Album Analysis: Love Yourself
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A deep dive into BTS’s Love Yourself album saga
What’s Next?
Upcoming albums to be excited about!
Check Out the Latest Releases
Table of Content
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Recent Releases Let’s Check Out the Latest Comebacks!
JUNGKOOK’S “GOLDEN” ALBUM
Golden is the debut studio album by South Korean singer Jungkook of BTS, released on November 3, 2023, through Big Hit Music. Primarily a Pop record, it was met with generally favourable reviews from critics. It features guest appearances by Jack Harlow, Major Lazer, Latto and DJ Snake, it was preceded by the singles “Seven” and “3D”; and a third, “Standing Next to You”, which was released concurrently with the album.
Jennie’s “You & Me” Special Single
“You & Me” is a song by South Korean singer, rapper, and Blackpink member Jennie. It was released on October 6, 2023, through YG Entertainment and Interscope Records, as a special single after being performed on Blackpink’s Born Pink World Tour (2022–2023). It marked Jennie’s first solo single in five years after “Solo” (2018).
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RED VELVET’S “CHILL KILL” 3RD STUDIO ALBUM
Chill Kill is the third Korean studio album and fourth overall by South Korean girl group Red Velvet. It was released by SM Entertainment on November 13, 2023, and contains ten tracks, including the lead single of the same name.
TOMORROW X TOGETHER THE NAME CHAPTER: FREEFALL The Name Chapter: Freefall is the fifth overall studio album by South Korean boy band Tomorrow X Together. It was released through Big Hit Music and Republic Records on October 13, 2023. The album contains a sole guest appearance from American pop rock band Jonas Brothers.
AESPA’S “DRAMA” EP
Drama is the fourth extended play by South Korean girl group Aespa. It was released by SM Entertainment on November 10, 2023, and contains six tracks including the lead single of the same name.
Upcoming Releases TAEYEON’S “TO. X” 5th MINI ALBUM
Girls’ Generation singer Taeyeon has announced her long-awaited fifth mini-album, titled ‘To. X’. Taeyeon’s fifth mini-album ‘To. X’ comes out on November 27 at 6pm KST. The official announcement of new music from Taeyeon comes after months of delays. The singer’s agency, SM Entertainment, first said in February 2023 that it was planning to release new music by the Girls’ Generation member this April. However, that never materialised. SM Entertainment would finally confirm in mid-October 2023 that Taeyeon’s first mini-album would be released this November.
Future Comebacks to be Excited For!
DREAMCATCHER’S “VILLAINS” 9th MINI ALBUM
“VillainS” (also referred to as “Versus villainS” or “VS”) is the 9th mini album by Dreamcatcher. It will be released on November 22, 2023 with “OOTD” serving as the title track. The physical album features 12 versions in total: Limited “C” version, Normal “U”, “R”, “S”, “E” versions and the Poca Albums that comes in 7 versions, one for each member.
KEP1ER’S “FLY HIGH” SINGLE
Kep1er has confirmed the release of their third Japanese single, ‘FLY-HIGH’, slated for release on November 22. This comes eight months after their second single ‘FLY-BY’ that made waves in March. The single’s title track, “Grand Prix”, is an original Japanese song The album will be released on December 1, 2023, and that embodies Kep1er’s along with being their comeback, it sums up their The high-octane performances. World Trilogy. The tracklist for the album has finally Additionally, the single will been revealed. It contains 12 tracks with Crazy Form include another original as its title track. On Japanese piece “Sugar”, November 10, 2023, the alongside Japanese versions group released the offiof “Galileo”, the headline cial trailer for the album track from their fifth Koon KQ Entertainment’s rean mini-album ‘Magic YouTube channel. The trailer has gained 1.3M Hour’, and “Giddy” taken from their fourth mini-album ‘LOVESTRUCK!.” In the limited Kep1ian edition CD, views and has been fans will also be privy to the live rendition of “Daisy”, liked by 85K people. performed during the ‘Kep1er JAPAN CONCERT.
