With Map of the Soul: 7 being the recent release of focus, performing well both critically and commercially, it is only fair that this week’s ‘Song of the Week’ takes on one of its songs under its lens. When initially seen at the bottom of the tracklist, the question bore; what was the reason for the remix of the eleventh track of the album? What will it add?
Musically, it is an interesting hybrid, but it is not the focus of the Sia feature. This, perhaps, is in the pushing forward the conversations surrounding cultural, language and genre barriers. Like Halsey on ‘Boy With Luv’, the feature artist’s voice is layered on top of those of BTS. It symbolically appears to resonate with the idea that the group serve as a bridge for multi-cultural action. And the attention that is placed on this, especially in the forefront of Western pop culture, and the way the group manage this, is in part what makes their development interesting.
The vocal processing on the track is perhaps the thing I have the most gripes with; it sounds somewhat flat and devoid of texture. However, it’s a sugary pop sound with a little edge in the lyrical content which is a discussion of the time that the members have spent together. Sonically, it makes good use of the trap and EDM beats that are popular in both the UK and Korea at this moment in time.
As a whole, it’s a piece of work that makes itself at home in the BTS discography and definitely hints at what the group are capable of doing. But does it reach its full potential? Are there other songs on the record that are better constructed? Definitely so.
Watch the official music video for the track without Sia below:
