Writer: Preeti Patil (Mumbai, Maharashtra, India)
Editor: Arpita Jena (Baripada, Odisha, India)
BTS, a seven-member boy group, debuted under BigHit Entertainment in June 2013. The group consists of three rappers ( RM, SUGA and J-Hope) and four vocalists (Jin, Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook). The group name is an abbreviation of the Korean form, Bangtan Sonyeondan (방탄소년단 ) which translates as ‘Bulletproof Boy Scouts’.
From the beginning, BTS has focused on mental health struggles, youth and social issues in their music. But the groups fourth release the ‘LOVE YOURSELF’ series took them to great summit. Through these series the group attempted offering solutions beyond the criticizing society. The era was about making small moments count and the appreciate the beauty of everyday life.
Picture Credit: THE KOREA HERALD
The LOVE YOURSELF series is a four part series made up of three albums and one video release arranged into segments based on traditional Asian storytelling structure: 起(beginning), 承(development), 轉 (twist) and lastly 結 (conclusion). Through these albums BTS conveys a story on love, heart break and about self-love.
This era has their respective albums, Love Yourself承 ‘Her’, Love Yourself転 ‘Tear’ and Love Yourself結 ‘Answer’. It also contains a nine minute video titled Euphoria the theme of Love Yourself起 ‘Wonder’, the song Euphoria was later on added on the album Love Yourself結 ‘Answer’.
Picture Credit: BIGHIT MUSIC
So, according to the story Love Yourself起 ‘Wonder’ is the beginning, Love Yourself承 ‘Her’ is the development, Love Yourself転 ‘Tear’ is the twist and Love Yourself結 ‘Answer’ is the conclusion. To outset the Lover Yourself era, BTS released promotional posters and four different highlight reels. The four reels together combine to form the video Euphoria the theme of Love Yourself起 ‘Wonder’.
This era was assumed to be different from their previous eras is because it was the first to release promotional posters even before the album was announced. The members had their own promotional posters and also had split into duos, Taehyung and RM, Suga and Jungkook, J-Hope and Jimin and then Jin by himself were all highlighted in the poster together.
Picture Credit: BILLBOARD
The first instalment of the series Love Yourself ‘Her’ expresses young and passionate love of young boys growing into adulthood told in the unique style of BTS. The album conveys uplifting and cheerful persona of boys in love for the first time, shown in a coming-to-age like tale.
A soothing ballad ‘Serendipity’ sung by the member Jimin was featured as an intro in the album, ‘DNA’ being the title track and Outro: Her the final track is performed by the three rappers of the group.
Video Credit: HYBE LABELS
Tracks in the Love Yourself ‘Her’ album:
Intro: Serendipity
DNA
Best Of Me
Dimple
Pied Piper
Mic Drop
Go Go
Outro: Her
Picture Credit: SOOMPI
The second instalment is Love Yourself: Tear showcases the boys as they become so much involved in their newfound love that they hide their true selves hoping not to lose the one they love. The album expresses the agony of the boys faced while parting with their loved ones.
The destruction of love is shown through the intro song ‘Singularity’ performed by the vocalist o the group Taehyung(V). The title track ‘Fake Love’ is considered a dark themed hip hop song along with trap mix. The outro of this album expresses sorrow performed by the rappers RM, SUGA and J-Hope.
Video Credit: HYBE LABELS
Track in the Love Yourself: ‘Tear’ album:
Intro: Singularity
FAKE LOVE
The Truth Untold
134340
Paradise
Love Maze
Magic Shop
Airplane Pt.2
Anpanman
So What
Outro: Tear
Picture Credit: IMDb
The third instalment as well as the final piece of the story is the Love Yourself ‘Answer’ album. This album gives out the true meaning of the Love Yourself series it conveys the message ‘Loving Oneself Is Where True Love Begins’.
The boys express by accepting themselves with their flaws and how loving oneself can find a way through life. Jin the final vocalist to have a solo, conveys the message by his emotional intro track ‘Epiphany’, ‘Idol’ the title track talks about loving oneself and doing what makes us happy.
Picture Credit: BIGHIT MUSIC
The album contains Trivia tracks by the three rappers in the group, Trivia: Just Dance by J-Hope, Trivia: Love by RM and lastly Trivia: Seesaw by SUGA. All the three rappers connected with a different concept of the series and showed their own perspectives in the songs.
And lastly the song ‘Answer: Love Myself’ concludes the album with a heartfelt, positive message that gives the song an emotional and uplifting atmosphere, loving and accepting yourself and the importance of it.
Video Credit: HYBE LABELS
Tracks in the Love Yourself: ‘Answer’ album:
Euphoria
Serendipity(Full Length)
DNA
Dimple
Trivia: Just Dance
Her
Singularity
FAKE LOVE
The Truth Untold
Trivia: Seesaw
Tear
Epiphany
I’m Fine
IDOL
Answer: Love Yourself
Picture Credit: BIGHIT MUSIC
With the Love Yourself era albums BTS grew into true international sensations. Love Yourself: ‘Her’ was the groups first album to top the Billboards 200 Charts and the single ‘IDOL’ ranked 11th on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.
Not only on the Billboard Charts BTS also performed at the Billboard Music Awards along with Dick Clark’s New Years Rockin’ Eve becoming first ever K-pop group to do so, and also became the first K-pop presenters at the Grammy Awards in 2019.
Video Credit: HYBE LABELS
All of this do not cover the records broken by the Love Yourself World Tour. BTS executed 42 concerts in total 14 countries and according to the agency a total of approximate 1.02 attendees attended the concert.
BTS became the first Korean artist to perform at the US stadium, their NYC Citi Field shows tickets were sold out in 20 minutes and was the best selling 2018 concerts in the non- US market.
Picture Credit: THE NEW YORK TIMES
BTS has broken many records, achieved top chart rankings, made great sales through albums and concerts and beat the countless barriers as Korean artists in the west but their greatest accomplishment is that they have reached to countless fans and been source of comfort and inspiration through their music.
Picture Credit: PopCrush
Which song from the LOVE YOURSELF era has brought you the most comfort or inspired you to love yourself more? Do let us know in the comments.
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As an ARMY, the LOVE YOURSELF era will always feel different to me. 💜 It wasn’t just about the music—it felt like BTS were growing and taking us through their own emotions with them. From the excitement of Her to the pain of Tear and finally the message of Answer, this series feels like a journey I’ve experienced alongside them. Reading about it again brought back so many memories. 💜