Why 'Love Yourself: Tear' Had Me In Tears

Bangtan Sonyeondan have done it again. Now with their performance/award win at the 2018 BBMA’s, as well as their comeback show in Seoul, the hype around their new album is hotter than ever and for very good reason.

Leader RM stated that the theme behind this album was the love that one is supposed to feel for themselves and how when you are untrue to yourself, any love can become dark or toxic.

This album denotes that sentiment perfectly. The way I read it, the members are taking us with them on their journey to discover themselves and find self-love. The lyrics, the production, the choreography and the visual themes all mesh beautifully to create a masterpiece. And they do this all while infusing different cultural styles with their own to create a worldwide appeal. Down below I will break down song by song, why I think Love Yourself: Tear is one of the most epic K-Pop albums of all time. Let’s go!

Kim. Tae. Hyung everybody. Let me break this song down into sections. First of all, the vocals. Damn. Girls, guys, anyone remotely attracted to a male energy, BTS’s V will have you melted to a puddle with the first sentence from his lips. Taehyung’s voice does this remarkable thing, it can be smooth like silk, sound just like a whisper and yet have a power to it that gives you shivers. His voice in this song is the definition of sex.

The rumbling bass behind his vocal, compliments his tone perfectly and the pulsating synth echoes the sensual, bewitching vibe.

The song feels like V is caught in a dreamlike daze of confusion. The lyrics then denote that this confusion comes from a place of loosing his true self somewhere in the womblike comfort of being loved.

The video itself feels very sensual in a dark way, picking up of the synopsis RM gave. And talk about aesthetic! The colours, the water and flowers, the dark shadowy mood lighting. Its gorgeous. And side note, this is the hardest I’ve seen V dance in an MV. It pays off. He looks incredible, the MV looks incredible, it’s incredible.

Fake Love. The already famous Fake Love. There is so much to love about it. So much to talk about. Can we start by thanking whoever decided on giving Jin both more lines and then more screen time? That man shines in this album. But back to the song.

Let’s talk about musical progression. This is such an interesting way for a song to progress, such a fresh way to build a song. To start with a bridge and then to beat drop straight into the chorus and only add the pre-chorus later in the song, the production always surprises you. The rap verses vary in flow and feel, their individualities are all showcased, yet they all vibe together seamlessly. And the last beat drop before the chorus fills you with so much energy.

The concept behind the lyrics is something I think is almost foreign to western boybands. They talk about presenting a perfect front for the people they love, they tell us how both they and ARMY can never love them truly until they know their imperfections too. How all the self-love they seem to exude is a mirage (‘Mould you a pretty lie’). This message is powerful and extremely relatable.

In terms of the video; Classic BTS with a dark twist. Many fans have dubbed it the love child of Blood Sweat and Tears and DNA. This is because of the narrative arch and the colour pallets. That theme works perfectly here, mixing the bright pop-like vision in DNA with the darker, dramatic concept in BS&T to make for faded colours and bittersweet beauty.

The choreography mixes these two themes as well, the shadowy mystery of BS&T and the high energy of DNA. The seven seem to be gritting their teeth, they seem to be straining and fighting as they dance, going from smooth, pretty movements and falling into gritty, sharp ones. The camera work, the sets, the production value are all second to none. And tip: If you haven’t seen the comeback stage for Fake Love, WATCH IT! It’s a full theatrical stage piece. 10/10. Perfection.

This first time I heard this song I cried. And I don’t cry for songs, I cry for stories. But that’s what this song felt like to me. Without even knowing the English translation I could feel every ounce of the emotion in the voices of the vocal line. A narrative was being conveyed by that alone. All four of them (Jin, Jimin, Jungkook and V) blew me away with their vocal prowess. V’s signature soft rasp gave me chills, Jimin’s sweet delicate voice brought tears to my eyes, Jungkook’s immense control in balancing soft and powerful pierced my heart and Jin’s unteachable talent to place gentle and belted notes blew my mind.