ATEEZ THE WORLD EP.FIN: WILL
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“Love Yourself” Album Saga Analysis
LOVE YOURSELF
L
ove Yourself is the fourth Korean-language and Japanese-language era of BTS’ career. It started on August 11, 2017 with promotional posters of the era and officially finished on September 6, 2018 with “IDOL (feat. Nicki Minaj)” music video. Meanwhile in Japan, the era started on November 24, 2017 with “MIC Drop (Japanese Ver.)” music video and officially finished on November 7, 2018 with their ninth Japanese single “FAKE LOVE/Airplane Pt.2.” All the content released in this era of albums and short films have the concept of “self-love”.” This era is the fourth part of the Chapter 1: Reflection of Youth, the fourth part of the BTS Chronicle and is connected to the previous two eras and the following era through the original story BTS Universe.
LOVE YOURSELF ‘Her’
Love Yourself: Her (LOVE YOURSELF ‘Her’) is the fifth mini album by BTS. It was released on September 18, 2017 with “DNA” serving as the album’s title track. “MIC Drop” and “Go (Go Go)” were used as follow-up tracks during promotions. The album debuted at #7 on Billboard 200. The album was the best-selling album of 2017 in South Korea.
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This album is currently the eighth best-selling album on South Korea of all time. As 2022, the album has sold 2,973,831 copies only in South Korea. Love Yourself: Her is the first album to be released since BTS revealed their new “brand identity” on July 4, 2017, complete with a new, simplified logo. On September 18, the album was released alongside the music video for its lead single, “DNA”. In the 24 hours after release, the “DNA” music video had been viewed 21 million times, becoming the first K-pop group music video to reach over 20 million views in 24 hours. 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.”
LOVE YOURSELF ‘TEAR’
Love Yourself: Tear (stylized as Love Yourself Tear) is the third Korean-language and sixth overall studio album by South Korean boy band BTS. The album was released on May 18, 2018, by Big Hit Entertainment. It is available in four versions and contains eleven tracks, with “Fake Love” as its lead single. The concept album explores themes relating to the pains and sorrows of separation. On May 27, 2018, the album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, earning 135,000 album-equivalent units and becoming BTS’ highest-charting album in a Western market at the time, as well as the first Korean album to top the US albums chart and the highest-charting album by an Asian act. Love Yourself: Tear was first announced on April 16, 2018, following the release of a nine-minute short film entitled “Euphoria: Theme of Love Yourself Wonder” on April 5. The video included a new single, also named “Euphoria”, recorded as a solo by member Jungkook. The song was produced by DJ Swivel, Candace Nicole Sosa, Bang Si-hyuk, Supreme Boi, Adora, and BTS’ leader RM, and was complimented for its synth-pop style and tropical house elements.
LOVE YOURSELF ‘ANSWER’
Tear was designed as a follow-up to BTS’ 2017 EP Love Yourself: Her, with “Euphoria” serving to connect the two releases. On May 6, the trailer for the album, featuring a new song entitled “Singularity”, was released. The neo-soul solo was performed by member V, and serves as the intro track for the album. “Singularity” was produced by British composer Charlie J. Perry, with lyrics also provided by RM. The trailer was described as having a sensual, dream-like atmosphere, and was praised for its use of symbolism and contrast. Blanca Méndez of Spin called V’s performance in the video “rich” and “expressive”, describing it as having a “quiet confidence”. The song itself was described as having a haunting tune, and containing jazz elements and themes of desperation.Promotional concept photos presenting four different themes were released on May 8, for the “O” and “R” versions, and May 10 for the “Y” and “U” versions. The official track list of eleven songs was released on May 13, revealing a second collaboration with Steve Aoki, as well as a track titled “Airplane pt.2”, said to be an extension of J-Hope’s song “Airplane” from his mixtape Hope World. The song “Anpanman” is based on the Japanese manga superhero of the same name.
