Black Swan: BTS is Back!

B. T. S. is. HERE. BTS is currently in the middle of a promotion for their new album, Map of the Soul: 7. They normally come out with new content frequently, but the past few months have been relatively quiet for them. Now, they’ve released the first single for their new album, and it’s everything I’ve wanted and more. I knew I missed their music, but I didn’t quite know how much until I was listening to the new song all day when it was released. Each of the seven have great voices, their beats are always on point, and every song feels like a new style.

The new song, “Black Swan”, is definitely a change of pace from the past two title songs (“Idol” and “Boy with Luv”). It starts with a harp and keeps a relatively relaxed beat and sound throughout. This one isn’t a hype song. This song is more about the lyrics and what they’re trying to say. To be honest, this took my off guard, and I didn’t like the song the first few times I listened to it. However, on my way to work, it got stuck in my head and I played it again. It grew on me really fast, and I think at this point I’m responsible for exactly 1,452,928 streams on Spotify single-handedly. “Black Swan” is awesome.

Based on this song, on Suga’s “Shadow” that was released from this album, and on the cool art installations around the globe that are all a part of this comeback, this feels very different from the past albums BTS has done. This one feels like they’re not focusing on the upbeat pop that’s featured on a lot of their work in the past. This one is their chance to really take a look at themselves as artists and reflect on everything they’ve done up to this point, all the influence they’ve had, and the journey it’s taken to get to the level they’re at. I’m excited for this take, even if “Black Swan” has some devastating lyrics.

What “Black Swan” talks about is the fear of music not being able to touch the group anymore. The opening lyrics from Suga and RM talk about the day when they won’t be excited about music anymore, that it won’t make their hearts race. They say it would be like their first death, and that it’s what they’re terrified of. Coming from these two, the lyrics hit especially hard. Suga and RM are the two that started in the group, and the rest were built on from there. Along with J-Hope, they’re responsible for a good chunk of BTS’s lyrics.

The rest of the song is a summation of this feeling. It’s like drowning, falling into darkness, standing still, etc. That’s a scary thought for a group that’s clawed their way to the top through their sheer passion for music. Whether it’s dance, rap, singing, writing, or producing they each have individual passions for the music industry that have driven them for years. The idea that all of that can end, and that maybe in some way it is ending with Jin’s military service coming, is a big thought for them to tackle. Seeing that they came from sleeping on floors and begging people to attend free concerts, it’s understandable for them to be a little terrified of what the future looks like. They always talked about how they knew popularity was temporary, but now it looks like there might be some version of the end in sight. I’m sure they’ll each keep working together, but when the group has to serve their mandatory military service, the way they work will have to change. Other groups have navigated it, and now it’s BTS’ turn. “Black Swan” gives us a peek into what they might be thinking about and going through with this idea.

It’s oddly comforting to have them open up in their lyrics like this in their album. I mean, their the biggest K-pop group in the world right now and they’re singing about losing the passion to even do it anymore. While I can’t say if that’s true, and that this song is probably just imagining that fear coming true as they grow and evolve as artists, this song is a work of art. Jimin’s voice repeatedly echoing, “Do your thang…What’s my thang” throughout the song is haunting, and it perfectly captures the crossroads the rest of the song details.

Speaking of art, this is probably going to be a super artsy album. Not only are BTS having art installations around the world created by international artists, the first video for “Black Swan” is described as an art film. It features MN Dance Company and is a more orchestral version of the song. There’s beautiful and honestly kind of scary ballet, dark lighting, and a story of suffering told in it. It’s hard to describe without watching it, so I recommend heading over to YouTube to check it out. It’s a lot like the movie Black Swan, in my opinion. The feeling is similar. The quote at the start of the video sums it up well: “A dancer dies twice—once when they stop dancing, and this first death is the more painful.” The quote from famous dancer Martha Graham. Fits perfectly with the lyrics of the song and the story told by the dancing in the video. I always love the effort BTS puts into their albums, and this one is shaping up to be a monumental effort, and I can’t wait for the rest of it to come out.

There is also a music video, much different from the super high production value of their previous videos. This one features the boys pretty much standing around, walking together, and generally just hanging out. I like the simplicity of it. They don’t need to do much because the lyrics can tell you what they’re thinking. It was so nice too see BTS again. I love their artistry, I love their music, I love the way they’re so engaged with the world around them. They’re always a breath of fresh air in the music industry. We only have a few weeks until the full album comes out, and I’m excited to see what kind of artsy concepts they come up with next.