07. Map of the Soul: 7 by BTS - An Album Review
After an extremely long hiatus from blogging, I have returned.
Not only have I returned, but as have BTS with a brand new album (which I am going to review).
BTS have taken the world by storm in the past few years, dominating the Western world with their hard hitting dances, vocals and raps. I personally have been following BTS for a while, having been in the K-pop loop back when they first debuted in 2013.
Although this point could demean me as a stereotypical fan-girl, (which in no way am I claiming not to be) it also means that I know what I like and what I'm looking for in their new music.
To me, even throughout the many music ventures BTS have taken, they usually manage to keep a sound which is authentic to them.
However, with their recent Americanised approach to music, this has slipped somewhat for me, causing me to feel slightly apprehensive when BTS release new music.
With that, let's get into the review and see how Map of the Soul: 7 holds up!
To start off with, tracks 1 to 5 have been transferred over from the previous album, Map of the Soul: Persona. As I have already listened to these before, they will not be receiving a review as I don't see the point of commenting on music which everyone has already been listening to for months. Somewhat disappointing that a quarter of the album isn't new music.
Track 6: Interlude: Shadow ⭐⭐⭐✩✩
Suga's solo for this album is classic for him. An emotive rap to a soft beat is a sure fire way to win me over. This song would be perfect in his solo album, as it keeps to that Agust D theme which the music Suga produces usually maintains. However, I do not see this being a song which I will return to frequently, due to it not being super upbeat.
Track 7: Black Swan ⭐⭐✩✩✩
Black Swan has a very chilled out vibe from the start, which gradually builds to a light bop throughout the chorus. The thing that puts me off of this song generally is the overuse of auto tune to add a weird electronic tone to their vocals. Again, this song doesn't stand out to me as a song I will want in my general playlist or something I will return to regularly.
Track 8: Filter ⭐⭐⭐⭐✩
Filter is Jimin's solo for this album, and showcases his beautiful vocals extremely well. The beginning gives me slight Sunmi vibes, but I'm not sure if that's just me. The song also feels reminiscent of Airplane, Pt. 2 from Love Yourself: Tear. This song is something I will return to again, and has definitely been added into my general listening playlist.
Track 9: My Time ⭐✩✩✩✩
Usually, I adore Jungkook's solo music. His singing voice is one of my favourites in BTS, and of what I know, Jungkook and I listen to a few of the same artists and have similar music tastes.
This is why My Time came as a very disappointing track to me, as it felt too generic and didn't present his talent too greatly. It also sounded very Chris Brown/ Justin Bieber-esque, which immediately gave me the 'ick'. I quickly moved past this song, and definitely won't be spending much of My Time listening to it again.
Track 10: Louder than bombs ⭐⭐⭐⭐✩
Now this is a BOP. All of the vocals SHONE and genuinely gave me spine chills. My whole body was covered in goosebumps.
I also really like J-Hope's verse on this song, and the raps in general complimented the rest of the track very well.
I would like to give Troye Sivan a nod also, as he helped to co-write this song, and it is very evident that his fingerprint is all over this track. The ethereal runs especially, at least to me, screamed Troye.
This song is sitting proudly in my general playlist.
Track 11: ON ⭐⭐✩✩✩
This song is a bit of a grower on me. Again, too much auto tune, but it packs some of the punch that Not Today brought to us. This Not Today element s also present in the music video, with the huge group dance sequences. My favourite part of the song is from 2:48 onward, with Jungkook's beautiful bridge that builds into the final chorus.
Track 12: UGH! ⭐⭐⭐⭐✩
When I first saw this, my mind instantly went to The 1975. However, this was not UGH! by The 1975, but instead a rap line track which gave me the 2 Cool 4 Skool and Dark & Wild flavour that I have been missing. The only meh note to this song was the use of auto-tune again, however I will give this song a slip as it does add something to the overall sound, not just ugly whining.
Track 13: 00:00 (Zero O'Clock)⭐⭐⭐✩✩
The vocals were *chefs kiss* amazing. This song is so soft and beautiful, and gave me many goosebumps. All of the vocal lines talents stood out throughout the whole song, and the auto-tune surprisingly didn't impact my overall enjoyment of the song! However, I can see potentially getting bored with the songs bop factor, due to it being a gentle bop and not a hard bop.
Track 14: Inner Child ⭐⭐⭐✩✩
Taehyung blew me away with this track. I feel like since BTS began releasing solos with their albums, his vocals have really improved and he knows the kinds of songs that his voice suits now. However, I do see myself, again, potentially getting to the point where I skip past this song due to it not having the hard bop factor.
Track 15: Friends ⭐✩✩✩✩
This song is just Jimin and Taehyung being best buddies, and that's basically all I got from it. Very High School Musical, in my opinion. But not like a Fabulous, more of a When There Was Me and You. Bit boring. Not my favourite track, but I appreciate the sentiment.
