WEEK 39 | The Color Hidden Under My Smile.
September 30 - October 6, 2024
Longing.
In late 2020, BTS held a global press conference to discuss the release of their next album. It had been three months since the release of their smash hit single “Dynamite”, and nine months since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. They weren’t supposed to be releasing an album at that time—if you remember our discussions from previous weeks—they were actually supposed to be on tour, supporting their last album, MAP OF THE SOUL: 7.
"Life Goes On" Promotional Poster
The pandemic caused them to shift gears and refocus. After the release of “Dynamite” and its surprise success, it seemed natural to keep the momentum going with more music. During the press conference, Jimin mentioned that they hadn’t pre-planned anything for this album, so it had to come together very organically and with a lot of teamwork. They adapted, even though they were supposed to be doing something completely different. And that is one of the reasons why they chose to name the new album BE.
And because they had nothing planned, they decided to approach the creation process for BE in an entirely new way. They all took on an active role in the development—assigning projects to each member. For example, V took on the task of Visual Production Manager, and is the one who was tasked with taking all the member’s ideas and forming them into a cohesive goal for the overall visual concept for the album. And because of how simply everyone was living at the time, he thought that should translate through to BE. And so the look he settled on was something natural and comfortable, with lots of candid photos and videos of the members, capturing them being in the moment.
I think the pandemic caused most of us to do the same. We had to shift our priorities and our goals, right? As the bulk of the world’s activity slowed down or stopped completely, it forced us to examine what was really important to us. We couldn’t go out, so we had time to think—we had time to just… be. And this is what BTS wanted their album to be (haha) about—the universal struggle we were all going through, and the possibilities of what could be coming in the future.
Because, no matter what, as they said in their title track, “Life Goes On”... well, life does go on. While the pandemic was devastating and it left us feeling uncertain for so long, the world kept turning regardless. The future was going to happen one way or another. And so while BE commiserated with us about the state of what was going on in the world, it also consoled us with a hopeful message for the future.
Playlists & Lyrics
BTS: BE ALBUM SPOTIFY PLAYLIST (also embedded at bottom of post)
ARMY PROJECT 529 WEEK 39 VIDEO PLAYLIST (all YouTube links)
DAY ONE:
When the members were taking on tasks for the creation of BE, BTS’ maknae wasn’t sure what he could contribute at first, but it didn’t take long for the other members to remind him of his interest in film-making. They needed a director for their title track, “Life Goes On”, and they knew the style in which Jung Kook had made his Golden Closet Films was exactly what they needed. And so, their “little” JK got to add the title of “M/V Director” to his résumé.
"Life Goes On" M/V Photo Sketch
BE as a whole was meant to dive into the feelings we were having, rather than trying to avoid them. RM has mentioned that “Dynamite” was released as a distraction song, something they did to cheer everyone up as we slogged through the first horrific year of the pandemic. “Life Goes On” has two purposes: first, it encompasses the mood we all found ourselves in at that time. As soon as the track begins, it makes sense—the song sounds wistful, simple, and a bit sad.
One day, the world stopped
without any forewarning
Spring, not knowing how to wait
or how to read the room, showed up anyway
The streets where footprints are wiped away
I who lies fallen here
Time flows on its own
without even saying sorry
Thinking back to those first few months after the pandemic hit and lockdown began, in the midst of all that terror and uncertainty, we (in the Northern Hemisphere) were graced with the most beautiful spring we’d seen in a long time. At first it felt like an insult, but eventually, it seemed to be Mother Nature’s way of trying to give us something good in the midst of all the bad. We couldn’t be around people, but we were encouraged to go outside and spend time in the fresh air. Seeing the cycle of the seasons continue on with no interruption became a bit of a healing balm, and that’s the second message in “Life Goes On”—that life will continue, and find a way to thrive, no matter what.
The M/V shows the members wearing masks, and staring out at the world sadly when they’re alone. But it also shows them happily spending time together, indulging in hobbies and going for day-trips. There is a tired melancholy present, but also a gentle hope. As they observe the world around them, they notice that many things look the same despite the changes we were facing every day. A small reminder that we would find our way back to the familiar eventually. And though it took awhile, we did.
