"Map Of The Soul: Persona" BTS EP Review

The boys are back. And as always, there is more to their music than meets the eye.

I never do album reviews, but I had to review this. I am a huge fan of BTS and love most of what they put out. That said, I am picky about music and have high expectations for the group, so this is going to be honest review of what is decidedly not my favourite BTS project. ARMYs, don't come for me. For BTS newbies (or casual listeners), it is far more difficult to appreciate this album without context. So first I'll briefly summarise the concept, then I'll go onto my thoughts on each of the 7 tracks. Or, skip to the end for an overall review.

Concept

The first thing anyone should know about Kpop is that it is very much an audiovisual genre. Music is only part of it. If you have not seen the music videos or concept photos for a new music release, you can't have a full understanding of it (this is especially the case for BTS who have an symbolism-laden storyline that runs throughout most of their videos). Persona is the beginning of a new BTS 'era' called Map Of The Soul, and it will likely be followed by two more albums called Shadow and Ego. The era will be based on Carl Jung's psychological theory of individuation, which describes a process of how to find oneself and one's individuality. The colour palette for Persona consists mostly of bright shades of pink, which contrasts with the darker and/or more muted shades of their past albums. This is relevant for a few reasons, which I'll explain along the way. Another thing you should know is that this album is heavy on references and responses to previous songs in their discography. As I said, context is a necessity. So, let's get into track-by-track review.

1 - Intro: Persona

When fans first heard of 'the pink album' nobody was expecting the first track to be a hard-hitting rap song that sampled a previous track 'Intro: Skool Luv Affair', from BTS' first era, the 'School Trilogy'. The members have expressed some regret and even embarrassment about their 'hip hop warrior' styling and concept of their early days, none more so RM, who is the official appointed leader of the group. 'Intro: Persona' is his solo song. The lyrics, filled with his philosophical musings (the song opens with "Who am I? The question I had my whole life//The question which I probably won't find an answer to"), are a lot to unpack. There are plenty of references to Jung's theories and to BTS' previous songs. Essentially, RM raps about his attempts to find himself and to accept all of his flaws and past mistakes, and how he struggles to do so when other people are constantly telling him who he is. He also raps about the internal conflict he has between choosing what is best for him and his group as public figures, and what brings him joy ("this one says 'look at the forest', that one says 'look at the wild flower"). BTS' rap line is often called the best in Kpop, and RM one of the best Korean rappers, and this track showcases why. It is a new and improved return to the old style of BTS that, while they may have some regrets about, fans remember very fondly.

2 - Boy With Luv ft. Halsey (lead single)

The name 'Boy With Luv' is another reference to the Skool Luv Affair EP, the lead single for which was called 'Boy In Luv'. The latter had a pop-rock/hip-hop sound to it, the lyrics are cocky ("if you lose a guy like me, you regret it") and the music video, which saw the boys with messy hair and heavy eyeliner, has gathered some controversy for having the somewhat chauvinistic, hypermasculine feel of many k-dramas, which see the men acting overly forceful and dominating towards the female leads. BTS directly counter that by eliminating any elements of toxic masculinity in 'Boy With Luv'. The song is bright and poppy, the boys are clad in pink silk shirts, and the lyrics are sweet and sentimental ("you're the star that turn ordinaries into extraordinaries"). Most importantly, their female co-star is treated as a comrade and an equal, sharing a secret handshake and participating in the choreography. All of this could be referring to Jung's notion of the anima (the female side of the psyche) as crucial for maximum development and creativity. RM explained the meaning of the song, stating that 'Boy In Luv' is about teen love and 'Boy With Luv' is about mature love, which is "about the little things" like asking how their day is. The band are acknowledging that there is maturity in emotion, and strength in softness ("there's nothing stronger/than a boy with luv").

The retro-themed music video (which broke a new record by gaining 78 million views in it's 24 hours) is visual treat, as is expected from BTS videos. The song is infectiously happy in tone and undeniably catchy. Everything is executed meticulously, from the choreography to the video length (4.12, aka the date the MV was released). While Halsey's part is small, her vocals do add dimension to the chorus, and I understand her presence to be necessary to complete their message. By far the most interesting part of the video is when RM is performs on a stage that has the names of all of their albums above it in lights, and then rest of the group rush to join him as a crowd (a rare use of extras in a BTS music video) cheer for them. It seems RM, and the group, are acknowledging their stage 'personas', and I'm left wondering what this means for the concept of the song and the album as a whole.

