While BTS is mostly known for their bops and killer dance moves, what many don't actually know is that they write thought-provoking and comforting songs which lyrics speak volume and cut through the bones. If the general public would only give time and energy to actually dig deeper and read behind their meticulously-written foreign verses, they would understand that the hype their fans give to them isn't just because of their ethereal looks, sultry vocals, or sharp moves. This group have something significantly deeper to offer than just disco dance moves and shining through the city with a little funk and soul. While I came here for their talent and marketed quirkiness, I stayed for the beautiful message and story they continuously tell.
For reference, I listed down some of their comfort songs that really got me through this rough and bumpy 2020. It was hard for me to curate and list them down by numbers because they all mean a lot to me. I tried my best. Most of the songs though are solo BTS songs.
10. moonchild
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| GIF from WeHeartIt |
moonchild is one the tracks in RM's second mixtape titled mono.: a playlist. From all the side projects that BTS have done, mono has a very special place in my heart. Much like the entirety of this mixtape, moonchild is the sound of lukewarm water running and dripping through your bare skin as you shower after a long and weary day. It's the sound of free therapy in the dead of a night where monsters and wolves often wander freely in the realm of our consciousness. It's a very honest and vulnerable confession piece that oscillates between loneliness and hope. I'm really amazed by the artistry of RM for all the warm and comforting songs that he's written including this one.
9. People
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| GIF from Pinterest |
They say that the only thing constant in this world is change. SUGA camouflaged as Agust D perfectly put into beats and verses the accuracy of this famous quotation in one of his songs People from his mixtape D-2. This song is a gentle reminder for all its listeners that change could be good, it could also be bad but either way life goes on. It's a very introspective song that encapsulates our life decisions and cycles as human beings constantly learning how to navigate our way here on earth. We meet people —they stay but sometimes they leave, they change but sometimes they don't, they live on but sometimes they fade away, they create craters in our hearts but sometimes they just dig a hole. There are many more things that can be dissected and discussed from this song. What I mentioned is just an intro.
8. Interlude: Set me free
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| GIF from Moonlily via Tumblr |
Interlude: Set me free is one of the most fleeting tracks in D-2 in terms of musical duration, but my attachment to it throughout my weakest and weariest WFH phase this year is its complete opposite. This song is structured with rare vocals, repeating lyrics that strike, and dreamy sounds of nature that points out one's longing for escape in this monotonous quarantine life — or perhaps just life in general. In this song, SUGA became my voice as I literally and figuratively cry for help in this period of time that necessitates putting on pause things that I planned to do and enduring errands that are completely out of my interest. I know I'm speaking for myself but in all honesty this is a track that anyone can easily relate to.
7. uhgood
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uhgood is another track from RM's mixtape mono. and it's the phonetical translation of the Korean word 어긋 which means "to be off" or "to be out of place" in English. The song is basically RM's monologue in front of a mirror in which he argues to his reflection about his ideal and real self. This song depicts how the high standards and specific goals that we set for ourselves often fails to come into fruition because we only focus on our pace and the people around us. Despite the profession of vulnerability in this song, RM is hopeful to cross the bridge of his ideal and reality; to reach his euphoria by mustering all the confidence and trust that still exist in his heart — to finally believe in his worth. All we need is ourselves. We know it, but sometimes we forget about it. This song is a perfect reminder of our worth as human beings.
6. Trivia 承: Love
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| GIF from WeHeartIt |
Oh, another BTS RM track? I guess Kim Namjoon's trademark lyricism just speaks volume to my delicate heart. I have this eccentric attraction to his intelligence that crosses the line beyond academics. Anyways, Trivia 承: Love is a track from the BTS Love Yourself album series which is written and sung solely by RM. Everyone knows that this man writes lyrics in a way that's nothing short of genius, but in this track he sprinkled more of his artistry with his clever wordplay. It would take me a separate post to discuss the wordplays embedded in each verses of this song so to cut it short, this blog right here perfectly analyzed and discussed his brilliancy. Read it for yourself for some cultural immersion.