Track 16: Moon⭐⭐⭐✩✩
Now THIS really took me by surprise. Usually, although I think Jin is super talented and brilliant, his solo tracks generally put me in a snooze mode. (I'm just not a ballad person okay). However, Moon was a chill bop and went straight into my general playlist. Again, though, this song has the potential to get a little dull as the bop factor is on the soft end of the scale.
Track 17: Respect⭐✩✩✩✩
Again, a throwback to 2 Cool 4 Skool era. However, unlike UGH!, it didn't quite have that edge that I wanted. It was too chill for me. It also reminded me a little of when boys in your school think they can write raps but then all they do is whack the word respect in it and think they're cool.
Track 18: We are Bulletproof: the Eternal⭐⭐⭐⭐✩
Oh boy did this song make me cry. It's so beautiful and heartfelt and reminded me of Young Forever with it's vocal and rap blend. The line "We were only seven, but we have you all now"... when I tell you my eyes were watering. Also, the chorus is great. The only reason this doesn't get a full row of stars is because, as with all the softer songs, I can see myself getting disinterested in the future.
Track 19: Outro: Ego ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Everything about this song is what could overall brainwash me into saying that the whole album is great. They really saved the best till last with this one.
I think it's quite obvious at this point that Hoseok just leaks talent from his pores, and really knows how to write a great song. His sense of self and who he is as an artist shines through everything he does, and I am always excited for whatever he releases next. I wish J-Hope got to stick his thumb in the other musical pies of this album as I feel he could have elevated and improved so many tracks.
Track 20: ON (feat. Sia) ⭐✩✩✩✩
This song is identical apart from Sia's voice featuring in the first and final chorus'. Really don't understand what the point of having a whole separate feature was for her just to sing on some of the chorus' and not even have a verse?
To wrap up this album review, I'm going to be honest. I was overall disappointed. The album as a whole really lacks BTS flavour and wow factor, which I am going to pin on them being transformed into an extremely commercial and Americanised group. I know that the K-pop industry in itself is commercial and generally churns out the same stereotypical content, but BTS never really adhered to that. They were always unique and stood out from their musical peers, and that's why they won over so many fans, including myself.
Although I think it's good for them to grow and develop as artists, I do not like a lot of their new content. I know I would probably get a lot of backlash and hate from ARMY's for expressing my dislike for their music, if I was a figure of any importance.
Luckily I am not, and can say that this album, apart from the odd gem, (Ego rights!), sucked ass.
Despite this, I will still buy a copy of the album and support BTS. I want the photo cards, okay?
Paige Nicole
Not only have I returned, but as have BTS with a brand new album (which I am going to review).
Although this point could demean me as a stereotypical fan-girl, (which in no way am I claiming not to be) it also means that I know what I like and what I'm looking for in their new music.
To me, even throughout the many music ventures BTS have taken, they usually manage to keep a sound which is authentic to them.
However, with their recent Americanised approach to music, this has slipped somewhat for me, causing me to feel slightly apprehensive when BTS release new music.
With that, let's get into the review and see how Map of the Soul: 7 holds up!
To start off with, tracks 1 to 5 have been transferred over from the previous album, Map of the Soul: Persona. As I have already listened to these before, they will not be receiving a review as I don't see the point of commenting on music which everyone has already been listening to for months. Somewhat disappointing that a quarter of the album isn't new music.
Track 6: Interlude: Shadow ⭐⭐⭐✩✩
Suga's solo for this album is classic for him. An emotive rap to a soft beat is a sure fire way to win me over. This song would be perfect in his solo album, as it keeps to that Agust D theme which the music Suga produces usually maintains. However, I do not see this being a song which I will return to frequently, due to it not being super upbeat.
Track 7: Black Swan ⭐⭐✩✩✩
Black Swan has a very chilled out vibe from the start, which gradually builds to a light bop throughout the chorus. The thing that puts me off of this song generally is the overuse of auto tune to add a weird electronic tone to their vocals. Again, this song doesn't stand out to me as a song I will want in my general playlist or something I will return to regularly.
Track 8: Filter ⭐⭐⭐⭐✩
Filter is Jimin's solo for this album, and showcases his beautiful vocals extremely well. The beginning gives me slight Sunmi vibes, but I'm not sure if that's just me. The song also feels reminiscent of Airplane, Pt. 2 from Love Yourself: Tear. This song is something I will return to again, and has definitely been added into my general listening playlist.
Track 9: My Time ⭐✩✩✩✩
Usually, I adore Jungkook's solo music. His singing voice is one of my favourites in BTS, and of what I know, Jungkook and I listen to a few of the same artists and have similar music tastes.
This is why My Time came as a very disappointing track to me, as it felt too generic and didn't present his talent too greatly. It also sounded very Chris Brown/ Justin Bieber-esque, which immediately gave me the 'ick'. I quickly moved past this song, and definitely won't be spending much of My Time listening to it again.
