by Elise Yu
Ten months after the release of Map of the Soul: Persona, supergroup BTS (made up of members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook) released the highly anticipated album Map of the Soul: 7. Each member contributed in writing and/or producing the tracks on the album. Nine days after its release, the album sold more than 4 million copies, with over 347,000 pure album sales. Map of the Soul: 7 debuted as BTS’ fourth number 1 album on the U.S. Billboard 200.
The buildup to BTS’ new album was a unique experience for their fans, known as the ARMY, around the world. BTS (Han: 방탄소년단/Rom: Bangtan Sonyeondan/ Eng: Bulletproof Boy Scouts) and their management company, Big Hit Entertainment, promoted the latest comeback by sponsoring different artists in different fields. The release of the “Black Swan” Art Film performed by MN Dance Company, the Kinetic Manifesto Film, and the launch of CONNECT, BTS–a global art project, showcasing the works of 22 artists in five cities–emphasize the idea that art is universal. CONNECT, BTS’ website states, “This project aims to redefine the relationships between art and music, the material and immaterial, artists and their audiences, artists and artists, theory and practice.”
After nearly two months of trailers and concept photos, Map of the Soul: 7 was officially released on February 21 at 4:00am EST. Twitter ARMYs immediately went to the app, causing nearly every slot on Twitter’s trending page to be filled with hashtags and phrases about BTS and the album.
The 20-track album offers a wide variety of genres and beats for their fans to enjoy. Continuing Persona’s story, following Carl Jung’s map of the soul and his personality archetypes, BTS offers listeners a different side of themselves.
Regarding the new album, Jin states, “In our previous album Map of the Soul: Persona, we spoke about the world, the joy of love, and our image. In this new album, we wanted to deal with different things such as our experiences that brought us here and the candid emotions we feel in the moment. It reveals our deep inner selves that we had wanted to hide, and at the same time, we are confessing our discovery that these are also our true selves.”
Map of the Soul: 7 starts with five tracks from Map of the Soul: Persona— “Intro: Persona,” “Boy with Luv” (also known as “A Poem for Small Things”), “Make it Right,” “Jamais Vu,” and “Dionysus.”
Once listeners hear the final note of “Dionysus” fade out, they are greeted with “Interlude: Shadow.” This song, performed by Suga, signals the transition from Persona to Shadow. Suga tells of the fears he faced regarding reaching his aspirations. The higher he flies, the bigger his shadow becomes. “The moment I’m flying high as I wished/My shadow grows in that blasting stark light/Please don’t let me shine/Don’t let me down/Don’t let me fly/Now I’m afraid.” The instrumentals are sampled from BTS’ 2013 song “Intro: O!RUL8,2?” adding a sentimental factor for fans to enjoy. The song ends with Suga accepting his shadow, realizing that to accept oneself is to accept both the good and bad within.
Following the interlude is “Black Swan.” Fans were treated to two versions of “Black Swan:” a trap version that was put in the album and an orchestral version that was included in the art film. When the MN Dance art film version was released, one of the first things I noticed about “Black Swan” was the striking similarity its chord progression has with that of “Fake Love” (from the 2018 Love Yourself 轉 ‘Tear’ album). “Black Swan’s” chord progression follows Bb, Gm, Dm, C, Bb, Gm, Dm, Dm, and “Fake Love” follows a similar Bb, C, Dm, C, Bb, C, Dm, C. The catchy trap tune continues the theme of Jung’s Shadow. The chorus reads, “sinking slowly like in a trance…struggle but it’s all ocean floor…every moment becomes eternity.” Here, BTS sings about their fear of losing their passion of making music. Group leader and rapper RM opened up in a later press conference, sharing that writing “Black Swan” made him emotional. Instead of worrying about a fall from fame, BTS worries that losing their love of music will be their first death.
Once listeners hear the last chord in “Black Swan,” the tone completely shifts. Jimin’s solo, “Filter,” offers a new genre to enjoy. “Filter” has a Latin pop vibe and opens with a catchy guitar intro. Jimin talks about how ARMYs have helped to shape who he is today. He sings, “For you, every day I’ll be new/It’s not fun to stay the same all the time.”