My issue? Once you take the song and video out of context and ignore the reference to 'Boy In Luv', BTS is not showing us anything new. "I Need U" had a music video featuring issues of destitution, substance abuse and mental health. "Idol" was a celebration of identity and self-love that was filled with references to Korean culture. The 'Blood Sweat & Tears' MV referenced art, religion, mythology and philosophy to detail a narrative illustrating Nietzsche's rejection of traditional morality. "Boy With Luv" is a poppy song with a bright colour scheme with optimistic lyrics; fans already have this in the form of 'DNA', which is arguably a better song and more memorable video. As a fan who understands the context, I enjoyed the song and the video. But to a new watcher or listener, both could come across as shallow and/or saccharine. And BTS, who have made a name for themselves as Kpop's deep thinkers and social conscience, are anything but that.

3 - Mikrokosmos

A brief explanation of the title: the cosmos is the infinite and ever expanding universe. Mikrokosmos refers to the comparatively tiny elements that make up the universe (aka us). BTS advise us not to let the knowledge that we are small creatures in a huge universe make us feel insignificant and isolated, and instead to find out own and each other's light in what seems like neverending darkness ("the later the night gets, the brighter the starlight"). Their lyrics are poetic as always, and the opening of the song had the celestial feel that they executed so well in the jazz-influenced '134340' and Jimin's alt-r&b solo track 'Serendipity'. It returned to this kind of feeling during and after the bridge, so I started and ended the song happy. However, in the middle of the track, it became a regular, uplifting pop-anthem that would fit on a rom-com soundtrack. I still liked it, it was still good, I just feel like I've heard it before. As I said at the beginning of the review, I have high expectations of BTS.

4 - Make It Right

Ed Sheeran is credited as a writer on this song, and I have a feeling he wrote the entire melody besides the rap verses (he also allegedly provided backing vocals). The track has a distinctly Ed Sheeran feel. That said, I didn't find his presence too distracting, as I did on Bieber's 'Love Yourself' or 1D's 'Little Things', where I could tell immediately who had written them and spent the whole time picturing his voice. Maybe it's because I'm a fan of BTS, or because the song is mostly in Korean, or because Sheeran's writing is broken apart by BTS' self-penned rap verses, but this still felt very much like BTS' song to me. And I liked it. It's a versatile blend of relaxing and upbeat, which makes it great for many settings. The lyrics are versatile too in their ambiguity; it could be a simple love song, it could be about their determination to better the world, or it could be dedicated to their fans.  Alternatively, it could be referencing BTS' ongoing storyline (in which one member is under immense pressure to save his friends from a terrible fate) or it could be about somebody's determination to find and cling to their persona. My only criticism of this song is that while the verses and the pre-chorus are great, the chorus feels a little lacking.

5 - Home

The song is a good listen, with some real retro r&b vibes and an earworm of a chorus. BTS' management have revealed that this is a track dedicated to the ARMY (what BTS' fans call themselves). There are some melancholy moments as the members reflect on how despite the money and the fame, the hectic lifestyle that comes with success can at times be exhausting and isolating. But when they see their fans, they find peace, comfort and familiarity in them ("If I have you, everywhere is home"). It's a great song, with a good message, and the rappers once again get a chance to prove they are more than deserving of the admiration they are given. One of the elements that have secured BTS' success, along with their talent and drive, is their genuine love for their fans, which they have spoken and sang about many times. I don't have much to say about this song, I just really like it.

6 - Jamais Vu

BTS is made up of seven members: rappers RM, Suga and J-Hope, and singers Jin, Jimin, V and Jungkook. Sometimes, the two groups split into units, and the songs with only the rap unit and only the vocal unit are some of my favourites by BTS. This song, however, is a new subunit made up of vocalists Jin and Jungkook and rapper J-Hope. Jamais Vu is a french expression which is the opposite of déjà vu. It describes a feeling of knowing you have seen something before, but nothing about it feels familiar. The song describes heartbreak that never lessens, despite the amount of times they have hurt or been hurt by the other person. J-Hope was originally intended to be one of the groups singers, so there is a melody to his style of rap that meshes fairly well with the vocal styles of the other two members. But the vocals are a standout; Jin and Jungkook sound stunning on this track. I can't help but think this track may have been better with another member of the vocal line instead, or even just with more of J-Hope's own singing.

