Awesome Music / BTS

As one of the top rising K-Pop boy bands of the new tens, BTS have some impressive songs.

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2013

• "N.O" reveals a greater ambition beneath BTS' hip-hop persona, adding orchestral elements and rage-against-the-machine lyrical heft.
• "If I Ruled The World" is epic yet relaxing.
• "Coffee" was very sad but also beautiful.

2014

• "Boy In Luv" is a true turning point in their career, marking a transition to a slightly poppier, robustly produced sound while still retaining the edge that makes them so unique.
• "Just One Day" and "Miss Right" were both smooth, Lighter and Softer masterpieces.
• "Danger" has an epic beat with a darker atmosphere, but also has a softer version.
• "War of Hormone" had an old-rock style feel to the song, befitting the music video's retro aesthetics.
• "Hip Hop Lover" describes the hip hop genre by BTS and its intense tone.
• "Let Me Know" is a sad, soothing, and beautiful track.
• The funky tone of "Look Here" is fun to dance to.

2015

• The music video for the sad yet powerful "I Need U" changed the game for the group, connecting several of their other videos together into one continuous storyline and caused flurries of fan theories to erupt online following the release, and helped establish the band's current aesthetic and styles.
• "Dope" gives the ultimate BTS vibe with the intense tone and powerful beat, and a catchy saxophone hook.
• Both "Boyz With Fun" and "Converse High" have a lively tone and funky beat.
• "Run" has an energetic feel with a mix of melancholy and intensity.
• "Butterfly" is a very heartwrenching ballad.
• "Whalien 52" is catchy and relaxing.
• Both "Ma City" and "Baepsae/Silver Spoon" have fast-tempo melodies and unique tones. The lyrics to "Baepsae" are pretty awesome as well, calling out the older generation for encouraging youth exploitation through "passion pay" and pushing back against the criticisms of the younger generation on their lifestyle choices, buying habits, and media consumption, due to having it much harder.

2016

• Intro: Boy Meets Evil is an underappreciated masterpiece, sung by J-Hope (with backing vocals by Jungkook). It's quick and effective at setting the tone of the WINGS album.
• The epic "Fire" and unique "Save Me" are both catchy and addictive.
• The full version of "Love Is Not Over" is a very heartbreaking ballad.
• "Blood, Sweat, and Tears" shows a Darker and Edgier side of BTS as they achieve much success with this epic track.
• WINGS is the first album to give the BTS members solo tracks, which give each of them a chance to shine.
  • "Begin", Jungkook's solo, is hauntingly beautiful and expresses his love for his fellow members, thanking them for making him who he is today.
  • Jimin's solo, "LIE", is stunning in both vocals and performance, and during live performances, he even performs parts of the choreography blindfolded.
  • V also allows his vocal prowess to shine in his solo "Stigma", closing out the melancholy R&B track with a chill-inducing falsetto performance.
  • SUGA raps about his first love, the piano, in his solo, aptly titled "First Love". It's a powerfully heart-stirring track, with SUGA's raw, emotional vocals backed by a lush instrumental accompaniment of piano and strings.
  • "Reflection", RM's solo, carries a wistful, yet relaxing melody, culminating with the repeated refrain "I wish I could love myself." During one performance, ARMYs answered this refrain with "We love you!", and empowered by this response, RM changed the words, rapping, "Yes, I do love myself!"
  • "MAMA", J-hope's solo, is a funky, upbeat track that also doubles as heartwarming. It's a love letter to his mother, thanking her for supporting him through his childhood and adulthood.
  • For Jin's solo, "Awake", the lyrics are both tear-jerking and uplifting, stating while he might not be able to fly, he will still keep pushing forward and achieve his dreams.

2017

• "Spring Day" has an upbeat sound, but the lyrics will make you cry.
• "Not Today" is an awesomely catchy song with an empowering message about underdogs.
• The 2017 Festa brought us "4 O'Clock" by RM and V (inspired by the idea of meeting a friend in the hours before the sunrise), a simple yet beautiful ballad that could be perfect to listen in the middle of the night or around a campfire. It also brought us Suga's more finalized version of "So Far Away", now featuring the vocals of Jin and Jungkook. It's absolutely beautiful; a Tear Jerker and a Heartwarming song all at once. Its lyrics talk about the hardships Suga has had to suffer in finding a dream, yet wish that listeners find a prosperous end even if their beginnings are humble.
• As if being inspired by President Barack Obama's mic drop after his last correspondence dinner wasn't awesome enough, "MIC Drop" serves as a continuation from the track, "SKIT: Billboard Music Awards Speech", as BTS show off the results of their hard work and perseverance to their critics, concluding that they have nothing more to say to those who bash them, as they went from being "dirt spoon artists" to being global K-Pop icons.

2018

• The original songs in FACE YOURSELF are this, making especially the vocal line shine:
  • "Don't Leave Me" was created for the Japanese version of the Korean drama "Signal", and it shows. It's very tense and emotional.
  • "Let Go" is an all-around Tear Jerker.
  • "Crystal Snow" is a beautiful and calm Power Ballad, and is one of the best showcases of every member's talent out of their discography. The instrumental is perfect for a winter day, the rap line's verses are slow and soothing to go with it and the vocal line take a very soulful approach to the song's chorus. The absolute highlights of the song are towards the end, when Jin sings a triple high note in the background of Jungkook's part, and Jimin shows off his range with his vocalizations shortly after.
• There was a long wait after LOVE YOURSELF: HER, but boy was LOVE YOURSELF: TEAR worth it, featuring some of the best work of all of the members:
  • V once again makes use of his low, sultry voice in "Intro: Singularity", setting the dark mood of the album.
  • "Fake Love" perfectly encapsulates the desperate, explosive feeling of not being able to handle putting on a mask to please a loved one anymore. And a catchy one, to boot! The extended version (also known as the Rocking Vibe Mix) adds drums and heavy electric guitar, turning it into a fully emo-rock song.
  • "The Truth Untold" (ft. Steve Aoki) completely went against what anyone expected of an Aoki collaboration. The minimalistic instrumentals, the lyrics and the vocal line's heartfelt delivery make it an absolute Tear Jerker of a ballad. Possibly the best work of the vocal line.
  • "134340" is one of their most experimental songs to date, both in production and lyrics. It compares the separation after a break-up or falling out with the coldness and loneliness of Pluto, with the production (featuring a flute!) giving it a cosmic, yet somber feel.
  • "Paradise", about not having to have big dreams or rush into things to be happy, has an appropriately relaxed vibe.
  • "Love Maze" features one of the best/catchiest choruses in BTS' repertory.
  • "Magic Shop" is pure Sweet Dreams Fuel. Produced by Jungkook, the song is comforting both in production and lyrics.
  • BTS shows their versatility once again by successfully going into Latin pop with "Airplane Pt.2". They even included a verse from J-Hope's trap-inspired "Airplane" and made it work!
  • "Anpanman" is a playful and incredibly infectious song.
  • "So What" is the perfect song to let go of your worries and just dance.
  • "Outro: Tear" samples the music from none other than the Highlight Reels (which already was Awesome Music in itself) for a song that features what could be the best work of the rap line in all aspects. RM's rapid-fire, angry delivery, Suga's experimentation with autotune (better than it sounds), and what Anthony Fantano has described as J-Hope becoming a complete emotional wreck, make it an amazingly powerful end to the album, and one of the best songs by BTS.
• The 2018 Festa didn't disappoint either:
  • To much delight of the fans, they released "Spring Day (Brit Rock Remix)", the one that was used in the Golden Disk Awards at the beginning of the year. Aside from the changes in instrumentals (though the drums in the pre-chorus after the second verse, as well as the use of electric guitar all bear mention), it brings the backing vocals to the forefront (like the teaser for the original version did), as well as the "ooohs" at the end. It's beautiful.
  • Jin's cover of "가을 우체국 앞에서" ("In Front of the Post Office in Autumn", originally by YB), featuring a harmonica; the song fits Jin's beautiful heartfelt vocals. He really has come far.
  • "DDAENG", by the rap line. The Take That! of all Take Thats against every figure in the industry, news site and anti who ever ignored, looked down on, or tried to attack BTS, all set to a catchy beat. Along with "Outro: Tear", it's a serious contender for the best rap line-only song.
  • Member Jimin released a song at the very end of 2018 called "Promise", one that he wrote and produced himself. It's a relaxing track, easy on the ears and showing off Jimin's sweet singing voice.

2019

• At the beginning of the year, V released a self-written, self-composed track, which he named "Scenery." It's a soft, gentle, yet bittersweet ballad which invokes feelings of nostalgia and longing while contemplating the past and future.
• 2019 saw the release of the mini-album Map Of The Soul: Persona, which contains seven tracks, each with their own unique sound. Notable examples include "Boy With Luv" and "Dionysus". The former is an airy, upbeat pop song about how learning to love yourself makes you feel much happier in life, and the latter is a propulsive, rap-rock styled banger inspired by Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, revelry, and epiphanies (get it?). The other songs on the album are worth a listen too.
  • The first track, "Intro: Persona", which samples "Intro: Skool Luv Affair", has RM reflecting through rap about what he is and what he wants to do as "RM" (in contrast to the person behind that persona, Kim Namjoon), culminating in a chant ("PERSONA! Who the hell am I?!") that will make you want to shout along.
  • "Mikrokosmos", while being a pure pop sound, is more than upbeat - "luminous" would be a better way to describe it, with the mood instantly shifting into something joyous yet emotional the moment the instrumentals kick in.
  • "Jamais Vu," performed by Jin, Jungkook and j-hope, is melancholy yet hopeful. The choruses ("Please give me a remedy...") beautifully show off Jin's and Jungkook's breathtaking vocals, and j-hope's rap verses are something to admire as well.

2020

• The interlude/comeback trailer for MAP OF THE SOUL: 7, "Interlude: Shadow", with SUGA. Samples "Intro: O!RUL8,2?" to make a Ironic Echo to that song with a dark and gritty twist as he reflects on the fears underneath fame and his dreams. The sudden shift at the end (with a sudden beat change) really hits.
• Both versions of the first single, "Black Swan", are gorgeous in different ways, with both taking on the subject of the fear as an artist of not being able to feel anything about art. In both, a beautiful melancholic guitar works as the hook and the vocals of all the members are distorted and become harder to distinguish from one another as if emphasizing how this feeling is larger than each one or even all of them, as well as conveying the feeling of one's voice and passion being lost. One is the audio version, which mixes the guitar hook with a trap beat, and the other is the video (art film) version, where the guitar is instead accompanied by orchestral strings that can seriously bring chills.
• BTS bring us another anthem single in "ON", now with a marching band. Along with the powerful drums and chorus, a highlight is the bridge, with Jungkook's vocals elevating the song even more by bringing it to a chills-inducing climax.
• "Filter" combines Jimin's uniquely seductive vocals with a Latin-inspired guitar for a clever song about Jimin's awareness of both his versatility and his image in the eye of the beholder.
• "My Time" has Jungkook at his best with his clear, expressive voice in a melancholic R&B/pop song about longing and his unique upbringing and experience as an idol superstar.
• "Louder Than Bombs" (co-written by Troye Sivan) is a darker pop song in a manner atypical for BTS (with its closest cousin, and maybe mirror/Sequel Song, perhaps being "Sea"), where they talk about the pain hidden behind smiles they can see in the stories they hear from fans.
• "UGH!", this album's rap line song, does not disappoint at all. Here, SUGA, RM and j-hope examine anger in social media with an equally explosive and angry track, doing what they do best.
• The vocal line track "00:00 (Zero'O Clock)" is one of BTS' strongest comfort Sweet Dreams Fuel songs, about hoping that 00:00 o'clock signifies the start of a new day.
• "Inner Child" is a heartwarming song about talking to and embracing your younger self with a very nostalgic, larger-than-life sound, made all the more powerful with V's vocals.
• "Friends" is as happy and uplifting as a friendship song can be, with V and Jimin's contrasting vocals telling their story as soulmates.
• "Moon" is a catchy, playful (if somewhat bittersweet) track by Jin which talks about his relationship with fans, using the metaphor of him as the bright, beautiful moon that can only exist while orbiting and admiring the Earth.
• "Respect" is a relaxed boom bap song by rappers RM and SUGA, who spend the song reflecting and bickering (including a skit at the end) about what "respect" (a heavy but overused word) really means.
• "We Are Bulletproof: The Eternal" is a huge departure from "We Are Bulletproof" (parts 1 and 2), being instead an EDM anthem (and an absolute Tear Jerker) where they look back at their hardships together with ARMY throughout their career and sing about now being unafraid to keep going forward.
• The final song released as a comeback trailer before MAP OF THE SOUL: 7 (and final song in the album) is "Outro: Ego" (warning for Epileptic Flashing Lights in the video). Following the pattern of "Persona" and "Shadow", it goes all the way back to "Intro: 2 Cool 4 Skool" (the very first track in their debut album), sampling the beginning with its beat then morphing into a new African-rhythm-inspired one with a fun, very j-hope-like sound, turning into a self-reflecting but celebratory tune about j-hope and BTS's journey.
• May 2020 saw the release of SUGA's highly-anticipated second mixtape released under his Agust D persona, D-2, which not only shows off his incredible rapping prowess in tracks like title track "Daechwita" and "Strange" (featuring RM!), but his vocal chops as well in tracks like "People" and "Interlude: Set Me Free." The mixtape also boasts a number of collaborations with other artists, such as "Dear My Friend" featuring Kim Jong Wan and "Burn It" featuring American singer-songwriter MAX (who posted an acoustic version of the song on his Twitter account).
• June 2020 saw the release of Jungkook's first self-composed SoundCloud track, "Still With You", and it did not disappoint at all. Jungkook's mesmerizing voice shines alongside the jazz-inspired instrumentals as he sings about a longing to see loved ones again after a long time, something that many listeners resonated with at the time.
• "Your Eyes Tell", another Jungkook-produced song, was released at around the same time as "Still With You". It's a soft yet powerful ballad that perfectly captures all of the members' voices, and pure Sweet Dreams Fuel. It was even used as the theme song for the Japanese film of the same name.
• "Life Goes On", the title track from their completely self-produced album BE, serves as a comforting reminder that even in the darkest times, there's always a light at the end of the tunnel.
• "Blue and Grey", produced by V, is a somber track about the emptiness and burnout that comes from being isolated at home for long periods of time, while still being expected to stay productive.
• "Dis-ease" is a hip-hop styled song with a distinctive beat, meant to capture the feelings of anxiety and mental ups and downs during uncertain times. In the bridge, the vocal line all shine in their high-register voices and bring a powerful and emotional climax to the song.
• For his birthday, Jin released an original song, "Abyss", onto the group's SoundCloud and YouTube accounts. The lyrics compare the feeling of burnout to being trapped in a black hole, and Jin's vocals capture the melancholy atmosphere perfectly, notably with his powerful high notes in the song's chorus.
• Christmas 2020 saw the release of two holiday-themed songs, "Christmas Love" by Jimin and "Snow Flower" by V, a collaboration with Korean artist Peakboy. As a bonus, both V and Peakboy are part of a friendship group chat along with Park Seo-joon, Park Hyung-sik, and Choi Woo-shik.

2021

• "Film Out", an original Japanese song co-produced by Back Number, is a soothing yet sad Power Ballad that deals with the fear of losing memories of a loved one that's no longer within reach.
• While "Butter" was already an extremely fun, catchy song that mixed the best of worlds between English songwriting and the rap line's talents, the remix featuring Megan Thee Stallion manages to be even better, and possibly the best feature in a BTS track. Megan feels right at home with not just one verse, but also ad libs that complement the other members throughout the whole track.
• For Festa 2021, RM released an original SoundCloud track called "Bicycle", a calm track about the happiness that comes from riding a bicycle out in nature, and RM's soothing vocals are reminiscent of his works on mono..
• "Permission to Dance" is an uplifting and optimistic track about living in the moment and dancing like no one's watching, a perfect gift for ARMY on the anniversary of the fandom's officiation.
• Their feature in Coldplay's "My Universe" blends the best of both acts into a larger-than-life sounding song in both English and Korean about love that crosses barriers, using a synth-pop sound that fits the outer-space imagery and culminating in a powerful instrumental electro-dance breakdown at the end.
• For Jin's birthday, he dropped the energetic "Super Tuna", a short but very fun and catchy track about Jin's own passion for fishing and nothing but delightful.

2022

• "Yet to Come", the title track for BTS's anthology album Proof, is a Sweet Dreams Fuel song that invokes nostalgia in fans, especially those who have been with BTS for years, with lyrics about acknowledging the good memories of the past while looking forward to the future.
• "Run BTS" is a bold hip-hop song that wouldn't have been out of place in the group's 2013-2014 discography, which matches the song's lyrics that praise how far BTS has risen since their debut and commends the members' hard work for getting them this far.
• "For Youth" takes the emotions felt by the members in the past 10 years and reflects on them in a slow-paced, bittersweet ballad that takes the listener on a journey. The song samples "Epilogue: Young Forever" being sung by ARMYs in BTS's 2019 Wembley Stadium concert as an opening (which is then repeated throughout the rest of the track), which then leads into one of the most heartfelt performances ever done by the vocal line as well as the rap line showing off how much they've improved in their vocals as well, and is a perfect end to BTS's first chapter.

2023

• "Take Two", released on the band's 10th anniversary, is one of their many love letters to their ARMY fanbase, with the lyrics reflecting their desire to always be with them even if they're far apart and the newest chapter of their careers as artists.

Other

• All the covers they've posted in Soundcloud. Jungkook in particular has posted a ton. Some notable ones are Troye Sivan's "Fools" (covered by Jungkook and RM), "We don't talk anymore pt. 2" (by Jimin and Jungkook), Tori Kelly's "Paper Hearts" (by Jungkook), the aforementioned "가을 우체국 앞에서" (by Jin), among others.
• Their MTV Unplugged cover of Coldplay's "Fix You" manages to capture the emotions of the original beautifully, with the vocal line shining front and center in their high registers and the low, soothing vocals of the rap line mixing very well with them.
• Their BBC cover of "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans. The vocalists show off their amazing ranges in both high and low notes (Jin and Jimin in particular), and the rap line even arranged Korean verses for their parts and made them blend in seamlessly with the English of the original.

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