Track 10: Louder than bombs ⭐⭐⭐⭐✩
Now this is a BOP. All of the vocals SHONE and genuinely gave me spine chills. My whole body was covered in goosebumps.
I also really like J-Hope's verse on this song, and the raps in general complimented the rest of the track very well.
I would like to give Troye Sivan a nod also, as he helped to co-write this song, and it is very evident that his fingerprint is all over this track. The ethereal runs especially, at least to me, screamed Troye.
This song is sitting proudly in my general playlist.
Track 11: ON ⭐⭐✩✩✩
This song is a bit of a grower on me. Again, too much auto tune, but it packs some of the punch that Not Today brought to us. This Not Today element s also present in the music video, with the huge group dance sequences. My favourite part of the song is from 2:48 onward, with Jungkook's beautiful bridge that builds into the final chorus.
Track 12: UGH! ⭐⭐⭐⭐✩
When I first saw this, my mind instantly went to The 1975. However, this was not UGH! by The 1975, but instead a rap line track which gave me the 2 Cool 4 Skool and Dark & Wild flavour that I have been missing. The only meh note to this song was the use of auto-tune again, however I will give this song a slip as it does add something to the overall sound, not just ugly whining.
Track 13: 00:00 (Zero O'Clock)⭐⭐⭐✩✩
The vocals were *chefs kiss* amazing. This song is so soft and beautiful, and gave me many goosebumps. All of the vocal lines talents stood out throughout the whole song, and the auto-tune surprisingly didn't impact my overall enjoyment of the song! However, I can see potentially getting bored with the songs bop factor, due to it being a gentle bop and not a hard bop.
Track 14: Inner Child ⭐⭐⭐✩✩
Taehyung blew me away with this track. I feel like since BTS began releasing solos with their albums, his vocals have really improved and he knows the kinds of songs that his voice suits now. However, I do see myself, again, potentially getting to the point where I skip past this song due to it not having the hard bop factor.
Track 15: Friends ⭐✩✩✩✩
This song is just Jimin and Taehyung being best buddies, and that's basically all I got from it. Very High School Musical, in my opinion. But not like a Fabulous, more of a When There Was Me and You. Bit boring. Not my favourite track, but I appreciate the sentiment.
Track 16: Moon⭐⭐⭐✩✩
Now THIS really took me by surprise. Usually, although I think Jin is super talented and brilliant, his solo tracks generally put me in a snooze mode. (I'm just not a ballad person okay). However, Moon was a chill bop and went straight into my general playlist. Again, though, this song has the potential to get a little dull as the bop factor is on the soft end of the scale.
Track 17: Respect⭐✩✩✩✩
Again, a throwback to 2 Cool 4 Skool era. However, unlike UGH!, it didn't quite have that edge that I wanted. It was too chill for me. It also reminded me a little of when boys in your school think they can write raps but then all they do is whack the word respect in it and think they're cool.
Track 18: We are Bulletproof: the Eternal⭐⭐⭐⭐✩
Oh boy did this song make me cry. It's so beautiful and heartfelt and reminded me of Young Forever with it's vocal and rap blend. The line "We were only seven, but we have you all now"... when I tell you my eyes were watering. Also, the chorus is great. The only reason this doesn't get a full row of stars is because, as with all the softer songs, I can see myself getting disinterested in the future.
Track 19: Outro: Ego ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Everything about this song is what could overall brainwash me into saying that the whole album is great. They really saved the best till last with this one.
I think it's quite obvious at this point that Hoseok just leaks talent from his pores, and really knows how to write a great song. His sense of self and who he is as an artist shines through everything he does, and I am always excited for whatever he releases next. I wish J-Hope got to stick his thumb in the other musical pies of this album as I feel he could have elevated and improved so many tracks.
Track 20: ON (feat. Sia) ⭐✩✩✩✩
This song is identical apart from Sia's voice featuring in the first and final chorus'. Really don't understand what the point of having a whole separate feature was for her just to sing on some of the chorus' and not even have a verse?
To wrap up this album review, I'm going to be honest. I was overall disappointed. The album as a whole really lacks BTS flavour and wow factor, which I am going to pin on them being transformed into an extremely commercial and Americanised group. I know that the K-pop industry in itself is commercial and generally churns out the same stereotypical content, but BTS never really adhered to that. They were always unique and stood out from their musical peers, and that's why they won over so many fans, including myself.
Although I think it's good for them to grow and develop as artists, I do not like a lot of their new content. I know I would probably get a lot of backlash and hate from ARMY's for expressing my dislike for their music, if I was a figure of any importance.
Luckily I am not, and can say that this album, apart from the odd gem, (Ego rights!), sucked ass.
Despite this, I will still buy a copy of the album and support BTS. I want the photo cards, okay?
Paige Nicole
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