K-pop supergroup BTS is back with their latest album, 'Love Yourself: Her.'
'Her' is the first mini album in the groups' new trilogy series that marks a turning point for the group.
In July, BTS rebranded themselves with a new logo and an additional meaning for their commonly used acronym, BTS – Beyond the Scene.
You get a sense of BTS' new identity early on in 'Her.'
The intro to the album is "Serendipity." This is the first time a vocalist has performed the intro. In past albums, the intro fell to one of BTS's three rappers – Rap Monster, Suga, and J-Hope. This time, lead vocalist Jimin carries it alone.
The best word to describe this song, and the comeback trailer that accompanied it, is ethereal. Jimin has often had difficulty with vocal stability and, while he's the member with the high vocal range, he tends to sound unsteady on the higher end. But in "Serendipity", he hits his high notes with ease and his vocal runs hold steady. Jimin has never sounded better.
The title track on the album is "DNA." It would be hard to make a more different song than the intro, but DNA does give a better sense of what else is to come on the album. This EDM and autotune-heavy track is a departure from what we've heard in the past. The back and forth between simple guitar strumming and heavy future bass feels like a musical rollercoaster we don't want to stop.
One of my favorite features of the song is the inclusion of each member. In past BTS songs, the rappers would each get their individual verses, oftentimes split up by the vocals, who would sing the chorus and the bridge. But, that structure is mostly gone in this song. Throughout DNA, there's a great interplay between all the vocalists and rappers… you aren't quite sure who you're about to hear next, making it stylistically more interesting than some of their past titles.
There also seemed to be a better balance between part-distribution, an issue that's caused controversy among BTS fans in the past.
"Best of Me" is BTS's hotly anticipated collaboration with DJ/production duo, The Chainsmokers. This track was a bit underwhelming. It sounds a lot like other EDM, electro-pop we've heard from Western artists. If you're looking for a purely K-pop track, this isn't going to be for you. But it does have good appeal for a wider, global audience.
With The Chainsmokers attached, this track is already getting radio play in the U.S. – a bonus for a group that often mentions their desire to make it onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The chorus is catchy, but unoriginal. However, a special shout out to rapper J-Hope. J-Hope has a unique rap style that he's been perfecting since the group debuted in 2013. His short rap felt like the climax of the song and, honestly, was the most interesting part in the song.
"Dimple" has a sexy vibe that's completely carried by the vocal line: Jimin, Jungkook, V, and Jin. It's about finding a love that seems dangerous, but you just can't stay away. The original tune is Allison Kaplan's "Illegal." (I highly recommend listening to the original.)
The vocals shine in this house-influenced song, especially during those vocal runs in the chorus. Put some good vocal layering in a song and I'm all in. All four vocalists complement each other beautifully in this song, but sub-vocalist Jin stands out, fully coming into his own. One of my favorite tracks off BTS's 'WINGS' album was Jin's solo, "Awake." You can hear how strong and much clearer Jin's voice is in "Dimple," but he still maintains an airy quality that sounds otherworldly.
Leader Rap Monster wrote the lyrics for the song, ironic considering he has some of the best dimples in K-pop. Rap Monster gets an A+ in lyricism for this hilarious portmanteau in the chorus: "That dimple is illegal… so I call you illegirl."
K-Pop groups are well-known for writing songs dedicated to their fans. BTS took that idea a step further. In the first of two diss tracks on 'Her,' "Pied Piper" is aimed straight at BTS' fandom – ARMY.
This song is all about duality: It's almost as if we have a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other. The vocals tease you and lure you in with the chorus, singing "Follow the sound of the pipe, follow this song. It’s a bit dangerous, but I’m so sweet." But in Rap Monster's verse, he says, "Now stop watching and study for your test."
BTS is the ultimate guilty pleasure and they know it. They tell of the push and pull between the desire to spend your day binging K-pop and the need to eat, sleep, and work.
This track gives me the sense that BTS knows exactly how much time fans spend on this group… As if the records this album has broken and the over-300 million tweets BTS gained to win Top Social Artist at this year's Billboard Music Awards don't already prove that.
After listening to the song, I'm left wondering, should I stream their album or go study? I'll just do them both. #Multitasking
Skits are regular features on hip hop and rap albums. If you're a new BTS fan, you might not know that the group started out as a hip-hop group. Skits show up on BTS's previous albums. But this is the first time they've used a live moment as a skit. Past skits were often just the members talking, joking, and cyphering.
This skit relives the moment BTS wins at the BBMAs. You hear the winning announcement, the roar of cheers from fans, and then Rap Monster's acceptance speech. This was a historic moment not just for BTS, but for K-pop as a growing global phenomenon. I was amazed seeing a K-pop group recognized at a Western Award show. (Even my mom, who was watching the show for non-K-pop related reasons, was impressed.)
Now, this isn't really a skit, and it might seem a little self-serving, but I'll give them a pass. Rap Monster's speech included an important message (and a huge hint for what was to come with this album): Love yourself.
And, honestly, that's something we could all spend a little more time doing.
