Carl Jung—whose theories on psychology heavily influenced MAP OF THE SOUL: 7— believed that the ‘ego’ is the part of ourselves we are most aware of. It is the part of the individual that deals most with identity. As BTS worked on creating MOTS: 7, the members reflected on their individual egos, and who they thought themselves to be—both past and present. While it’s not easy to look at ourselves in this way, there is also comfort to be found in recognizing the through line from our youth to where we are now. This week, as we finish up our exploration of this landmark album, we’ll also examine how recognizing all the parts of our past and how it shapes us is the most authentic way to keep moving forward in life with a sense of happiness.

MAP OF THE SOUL: 7 was written before the COVID-19 Pandemic began, but most of the album’s themes feel very prophetic in hindsight. 2020 was a year full of fear, pain, and a lot of uncertainty about the future. Through it all, BTS—even while navigating their own sadness and disappointment—took the time to reassure us that they were there, and they understood how we felt. They went LIVE for mundane reasons, just to hang out with ARMY, and held record-breaking online concerts. This week we’ll examine more of MOTS: 7 and BTS’ powerful message to us: “We hear you, let’s get through this together, and one day we WILL be happy again.

When we’re on the journey to find ourselves, one of the crucial steps is realizing there are many pieces to the puzzle, and then figuring out how to fit them all together. MAP OF THE SOUL: PERSONA was about the introspection that comes along with learning to love ourselves. The next step for BTS was taking the sense of self gained from that introspection and reconciling it with the world around them. How could they remain true to themselves while dealing with burnout, lack of inspiration, and the trappings of fame? That’s what we’ll talk about this week as we begin our trip through their next album, MAP OF THE SOUL:7.

It’s warm, and comforting, when you feel like you’ve found the place you’re supposed to be, and the person (or people) you’re supposed to be with. BTS wanted to use MAP OF THE SOUL: PERSONA to not only explore the path that led them to self love and finding themselves, but also to celebrate ARMY, who helped them navigate that path. This week is about recognizing when you’ve found what is important, and what you need to do to celebrate and protect it—whatever that “it” might be for you. Maybe it’s the right house to settle down in, that job you’ve been working toward for years, or even a person you’ve connected with deeply. It can be different for us all.

After the incredible success of the Love Yourself series, BTS was on top of the world. They were hitting the Billboard charts, making the rounds on the talk show circuit and winning multiple times at American music award shows. On April 12, 2019, their next album, MAP OF THE SOUL: PERSONA was released. At a press conference, RM said that the album was meant to convey their honest feelings about the strength they received from their fans’ love, and how that helped them to really discover themselves. The album is also influenced by Carl Jung’s book Jung’s Map of the Soul, about the theories Jung created for psychology.

Life is a series of lessons. We don’t stop learning until it’s over. And who knows, maybe not even then. For now, we’re finishing our exploration of LOVE YOURSELF 結 'Answer' and reviewing what the entire Love Yourself series has taught us over the past two months. The title of the series should have been a dead giveaway, but when it comes to actually loving ourselves, we tend to find any excuse not to. This week, we’ll discover what the acceptance and application of that looks like. It’s been a long journey from “Save Me” to “I’m Fine”, so let’s get to know who we really are, okay?

Over the past six weeks we’ve experienced extreme highs and lows—the joy of discovery and the pain of loss. The final album in BTS’ LYS trilogy, LOVE YOURSELF 結 'Answer', gives us everything from start to finish. This week, we’ll explore the theme of ‘discovery’—we learn new things about ourselves through love—for better or worse. BTS shows us we should embrace what we find, no matter what, because it’s all part of the journey toward reaching that final conclusion.

Every BTS album is a journey, but I don’t know that they have another one which takes us up to the highest mountain peaks and also down to the lowest valleys quite like Love Yourself 轉 'Tear', does. This week, as we wrap up our discussions on this masterpiece, we’ll soar on the wings of hope and heroism, and then plummet into pain and frustration in quick succession—a microcosm of how it can feel when life tosses us around sometimes.

This week, BTS will help us conquer the fear of being real—to appreciate and love ourselves first, so that we’re not tempted to give someone less than who we are, simply because we think they won’t want us. They’ll remind us how to be present in each moment, so we don’t miss opportunities for growth, enjoyment, or for healing.