By Kelly Fang
The album BE, released on November 20th 2020 by Big Hit, is the ninth studio album by the Korean boyband BTS. The deluxe album is priced at $37.90 on the official BTS Weverse Shop, but is also being sold on other sites. The album’s title “BE” stands for “to be,” or “existence.” Their song choices are meaningful, and display the emotions and ruminations they’ve had during the past year. The album features eight compositions, including the hit single “Dynamite” released on August 21st 2020, and making it BTS’s first song fully recorded in English. The album contains the lead single “Life Goes On,” as well as “Fly to My Room,” “Blue & Grey,” “Stay,” “Skit,” “Dis-ease,” and “Telepathy”.
Members of South Korean K-Pop group BTS pose for photographers during a press conference to introduce their new album “BE” in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Nov. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Below, the music on BE is assessed track, by track, in terms of how it reflects the group’s notable success in creating a huge international fandom.
“Life Goes On”:
The lead single “Life Goes On” connects with many fans on a deeper level than people unfamiliar with BTS might think. Many listeners receive comfort from this song. The song gives fans a meaningful message. The lyrics are deep, and tell us that everything will be okay. The song is full of emotion and the singer’s vocal range is beautiful. “Life Goes On” conveys the idea that yes, life goes on, but you must stop to enjoy the beautiful moments in life. It is a great song to listen to on a rainy day. In the actual music video, it shows BTS in a stadium, wishing they could stare at ARMY for the longest time in silence and happiness.
“Fly to My Room”:
The theme of this song centers around feeling alone while in quarantine, which is why many fans find themselves going back to this track. It’s a favorite, and hits home for so many people. From the title alone, this song is very special. It revolves around not being able to go outside during the pandemic which many can relate to. Throughout the track, they express their emotions about wishing the scenery would change.
“Blue & Grey”:
Initially fans thought ”Blue & Grey” was going to be a solo from V, as he previously teased the tune on an episode of BTS In The Soop. After I first listened to the song, I got huge Winter Bear vibes. This song takes fans on an emotional roller coaster. They are on a journey where the boys are singing about the feeling of depression, and feelings of isolation.
”Stay”:
The song “Stay” is all about the possibility of making a real connection with someone. It goes deeper than just being able to see them every day. The first verse of the song indicates that no matter how far apart BTS and ARMY are, they are together forever. Throughout the rest of the lyrics, the idea of BTS always staying by ARMY’s side reoccurs.
“Dis-ease“:
This track reflects the uncertain feelings that the boys have felt during the global pandemic, as well as their attempts to give hope to their future selves. As they have all been dealing with what 2020 has brought, J-Hope reveals that he relieves his anxiety with a cup of coffee, taking things slowly. As for RM, he sings about how his heart needs a vacation, which many fans could relate to. From the title “Dis-ease” we can tell this is written about their feelings living through a global pandemic, and the corona-virus, giving us fans something to listen to for comfort knowing we are not alone.
”Telepathy”:
“Telepathy“ is a self-composed song by the BTS member Suga, featuring RM and Jungkook. The song itself has a sweet sound that excites fans. The song functions as a love ballad to ARMY, in which the boys sing about how happy their fans make them, fans from all around the world. To quote a lyric: “Every time during the same day / I am the happiest when I meet you / Every time even in a different everyday life / You’re the most special person to me.” This is about the love BTS and ARMY have for each other, which is why the lyrics are so meaningful to us.
”Skit”:
As you can tell by the title, it is a skit. Skits are audio sketches that commonly appear on hip hop albums. Some of BTS’s old albums such as 2 kool 4 school, and Skool Luv Affair, include skits like “Circle Room Talk“ and “Soulmate.” This is the first time they have included a skit since their 2017 album Love Yourself: Her. This skit captures their reaction to hitting first place on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Dynamite.” This skit is meaningful to them as it captures that very moment, and how proud they were to reach #1 on the American pop chart..
Additional Thoughts From Friends:
The album is so good. I feel like the album was very eye-opening because knowing we are very much still in quarantine, they wanted us to know in one of their songs that life goes on (stream “life goes on” ☺️) but overall the album was excellent, and very much vibe worthy —Kyla
Life changing. Very emotional, and truly explains how they truly feel during this difficult time. Through music [they’ve] helped so many armys —Emily
The album BE was very heartwarming, and it had nice lyrics that we all needed to hear through these rough days… —Isa
The album is heartfelt and calming🥺. I’m glad they put out an album that represented something we’re all experiencing and going through—the pandemic—and used that to send us a message that “life goes on” 🙂 — Aranza
Album Spotify link:
https://open.spotify.com/album/2qehskW9lYGWfYb0xPZkrS?si=xp45KEApSMq-B5iqauIfKw
