Album Review: BE

BE

Artist: BTS
Length: 32 minutes
Genre: K-Pop
My Rating: 5/5 

To simply put it, this album is a love letter to BTS fans (aka A.R.M.Y.). This has really been year of releasing "surprise" and quarantine albums, but I guess that makes sense given the current state of events. 

BTS has truly taken the world by a storm, especially in the past couple years. This year they were supposed to take off on a worldwide stadium tour following release of Map of the Soul: 7 in February. Unfortunately, that (like so many other things) came to a screeching halt during the inception of the pandemic at the start of the year. However, that did not stop this dynamic group of seven. They continued to release videos on their YouTube channel, V lives, and Run BTS episodes. They topped the Billboard charts with both Dynamite and Life Goes On (the lead single for BE), becoming the first Korean group to accomplish such a feat. All of this culminated in their Grammy nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group for Dynamite last month, the first K-Pop act to EVER get a Grammy! On a side, they even were crowned Time magazine's entertainer of the year. They truly deserve this.

Full disclosure, I don't know Korean. I have gleaned words here and there, but I'm nowhere near fluent. Nevertheless, despite not knowing the language, the emotions and message are clear in BE. If you have not heard this yet, I advise that you do not shuffle the album and listen to the songs in order. My stream of consciousness above was not for nothing - I attribute it to this album. BE is truly the culmination of everything that BTS has so far endured, this year and during their seven year career. The vibe does reflect how we all feel during this period of new normal with the pandemic. If you listen to it from start to finish, the progression is evident. Even though BE does feel somber and more subdued, especially compared to their album from earlier this year, the vulnerability and optimism is clear. The album begins with reflecting over the past year, then continues echoing the feelings of uncertainty a lot of us have felt during this pandemic, but then transitions to reassurance that we will all get through this. The boys are comforting their fans, about the lockdown and that they will be reunited with us in due time. 

In a sense, BE is a safe album. It blends many different musical styles, ranging from EDM to pop to '70s discos to R&B, while keeping with the overall theme of hope, consolation, and promise. I'm not sure what my favorite song is - I loved each track off of this album, as each one is unique and perfectly compliments each other. It's short, only 8 tracks, but each one carries the weight of the album and offers a fresh perspective in this new direction (even track 4 titled Skit, which was recorded shortly after the group found out they topped Billboard Hot 100 with Dynamite).

So all in all, this is a great album. The appeal is definitely becoming geared towards more Western audiences, which will be interesting to see where BTS goes next. If you haven't listened to BTS before, I recommend this album but do keep in mind this is very different from the other work they have produced. For those of you who haven't seen it yet, I've included the MV for Life Goes On below. Happy listening and feel free to post your thoughts!