"MIC Drop" is the second diss track on 'Her.' It's one of the best tracks on the album. BTS has, arguably, one of the most talented raplines in K-pop. "MIC Drop" shows off their amazing skills better than most of what we've heard in the past, including some phenomenal Korean word play. Rap Monster revealed that his inspiration from the song came from the "mic drop" moment at President Obama's last White House Correspondents' dinner before his term as President ended.
That's exactly what they're doing in this song.
Usually a humble group, BTS takes this moment to remind the world of their accomplishments: "It probably seemed like we were gonna fail, I’m fine, sorry. Sorry Billboard. Sorry worldwide. I’m sorry your son is too successful." It's unapologetic bragging, something that's certainly not undeserved.
One surprise in this song is the inclusion of the vocal line in the chorus. But it lends connectivity as you move between each rapper's verse.
I loved the throwback feel of this song. It felt most familiar to the hip hop vibes that inspired BTS's earlier albums, especially the rapline's Cyphers. It's a fresh take on old Bangtan with a catchy chorus is bound to get stuck in your head.
What's an EDM album in 2017 without a tropic-influenced song? "Go Go" is that song, with flute added in for good measure. While the sound is a bit forgettable, the lyrics aren't. BTS is no stranger to criticizing what they feel is wrong in society. With "Go Go" that criticism is alive and well, despite their growing popularity and the inevitable push for them to avoid tough subjects.
The lyrics hit at hard-partying people who only know how to spend money and have a good time. The song tells you, "Don't worry. Go." Go, spend all your money. Go, party every day. Go, stop worrying about preparing for the future. The chorus is full of "YOLO YOLO YOLO YO." The superficiality of the song lends to the sarcastic feel. And we hope that BTS's disapproval of the "YOLO" way of life puts an end to that shallow phrase.
The slowed down beat lets us know the album is winding down and prepares us for the Outro.
'Her' is full of hype, pop, EDM tracks. But once we get to "Outro: Her" that hype is gone. This has a slightly jazzy feel to it, that's a nice rest from the previous songs. Despite the softer sound and slower vibe, this track is 100% rapline. Each of the rappers carries their own verse and chorus. The song reminds me of the sweetness of a new relationship. That time when you want to be the best person for your partner and you feel like that person is your whole world.
The different sound in "Outro: Her" makes me wonder what we should expect from the next album. Will BTS continue with a beat heavy EDM vibe, or mix it up again?
Final thoughts: I want to start by admitting that the first time I listened to 'Love Yourself: Her,' I wasn't a fan. It’s grown on me since, but only after listening to it 13 times. (Yes, I counted.)
I was disappointed by the lack of emotional connection BTS songs often cultivated. One listen to their repackage album, 'You Never Walk Alone' and you'll know what I mean. There was so much heart in 'YNWA,' especially the member's solos that you couldn't help but be drawn to the songs.
'Love Yourself: Her' lacks that feeling of character and introspection. For the most part, it just feels like a hype album with too much autotuning for a group that doesn't need it. However, BTS mentioned that this album is a representation of first love – a time that's exhilarating, scary, and pretty uncertain. The songs definitely convey that feeling.
The tracks on this album keep you guessing… They aren't the usual BTS fare fans are used to. I'd chalk at least part of that to the outsourcing BigHit (BTS's management company) did for this album. For previous albums, most of the work was done in house by BigHit's production team.
A quick look at the album credits shows less BigHit and BTS involvement. While it means the albums loses familiarity, it does give the album a fresh vibe. That said, I'd like to see more member participation in the next album, especially from Suga who's often written and produced songs for BTS in the past.
One of the biggest pluses on the album was the more even part-distribution and the group's ability to use its members' talents better. Vocalist V sings more in his baritone range than I've ever heard on a BTS album. Typically, his tone is pushed up into a tenor range, but allowing him to go a bit lower adds a beautiful depth and warmth to his voice we don't often hear.
And Jin, as many ARMY could tell you, has gotten more spotlight than ever before. Jin's voice, well-known for its nasally quality, sounds more airy and soft, while still being strong and standing out. Having seen him perform live more than once, I can vouch for the stability of his voice during concerts. It's nice to finally hear him improving on the albums as well.
I also appreciate BTS leaving their typically formulaic songs behind. As I mentioned, this album keeps you guessing… you're never quite sure how a song is going to start, how it's going to end, and what to expect in the middle.
As different as this album is to their previous eras, it exemplifies the thing that attracts many ARMY to BTS: their humanity. They started out as a hip hop group, but have chosen to evolve and try different things. This is something all people can connect to. We all know that in order to improve and find our worth, we have to take risks, despite our fears of rejection and failure.
As BTS themselves have said, this album is a turning point for the group where they're moving away from their hip hop identity and redefining themselves. While they may have not landed on it quite yet, I don't think the journey is over. I expect them to continue experimenting with new sounds and genres in the future.
(Author's note: The physical albums contain two hidden tracks, another skit and "Sea," which was a song written and produced by Rap Monster. The skit is BTS being raw and real about their growing popularity. "Sea" is my favorite song on the album. These additions are worth buying the physical album.)