Love Yourself ‘Tear’. On August 6, Big Hit Entertainment released a Most Beautiful Love Yourself: Answer is the third Moment in Life note, part of a seKorean-language compilation ries of fictional notes pertaining to album by South Korean boy band the concept of BTS’ albums, startBTS. The album was released ing with their 2015 EP The Most on August 24, 2018, by Big Hit Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 1. Entertainment and is available The note, written by BTS memin four different versions: S, E, L, ber Jin, spoke about him finding and F. The album contains twena notebook written by his father ty-five tracks (twenty-six for the in the story. The book discussed digital version), including seven the father’s failures. Three days new songs, with the track “Idol” later, on August 9, the trailer for serving as the lead single. Most the album, featuring a new song tracks are from Love Yourself: Her entitled “Epiphany”, was released. and Love Yourself: Tear, including The solo, described by Billboard’s some remixes. The album debuted Tamar Herman as a “building popat number one in South Korea, rock melody”, was performed by Canada, Japan, and the United Jin, and speaks about finding selfStates, becoming BTS’ second love. The song serves as one of the chart-topping album in the US tracks for the album. The trailer market. was directed by Yong-seok Choi (Lumpens), and portrays multiple On November 7, 2019, Love versions of Jin in a room, telling Yourself: Answer became the the story of a personal journey. first Korean album to spend one Philip Merrill of the Recording year on the Billboard 200 chart. Two days later, it became the first Academy described the video as having a “sense of going backward Korean album to receive gold and forward, through time and certification in the United States. It sold 60,000 copies in the United through different versions of one’s self”. Discussing Jin’s performance Kingdom, making BTS the first of the video, Hong Hye-min of Asian artist to have a Silver-certiThe Korea Times stated that it fied album in the country.By June was well-acted and emotional, 2021, the album had spent 100 with Jin’s “sorrowful, free voice non-consecutive weeks on the stand[ing] out”. Billboard 200, making it the only Korean album to do so. Love Yourself: Answer was first announced on July 16, 2018, with the announcement of the album containing seven new tracks coming the following day. The album was designed as the finale of the Love Yourself series, which connected the story plot of short film Love Yourself Wonder, EP Love Yourself ‘Her’, and studio album
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The Name Chapte:Freefall Album Review
THE NAME CHAPTER: FREEFALL
T he Name Chapter: Freefall is the fifth overall studio album
by South Korean boy band Tomorrow X Together. It was released through Big Hit Music and Republic Records on October 13, 2023. The album contains a sole guest appearance from American pop rock band Jonas Brothers. It was supported by two singles: “Do It Like That”, a collaboration with the Jonas Brothers, and “Chasing That Feeling”. The song “Back for More” was also released prior to the album in a version that is a collaboration with Brazilian singer Anitta, but a solo version by the band is included on the album. The album follows their 2023 extended play, The Name Chapter: Temptation. The album was announced on August 29, 2023.
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Tracklist
Growing Pain Chasing That Feeling Back for More (TXT Ver.) Dreamer Deep Down Happily Ever After Skipping Stones Blue Spring Do It Like That Chasing That Feeling (English Ver. - Digital Only)
“TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s resplendent coming-of-age story is anticipated to offer comfort and empathy to all of those moving toward their dreams” -Big Hit Music
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Who is TWICE? The Girl Group Sensation THE BEGINNING Twice is a South Korean girl
theme song for Sixteen. The album became a commercial success for the group, debuting at number two on the Gaon group formed by JYP EntertainAlbum Chart and number six ment. The group is composed of nine members: Nayeon, Jeongyeon, on the Billboard World Albums Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, chart, with 80,686 units sold Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu. Twice was during the month of April. With the total first-week sales formed under the television provolume for Page Two reachgram Sixteen (2015) and debuted on October 20, 2015, with the ex- ing approximately 41,800 copies, tended play (EP) The Story Begins. Twice achieved the highest firstweek sales volume by a Korean girl Twice rose to domestic fame in group for the year. Additionally, 2016 with their single “Cheer Up”, Twice became the only Korean which charted at number one on act to place an entry on the U.S. the Gaon Digital Chart, became YouTube Music Chart for the year the best-performing single of the when “Cheer Up” charted at numyear, and won “Song of the Year” ber 25 in May. at the Melon Music Awards and Twice won their first music proMnet Asian Music Awards. Their next single, “TT”, from their third gram award with “Cheer Up” on May 5, on M Countdown, exactly EP Twicecoaster: Lane 1, topped one year after the initial airing of the Gaon charts for four consecutive weeks. The EP was the highest Sixteen. This was soon followed by wins on Music Bank and Inkigayo. selling Korean girl group album of 2016. Within 19 months after debut, Twice had already sold over 1.2 million units of their four EPs and special album. As of 2022, the group has sold over 15 million albums cumulatively in South Korea and Japan. On April 25, 2016, Twice released their second EP, Page Two, which notably included the lead single “Cheer Up”, a rearranged version of Park Ji-yoon’s 1998 hit “Precious Love”, and “I’m Gonna Be a Star”, which served as the
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The group then made their debut performance in the United States with an appearance at the KCON music festival held in Los Angeles on July 31. In celebration of Twice’s first anniversary since debut on October 20, the group unveiled their new song “One in a Million” from their upcoming third EP, Twicecoaster: Lane 1, through a live broadcast on V Live. Twicecoaster: Lane 1 and the music video of pop dance song “TT” were released online on October 24.In Korea, the album recorded more than 165,000 physical copies sold on the Gaon Chart within a week, exceeding the five-month sales of the group’s previous release Page Two in only seven days. Eventually, Twicecoaster: Lane 1 became the bestselling K-pop girl group album for 2016, selling 350,852 copies at year-end.