When I finally discovered a lyric translation, my heart was broken further. It’s a song that follows on from the theme of Fake Love but, this time, the members are expressing their longing to peel away the mask and their insecurity, their reasons for being afraid of doing that. They are talking directly to their fans, their members, their loved ones. “I’m so afraid.” “I must hide because I’m ugly.” “I breath as the me that you know.” “I’m crying at this sandcastle that’s disappearing and breaking down as I look at this broken mask. And I still want you” Their masks and walls crumble as the song progresses, ending with Jimin’s vulnerable. “I still want you.” Denoting their plea for their fans to love them flaws and all. My heart.

After all that emotion, ‘134340’ comes as a welcome pick me up. The musical style is layered, an Afro-Cuban Funk flair, mixed with the zen coolness of an Asian style pan flute. It makes for a very cool, collected sound that is perfect chilling you out on a city walk or a long train journey.

The lyrics also give the feel of traveling too, expressing a sense of loosing ARMYs who only truly loved the mask and the lie and telling them that losing them was just like loosing another star, they are meaningless unless they love the member for who they really are. It speaks of a different type of ‘Fake Love’ and exposes the love of a devoted fan versus a fake fan. It’s a ballsy move to make but also, a very honest and open one, speaking of the defiance you feel when you are met with criticism about the parts of you that you feel most sensitive about.

It’s a bop with a deep message guys.

This is a definite summer song for when you’re lazing on the beach. With a traditional Mami/LA vibe and an R&B flair. This perfectly suits the lyrics and the narrative of the album.

Now the members have exposed their real selves and broken past the fear of rejection, they are telling both ARMY and each other than it’s okay to slow down and reflect. It’s okay to be frozen and to not know what turn to take. All they know is they want to head towards paradise, a true happiness.

“It’s alright to stop, you don’t need to run without knowing why. It’s alright to not have any dreams. If you have moments where you feel happiness, it’s alright to stop. Don’t run without knowing where you’re going anymore. It’s alright to not have any dreams. All of the air you breathe out is already paradise” This a beautiful, uplifting song, the vocals are clear and stripped back and the rap verses have a much more relaxed flow, this makes for great car song.

The maze mentioned in the song title, is a metaphor for the difficult and confusing journey on the way to self-love. The lyrics manage to perfectly capture the befuddlement that comes with rediscovering yourself and the members are begging the subject of their song to keep hold of their hand, afraid to lose them on the road to Paradise.

Due to the classic pop vibe and acoustic guitar, the subject of their song seems to be their fans, ARMY. This is a happy song which when mixed the subject of self-discovery, is a powerful comfort for their young fanbase. Whether you are about to take on high school or the working world, this song with have you feel positive about it, making it clear that the members will be there with you every step of your journey as you are for theirs.

This R&B style ballad was one that had my heart straight away. The vocal line is strong in this one, powerful vocals from all four of them. Again, Kim Seokjin had improved impossibly and is perfect in his tone and pitch, Jimin’s belts are gorgeous. Taehyung’s and Jungkook’s falsettos are stunning. Even Hoseok sings beautifully here and he’s a named rapper. Of course, Namjoon and Yoongi have the most emotive quality to both their voices and their lyrics.

And that’s another thing, the lyrics are just poetic. “Like a rose when blooming. Like cherry blossoms being scattered in the wind. Like morning glory when fading… like that beautiful moment.” “My greed that was my weapon that suffocated me and became a leash”

This song felt to me like the boys reminiscing on their time together. As if they were sat in circle and we were intruding on their private conversations. They are talking to each other, leaning on each other, comforting each other. It’s intimate in a way that still manages to be inclusive.

The true genius of Airplane Pt 2 really became present, for me, after I watched the live performance. A follow on from J-Hope’s single Airplane, this Latin inspired tune feels authentic without feeling as though BTS overuse the Latin influence. Like entering a tapas bar in a Chicago backstreet. Two blends that somehow mesh well without meaning to.

The band, as always, makes the choreography look smooth and flawless. However, behind the scenes the rehearsals would have been intensive. It’s a very intricate performance with spellbinding vocals and rap breaks that keep it flowing. The microphone sequences alone would have taken days if not weeks to perfect for any normal band. But then again, BTS don’t seem ‘normal’ in the slightest.

The story behind the lyrics seems very reminiscent of that idea of a struggle behind the perfect face. They talk about being two different people, the person the world expects them to be and the real, flawed them they only let their bandmates see. At this point in the journey they have no time to decide which one they will be and so, simply choose to focus on their career, leaving their inner turmoil behind the scenes and enjoying all the blessings they are given as they travel the world together.