"LIFE GOES ON" OFFICIAL MV (3:51 - as shown above)
"LIFE GOES ON" SPECIAL CLIP: IN THE FOREST | FESTA 2024 (3:31)
"LIFE GOES ON" | KBS WORLD TV (4:32 - as shown below)
"LIFE GOES ON" | 2020 MAMA (4:04 - as shown below)
BONUS: "LIFE GOES ON" OFFICIAL LYRICS & MEANING | VERIFIED (11:21)
BONUS: BTS COMEBACK LIVE: BE (1:14:32)
Not-So-Fun Fact:
Min Yoongi takes a step towards becoming The Bionic Man…
In a recent blog, we briefly brought up SUGA’s surgery he had in 2020 to repair long-standing damage sustained to his shoulder from a traffic accident that happened prior to BTS’ Debut. It happened while he was working the part-time job (food delivery driver) he held while still a trainee at Big Hit.
For years, SUGA managed the pain with medication and physical therapy, but eventually, the constant cycle of touring and performing the demanding choreography caught up with him, and he re-injured the shoulder during their 2019 world tour. Surgery was recommended as the best way to move forward.
When 2020 arrived, and the pandemic hit, it seemed the best time for him to finally get it taken care of, since they wouldn’t be able to go on tour any time soon anyway. After he finished up filming content and promos for BE, he underwent surgery on November 6, and it was a success.
DAY TWO:
While not everyone had to stay home 24/7 during the pandemic (both of my jobs at the time were considered essential, so I was out and about the whole time), we still all felt at least a sense of arrested development in one way or another. The world was turning, but we were stuck mostly in one place. Everyone’s world pretty much narrowed down to the space within the walls of our homes. “Fly to My Room” and “Blue & Grey” are two songs that deal with this sense of feeling stuck.
"Fly To My Room" Performance
“Fly to My Room” is a unit song—SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, and V. The lyrics convey anger and frustration over being stuck in one place. The members were extremely disappointed when lockdown happened and they had to cancel their entire world tour. Of course they understood why it had to be canceled, but they’ve said that they are happiest when they can be with ARMY, performing for us, so their feelings of disappointment make sense. They are human just like the rest of us. We all went a bit stir-crazy after being cooped up in the house for too long, did we not?
PTD LA Concert Performance of "Blue & Grey"
Everyday
It’s so suffocating that I’m going crazy
Feel like it’s still day one
Somebody, please turn the clock back
The whole year got stolen
I’m still in bed,
…
Anyway
I want to leave, any way
There’s no way
This room is all I have
Well, then I’ll just change this place to my world
While they’re disappointed, they try to make the best of things by focusing on what they can do to alter their perspectives and look toward the future. BTS knew this wouldn’t last forever, even though it definitely felt like it would. So, we have another song that explores negative feelings but ends on a hopeful note.
PTD LA Concert Performance of "Blue & Grey"
“Blue & Grey” was mostly written by V. It was a song he originally intended for his mixtape, but when he shared it with the others, they liked it so much, they convinced him it would make more sense as a group song. Although he wrote it around 2018/2019, when he was in the midst of the worst depression and burnout he’d ever felt in his life, the song was very relevant to how everyone was feeling in the midst of COVID-19 as well. So it was reworked a bit, and added to the track list for BE.
V Performs "Blue & Grey" | MTV Unplugged Presents: BTS
I just wanna be happier
Please warm me who is cold
My hands that I reached out countless times
The echo that is colorless
Oh this ground feels so heavier
I am singing by myself
I just wanna be happier
When asked about his thought process for the song, V said that he just “wanted to be honest and obvious” about how he, and likely everyone else was feeling at the time. The song actually contains the words ‘anxiety’ and ‘depression’, and we should not gloss over that. Mental health is important to all of us, it doesn’t matter who you are. I think we forget sometimes that just because someone has money and/or fame, it doesn’t automatically exempt them from anxiety or depression. COVID-19 put us all through it. Every day we woke up to more death and uncertainty. It took a toll, and acknowledging that fact is essential in our journey to heal and move forward.
