MAP OF THE SOUL : PERSONA

BTS - MAP OF THE SOUL : PERSONA
Critic Score
Based on 12 reviews
User Score
Based on 701 ratings
2019 Rank: #877
Liked by 43 people
April 12, 2019 / Release Date
EP / Format
Big Hit / Label
K-Pop, Dance-Pop / Genre
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CRITIC REVIEWS

95
The Line of Best Fit

They’re not hiding behind any persona, what they’re sharing here is genuine.

91
Consequence of Sound

With Map of the Soul : Persona, they deliver a ready-for-action EP, hopping easily between genres like hip-hop, rock, R&B, and trap in a multifaceted exploration inside the lives and hearts of one of the biggest boy bands on Earth.

80
AllMusic

Although it's only the first piece of the puzzle, on its own, Map of the Soul: Persona is a fitting celebration for a group at the top of their game.

80
NME

Eight months on from their last album, the Bangtan Boys explore the idea of artist versus idol, roping in a couple of high-profile cameos – from Halsey to Ed Sheeran – to craft a record that sees them continuing to raise the bar.

80
Highsnobiety

Fans probably decided that PERSONA is a masterpiece and a must-have long before it actually came out. However, in this case, the actual contents of the album back this up entirely, managing in just seven tracks what plenty of other bands fail to achieve throughout their entire career.

70
The 405

Map of the Soul: Persona is a bold, if tempered, call to Western media.

61
Pitchfork

BTS have already proven themselves, but on PERSONA, the band spends too much time looking back and not enough time being the K-pop superheroes the world deserves.

60
Clash

‘MAP OF THE SOUL : PERSONA’ is a valiant, and partly successful attempt from K-pop’s biggest band to move forward in their music.

60
The Guardian

Anyone outside of the BTS Army might struggle to grasp what differentiates them from the rest of 2019’s pop landscape.

60
The Independent
It’s forgivable right now but you get the impression that, in order for BTS to appease a crowd larger than their die-hard fanbase, a more ambitious approach to production to match their admirable one to songwriting would be a reassuring move.
50
The Needle Drop

Persona is missing the dramatic punch of BTS's previous work.

peachym0chi
NR

Hmmm what’s bothering me is people not giving an honest review. Some of you giving them a low review just because you don’t like the fan base which is unfair. Also why do people keep mentioning bots, quit it and start acknowledge the huge achievements they made. Now I personally love the album and think it’s one of their best. I find it’s amazing how they were able to reference singing in the rain in their music video. It’s nice to see artists staying true to ... read more

BradTasteMusic
48

I had a funny review where I gave this a 0, and I had a clever comment but honestly... giving this a 0 was what started this nonsense. We are no better than the bots if we spam albums with 0s.

I’m going to keep reviewing music as I do, and I’m going to stop doing the Devs job. I ask my fellow community to do the same. Let them have their K Pop albums, Ariana Grande albums, Marina albums, and whatever else they desire

It won’t stop us from listening to music and building our ... read more

PipePanic
35

Hey new BTS fans/bots! Welcome to the site! A lot of people are coming at you with rightful vitriol, and i'm not gonna be treating you any differently with how you've treated this site recently. However, instead of saying "GET OUT YOUR FUNDAMENTALLY DAMAGING THE CREDIBILITY OF THIS SITE AND STAGNATING IT'S POTENTIAL GROWTH JUST SO YOU CAN CRUSH ON YOUR UWU QUIRKY K-POP GROUP", i'd just like to very quickly say that this site has a lot of people who care very much deeply for the ... read more

kal3nk
48

Yeah this one definitely ain't as fire as FIRE and NOT TODAY.

rs2210
60

Map Of The Soul was an interesting concept but brought down by the boring production because they wanted to appeal to the western audiences. It starts off strong with RM rapping over a very good beat. The 2nd track is so fucking fun and what I would consider the best track of this album Boy With Luv. I really don't like the album past this point except HOME.

aussz
85

BTS EPs are on another level

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Track List

1Intro : Persona
2:51
66
2Boy With Luv
3:49
feat. Halsey
75
3Mikrokosmos
3:44
64
4Make It Right
3:46
58
5HOME
3:54
70
6Jamais Vu
3:47
67
7Dionysus
4:09
63
Total Length: 26 minutes

Year End Lists

#32/Consequence of Sound
#36/NME
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Added on: March 11, 2019