(Warning: This post is extremely long and photo-heavy.)
BTS' Proof: Collector's Edition is the third version of Proof. It was released on September 28, 2022, with the first round of pre-orders for ARMY Fanclub members starting on August 28, 2022, and the second round of pre-orders for the general public starting on September 16, 2022. This is the only edition of Proof that is limited — once all copies are sold, it will be out of production. As a result, the sales of this album are not counted in music charts at the label's request. Due to its limited production and exclusive contents, Proof: Collector's Edition retails for ₩297,000 or $275.91 USD on Weverse Shop Global. With shipping to Canada, this album cost me $390.56 USD, not including duties and taxes from DHL upon delivery. Basically, it is not for the light of heart. Or bank account.
This album differs greatly from the other versions of Proof. The first thing is, obviously, the size. People were calling the Standard version a brick. If that's a brick, then this is a boulder. It is approximately 9 kg or 20 lbs., with dimensions of 31.5cm W x 31.5cm H x 10cm D. (In case you're having a hard time imagining this, it is bigger and thicker than the average physical dictionary or encyclopedia.) The outer box is made of a thick matted silver plastic (like PVC) that gives it the illusion of looking like metal. It is engraved with the BTS/Proof logo on the front, with the Proof title all around the sides. The outer box acts as a sleeve for the inner frame, which holds all of the contents.
Upon pulling out the inner frame, you will find a set of premium photos, one for each member. These measure 29.6 cm W x 29.5 H. As with all premium photos, they are made of thick paper boards. Behind the premium photos is a large fold-out poster featuring a Door version group concept photo, measuring 60.2 cm W x 88.8 cm H. And then behind the poster is the mother of all photobooks — with dimensions of 30.1 cm W x 29.6 cm H x 5.5 cm D, and a whopping 564 pages, this is the largest BTS publication that has ever been released. This book contains 5 sections:
- The Art of Proof
- Anecdote
- Photograph
- Epilogue
- Lyrics
The Art of Proof contains their discography in chronological order, including album covers, dates of release, and concept photos from each album; a timeline of their records; a section featuring their world tours with photos; a section featuring their UN speeches; and a photoshoot of the members going through their old photos for this album.
Anecdote contains Q&As for each member, in which they reflect on their journey as BTS from debut until now. Each member section also includes photos from his individual solo shoot. Anecdote features the members in fan chant order. (Note that all text in this section are printed in Korean. There are no English translations.)
Photograph features — you guessed it — their two main photoshoots for this album, the Proof concept and the Door concept. All the photos for the Proof concept are printed on glossy paper, whereas the Door concept is printed on matte paper like the rest of the book. This section includes solo, subgroup, and full group photos.
Epilogue contains behind-the-scenes photos from all their shoots for this Proof. The Lyrics section obviously contains all the lyrics to the songs contained in Proof, as well as credits at the end.
Of course, the back of the frame includes the 3 discs of Proof. Disc 1 is blue, Disc 2 is red, and Disc 3 is silver. The tracklist of each disc remains the same as the Standard version. In general, Disc 1 includes BTS' title tracks and major hits over the last 9 years, Disc 2 includes member solo and subunit tracks, and Disc 3 includes demo versions of existing songs and previously unreleased tracks. The contents of the CDs are as follows:
CD 1:
- Born Singer
- No More Dream
- N.O
- Boy in Luv
- Danger
- I Need U
- Run
- Fire
- Blood Sweat & Tears
- Spring Day
- DNA
- Fake Love
- Idol
- Boy With Luv (feat. Halsey)
- ON
- Dynamite
- Life Goes On
- Butter
- Yet to Come
CD 2:
- Run BTS
- Intro: Persona
- Stay
- Moon
- Jamais Vu
- Trivia: Seesaw
- BTS Cypher Pt. 3: Killer (feat. Supreme Boi)
- Outro: Ego
- Her
- Filter
- Friends
- Singularity
- 00:00 (Zero O'Clock)
- Euphoria
- Dimple
CD 3:
- Jump [Demo]
- Young Love
- Boy in Luv [Demo]
- Quotation Mark
- I Need U [Demo]
- Boyz With Fun [Demo]
- Tony Montana (Agust D feat. Jimin)
- Young Forever [RM's Demo]
- Spring Day [V's Demo]
- DNA [J-Hope's Demo]
- Epiphany [Jin's Demo]
- Seesaw [Suga's Demo]
- Still With You (Acapella)
- For Youth
There are 4 sets of photocards that come with Proof: Collector's Edition. The first set features BTS' solo shoots for Proof, and are AR cards. You will need to download the Withvuu AR app (which is free) to actually see the AR; when you go into camera mode in the app and put a card in view, the card will feature the member moving. (As far as I've tested, none of the cards play sound, but the Withvuu AR app is very glitchy.) The second set features members' selfies from their Proof solo shoots. The third set features instant photo-style pictures of the members during their Door concept shoot. The fourth set features the members from the Proof concept shoot, and are 3D lenticular cards. On the back of these cards is a handwritten message from each member. These also come with a QR code that you can scan with the Weverse Shop app — it features a video clip of the same handwritten message on the card. It's totally unnecessary, but you will get the "BTS Proof ARMY Letter" emblem for your rewards section of Weverse Shop.
Finally, my album came with a few special gifts for pre-order customers: a mini group poster, a ticket to access the special on-site photo booth and photo zone at the 2022 BTS Exhibition: Proof (unfortunately, the exhibitions are in Korea and I won't be able to visit during this period), and a randomized member photocard from The Moment of Proof (I got RM).
A lot of people were complaining that this album is way too expensive, that they could get floor tickets to a BTS concert for this price, that it's a cash grab for HYBE, etc. Guys, this is a COLLECTOR'S EDITION for a reason. It is NOT FOR EVERYONE. It's why HYBE very specifically states that this album will not count towards the music charts — there is a limited number of this edition that will be made, so it is NOT FOR THE MASSES. It's why they initially released the Standard and Compact versions — so there is something for everyone. (I also don't understand the mentality of those who are saying, "HYBE is getting too greedy." HYBE is a fucking business. They survive on making profits.) That having been said, I have zero regrets in getting this album. As a BTS collector, this edition was literally made for ARMYs like me. It is beautifully curated, the packaging is befitting for a limited collector's item, and they added enough extra and different content from the other editions to make it worthy of the price tag.
Only problem now is, where to put?
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