“Blue & Grey” might make me cry, but I also feel better after having done so every single time. Maybe I should start billing my therapy hours to BTS…
"FLY TO MY ROOM" LIVE | 2021 MUSTER SOWOOZOO (3:48 - as shown above)
BANGTAN BOMB: ALL IT TAKES IS A LIGHT TO ENTERTAIN BTS (1:15)
"FLY TO MY ROOM" | FMV (3:56)
"BLUE & GREY" | PTD: SEOUL (4:05)
"BLUE & GREY" | FMV (4:23)
BONUS: [IN THE LAB] BEHIND THE PRODUCTION FOR BTS "BLUE & GREY" | NIVE (12:05)
BONUS: BE COMEBACK COUNTDOWN (28:06)
Bangtan Bubble: How did you deal with feeling stuck in place during the pandemic?
Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!
DAY THREE:
MTV Unplugged Debut
In 2020, it had been three years since BTS had included a “skit” track on one of their albums. Skits are a staple in hip-hop music and when the group first debuted they always included a skit, even if it was just a piece of conversation they had in passing. As the group developed beyond just a simple hip-hop sound, they evolved the structure of their albums as well. But when they were creating BE, they felt like having a bit of a return to their roots, while also honoring how far they’d come in their career.
That’s why the skit on BE is just the raw audio captured at the moment the members of the group heard that “Dynamite” hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. It marked not only the first time they had achieved this success, but also the first time an all-Korean group had ever done it as well. Their joy and excitement was contagious, and a welcome balm at the time.
The next song on the album also sounds like joy. It is a delightful contradiction between sound and message. “Telepathy” is a funky retro track that makes you want to get up and dance, but the lyrics are another mix of disappointment and potential hope.
The song was originally intended for SUGA’s next mixtape, but was rejected, and much like with “Blue & Grey”, when the other members heard it, they wanted it for the group’s album. SUGA (later collaborating with EL CAPITXN, Hiss noise, RM, and Jung Kook) intended the message to be “we’ll be able to meet each other after a moment”. Because the song had been his originally, he also ended up producing the track.
Although we’re apart now,
our hearts are the same
Even when you’re not next to me, yeah,
even when I’m not next to you, yeah,
we all know we’re together
In the days that feel the same,
I’m the happiest when I meet you
In my everyday life that is different every day,
the person that is you is the most special to me
The sad reality at the time was that BTS could not meet with their fans in person, and they knew it was disappointing ARMY just as much as it was disappointing them. So “Telepathy” was meant as a sweet-sounding comfort for us both—while we may have been apart physically at the time, in our hearts we’re always together.
Corny? Maybe. Necessary anyway? Absolutely.
BANGTAN BOMB: BILLBOARD HOT 100 NO.1 "SKIT" RECORDING SKETCH (5:07)
"TELEPATHY" | MTV UNPLUGGED (3:36)
"TELEPATHY" | PTD SOUNDCHECK (3:07)
"TELEPATHY" | PTD: SEOUL (3:13)
"TELEPATHY" | BTS ROOM: FESTA 2021 (2:03 - as shown above)
"TELEPATHY" | STAGE MIX (4:44 - as shown below)
BONUS: SUGA, J-HOPE, V - BTS CAFE YONGSAN BRANCH OPEN! TEA TIME WITH ARMY~ | VLIVE (55:37)
Fun Fact
Ever wonder what BTS’ most successful collaboration is?
Well, wonder no more. It’s “My Universe”, their song with Coldplay, which released September 24th, 2021. With two extremely talented groups coming together on a track this good, it’s no wonder it’s been as successful as it has.
The song definitely has that distinctive Coldplay sound, but it’s mixed with a lot of moments that are very BTS. Make sure you check out the documentary linked below for the full story!