On the other note, I like how this pop jazz song abridged the complexity of love. The world continuously messes up the meaning of love that we always confuse it with many different things that it is and it is not. I like how simple yet deep this song is. With the chaos this pandemic has brought to us in a universal and personal level, this song is a fun and gentle reminder of the true meaning why we live here on earth. We live so we love. <3
5. Epiphany
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| GIF from GIPHY |
Epiphany is a song performed solely by BTS Jin which is basically the denouement of one's journey in love. It is a powerful piece of realisation that BTS has carefully and cleverly crafted to depict one's capability for unconditional self-love after losing and investing oneself in a wrong person. The song wholeheartedly talks about how loving oneself can be difficult. But despite its reality, it's the greatest progression a person can ever do in his lifetime. It's not a brand new theme in a song, but as for me, I love it because I've never heard any male artist or group talk about self-love as bold and honest as BTS did with this song. I love the vulnerability attached to it so much.
4. Answer: Love Myself
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| GIF from WeHeartIt |
Answer: Love Myself is the final track and concluding point in the Disc A of the Love Yourself: Answer album. Much like Epiphany, this song narrates the end battle of the ups and downs in the storyline of the Love Yourself series. It highlights how self-love emerged triumphantly in the struggles of being madly in love with someone when you don't even know how to love yourself. In general, though I've never been into any romantic relationship before, I love how my self-loathing slowly ebbs away whenever I listen to this song and merely hear the words, "You've shown me I have reasons I should love myself". These lines are not grandiose. Its simplicity is what makes it admirable and impressive.
3. Life Goes On
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Just like what I mentioned in my previous blogpost, this song is basically the central motif of their new album BE. It is a musical form of comfort that got me through on the last quarter of this year. It's a gentle tap on my back; a friendly reminder of what it used to be, what it is, and what awaits in the future. The production of this song is quite unadorned but it complements the lyrics and the kind of energy they want to radiate through it. Lyrically speaking, it truly is a very sentimental song about the universal time paralysis we're enduring right now. The entirety of its lyrics is the actual content of our silent protests written in the pages of our 2020 journal. Although this a newly released song, reading the English translation of it still makes me very emotional.
2. everythingoes
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| GIF from sbs.com.au |
First of all, if I could tattoo 지나가 on my forehead I would because this song just means so much to me. everythingoes is another track from RM's mixtape mono. which emphasises the evanescence of everything that we go through in our lives; the hardships, the pain, and the sorrow. In short, nothing lasts forever — especially those things that drag us in a hell hole. The chanted lines pressed in warm dreamy production are one of the most consoling words I've ever heard this rough 2020. Another gentle reminder for us in this tough world we are living in. I cannot argue with RM when he said this song was too personal for him to actually release as a BTS group song.
1. Magic Shop
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| GIF from WeHeartIt |
I know all of the songs that I put in this list are my BTS comfort songs, but this one holds a very very special place in my heart. It wouldn't be my most played song on Spotify, if it wasn't the best company I had during my most vulnerable hours this 2020. Magic Shop is a song performed by the entire group but it is written and produced by BTS Jungkook. It's a comfort song purposely written for their fans who are struggling and in pain.
The word Magic Shop is actually a psychological term that delves into the exploration of the human's hidden thoughts and emotions that are not fully expressed. It's a place where fears are exchanged for happiness. This isn't the first time BTS incorporated psychological themes in their songs. As much as I love those psychological-themed songs, this one is very personal to me because it reminds me of how a figurative door was opened inside my heart when I discovered BTS. This year was tough but discovering BTS made it a little much better. They showed me happiness without compromising my faith.
There are many more BTS comfort songs that didn't make it through this list, but so far these are my ultimates. This year, I love how language didn't become a barrier for me in discovering comforting songs. It's easy to listen and vibe along to a song performed in foreign language, but to actually dive deep into it and actually discover is message is another level. Here's to hoping you'll listen to these songs and find comfort in them as well.
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collene is 24-year-old self-proclaimed creative old soul who is deeply fascinated by the beauty of music, arts, books and poetry. Catch her wearing her bluetooth earphones on with either a phone or book on hand.
