Song Review: BTS - Your Eyes Tell
On July 13th, popular South Korean group BTS performed their new song “Your Eyes Tell” for the first time on the Japanese program CDTV Live. This song is set to appear as the twelfth track on their fourth Japanese studio album Map of the Soul: 7 ~The Journey~, while also being the OST (original soundtrack) for a Japanese film which is similarly titled Your Eyes Tell.
This new BTS track was written and composed by main vocalist and youngest member of the group Jeon Jungkook. It is rumored that he originally created this song for his personal mixtape (currently coined by fans as JJK1), but it was later chosen as an OST and to be in the group’s new Japanese album. But what we do know for sure is that the process of creating this song began when movie producers requested an “emotional love ballad that represents the story”. BTS jumped to the task and worked to create the producer’s vision. They sent over a few demos, however, right before the recording Jungkook submitted a song with a completely different taste which was “Your Eyes Tell”. He created the song after reading the movie’s script and watching its unfinished footage, and the director (Takahiro Miki) liked it so much that it became the movie’s theme.
The film Your Eyes Tell follows the story of Kaori, who becomes blind due to a tragic accident, and overtime falls in love with a former kick boxer named Rui. The song, directly inspired by the film, works to depict this heart wrenching love story musically. From the tone and passion in their voices to the captivating lyrics, this song fits both the style of BTS themselves and the message of the film.
BTS’ vocal line shines throughout this song. The high notes they hit throughout this song aren’t easy, and yet they did it with ease. However, we can’t forget to talk about the rap line of the group as well. Their soft rap contrasted the passionate vocals, giving the track a newfound juxtaposition. The standout point of this song, other than the vocals and rap, has to be the lyrics. These lyrics explore the sadness and longing that come along with love. My favorite lyrics are those found in the second bridge where the vocal line softly sings “I want to be loved / I can love you / You can be my eyes / Our journey from now on” [lyrics translated from Japanese].
Despite the fact that the film has yet to be released, I feel as though this track gives a good insight into what the film has to offer: a tale of love and all the struggles that come along with it.
My Personal Rating: ★★★★☆
“Your Eyes Tell” along with the full album Map of the Soul: 7 ~The Journey~ will officially be released on all streaming platforms on July 14th, so make sure to check it out! But for now, here’s a link to BTS’ CDTV Live performance in case you missed it: https://youtu.be/oX6RgBpoyWI.