HIT AFTER HIT
On April 22, 2019, they released their seventh EP Fancy You. The music video for “Fancy”, which garnered over 42.1 million views
in a single day, also reached the seventh position in the list of YouTube’s biggest debuts during the first 24 hours. Recording 314,323 copies sold on April 25, the release of Fancy You saw Twice exceeding a total of over 3.75 million album copies sold from their twelve Korean releases. Following the release of the album, the group embarked on their first world tour titled “Twicelights” which was first held at a sold-out KSPO Dome in Seoul on May 25–26. “Twicelights” marked the group’s first solo concert tours held in the United States, with the North American leg of their tour recording over 41,000 people in attendance. Twice released their eighth EP, Feel Special, on September 23, 2019, along with the music video for the lead single of the same name produced by Park Jin-young. The single scored the group’s second number one entry on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart. “Feel Special” also increased Twice’s popularity across North America, as the single debuted on the Canadian Hot 100 at number 82. The group’s first entry made Twice the third K-pop girl group and ninth K-pop act to appear on
this chart. Recording sales of over 151,000 copies on September 30, 2019, Twice broke their own first-week album sales record with Feel Special. In 2019, Twice sold over one million albums on Gaon, achieving this feat for the third consecutive year. In Japan, Twice surpassed 5 billion yen worth of record sales in 2019. The group was the bestselling foreign artist and ranked fourth overall in the Artist Sales category of the 52nd Oricon Annual Ranking. The group also became the fifth most-streamed act on Spotify in the country.
THE IMPACT OF TWICE The group also became the fifth most-streamed act on Spotify in the country. Twice have been well received in South Korea, ranking second in the top ten artists of the Gallup Korea survey for three consecutive years, making them the highest-ranking Korean group in 2016 and 2017, and the highest-ranking girl group in 2018. Since 2016, members regularly have placed in the top 20 of Gallup Korea’s annual poll of the nation’s favorite idols. In 2017, Twice was included in Forbes Korea Power Celebrity at third overall and first among recording artists. They entered within the top ten of the list again ranking third in 2018, and ninth in 2020. Twice has also been recognized for their brand recognition and marketing power, having topped the “Girl Group Brand Power Ranking” published by the Korean Corporate Reputation Research Institute several times.
Following their consecutive commercial successes in 2016 and 2017, Twice has since been dubbed by Korean media as the “Nation’s Girl Group”, being cited as a follow-up to previously successful girl groups Girls’ Generation and Kara. Music critic Kang Tae-gyu has described Twice as being “one step ahead of the current period” among other girl groups from the same period of their debut. The group’s commercial performance following their career breakthrough in 2016 was considered by the media to be ‘remarkable’ in an industry dominated by all-male music groups. Internationally, Twice’s notable bubblegum pop sound and distinctive choreography has led to the group receiving recognition by Time magazine as among the stand-out groups in K-pop. With much of K-pop’s success in the United States being attributed to most Korean acts employing either hip-hop or EDM as their sonic base, Billboard has noted the success of Twice in making their bubblegum sound attract Western appeal, following the group’s release of their song “Dance The Night Away”. The South China Morning Post has named Twice as among three major female K-pop groups who are considered as “game-changers in a boy band-led industry”, which was seen when Twice’s eighth EP Feel
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The Reve Festival Feel My Rhythm Album Review
THE REVE FESTIVAL 2022 FEEL MY RHYTHM
T he ReVe Festival 2022 – Feel My Rhythm is the fifth special
