It is around 4:30 AM right now and BTS just released their first single from Map of the Soul: 7, "Black Swan." There is no official MV for this song, but rather an "Art Film" by MN Dance Company, featuring a powerful ballet that tells a poignant story of feeling trapped and struggling for freedom. The version of the song in the Art Film is slowed down, dramatic, and orchestral to work for the ballet performance, whereas the original recording (as found on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, etc.) uses stronger beats and synthetic instrumentals — but both have a sound that we haven't heard from BTS before. It has a mix of R&B with some slow jam pop (the entire rap line sings in this one), but has a sort of fantastical element in it with help from what sounds like a synthetic harp. I suppose it doesn't matter, anyway, as BTS are as multi-genre as it gets. But what I can say is that it's thought-provoking, self-reflective, melancholic, and hauntingly beautiful. And along with "Interlude: Shadow," it does seems that Map of the Soul: 7 will be their darkest album yet.
The title of the song was actually leaked yesterday on Spotify (big oopsie), but after watching this video, we now know why they named this song after the movie of the same name: "Black Swan can be interpreted as a metaphor for achieving artistic perfection, with all of the psychological and physical challenges one might encounter... 'the film can be perceived as a poetic metaphor for the birth of an artist, that is, as a visual representation of [the main character's] psychic odyssey toward achieving artistic perfection and of the price to be paid for it.'"
This brings it back to what BTS is exploring with this Map of the Soul series, which is entirely centred around Carl Jung's Theory of the Unconscious — more specifically, the persona, ego, and shadow archetypes. Black Swan is a very dark, horrific exploration of these these archetypes, shown in a very surreal, psychotic, nightmarish way. While BTS are not using such a disturbing approach, they are using these archetypes to discover themselves through their music, and in turn, trying to get people to think and analyze more deeply, to connect and share ideas, and to create conversation. These are the marks of a true artist — and are exactly why BTS are continually proving that they should be taken seriously as such.
Do your thing
Do your thing with me now
Do your thing
Do your thing with me now
What's my thing?
What's my thing, tell me now
Tell me now
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
The heart no longer races
When hearing the music play
Trying to pull up
Seems like time has stopped
Oh, that would be my first death
I been always afraid of
If this can no longer resonate
No longer make my heart vibrate
Then like this may be how I die my first death
But what if that moment's right now, right now
Heartbeat pulsing slow in my ears
Bump, bump, bump
Try to flee but back into the maw
Jump, jump, jump
No song affects me anymore
Crying out a silent cry
Ocean with all light silenced shut
Yeah, yeah, yeah
My wandering feet held in a rut
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Every noise and sound has been cut
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Killin' me now
Killin' me now
Do you hear me, yeah
Sinking slowly like in a trance
Nah, nah, nah
Struggle but it's all ocean floor
Nah, nah
Every moment becomes eternity
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Film it now
Film it now
Do you hear me, yeah
Do your thing
Do your thing with me now
Do your thing
Do your thing with me now
What's my thing?
What's my thing, tell me now
Tell me now
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Deeper
Yeah, I think I'm going deeper
I keep losing focus
No, just let go of me
Let my own feet carry me
I'll go in myself
In the deepest depths
I saw myself
Slowly, I open my eyes
I'm in my workroom, it's my studio
The waves go darkly by in a throe
But I'll never get dragged away again
Inside, I saw myself, myself
Heartbeat racing in my ears
Bump, bump, bump
Eyes wide open into my forest
Jump, jump, jump
Nothing can devour me
I shout out with ferocity
Do your thing
Do your thing with me now
Do your thing
Do your thing with me now
What's my thing?
What's my thing, tell me now
Tell me now
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Ocean with all light silenced shut
Yeah, yeah, yeah
My wandering feet held in a rut
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Every noise and sound has been cut
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Killin' me now
Killin' me now
Do you hear me, yeah
Sinking slowly like in a trance
Nah, nah, nah
Struggle but it's all ocean floor
Nah, nah
Every moment becomes eternity
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Film it now
Film it now
Do you hear me, yeah
Do your thing
Do your thing with me now
Do your thing
Do your thing with me now
What's my thing?
What's my thing, tell me now
Tell me now
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
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