On Friday, Nov. 20, at 2 PM KST, BTS finally dropped their much-anticipated fifth studio album "BE", and the music video for their title track "Life Goes On!"
The music video starts muted and melancholic. It shows the boys at their home, going through their daily lives. They are also seen driving around but never reaching a destination. Always indoors. They stare into the sky, relish in the beauty of the world, at the comforts of their homes. They play games, watch shows, and are soon seen staring longingly into the screen.
It turns out the boys are watching clips of them in the outdoors, enjoying life outside--just like how things used to be before the pandemic. They bond as they reminisce. Soon, the music video is brighter and illuminated with purple light - BTS's official color. The boys soon start to showcase their mixed feelings.
They are happy to be with each other, but something is missing. Soon they are seen performing on stage, and the video is now seen in black and white. They sing into their microphones, but there are no shots of the audience. It becomes apparent then - they are performing on an empty stage, in an empty venue, just like they do now, because of the pandemic. This is where the music video ends.
"Life Goes On" is an addicting alternative hip-hop track that enchants the listeners with its sentimental acoustic guitar sounds. The lyrics carry a comforting message that will help anyone face unexpected events and abrupt disruptions in their lives. This message is delicately delivered with BTS's emotional voice.
"Life Goes On" ultimately has the same roots as "Dynamite", but is delivered to fans in a more sincere, soft, weighty way.
Check out the music video here:
This album is special to ARMYs, as the members took full creative control of the album. V is the visual director, RM is the album's producer, Jin and Suga were in charge of album design, J-Hope is the choreographer, Jimin is the project manager, and Jungkook was in charge of video production.
The album is also special, as it takes the listeners on an "existential journey", showcasing the emotions BTS and ARMY felt in 2020. In this album, BTS opens themselves up to the mixed feelings they felt towards the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and how it has affected their lives. The album contains their story, their emotions, and their ruminations. This is why the album is called "BE" - it stands for "to be" or "existence".
The album, overall, conveys a message of healing. That even in this new normal, life continues to go on. This album showcases a richer musical spectrum experience. BTS has once again shown how much they have grown through their music.
"BE" has eight songs on the album, with the members themselves have co-written the majority of the songs. Songs "Blue & Grey," "Telepathy", and "Dis-ease" feature all seven members of BTS. "Fly to My Room" features Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, and V. "Stay" features RM, Jin, and Jungkook.
As ARMYs know, BTS always includes a "Skit" track, which is recorded conversations from BTS themselves. This album's "Skit" shows a vivid record of BTS talking about hitting number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time with "Dynamite".
Are you listening to "Life Goes On"? What's your favorite song from "BE?"
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Written by Alexa L.
