BTS’ Discography Pt. 3: Taking a walk down memory lane to BTS’ ‘LOVE YOURSELF’ era and more

We now move on to BTS’ most popular era: The ‘LOVE YOURSELF’ series. ‘LOVE YOURSELF: Her’ is the fifth extended play (EP) and contains nine tracks, with ‘DNA’ as its lead single. Sonically, the EP served as a dual exploration of the group's electro-pop and hip-hop leanings with the first half consisting of dance tracks that emphasize the group's vocals while in the second half the act's hip-hop side arrives in earnest...delivering powerful rap performances. 

The series talked about the process of loving oneself through four stages- beginning, development, turn, and conclusion. Within the larger narrative, ‘LOVE YOURSELF: Her’ described the joy and happiness of falling in love. ‘DNA’ became the track that introduced them to a much wider audience in the USA through award shows and various other activities. It also helped them set a new look and sound. The track revolves around the expression of a young, passionate love that is very different from the band's previous releases. 

Other songs to listen to are ‘Serendipity’, ‘Dimple’, ‘Pied Piper’, MIC Drop’ and ‘Go Go’. 

‘LOVE YOURSELF: Tear’ is the third Korean-language studio album and contains eleven tracks, with ‘Fake Love’ as its lead single. The concept album explores themes relating to the pains and sorrows of separation. This album was the most different in this series as it explored various sounds with ‘Singularity’ being neo soul, ‘Euphoria’ exploring a slower synth-pop feel while ‘Fake Love’ is an emo hip-hop track. The title track makes use of dissonant and dark chord progressions and contains a tense chorus which is boosted by heavy bass. 

Lyrically, the song talks about love that was once believed to be destiny, but turned out fake at the end and reflects the theme of the entire ‘Love Yourself’ series — "that any love wherein one does not love oneself is not real." It also recounts the emptiness that comes to a person who has invested too much in a relationship, only to lose one's own identity in the process. 

‘LOVE YOURSELF: Answer’ is a compilation album with ‘Idol’ as the title track. It is a traditionally inspired track featuring different classical Korean instruments. According to media outlets, the song and the music video were inspired by Korean genre pansori and John Woo's 1997 movie ‘Face/Off’. The African beats are layered with traditional Korean rhythms, as well as the pounding of a Korean folk percussion instrument used in the performance of traditional Korean farmers' ensemble. 

‘Map of the Soul: Persona’ was the gateway to BTS’ wild popularity as ‘Boy With Luv’ served as the lead single. The album earned many milestones for the group. ‘Boy With Luv’ the song describes how true strength and love come from finding joy in the smallest things in life. It is an upbeat electro-pop song with catchy hooks and became one of the most known songs of the group. 

‘Map of the Soul: 7’ served as a memorable album as the members recorded their dreams, hopes and their experiences in the past 7 years. The album is a continuation of their previous EP Map of the Soul: Persona, which itself was based on Murray Stein's ‘Jung's Map of the Soul’. The album expands on the themes and concepts of human psychology - persona, shadow and ego. Consisting of twenty tracks with fifteen new tracks and five from their previous release, the record is their longest studio album till date. 

‘Black Swan’ is an emo hip hop song that derives its style from trap drum beats and doleful lo-fi-style guitar instrumentation. Featuring cloud rap and a catchy hook, the song is built around an instrumental refrain. 

‘Be’ was inspired by BTS' perspective of life during the pandemic. The record sees the band members contributing to various aspects of the album-making process including songwriting, development, production, and visual design. The album was preceded by the standalone single ‘Dynamite’, which marked BTS' first number-one song on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was followed by the lead single of ‘Be’, ‘Life Goes On’.  

The song was described as an alternative hip hop and synth-pop song underlaid with an acoustic guitar. The lyrics of the song have been described as uplifting and seeking to provide hope to fans during the pandemic. The official music video was released on November 19, along with the album, and was directed by BTS member Jungkook. In the video, the members laze around in their dorm, V drives them around, and they watch movies and perform the song in an empty stadium. 

The English singles ‘Dynamite’, ‘Butter’ and ‘Permission to Dance’ are BTS’ most popular singles as it allowed them to make new fans. It is a 1970s-influenced disco-pop song with elements of funk, soul and bubblegum pop. The track features a funky bassline accompanied by vocal harmonies, falsetto hooks and a disco rhythm that is ready-made for the dancefloor. It utilizes layered vocals, echo-y synth, and celebratory horns to recreate the '70s retro sound. 

‘Butter’ was categorized as a 1980s and 1990s-influenced dance-pop and EDM song with elements of pop rap. The summery and energetic track was loved by ARMYs and others who became fans because of the track. 

Lastly, ‘Permission to Dance’ is the latest English track that was described by BIGHIT MUSIC as the track that ‘will make your heart beat to the rhythm of BTS's positive energy’. The music video was set in a post COVID-19 pandemic world. The members are seen dancing in multiple settings including, a sunny locale, a laundromat, and a patio. 

As we wait for the new album ‘Proof’, let’s enjoy the previous eras of BTS! 

ALSO READ: BTS’ Discography Pt. 2: From ‘I NEED U’ to ‘Spring Day’, let’s take a look at the group’s youthful series

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