Journey To Japan.
(This is an edited and expanded edition of our review of BTS' album 'Map Of The Soul: 7' earlier this year for this weeks release of their Japanese version, 'The Journey')
Map your way to Seoul, South Korea (by way of Japan) 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 the 2020 Olympic Games being held in Tokyo, Japan next year. 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'. All the Summer vibrant 'Lights' and 'Fake Love'. It's 'On' like a dance floor formation for these Seoul soldiers. Or how about the Army roll call of 'Dionysus' and the beautiful 'Black Swan' as powerful as Portman with its classic chereography and theatrical video, feathered in all black suits that set the stage for this album promotion portfolio photography you can see all around Tokyo like conbinis or the word Supreme. Concise cut classics for these IDOLS like the signature song of the same name as they take off on an 'Airplane' to the land of the rising sun to face themselves, rerecord and rap in Japanese like Rhymester legends. All in a 2020 where only BTS and the orginal fandom mania of the Fab Four, The Beatles have only sold 1 million albums across the world they rule like fears and all these tears. But the blossoming flowers of this Japanese 'Journey' version shows there's lots more in bloom.
'Calling' on an atmospheric intro to their reworked and rerouted 'Map Of The Soul: 7' for their neighbours in the Japanese Market, BTS' 'Journey' in the roughest terrain of 2020 is almost complete. Following the 'Daechwita' of the traditional temple strong huge hit from Suga's Agust D and his definitive 'D-2' mixtape a few months back that broke records and new ground this year. The squad should be rocking stadiums right now with their whole ARMY 'On' and behind them in unison. Knocking it out the ballpark in the Saitama Super Arena or Tokyo Dome just like the capital city should be playing host track and field host to every Olympic event right now instead of being locked down in a quarantined and socially isolated bubble. But we all know what happened this year with coronavirus. And whilst we are all for the most part staying home and staying safe, taking to the podium BTS remind us to 'Stay Gold' with yet another hit from their artillery and probably their sharpest cut yet as steel sharpens steel in these hard times that don't seem to leave us. But like BTS donating $1 million to Black Lives Matter charities and their army of fans upping the ante by matching the same donation, these guys who know everything from struggle to discrimination are standing up in solidarity for us again. Reminding us that we can still love ourselves, even in a year we hate like losing Kobe and GiGi in January. "In a world where you feel cold/you gotta stay gold," they remind us. As "relying on the moonlight" they tell us that, "the eyes are diamonds/more beautiful than any jewel." But it's the beautiful ballad of 'Your Eyes Tell' that looks for more. "A future without you is a world without colour/Filled with monochrome coldness," they sing celebrating colour in all its light and not the grey or shadowy areas of what we thought was just black and white. But "even the darkness we see is so beautiful," they compellingly conclude showing there's joy after pain. There's no sun without rain and here in Japan we are going through the stormiest season right now of forever rain like RM. Redemption returning from the darkness of depression to a brand new day. "Please believe me." Knowing that what we are going through will be alright, because we are going through it together, as Suga sings, "Whatever lies in our way/Look far into the distance/The place you gave me is still/Where my heart entrust." Just like the 'Journey' of the iconic instrumentation and inspiration of the outstanding outro or our own one, there's still places to go when borders are open like the ones these boys broke beyond. 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: 'Stay Gold', 'Lights', 'Your Eyes Tell'.
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