I can understand why the members don’t want to show their sadness in front of fans, but as a fan, I appreciate it when they open up and show us their vulnerable sides. It doesn’t make them weak, it makes them human. Though it may be on a different scale, they share the same struggles we go through.
“Hello, this is Jin. Not long ago during a press conference, I said this: ‘I don’t want to share my sad feelings with my fans because I want to show only good things. But if it’s music, the story is different. I usually don’t want to share it with my actions, but I think it would be okay to show it as music.’
In fact, there was a big burnout recently, but I think it was because I had a lot of thoughts about myself. I ranked #1 in the Billboard Hot 100 and received congratulations from many people. Can I receive this?
In fact, there are a lot of people who love music more and do better than me, but is it okay for me to received this joy and celebration? As I went deeper, it felt like I wanted to put it all down because it was too hard.
After receiving counseling about this, I talked to Bang Pidi-nim, and he said, ‘Would you like to write this feeling in a song?’
What if I don’t have the confidence to make it well and the result is not good, I have already come to a position where it should not be done.
That doesn’t matter to Bang Pidi. But if you do, you will surely do well, and he said he will find the right person for you.
That’s how I met the composer, Gye Beom-juhyeong, and now I talked about my feelings and many things. He was a bright and positive person. My brother said he wanted to help me, and he brightened me up with a positive power of saying, ‘Let’s write about a lot of anxieties - if it doesn’t work, you can try again...’
It’s a bit of a depressing song that doesn’t fit on your birthday, but I think it’ll be ambiguous unless it’s a birthday, so Abyss was released.
P.S. Thank you, our leader, for writing the chorus lyrics.”
I don't know if his inner self is weak or not. In front of us, he's like a person with a strong mentality, always taking care of us, healing us and making us laugh. He's the hyung who thinks about each little thing and I'm thankful for that.
weverse magazine: bts sets 15 new records with “BE”
“Group becomes the best pop act of 2020 in US music industry.”
- Weverse Magazine (2020.12.14)
To name a few...
- BE is BTS’s fifth number-one album
- They attained two number-one albums in 2020
- To date, 11 non-English albums have been number one; five of them belong to BTS
- “Life Goes On” is BTS’s third number-one song
- First time a group has gone to number one three times in a single year since the Bee Gees in 1979
- First group to have two songs debut at number one
- First time a Korean-language song hit number one
- The first group to have two songs in the top three or top five simultaneously.
- They’ve had a total of 19 songs enter the Hot 100
- The first artist to climb to the top of the Global 200 three times
- Currently ranked sixth for most weeks at number one, behind Taylor Swift, Drake, the Weeknd, Ariana Grande, and Post Malone
- They debuted at the top of both the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 at the same time. This honor is held exclusively by Taylor Swift and BTS
- They’ve been number one on the Billboard 200, Hot 100, and Artist 100
Full Article Here: https://magazine.weverse.io/article/view?num=70&lang=en
No matter how many times they perform this song, it never gets old. I like that they’re always changing it up and giving us something new each time. In no particular order, these are my top favorite performances of “Dynamite.” With the exception of the 2020 MMAs, I’m only choosing performances with all 7 members present because it’s just not the same without Yoongi!! :)
NPR Tiny Desk Concert
As much as I love the choreography and production value that they usually bring for this song, I also love this stripped down, laid-back version. This performance is definitely more intimate compared to the others...it gives me coffee shop vibes.
The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon
The moment when we finally got “Dynamite” at a roller rink! I’m obsessed with this retro aesthetic and BTS once again shows how versatile they can be (seriously, they really can do it all).
2020 MMAs
The 2020 MMAs is now one of their most iconic performances of “Dynamite” for sure. I thought all the members killed that dance break, but I have to give it to j-hope. He definitely stole the spotlight in this performance and I’m not mad about it.
The 2020 Billboard Music Awards
How does BTS top themselves? Perform at Incheon Airport for the BBMAs. What?! This was definitely one of the coolest performances. I loved the live band sound and the red suits are definitely one of my favorites.
The Late Late Show
I loved their entire performance from The Late Late Show. The transition from “Life Goes On” to “Dynamite” was so seamless! Also, never thought I’d see Dynamite performed on an airplane, but here we are.
TIME Magazine | Entertainer of the Year 2020
I have to include this last one because BTS was recently revealed as Time Magazine’s 2020 Entertainer of the Year. Definitely well-deserved. In a year full of setbacks, BTS has had one of their best years yet. I know they miss performing for their fans, but regardless of the current circumstances, they should be proud of everything they’ve accomplished in 2020. :)
It was a year that we struggled a lot. We might look like we're doing well on the outside with the numbers, but we do go through a hard time ourselves.
