BE

At the height of their powers with more eyes and ears on them than ever before, BTS has produced an album that’s as raw as anything that has come before, gone against the grain and, once again, challenged and defied their own expectations.

The Bangtan Boys accomplish exactly what they set out to do with this album: bring comfort to their listeners and remind people around the world that they are not alone in their experiences.

If “universal” songwriting can move people regardless of country or language spoken, then BTS’s music already is universal. Are they also aiming for music that will stand the test of time? That might not have been the seven artists’ main intention in BE (2020) – but if it were, they have succeeded.

Despite its brief runtime, Be is an expert snapshot of time and place, a document of a worldwide event that manages to strengthen their connection to their listeners and push their songcraft forward with focus, heart, and humanity.

Just as ‘BE’ cycles through the various ever-changing moods the pandemic has made a constant in our lives, it’s also finds the band constantly moving between genres, each attempt a triumph.

In just eight songs, BTS have accomplished the same genre-bending they usually do in double that runtime. And for the most part, the album avoids the pitfall of sounding like a checklist.

EDM bangers? Check. Melancholic ballads? Why certainly. Great vocal arrangements which switch from rap to angelic falsetto in the blink of an eye? Step right this way. You’ll find all this and more on Be.

In a year when profundity is woven into the mundane, when the rote tasks of getting through the day have taken on new intensity, BTS soften and shine.

BE may be the most on-brand album BTS has ever made, recognizing hardship while offering healing and hope and a way to look past our current pain. It’s what BTS has been about since the start of their career.

'BE' is on-brand for the band who have always recognised hardships but never left things without a resolution of healing, however, everything about the album feels like a gift to their fans rather than a passer-by listening in.

BTS may follow in the footsteps of international artists with English-language crossover appeal like Shakira or Enrique Iglesias, but slight, self-referential releases like the pleasantly lukewarm Be won’t be enough for them to maintain a lasting foothold stateside or outside of their devoted fanbase.

BE doesn’t overstay its welcome, coming and going in less than half an hour and, like pretty much all BTS albums before it, it doesn’t take many risks.