extended play and thirteenth overall by South Korean girl group Red Velvet, released by SM Entertainment on March 21, 2022, to commemorate the birthday of German Baroque music composer J.S. Bach. It consists of six tracks, including the lead single “Feel My Rhythm”, in three physical versions, two “ReVe” versions with different covers and the “Orgel” version. “Feel My Rhythm” is a dancepop song incorporating “intense trap beats” and “string-like melodies”, including a sample of the and a “subtle” bell sound over Bach arrangement “Air on the G String”. The lyrics vividly un- a “groovy” bass along with Red ravel the journey to enjoy freely Velvet’s “languid” and “dreamy” vocals. “Beg for Me” is another through time and space along with the song. “Rainbow Halo” is R&B and dance-pop song with an R&B and dance-pop song fea- “chic” vocals. “Bamboleo” is a retro city pop turing “restrained” clap sounds
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song with a “rhythmic” bass and and a “sensuous” chord progreselectronic guitar combined with sion. The lyrics liken life’s unpre“dreamy” synth sounds. Like the dictable moments to “choosing title, which means “shaking” in one of the numerous chocolates Spanish, the lyrics talk about in a box”. “In My Dreams” is a dancing all night. “Good, Bad, slow R&B ballad with “minimal Ugly” is a mid-tempo R&B song trap rhythms” and the sound of including a rhythmic brass sound a music box at the beginning and over a “groovy” shuffle rhythm end. The lyrics express a desire to be together with the person you love forever, even in dreams. The EP debuted at number two on the Gaon Weekly Album Chart in the chart issue dated March 20–26, 2022, before peaking at number one in the chart issue dated April 10-16, 2022, become the group’s twelfth number-one album, expand the record for the group as the girl group with the most number-one albums on the chart.
TrackList
Feel My Rhythm Rainbow Halo Beg For Me
BAMBOLEO Good, Bad, Ugly In My Dreams
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Idol Spotlight:
Wendy of Red Velvet WHO IS WENDY? Shon Seung-wan, known professionally as
Wendy, is a South Korean singer. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Red Velvet. In 2021, she made her solo debut with the EP Like Water. In 2022, she became a member of SM Entertainment’s supergroup Got the Beat.
March 14, 2014. As part of SM Rookies, Wendy released the song “Because I Love You” for the soundtrack of the Mnet drama Mimi and appeared in the song’s music video. On August 1, 2014, Wendy made her official debut as a member of Red Velvet.
LIKE WATER
Like Water is the debut extended play by Wendy. The EP was released on April 5, 2021, by SM EnWendy was born on February 21, 1994, in tertainment and consists Seongbuk-dong, a neighborhood in Seongbuk of five tracks, including District in Seoul, South Korea.Coming from a the two title tracks, family of music lovers, Wendy showed interest “When This Rain Stops” in becoming a singer when she was only six years old. Besides her passion for singing, she is and “Like Water”. The EP makes Wendy the also able to play several instruments, including the piano, guitar, flute, and saxophone. In 2010, first Red Velvet member she submitted an online audition for Koreaboo’s to make a solo debut. Global Auditions in The EP contains five tracks.“Like Water” is 2011 with Cube Endescribed as an acoustic pop ballad charactertertainment. Though ized by Wendy’s pure vocals. Written by promshe was not the final inent South Korean songwriters Kenzie and winner, she was one of Yoo Young-jin, the song offers Wendy’s deepest fifteen finalists person- epiphanies as she reflects on her blessings from ally picked by Korean those who’ve been by her side at every step of singer G.NA. life. Wendy originally did “When This Rain Stops” is a piano ballad that not intend to audition sends a message of empathy and strength. The for SM Entertainsong is backed with a slight yet steady piano ment, but was cast by melody combined with Wendy’s dynamic vothe company when she cals. The lyrics seem heavily influenced by her accompanied a friend own personal experience in the past year when to the S.M. Global she struggled with recovery in an atmosphere Audition in Canada of uncertainty. “Why Can’t You Love Me?” is a in 2012. She recalled cheerful spring inspired track about a one sided singing Kim Gunlove. “The Road” is a modern rock song. “Best mo’s “Moon of Seoul” Friend” features fellow Red Velvet bandmate and passed. She trained for less than two years Seulgi and explores various genres ranging from before she was introduced as a member of S.M. pop to rock. Entertainment’s predebut group SM Rookies on
LIFE AND CAREER
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