The nice thing about music is that I can say what’s on my mind, even feelings of sadness or depression, in beautiful ways. I don’t usually express those feelings, but this time I wanted to try.
This song will always hold a special place in my heart, not just because it’s great, but because it came at a time when we all needed some healing.
I’m not the first person to say that 2020 is not the year we thought it would be. The opening lyrics of Life Goes On say “One day the world stopped without any warning. Spring didn’t know to wait. Showed up not even a minute late.” It seemed like everything changed all of a sudden and we all coped with the effects of the pandemic in our own ways. But the common thread is that we were ALL affected by it. Life Goes On is that beacon of hope. No matter how bad things may seem right now, they will get better.
When it was first announced that their next single was called Life Goes On, I tried to imagine what it would sound like. I based my thoughts and predictions based off Dynamite since that was their latest single, but I really did not know what to expect. Like many army, I had been watching the video logs of the members discussing this album and the music video the title track so of course, there was a lot of anticipation built up by the premiere.
The music video was beautiful. I think Jungkook did an amazing job at directing! I know the k-pop world is known for having lavish productions (especially when it comes to music videos), but sometimes less is more. This video symbolized what the whole world went through this year. The effects of the pandemic and the sadness and loneliness that came with it. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten emotional while watching a music video but something about the scene where Jin closes his eyes and we transition to them performing in an empty arena filled with army bombs that hit really hard. I think that just goes to show that it’s not about how long you’ve been a fan of BTS. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been following them from the start or if you’re a new army like me. These guys have the ability to make an impact on anyone.
And I also want to say that no matter how many times they’ve performed this song, it’s always been different. My top two favorites are the Late Late Show & 2020 MAMA performances. They always bring it and show us something we’ve never seen before.
In my opinion, Life Goes On is one of their best tracks within their entire discography. The fact that this song has created music history as well is the cherry on top. When you listen to the lyrics, it’s easy to see why this song became an instant favorite. We all needed something to make us feel happy and hopeful again. Thank you, BTS, for giving us the healing we all so desperately needed during this time. :)
It's our mission to define our way to love ourselves. It's never intended, but it feels like I'm using you guys to love myself. Please use me. Please use BTS to love yourself, because you guys taught me how to love myself.
It’s so hard to pick a favorite song off the album because I like them all for different reasons, but Blue & Grey is definitely one of my favorites. Producer V did not fail us with this masterpiece. This is a song with lyrics I think we can all relate to in some way. As someone who struggles with anxiety & depression, I want to thank BTS (especially V), for gifting this song to us so that we can all heal together. :)
As many people already know, V wrote this song during a period of burnout he recently experienced. We know how hard all of the members work. Even though these guys are at the top of their game and they’re extremely talented at what they do, at the end of the day, they are human beings just like us. They experience periods of depression and unhappiness. They experience loneliness and sadness.
Even though this song is about sadness, I actually find it very healing. I don’t know if it’s the pulsating instrumentals or the lyrics themselves, but when I listen to this song, I feel comforted. The lyrics in the beginning are:
I guess everyone’s happy
Can you look at me ‘cause I’m blue & grey?
The meaning of the tears reflected in the mirror
My color hidden with a smile, blue & grey
The feeling of looking like you’re okay when you’re broken inside, it’s a familiar feeling and it becomes mentally exhausting when you’re doing it day in and day out. You can be in a room with other people but still feel alone. SUGA’s verse is one of my favorites:
I don’t know where it went wrong
Since my youth, I’ve had a blue question mark in my head
Maybe that’s why I’ve been living so fiercely
But when I look back, I’m all by myself
That hazy shadow swallows me up
The blue question mark still exists
Is it anxiety or depression?
How am I so regretful?
Or is it just me, one that loneliness gave birth to
I still don’t know, the ferocious blue
I hope I don’t erode away, I’ll find the exit
As someone who struggles with anxiety and depression, this hits hard. Whenever I’m asked why I like BTS, I say it’s because they write music about things society is afraid to talk about...anxiety, depression, mental health in general. Things that NEED to be talked about. Also, I don’t know if it’s because I’m around the same age as the members, but feels as though I’ve got this group of peers letting me know that it’s okay to have these feelings. It’s okay not to be okay. Even though I’ve never met the members and I don’t know them personally, somehow I feel like I gained 7 new friends. I’m sure many other armys feel the same way.