DAY FOUR:
2021 Muster Sowoozoo j-hope
“Dis-ease” was primarily written by j-hope and you can definitely tell. It’s a bright-sounding old school hip-hop song, and BTS said (during one of their live working sessions on the album) that they wanted to have one song that fans could chant and cheer along with—something raw, with a feeling similar to “Boyz With Fun” or “We Are Bulletproof Pt. 2”.
The title is, of course, terribly on the nose for what was happening at the time, but, according to j-hope, the lyrics are meant to convey that every individual has their own “psychological disease”. He said that he was never able to fully rest in his “off” time during the pandemic, and that he thought a lot of people probably felt the same—that while it may have been a “break” for some, it was an uneasy and uncomfortable one, at best.
I feel like I missed something
With a sip of coffee, I swallow down my uneasiness
An endless rest
The uncomfortable happiness that has come to me suddenly
24 hours, I have so much time
Even if I sleep all day long, there’s no problem now
It feels like I should be doing something to the point my body shatters,
but I’m just a bastard who eats all three meals a day
There’s a sense of guilt conveyed here, something we’re all absolutely familiar with. It’s that feeling that you should be doing something… anything, even during time set aside to rest or relax. j-hope chalks it up to occupational hazard—the life of an Idol primarily being “go, go, GO” all the time, but we all feel it in one way or another. And we certainly did during the pandemic. Sitting at home during that time made me feel incredibly helpless.
Still, despite his frustration, our sunshine can’t help but to end things on a positive note. He reminds us that BTS has always pulled through their hardships, and this one will be no different. And he knows ARMY (and the world) will do the same, so that we can all come back together eventually.
"DIS-EASE" | PTD SOUNDCHECK (4:24)
"DIS-EASE" | PTD: SEOUL (3:52 - as shown below)
"DIS-EASE" | STAGE MIX (3:53)
BTS REACTS TO BTS ON THE INTERNET | EXPLAIN THIS ESQUIRE (6:05)
BTS INTERVIEW ON AMAS PERFORMANCE, NEW ALBUM BE AND MORE! | STAGERIGHTSECRETS (2:08)
BTS ANSWERS FAN QUESTIONS ABOUT BE, 2021 RESOLUTIONS & MORE | SIRIUSXM (2:42)
BONUS: 7-SECOND INTERVIEW (13:13)
BONUS: JK💜 | VLIVE (45:33)
Fun Fact:
“RUN BTS!” Season 3 Continues…
The members (minus SUGA) learn Table Tennis and compete against each other.
Run BTS! collaborates with popular game show host Na PD and his show Game Caterers to compete together and against each other. Naturally, hilarity ensues.
Run BTS x Game Caterers episodes aired in the order they are linked.
RUN BTS! - EP.140 [BTS VARIETY SHOW COLLABORATION PART 1] (44:17)
THE GAME CATERERS X RUN BTS 2-1 (16:55)
THE GAME CATERERS X RUN BTS 2-2 (22:11)
THE GAME CATERERS X RUN BTS 2-3 (21:58)
RUN BTS! - EP.141 [BTS VARIETY SHOW COLLABORATION PART 2] (46:13)
THE GAME CATERERS X RUN BTS 4-1 (20:03)
THE GAME CATERERS X RUN BTS 4-2 (27:27)
DAY FIVE:
Continuing on in the vein of “songs that were originally intended for something else, but ended up on BE”, we arrive at “Stay”. It was written primarily by Jung Kook and was intended to be the last song on his mixtape, but V heard it, and suggested that it was better than another track they had slotted for BE which had a similar message. The other members agreed, so “Stay” was reworked and added to the track list.
"Stay" performance, Muster 2021, Jin, RM & Jung Kook
Because Jung Kook is a sentimental sap (and we love him for it), the lyrics are a hopeful look to the future. As in, we’re apart now physically, but we’ll always be together in our hearts, and someday we’ll see each other again.
