I woke up to over 100 notifications from three of my different group chats with messages consisting of variations of, “BTS dropped their new music video and it’s FIRE!” No, it actually is “Fire” — that is the video’s title. I should not have expected to be able to finish the album unscathed — or unburned.
Although “Young Forever,” is a two-part CD album, only three songs are new. BTS, a Korean hip-hop group, created the “Young Forever” album by combining the separate Part 1 and Part 2 CDs into one and adding a few remixes and three new songs. Despite this, the amount of remixes, full length features and the new songs combined give the trilogy a whole new feel — and a satisfying conclusion.
celebration of youth
Before the album, BTS first released the music video for the song “Epilogue: Young Forever.” “Young Forever” is a celebration of youth and an encouragement to keep going. It contains dynamic and emotional vocals portraying the fear young adults feel. The song ends with the whole band harmonizing the words, “Forever we are young. Even if we fall and are hurt we will endlessly run after our dreams.” I can already picture BTS stopping this song during a concert in order to listen to ARMYs, fans of BTS, sing together instead. Considering ARMY in and of itself stands for: Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth, I can see “Young Forever” becoming an anthem.
Most of the time I tend to skip remixes. I usually find it lazy for an artist to just tweak a song and feature it on an album, but BTS convinced me to reconsider. The remix for “I NEED U” makes the song more EDM-like, with modernized technology and bass drops. The urban remix for “I NEED U,” however, changes the feel of the song entirely. Instead of the powerful angry way “I need you” was sung, it is now a slow plea. “Run” and “Butterfly” also got remixes, including a ballad remix for “Run.”
for a wild ride
The song mentioned in the beginning, “Fire” is literally, well, fire. The beginning of the song immediately builds up with anticipation and cuts off with a pause as Suga, one of the rappers, says, “burning it up” with a crooked smirk on his face. The listener automatically knows they are in for a wild ride. The music video itself truly portrays the “Young Forever” aesthetic, with seven men in their twenties running around playing with fire. The poppy dances, fast pace, synthesized chorus, low bass and energetic lyrics creates a song truly ablaze.
an upbeat rhythm
“Fire” would be my favorite song hands down if it were not for “Save Me.” Instead of the “Carpe Diem” concept of “Fire,” BTS pleads with the lyrics through “Save Me” to — quite literally — save them. The vocal line hauntingly and breathily sing emotional words such as “I want to breath, I hate this night” and “I’m trapped inside of myself, I’m dead.” Despite the song having an upbeat rhythm, the mood itself remains sad as BTS years for someone to free them from themselves.
Sadly “Young Forever” is part three in their “Most Beautiful Moment in Life” trilogy, meaning the trilogy has concluded. But do not expect BTS to remain silent. They are “young forever,” after all.