After “Filter” comes Jungkook’s “My Time.” This R&B track shows Jungkook’s thoughts as a young idol. After debuting at a mere fifteen years old, the now 22 year old Jungkook wonders if there are parts of his life that are missing, having grown up as an idol. “All over the world rock on, I made my own lotto/But is it too fast? There’re traces of losses/Don’t know what to do with, am I livin’ this right?/Why am I alone in a different time and space?” Often referred to as the “golden maknae (youngest)” by ARMYs, Jungkook shows that he, too, faces inner struggles.
Continuing the theme of Shadow is “Louder than Bombs,” an electro-pop tune with trap influences. Co-written with Troye Sivan, this track has a message reminiscent of “Magic Shop” (also from Tear). The members offer themselves as a source of comfort for ARMY. They start the song by acknowledging that there will always be a shadow following them and that they will continue to sing and support their fans. BTS promises to sing louder than the metaphorical bombs that harm their fans. “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.”
Contrasting with “Louder than Bombs,” Map of the Soul: 7’s lead single “ON” is an upbeat tune in which BTS urges outside forces to bring the pain on. The title is a playon of “N.O,” giving fans a nod to their rookie days. Utilizing sounds from UCLA’s marching band and a gospel choir group, “ON” blends the sounds of different cultures to create a song with an exciting beat. It appears that “ON” signals the transition from Shadow to the final stage in Jung’s described psyche, Ego. A catchy pre-chorus sings “hey na-na-na/gotta go insane to stay sane,” possibly acting as a connection to the Nietczhe quote “You have to have chaos inside you to give birth to a dancing star” seen in BTS’ 2016 “Blood, Sweat & Tears” music video. The equally catchy “can’t hold me down ‘cuz you know I’m a fighter” shows the strength BTS has, now that they have embraced all sides of themselves. The dance break in “ON” is sampled from a beat Suga produced seven years ago, thus adding another nod to BTS’ rookie days. One of the highlights of the song is the bridge Jungkook sings, which has spread on social media as fancams, memes etc. The album has two versions of “ON”, one with BTS and the other with BTS featuring Sia.
After “ON” comes “UGH!” This is a track from the rapline and is nothing short of a work of genius. Starting with a literal bang, “UGH!” is a memphis-style rap with a fast trap beat. RM, Suga, and J-Hope talk about their disgust towards the people who only spread hate maliciously. These people, they argue, undermine the need for hate with purpose (protests, for example). No doubt targets of many haters, RM, Suga, and J-Hope say that they’re used to dealing with this sort of meaningless rage. They mimic the attitudes of their haters and say these sorts of flames need to die out. YouTube contains videos, further delving into “UGH!” and the type of wordplay involved that would make any person’s head spin. Many fans refer to “UGH!” as “Ddaeng” and “Cypher pt4”’s stronger offspring.
Slowing the pace comes “00:00” (“Zero O’Clock”). This song from the vocal line shares a theme similar to “Louder than Bombs,” in that Jin, Jimin, V, and Jungkook say midnight signals the shift of a new day. At this moment, they urge listeners to let go of their worries. “But this day will be over/When the minute and second hands overlap/The world holds its breath for a little while/ Zero o’clock.”
V’s solo song, “Inner Child,” follows “00:00” as a bright, Brit rock song. V sings about how he was once a scared child, but those feelings of fear have turned into happiness. Very different from his previous solo songs, “Inner Child” starts soft and quickly becomes an upbeat tune. V sings, “You just have to look at my galaxies/Be showered with all those stars/I’ll give you my world/The lights illuminating your eyes, they’re the me of now/You’re my boy.”
“Friends” is a unit song performed by Jimin and V. The duo looks back at the time they spent together. Their disagreements as children helped them become the best friends they are now. Fans were quick to pick up on references to aliens, dreamcatchers, pinkies, and dumplings. One of the highlights of the song is when V whispers a message to Jimin, a clip that was said when they were recording the song. The lighthearted tune, paired with the sentimental lyrics, creates a song many fans will enjoy.