Like a crazy person, I keep sayin’
Wherever you are
I know you always stay
In the place where that cloud passed by,
Stay
With my dry lips, I say to you
Stay, stay, stay, stay…
(Always)
In their press conference for BE, Jimin was asked what their goals were as a group. He replied that they had changed a lot over the years. In the beginning, at the time of their Debut, it was easy. They wanted to top the charts and go on tour. But as they grew in their success and evolved their craft, they realized that they just wanted to share who they are, and who they can be through their music and performances.
And while those personal goals may have changed, as we see with “Stay”, their goals for their relationship with ARMY remains the same. They’ve asked us, repeatedly, to stay with them, through both the trials and the tribulations. To go on this journey with them forever.
You don’t have to beg, okay? We’re not going anywhere.
(I’ll just close this out and go kick my feet on my bed for awhile and scream into my pillow…)
"STAY" | COLOR CODED LYRICS (3:27)
"STAY" | 2021 MUSTER SOWOOZOO (3:59 - as shown)
"STAY" | STAGE MIX (3:54)
"STAY" | FMV (3:54)
BTS REVEALS THE MEANING OF BE & THEIR FAVORITE SONG | #MTVFRESHOUT (4:43)
BONUS: "FILM OUT" OFFICIAL MV (3:49 - as shown)
Bangtan Bubble: Did your goals for yourself shift or change during the pandemic?
Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
For an album that was never supposed to be (see what I did there?), BE is not only insanely good, but it’s also an important record of emotions we all felt during a very horrific time in our lives. It talks about how the pandemic affected not just BTS, but all of us, and does so in a way that is honest, but not bleak. I mean, honestly… chef’s kiss.
Prepare yourself… next week it’s a trio of tiny little songs sung in English and the unexpected meteoric rise to the top of the top they caused. “Shoes on, get up in the morn', Cup of milk, let’s rock and roll…”
Side Quest
“Let’s make an album while we’re livestreaming… seems like a good idea.”
And, you know what? It actually was.
When deciding what they wanted to do for BE, the members of BTS not only took active roles in all aspects of production themselves, they decided to involve ARMY in the process as well.
They went live many times during the album’s creation, showing us, well, how the sausage gets made, essentially. We got to see some of the writing process, production sessions, and creative meetings. Plus the members talked about how they were feeling, and how they were incorporating all their ideas into the vision.
This made BE feel like a collaborative effort between BTS and ARMY, which would have been welcomed at any time, but especially during the pandemic, when we all felt stuck and helpless.
JIMIN'S LIVE LOG | YT LIVE (9:30)
2004** BTS | YT LIVE (27:25)
2005** V RM JHOPE | YT LIVE (39:04)
2006** V | YT LIVE (59:06)
2007** J-HOPE AND RM | YT LIVE (18:35)
2008** JUNG KOOK | YT LIVE (8:11)
2008** BTS | YT LIVE (11:42 - as shown below)
JUNG KOOK | YT LIVE (29:07)
2009** BTS | YT LIVE (6:27)
JIMIN - SAYS HI | YT LIVE (19:42)
CREDITS:
YouTube/Web
BANGTANTV, BTS LIVE ARCHIVE, BTS WORLD Official, {D}Creations💜, aftaehyung, All About BTS, Alyxeon, BANGTAN SUBS, BANGTANFM, BuzzFeed Multiplayer, Cameron Philip K, cutegorami, Evelyn Wang, fangirl, Jung Hyun Ran, Lemoring, Marsh, Meo Meo, Mrs. Sunshine BTS, NKPOP, OUR PURPLE OCEAN, PARDON PAPRIKA, Polaroid Pop, RYARMY, STAN BANGTAN BOYS Web: ok:ru
ARMY Project 529 Volunteers
Research Team: Angel (TikTok: Lilangel2828), Leslie Day (TikTok: Leslie Day), Merry (TikTok: merryj67), Sam T (TikTok: samt_26), Shelley (TikTok: shels167), Trudy (TikTok: theeducationmommy), Viv (TikTok: VivEliz); Video Team: Leslie Day (TikTok: Leslie Day); Editing Team: Kendra (Discord: Mudskipper); Website Team: Colette (TikTok: voicesinmyhead2)
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