The last thing I want to say about this track is that I appreciate that it’s in Korean. During their Life Goes On Comeback Special on V Live, V said that the song was originally going to be included on his mixtape and it was written completely in English. I believe Jungkook also said his song “Stay,” was also originally written in English but translated to Korean for the album. BTS has had a lot of success with Dynamite, but I appreciate that they continue to stick to their roots with this new album. In my opinion, BE is one of their best albums yet, and I can’t wait to see what they do next. :)
First the MMAs, and now MAMA?! BTS keeps taking it to another level and I just want to give props to their creative team because these guys continue to give us performances we’ve never seen from them before and it’s been nice having something to look forward to during a year that’s been filled with a lot of change and sadness.
Anyway, when I was finally able to watch it, I didn’t really have any expectations other than it was going to be great. With this performance of “ON,” BTS basically did their own halftime show (my inner band geek was freaking out!). And the fact that they performed this song at the Seoul World Cup Stadium?! Wow!! The dance break was really cool. Again, I love the whole marching band feel that this performance had. The outfits were on point. This was definitely a performance of “ON” we’ve never seen before so I loved it.
Next was “Dynamite”. Despite the number of times I’ve heard this song and seen BTS perform it, I’m still not sick of it. It’s one of those songs that just puts you in a good mood whenever you listen to it. I like that the concept started simple but then the curtain drops and suddenly they’re on stage. Honestly, I think this is the closes we’re going to get to a stage performance of “Dynamite” until things get better and we’re able to go to concerts again.
After “Dynamite,” we transition into “Life Goes On.” The VCR perfectly portrayed how COVID-19 affected the world. We went from enjoying life normally, until one day the world stopped and it became black & white. I love the all-white aesthetic that’s become associated with this song. It definitely represents hope and it’s like the members are showing us that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Then came the part that I was NOT expecting! YOONGI!!!!! I never thought I would cry over a hologram, but here we are. I wasn’t expecting to get as emotional as I did but I think because it caught me off guard and we’ve all been missing Yoongi in the BTS performances lately, this hit different. For the first time in a while, BTS looked complete, even if Yoongi wasn’t really there. When one of them is missing, it’s not the same. I think this has to be my favorite performance of “Life Goes On” that they’ve done so far. The concept was beautiful and portrayed what life has looked like for a lot of us this year. But no matter what happens, life goes on and things will get better.
A huge congrats to the boys on their sweep at the MAMAs. 2020 may have been one of the worst years, but it’s been one of BTS’ best years in my opinion. Grammys, here we come!! :)
Award shows may have been a little different this year, but that didn’t stop BTS from bringing it! Their MMA stage this year was amazing. Honestly, after seeing both their MMA & MAMA stages, now I really can’t wait to see what they do for the Grammys!!!
One of the things that the members have said is that they always try to find ways to change up their performances so that it doesn’t feel repetitive. Well, they haven’t failed us there. I feel like a lot of their award show performances bring something new that we haven’t seen before and this year was no exception.
These guys can do anything and make it look good. The classical rendition of Black Swan with some contemporary dancing? My cup of tea! I just want to say too, I know a lot of people have been talking about this but I appreciate them not adjusting their choreography to fit 6 people. BTS is 7 members and I love that they always leave a space for Yoongi!
And let’s talk about the dance break in Dynamite. It still blows my mind that BTS is a k-pop group but they’re capable of covering a variety of different styles. This performance of Dynamite reminded me very much of Michael Jackson & the Jackson 5 era (esp. Jimin’s outfit!). Hobi killing it once again with the moves. I love the “k-pop” look/aesthetic but there’s something about this retro vibe that I’m loving. They all looked amazing!!
Overall, I thought their 2020 MMA performance was great. I’m sure it would have been cooler to perform in front of a live audience, but I know armys around the world were watching and cheering. Really, just when you think BTS has outdone themselves, they take it up another level. Can’t wait to see their Grammy stage next year! :)
2020 may have been a rough year, but 2020 is also the year I discovered BTS. Even though I haven’t been with them since the beginning, I can still appreciate their journey and it’s amazing to see how far they’ve come since their debut in 2013. I know that 2020 was a rough year for the members as well, not being able to tour or connect with their fans in person. But this year is shaping up to be one of the best years for them (at least in my opinion).
It all started with the Boy With Luv music video. I think it was recommended to me on YouTube. Wanting to know who each of the members were, I watched one of those “Helpful Guides to BTS” videos and, well, the rest is history. Between the RUN BTS episodes, funniest moments compilations and theories on the BTS Universe, all of this content has helped me get through quarantine!!
I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for BTS because they’ve definitely worked hard to get to where they are now. They deserve everything they’ve been able to achieve so far. I definitely hope I’m able to see them in live in concert one day. :)
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