BTS, a seven-member, South Korean boyband, stepped completely out of their comfort zone with their sixth extended album entitled “Map of The Soul: Persona.” The style and execution of their songs makes the sixth album different yet compelling, containing songs with individual themes.
The seven boys of BTS, which stands for “Bangtan Boys,” are securing their spot on the charts with rap-centric music, earning themselves an amount of acclaim that is rare for international artists. In 2018, their studio album “Love Yourself” became the first Korean album to ever top the U.S charts. This year, “Map of the Soul: Persona” has already hit number one on the Billboard 200, shortly after its April 12 release.
The album is named after the work of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung. He was very interested in the way people worked, their motives and their personalities. His book, “Map of The Soul,” goes over his theories in depth and is currently being sold through BTS’ online store. By naming their album after the book, BTS received a lot attention from their fans, bringing light to a piece of text that could otherwise be unheard of.
In many of their past albums, BTS stuck with the same type of genre. Whether it be more punk sounding, or smooth, romantic sounding, their albums tend to lack variety in terms of style. This album, however, has a calming, soft-pop influence on it, but there are songs that stick out, such as “Intro: Persona,” or “Dionysus,” which have more of a rock presence to them, and “Boy with Luv,” which has a pop funk sound. The album also features songs with artists such as Halsey and Ed Sheeran, two highly-influential and well-respected musicians.
There are strong themes apparent in each BTS album, but a lot of songs released on “Map of the Soul: Persona” had individual themes. A popular example is “Intro: Persona,” which is about RM’s struggle with his identity because of fame. Fans idolize him and make him out to be someone who is perfect, so he is torn between who he wants himself to be and what everyone already thinks he is, a struggle that everyone has experienced before.
“Map of the Soul: Persona” has proven to be the most unique of all six BTS albums, not only standing out with new genres and important, overarching themes, but also supporting the work of Carl Jung. This album is available to purchase in stores and on iTunes for $21.99.