If the music doesn’t have you feeling sexy or you don’t connect with the idea of having a mask, at the very least the performance with colour you impressed.

Cute. Just…everything is so cute. This song is cute, the choreography is cute, their outfits and the stage are cute. The members are cute.

This is the song that just makes you happy and loops in your mind for days. For me this is another and integral part of the narrative. They talk about the days they dreamed of becoming superheroes. They revert back to their inner child and remember the days they were fearlessly themselves. This notion is one that personally helped me out of many dark places in my life. You will always be the child you once were, you are never told as you grow that this part of you doesn’t vanish. Inside your heart there’s the fearless, shameless child you once were. And if you could talk to that child face to face, would you tell them they weren’t good enough?

BTS manages to capture this youthful energy is both lyrics and performance. You’ll feel a fresh energy after you hear Apanman.

The title itself is the exact attitude and emotional release associated with club culture and this song is a definite club anthem. The music is not overly EDM, not overly produced, but still has you hype and bopping along. At this point of the narrative, BTS have decided to let all their inhibitions fly. They have decided to be young, free and true to themselves.

The band still manage to make a dance song something that they usually they aren’t, which is lyrically interesting. Both in terms of craft and of subject matter. “It’s already been a while since the dice were rolled if you dawdle, you’ll be swept away, oh bae. 90% of your worries are an imaginary swamp that you created” “Even if you’re in danger, on the boundary, let’s cut through the wind while laughing and chatting. Run like a fool, with mistakes and in tears, we’ll just go…so what?”

Outro: "Tear"…there's reason for the name ‘tear’. This song had me in floods, it had me overflowing with emotion and here’s why.

The production, the eeriness in the beginning and the hard drop into the verses. It felt like the rap line was breaking me out of a dark dream…a nightmare. The rap line. Went. Hard. They snapped. It was so brimmed with passion. They showed us the sides of themselves they’re too afraid to show cameras and they did so merely with their voices. I’ll have to break this one down by member.

Kim Namjoon (RM), this man went savage. He’s angry at himself, at anyone who was stopping him being the person he truly was. He is angry, he is angry at the people he lost because of that. This is his final "NO." This is him telling the higher ups that he will be HIM no bars held. He got my heart racing with a similar anger. He made me want to fight. “If someone said they would turn back the time for me, would I have been able to be a bit more honest? The bare face that only I know, the ugly and pathetic old friends within me… would you still be able to love me again like before, with that smile with which you used look at me?”

Jung Hoseok is dubbed the sunshine of the group, the title he has admitted, comes that with a lot of pressure. Here he finally lets out his raw side, his voice guttural, showing us that no man is an island. He tells you if you leave him for merely being himself, you are useless to him. It’s a very powerful expression of self-respect. “Why are you spilling it? Why are you tearing it up? When it’s useless, to me.”

Then we have Min Yoongi, ever complex as he is. For me, this was his song. He flitted flawlessly through three or four different styles of rap, a metaphor for his different masks, Suga, Agust D, Genius Min Yoongi. Then, directly before the end, he did something he never does. He sang. And I’ll tell you why that was beautiful. He is considered to be the worst singer (what a clapback this was) …it’s something he is always nervous and self-conscious about, being a born rapper. Here he made himself vulnerable, completely exposing himself to criticism. Normally the cool, collected one, he showed that he was just as confused, scared, and defenseless as anyone else. This hit me straight in the heart. In the hip-hop realm, where Yoongi came from, he was abandoned and jeered at for becoming an idol, joining a group with singers and dancers and becoming "part of the system." It was so clever, that the first time he sung properly, it was on a track about setting themselves free. It really blew me away.

It was an epic song and for me, it was my favourite, dripping in a sentiment, swimming in pragmatics. You need to listen. It was incredibly brave of them, of all of them. This album whole album was brave. Not a single song disappointed me.

Jungkook’s solo song and the album trailer. It was more a movie epic than a trailer, the editing and the atmosphere were incredible. The lyrics and the imagery was uplifting and soaring and Jungkook killed his vocals.