Lyrically, this is a real turning point in the album. The lyrics, though more agonised, are thematically similar to 'Make It Right', but there is more tying it into the concept of Persona. The unit laments how they have lost or are losing someone they love and how it is their fault ("I blame myself, because they couldn't be perfect"), they are begging for another chance. Why they have lost this person is unclear, but it may be because they were not being themselves, but hiding beneath a persona ("if I just turn it off, will everything be better?"). This seems like a continuation of BTS' mask motif from the Love Yourself era which addressed how the fear of revealing the true self only dooms a relationship, as it  can never be genuine. This was detailed in songs such as 'Fake Love' ("I grew a flower that can never bloom in a dream that won't come true") and 'Singularity' ("Did I lose myself, or did I gain you?"). Incidentally, that was one of my favourite aspects of the Love Yourself era, so that gave me another reason, besides the vocal talents of the members, to enjoy this song.

7 - Dionysus

'Dionysus' is a reference to the Greek good of wine, fertility, ecstasy, epiphany, theatre and ritual madness. The result is a suitably chaotic sounding hip hop song with a strong rock influence; BTS have many songs that are clearly written to be performed in an arena, and this is one of them. Production wise, the song is bombastic, bordering on obnoxious. But that is the point. While the singers perform with a frantic energy and some impactful adlibs, the rappers provide us with some meaningful lyrics. The song is reminiscent of 'Go Go' from Love Yourself: Her. While the two sound very different, both are satirical and dismissive of the party-fuelled hedonism of the younger generation, but 'Dionysus' keeps the focus on fame. Suga (who on his solo mixtape, Agust D, rapped about his fear that fame will turn him into a monster) raps 'another record I've broken is just another fight against myself/I toast, I take a shot, but I'm still thirsty'. This track sounds powerful (if a little overpowering) and has an interesting message to it. While it is somewhat of a throwback to BTS' old sound, making it a good companion to 'Intro: Persona', it is very different to any of BTS' previous singles. Even on my deathbed, I will still be insistent that this should have replaced 'Boy With Luv' as the lead single for this album.

Overall Thoughts

Overall, I was happy with Persona. I liked every track, some more than others. The biggest disappointment for me was the choice of single. The lead single of any release is what the general public is most likely to hear, so I feel like choosing it is of utmost importance. In a way, to actively go against toxic masculinity like they did in 'Boy With Luv', when BTS are aware of and have been outspoken about the negative stereotypes against (specifically male) kpop idols, is a pretty ballsy move. But if a risk was what they wanted, 'Dionysus' would've been a better choice; while musically an acquired taste, the lyrics are thought-provoking and the sound would contradict the public perception of BTS' discography. 'Boy With Luv' is upbeat, catchy and features a popular Western artist, so is perfect for radio play. But if radio play was what they wanted, 'Make It Right' would've been a better choice, and the Ed Sheeran association would've been enough to bolster interest in the west.

Of course, if the theme of the album was to return to their past and accept or amend their mistakes (that is certainly a prominent aspect of the album's concept), the choice of lead single makes sense. But this is another issue I have with the EP; all of their releases, especially from 2015 onwards, have had a clear theme running throughout. This release seems somewhat less thematic, which feels like a step back for the group. Furthermore, musically it is not the most mature or sophisticated of their projects (that title belongs to Love Yourself: Tear, which contains fan favourites like 'Tear' 'The Truth Untold' and V's solo 'Singularity' and underrated gems like '134340', 'Paradise' and 'Love Maze') nor is it the most ambitious (the opening 5 tracks of Wings 'Begin', 'Lie', 'Stigma', 'Boy Meets Evil' and lead single 'Blood Sweat and Tears' have some of the most stunningly dramatic flair of all of BTS' discography). They once again prove that they can adapt with different genres, but all they are doing is confirming that they have the talent that we already knew they had.

In conclusion, Map Of The Soul: Persona was a good and enjoyable project. The septet continue to prove their talent and validate their status as the kings of Kpop. But while I will certainly be playing these songs along with my already established favourites, this doesn't top their previous releases like I was expecting it to. BTS' meteoric rise means that this project has already broken many records and will undoubtedly break more. And yet, musically, I don't think this is a release that is going to make history. Especially not for those that are unaware of their current history.