“Moon” is a solo song by Jin. Upon first hearing this song, I was quite surprised by the contrast “Moon” has with Jin’s other songs, “Epiphany” and “Awake.” Jin sings from the perspective of the moon, and he views ARMY as his Earth. Singing, “Suddenly I wonder/Are you also looking at me right now?/Won’t you even find out all my painful wounds?/I’ll orbit around you/I’ll stay by your side/I’ll be your light/All for you,” Jin opens up about being in the spotlight. With the attention BTS constantly receives, Jin promises to use that fame and shine bright for their fans. He sings, “I didn’t even have a name/Until I met you/You gave me your love/And now have become my reason.”
“Respect” is a duet featuring RM and Suga. This rap looks into the meaning behind the word “respect.” They sing about how “respect” is an elusive word which seems to have lost meaning, given how often it is said and thrown around in modern conversations. “What even is “respect”?/Why is everyone saying it/Honestly I can’t understand/Admiring someone/Was it something really that easy?” The tune is, supposedly, a nod to a conversation RM and Suga shared years ago and incorporates Suga’s famous Daegu satoori. The hilarious banter between RM and Suga ends with them saying “”English is hard,”/”I know right?””
The album then takes a sudden turn to the tear jerking “We are Bulletproof: the Eternal.” Concluding the “We are Bulletproof” trilogy, this song covers BTS’ growth from their rookie days to where they are now. BTS started as a group from a small entertainment company that was on the verge of bankruptcy. Often mocked for their lack of status, rookie Bangtan was at the receiving end of a lot of hate and ridicule. BTS had to block hate regarding their style, name, and faced jeers from antis who claimed BTS would not last for two years. They sing “Bad memories, numerous trials/We bravely blocked them all, bulletproof.” Referencing lines from “We are Bulletproof pt2,” BTS says that they are no longer afraid of hate and criticism. They sing that they are no longer seven, since they now have their fans by their side. This song is nostalgic and is bound to bring tears to listeners’ eyes.
Aside from the Sia collaboration of “ON,” “Outro: Ego” is the final track on Map of the Soul: 7. Performed by J-Hope, “Ego” completes the journey of the map of the soul. According to Carl Jung, “the ego was the center of the field of consciousness, the part of the psyche where our conscious awareness resides, our sense of identity and existence.” J-Hope raps about being reminded of all aspects of his past. Even if there are parts that he does not necessarily like, they are events that have helped shape who he is now. “I go back every day/To me of yesterday/To the life of giving up/I let myself go away/But in this world, you know/There are truths unchanged/Time rushes ever forward/There’s no ifs, buts, or maybes.” Aside from the main tune, “Ego’s” background vocals are exquisite. “Outro: Ego” is sampled from “Intro: 2 Cool 4 Skool” and is an upbeat song. Fans have said it feels like an extension of J-Hope’s mixtape, Hope World.
Map of the Soul: 7 is the perfect conclusion to the Map of the Soul series. Each track is unique and contains meaningful lyrics for fans to analyze. RM, who helped with writing seventeen tracks on the album, said to listeners, “These days, a lot of people don’t pay attention to lyrics, they simply enjoy the vibes or sounds of the lyrics…But personally, I’d like to go the opposite way…So as you listen to this album, my request is that you please pay attention to the lyrics. I really want to emphasize that.” BTS has a message they want to get across to their fans; to find oneself is a process that requires time and introspection.
Map of the Soul: 7 is a big hit with ARMY, but it is also an album that can be enjoyed by people not familiar with BTS. Fans of psychology, people who feel as if they could use a pick-me-up through music, and people willing to put aside their preconceived stigmas around boy bands and K-pop groups will be able to appreciate the hard work that was put into the album and take a look into the minds that make up the biggest music act in the world.
As Suga says, “You’ll like BTS’ music, if you listen without prejudice.”
Map of the Soul: 7 earns a solid 7/7 stars.
Photo captions (from top to bottom)
CONNECT, BTS (Source: Twitter)
Carl Jung’s Map of the Soul (Source: Quora)
‘ON’ Kinetic Manifesto Film : Come Prima (Source: Big Hit Labels)
Map of the Soul: 7 Version 4 Album Cover (Source: Big Hit Entertainment)
BTS Performing in Hong Kong on their Love Yourself Tour (Source: South China Morning Post)
BTS (From Left: V, Suga, Jin, Jungkook, RM, Jimin, J-Hope) at the Map of the Soul: 7 Global Press Conference (Source: Big Hit Entertainment)
