so j-hope ☀️
BE (2020)
Telepathy
Dynamite
Life Goes On
Dynamite was the first full BTS song I listened to. It's the first song they released entirely in English. It was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category.
Not an album, a single, but I had to talk about Butter 🧈
Butter (2021)
Butter was nominated for Best Pop/Duo/Performance at the Grammys, but lost to Doja Cat and SZA.
Permission to Dance (2021)
Another single, but it's worth mentioning! PTD is arguably a perfect pop song. It's catchy and it lifts your mood. The pandemic was a challenging time for many, but BTS put out lots of upbeat music that encouraged fans to keep going.
They even peformed it at the UN!
Proof (2022)
Yet to Come
Run BTS
I might forget some great ones, I still don't know their discography inside and out, but I'm enjoying exploring more of it. Another song I love is Ddaeng ⬇️
*mic drop* 🎤
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