BTS(방탄소년단) - MAP OF THE SOUL: PERSONA Album Thoughts(Kpop)

   The Bullet Proof Boy Scouts released their newest album about a month ago. American media has seen them preform on every show possible that a musical artist could sing on. Many people have fallen in love with the boys, not that they lacked any people loving them considering their large fanbase before stepping foot in America. MAP THE SOUL PERSON was highly anticipated by fans to the point that Wal-mart and Target released the album a week early in America and gave zero fucks, as could be seen by how they had no reaction to ARMIES dragging the two stores all over Twitter. I will admit that I was one of the people who bought the album before the initial release day but it was because I really had no idea. Also, I didn't get around to opening the album until much latter after the release.(I'm like this. I let the kpop CDs I do buy sit around unopened.) I wasn't going to make a post about BTS's new album because the album has been talked about by so many people already. Then I though that I would wait and add my two cents anyway.

TrackList:

• Intro: Persona

• 작은 것들을 위한 시 (Boy With Luv) feat. Halsey 

• 소우주 (Mikrokosmos) 

• Make It Right

• HOME

• Jamais Vu

• Dionysus 

   PERSONA was an album that I had no good feelings for. Mostly because of the sole fact that Boy With Luv didn't impress me at all when the music video dropped. It was just a cute overproduced pop song that would be eaten up by the masses around the world. I still feel this way even after allowing the song to grow on me. Now, I can sing along to Boy With Luv since the track has been performed so many times on television. Some of the mechanics of the track's instrumental resonate with the listeners when you really get into the gig of things. For example the movement of the dance pop beat in the intro of the song before it turns light and fluffy while still give the same bump up beat during the chorus dance breaks. RM returns the group to their debut musical roots in the album's intro where he is the sole star as he eats up the track ferociously. The whole album is similar to a scale that has BTS moving back and forth on it trying to produce something for everyone who has listened to their music over the years but might not have enjoyed all their musical choices in the past. There's a bit of J-Pop BTS( Mikrokosmos), old school BTS(Home), American inspired BTS(Make It Right), and experimental BTS(Dionysus). If none of these styles are for you then, you probably didn't enjoy PERSONA too much. I enjoyed this album a bit more than I though I would. At first, I though this would be like their last album that had a bunch of skippable songs and a couple of good songs, however BTS surprised me by giving me a solid album. Dionysus was also an alright track to me. Many fans hate this track to bits, even going online to tell people their dismay of not liking this track…. or just not liking the album in general. Hearing the boys they their hand at rock was a fun listen. Plus the song is still very catchy…. A little clumped up in places musically but catchy none the less. I'm under the impression that I enjoy BTS's music more when they make mini albums instead of full length albums. Mini albums give less room for bad songs in my opinion.

  "BTS is such a hard working group." As said by their fans whenever someone has something to say about them. My thoughts are always, So are all the other idol groups in South Korea. They all work hard to be successful. BTS isn't the only group to do this and they won't be the last. I say this to say that BTS is very talented at what they do. Do I think they are the most talented Kpop idol boyband in the world? Nope. Not by a long shot. Vocal wise BTS is actually one of the weakest idol boybands to come out of the Kpop realm. They do what they can and make it work well for them. Let's not pretend that we all can't name a ton of other groups that could out sing BTS in their sleep though. This was also the reason why I stated that I liked BTS creating albums with less tracks because vocally BTS can only do so much before their album starts to run out of that special spark. None of them have powerhouse vocals to speak of… Still I give them their tens for creating music that garnered them a huge following around the world. One the flip side, BTS is a BEAST at their rap game. RM is the best thing that could have every happened to this group. He is the mastermind behind the glue to holds the boys together, on top of being their translator….[INSERT ME LAUGHING..] J-hope brings the fire too in performance and in his smiley fun personality.

   I'm always going to support BTS as a listener who was there when they released their first song. I can't wait to see how the boys improve over time. Check out MAP THE SOUL PERSONA even if Boy With Luv wasn't your cup of tea.