I’m breaking from the usual format here to share my thoughts on the new album that BTS dropped today. Please, join me.

1. Intro: Persona: When RM spits it is possibly one of my favorite moments in any BTS song. Coming out with a banger from our leader was totally the right call to make here. Wait, no… RM laughing is one of my favorite moments in any BTS song. It’s just full of these fun moments and little embellishments that really make the whole song pop and give you a framework to hang your appreciation off of.
2. Boy With Luv: This is one of the most fun songs in existence. When I need a lift I turn to Boy With Luv
3. Make It Right: I hate falsetto. If there was a weak moment on the CD, it would be this song. I mean, I generally like it, but I am just over falsetto so a whole song featuring it (thanks for nothing, Ed Sheeran) is just over the top.
4. Jamais Vu: I love Jin and Jungkook together. They blend so well. And I wasn’t sure how J-Hope’s flow would blend with the other two… but it’s magic. This song is low and slow and just utter magic. I want to sit in a dark room eating ice cream and crying. Even without knowing the lyrics you can feel that it’s a breakup song and this is what they mean when they say music transcends language.
5. Dionysis: This is my favorite BTS song, currently. I love it’s almost violent energy that just explodes out from it.
6. Interlude: Shadow – Oh, god. I just. I adore this song. And want to hug Suga. The power of the emotions that he is expressing is just unparalleled.
7. Black Swan: I wasn’t sure about this at first, but the more I listen to it… the more I just adore it. I really feel like it’s fragility at the beginning counters well with how harsh the end of Shadow is.
8. Filter: this is a fucking bop. Like, Jimin’s strong and delicate voice just dominating the beat. Every Jimin solo track is magic and this blows the others out of the water. He’s incredible and I cannot wait for his solo album.
9. My Time: My ovaries. I just threw my fucking mouse across my desk because of how much this makes me feel. Jungkook is obviously a fucking shining star. He’s got unparalleled vocals and I cry thinking about how astounding he is. If this doesn’t get major play on American radio stations there is no justice in the world.
10. Louder Than Bombs: if it starts so breathy and airy. When Jimin comes in it’s revolutionary. RM’s piece is so… it resonates. J-Hope. Oh god. J-Hope. This whole song. It makes me want to cry. I feel it deep in my bones. The gravitas of it. HOLY SHIT, SUGA’S DEEP VOICE. fucking coming out of nowhere and killing me. This song resonates. It resonates hope in the face of pain and is a masterpiece.
11. On: I’ve listened to this 400 times since the video came out, and it still gets me hyped up every time I hear it. I want “can’t hold me down ‘cuz you know I’m a fighter” tattooed on my chest
12. Ugh: oh my god. it’s got a very strong very masculine energy to it… but without being abrasive or off-putting and without ruining the flow of the album. Using J-Hope near the end allows them to start with Suga and RM who are much harder and soften it. Not that J-Hope doesn’t go hard, but his flow is very different from Suga and RM. And I liked the way they used that disparity here. I don’t love the outro of the song… yet… but it does call back to their first few albums.
13. 00:00: The transition is very strange. The gunshot right into this very soft melodic and harmonious song. Sort of shocking. I don’t love the quality of Jin’s voice in the pre-chorus. I think they do him dirty when they have him hitting those high notes. Not because he can’t hit them… the vocal control to hit them on cue is incredible… but because so many people doubt his voice I want him to be the center. Just once.
14. Inner Child: This song feels like happiness and bubbles. I love it.
15. Friends: get you a partner who loves you as much as Jimin and V love each other. (Aliens and pinkies… I love it)
16. Moon: It’s not a ballad. I feel like the judge of a competition show. You’ve gone out of your comfort zone on this one, and it really paid off. (For Jin and V.) It’s got a real Beach Boys feel to it and I am living for it. For the first time, Jin is on my shortlist of bangers to get me through work and I am so proud of him. My handsomest baby!
17. Respect: I love this conversation song. It’s amazing. It’s got this whole 80s hip hop feel to it and I just, needed this so much today.
18. We are bulletproof: The Eternal: I’m not crying… you’re crying. ( When they ask if we’re still walking with us I shouted “ALWAYS! YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE”)
19. Outro: EGO: I needed this after The Eternal. I was sobbing. J-Hope is life and joy and just what you need to counteract something so moving and beautiful. J-Hope makes you laugh when you want to cry. He’s beautiful and magic and I love him.
20. On (feat Sia): I wish they’d used Sia more, but I love the way they layer her voice in the song. I just feel like they could have used her more as she does layer so well with the boys.

And that’s it. We’ve come back. Join me Monday when I (have a) breakdown (over) On.

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