The Seventh Seal.
Map your way to Seoul, South Korea to go to the source of K-Pop juggernaut BTS and you will find the soul of this idol generation persona. Mania hasn't been this manic since The Beatles made one direction to the Ed Sullivan Show (or these guys genius 'Late Show With Stephen Colbert' homage in black and white, don't adjust your sets) and left more U.S. teenagers screaming than 'American Horror Story'. In the middle of a trendy thrift store downtown last year in Seoul, Korea I heard one of their earliest, greatest hits 'Spring Day' playing sometime in September like it was the sunrise start of the season for the start of my adventure in the Far East. That's just how atmospheric it was and not just for me. With the energy of the public vibing to this record in-store like it was a live show. Beautiful. Like the fact that from The Graham Norton Show in my jolly old England, to Fallon, to Ellen. To a Time magazine cover and stirring, uplifting speeches at the U.N. lead by R.M., these boys have been inspiring a whole new generation they lead from the new school exchange to love themselves like the idols that they and we all are. It's a message that timely is as beautiful as it is powerful and one we all need now. From the soul of South Korea where suicide in young people famous and alike has reached epidemic levels, to the watching world struggling just as much as they are surviving with inspiration like this. But right now South Korea is more than on the map. No matter what the North or a dictator like Trump have said. He doesn't like the Oscar winning 'Best Picture' and international one 'Parasite'? But it sounds like a biography about him (word to Bette Midler for the joke inspo) and like the 'Parasite' production Twitter said, he's probably salty because he can't read the one-inch subtitles. But from Oscars to Grammy families and Best Picture's to Best International Acts, even in Korean, none of BTS legendary lyrics and moving message is lost in translation. The future is in Seoul.
Seventh year. Seven members. Seventh seal. Seventh album. 'Map Of The Soul 7'. "All seven and we'll watch them fall", these young prince's smoke 'em all. Now nothing will stand in their 'Love Yourself' way. From YouTube movies to Spotify interactive albums. They own the playlist of the streaming digital age like the core of Korea does. And this landmark album lands just at the right time with the Best Picture painting a portrait of Asia being the continent on the map with this year's 2020 Olympic Games being held in Tokyo, Japan. This time last year the 'Map Of The Soul' was all about 'Persona' on an extended play. And some of those tracks that floored us make the final cut here like a greatest hits package for this interactive album. From the idols biggest hit yet 'Boy With Luv' featuring a Stan like Haim or Matthew McConaughey (or myself. I love BTS more than I should love myself), Halsey hallmark, to the cool grooves of 'Make It Right'. The "remedy" of the Parisian perfect beautiful ballad 'Jamais Vu' and the Army roll call of 'Dionysus'. But it's the 'Intro: Persona' from R.M. as masterful as his 'mono' playlist album classic that really sets things off again like the take them to school video for this rap monster who has bars like convenience stores have Snickers no matter how you say it. "Persona/Who the hell am I/I just wanna go I just wanna fly/I just wanna give you all the voices till I die/I just wanna give you, all the shoulders when you cry." These boys can really rhyme and they know hip-hop like the Supreme Seoul know how to 80's Tommy Hilfiger and Kangol dress and Run-DMC walk this way. And if you don't agree than how about the camera phone flash and SNL like 'Mic Drop' of Suga's 'Shadow' interlude that acts as the into to all 'Map's' new tracks? Setting off the real portion of this new album as he goes off like this wasn't pop for the masked singers graffiti laced lyrics, to go video that goes bar for bar with R.M.'s 'Persona' like it was a battle rap. "Look down, it's gotten even bigger/I run but the shadow follows, as dark as the light's intense/I'm afraid, flying high is terrifying/No one told me how lonely it is up there/I can leap in the air but also plunge, now I know/Running away could be an option too, pause/People say there's splendor in the bright ligtht/But my growing shadow swallows me and I become a monster". Friedrich Nietzsche in a world of misery said, "when you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you" and this is Method Man deep. DAMN! See what I and he just said? Now that doesn't need a translation. 아닌!
Let's get it. Let get it. Let's get it. Let's get it. Now how about a 'Chicken Noodle Soup' with a soda and a Becky G assist on the side as we "let it rain" and "clear it out"? How he turned the worlds most annoying song and dance into a cool classic is bucking crazy! Because your hope and my hope J-Hope's swagger is on 100 right now for his own solo outing. Fast and Furious cereal cars, Han drift drag smoke screeching around him whilst he gives it up in the coolest drip and jump drops on the hood, rhyming like a baller in his b-boy stance. "Popping, rocking, hopping, tutting, Dougie, flexin, swagging." Woah! It's been one hot summer of Hope. And now the nicest 'Ego' continues on the 'Outro' and Big Hit exclusive that shows not only can he rap too, but he can make a party anthem like no other in this dynamite Dionysus discography as versatile as this groups hairdresser, all on his own. Just like the vibrant video that sees him giant fall into a seasonal slumber, leaning over to blow out the candles and strike a pose for an old family photo. Before hitting a Kingsman like Saville Row tailor in this trailer (how BTS use these music video trailers to promote their albums like movies is genius and amazing in its mastering, setting the new industry standard) before driving a new Vegas, Tokyo and Seoul like neon like their hair strip as heart paddles resuscitate him to the reclining drivers seat of a vintage, ruby red Mercedes as we ride shotgun. Just let J-Hope and that infectious smile be J-Hope. "We're now going to progress to some steps which are a bit more difficult". There's nothing like this. "Ready, set, begin". And there's nothing quite like this Seventh heaven as Hope sings, "I don't care/So we're here/The way is shinin'/Keep goin' on" like the icon is idol is. From a vocal off with Aussie ruling legend Sia, to the beautiful 'Black Swan' as powerful as Portman with its classic chereography. This album is all killer no 'Filter' in this selfie selfish age. From the 'Louder Than Bombs' bass boost explosion, to the track that really goes in and puts 'ON' in a military grade, music video dance off like the click, clack of 'Ugh'. The rhymes are sick and these boys are slick all the way to the atmospheric '00.00 (Zero Hour)' when Jimin, V and that "worldwide handsome" one are up still working. This is there time and like Jungkook on 'My Time' says, "24, feels like I became a grown-up faster than everyone else/My life has been a movie, all the time/I ran to where the sun rises every single night/It's like I've been to someone's tomorrow/The boy who found the world too big/Keep on runnin’ errday, mic pic it up/Friends ridin’ subway, I’ll be in the airplane mode/All over the world rock on, I made my own lotto/But is it too fast? There're traces of losses/Don't know what to do with, am I livin' this right? Why am I alone in a different time and space?" Now approaching just a quarter of their life in celebrity crisis, if you don't think these world weary travellers and changers are wise to how this industry really influences than forget Google translate for these maps, what time zone are you on? Here today, but not gone tomorrow with the signature sound, 'Inner Child' of these forever 'Friends' like these titan tracks eternal like the emotion of 'Forever Rain'. This K-Pop mega-superstar collective like the industry itself seems 'Bulletproof' as they shoot for the magnificent 'Moon'. You only need to hear it on 'Respect', "should I go or stay. Put your hands in the air" and your two fingers together in salute. But without them this wouldn't be the way. With intuition, mysticism, inner wisdom, and a deep inward knowing, number 7 might get you to heaven like Chanel. This awakening and enlightening digit seven like strength and spiritual awakening is divine. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Playlist Picks: 'On (Feat. Sia)', 'Interlude: Shadow', 'Outro: Ego'.
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