BTS's second album, WINGS is a melancholic symphony that sends any listener into a trance. According to Wikipedia, the album concept was heavily inspired by Herman Hesse's coming of age novel, Demian. The book is about a young boy who was raised in a middle-class household in a world of illusions, also known as the German term, Scheinwelt. The BTS WINGS album in its entirety captures the essence of the struggle between two worlds: the world of illusions and the world of spiritual truth.
BTS is a Korean pop band that consists of 7 members: RM, V, Jimin, J-hope, SUGA, Jin, Jungkook. According to Billboard, in 2018, BTS was named the world's most popular boy band since the Beatles. When BTS debut in 2015, they had mastered the stereotypical persona of a hip- hop superstar, from baggy jeans to the oversized jerseys. The hip hop persona did not last for long, I'm sure they began to realize how corny they looked. The hip hop style they so poorly mimicked was outdated and controversial. Plus, the overuse of eyeliner became mediocre.
When the WINGS album was released in 2016, a year after their debut, I was shocked. The album was completely different than the usual simple tuned K-pop bops I was familiar with. BTS broke through the standards of the K-pop formula and sound. The name rookies have been far removed from the boy bands' reputation since the WINGS album release.
What stood out for me in this album was the amount of creative freedom the group had in the process of making the WINGS album. The first track on the album is titled, Blood, Sweat & Tears which translates in Korean as pii tam numull. The song delves into the misfortunes of love and the toxicity that may come with it: "But your wings are the devil's/There is a 'bitter' next to your 'sweet'/Kiss me/It's okay if it hurts". Most Korean pop songs stick to the bubblegum script by portraying love as flawless. According to BTS, love has layers and shouldn't be sugar-coated.
The WINGS decalcomania album cover sets a tone of curiosity. Most Korean pop band covers are usually over-saturated with color and less abstract. The album is filled with an array of diverse tracks, fifteen to be exact. The concept of the WINGS album is to showcase the individuality and freedom of self-expression, which would explain the solo 7 tracks. This album was one of BTS's first albums to incorporate solo tracks. This allows listeners to connect to each member on a more intimate level. Most of the solo tracks were written by the BTS members themselves.
The second track is a solo track titled, Lie which is sung effortlessly by the band member Jimin. The transition from hard violin chords of Blood, Sweat & Tears to the soft piano melody of Lie, creates an intense sense of emotion. The song truly follows suit from its predecessor. It explains the temptation that clouds better judgment when falling in love. Jimin exclaims that he has been captured by the sweetness of evil and can't get out of the lie: "Caught in a lie/Find me when I was pure/I can't be free from this lie/Give me back my smile/Caught in a lie/Pull me from this hell/I can't be free from this pain/Save me/I am being punished".
One of my favorite songs on the WINGS album is the 7th track called Reflection by the lead member RM. The song discusses the constant gravel between oneself.
RM repeats in the chorus: "I wish I could love myself/ I wish I could love myself/ I wish I could love myself."
The song touches the sensitivity that comes with self-reflection: " I am all of my joy and anxiety/ It repeats everyday/ the love/ the hate directed to me."
As a person with anxiety, I related to his feelings. We all want to be the best versions of ourselves always but apart of loving oneself is to embrace the flaws. I never knew that I would have such a connection with BTSs' music. It just goes to show you that music transcends language.
