u/intellectual-veggie

Wanted to post this in a neutral sub too for more diversity in opinion. This is part 1 of 2, had too much to say and it was too big to fit into one post so I split it. The other part is linked right here: https://www.reddit.com/r/ARMYNeutral/comments/1tcst3a/arirang_review_22/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Mom said it was my turn to write a long ass take on Arirang that no one wants to read.🧍🏽‍♀️~~(Actually, I'd greatly appreciate it if you did.)~~

I was going to type this up 2 days after Arirang came out but then my opinions kept flip-flopping all over the place so I decided to give a week...which turned into a month... and into almost 2 months (I'm a very busy person, sadly). Remembered I had this saved in my drafts and decided to finish it off so enjoy. I actually think waiting this long was good because the initial hype of new BTS music and the 50 billion think pieces have finally washed over and I think we consume music too quickly and move on rather than having it sit with us for awhile.

So, BTS is finally back (yay!) and the opinions on this comeback are varied to say the least. In what I find quite fascinating, I find disappointment among kpop stans, divide among armys, and appreciation among others. I've been seeing so many things that I wanted to take some time to articulate my thoughts into one post to help me make sense of my feelings and thoughts among the chaos. I would like to mention as well for context and bearing that I became an army in 2022, making this my first OT7 comeback as an ARMY, but I have been a general fan of BTS and their work since 2017 so I have witnessed several comebacks from a distance as a casual fan.

I wanted to start off reviewing each track and rating it, so here goes:

1. Body to Body (8/10): This song is a banger and I am on team this-should-have-been-the-single like 99% of people. What a way to open an album and it screams "BTS is motherfucking back" with riling up the crowd as way of homecoming of sorts (I have more on this later). The beat is too catchy, perfect blend of vocals to rap part, and of course, the amazing interpolation of Arirang that has wonderful vocal styling and percussion that blends seamlessly into the song that it gives me chills the minute the transition starts with JK's vocals and the traditional percussion hits. My only gripes is that the song's lack of a proper structured chorus is kinda bugging me at times and the heavy overuse of autotune that kinda messes with the enjoyment of the vocal line (especially Jimin, really wish they would stop using it on his voice because he has a unique tone that gets altered with the autotune) but other than that I really enjoy this song.
2. Hooligan (7.5/10): Now, I'm aware this wasn't everyone cup of tea but I'm a Hooligan defender. I think the whole song slaps and its weird and chaotic in all the ways that it scratches my brain and its not nowhere close to being as awful as people act like it is. The laughs are an interesting yet weird choice that works for me (apparently people hated the laughs as if the laughs personally murdered a child). The knife slashes and the pounding beat sound cool but this also could be me having heard traditional folk music from my culture that have similar elements so it doesn't faze me as much (I also really enjoy Tyler the Creator and Sticky off of Chromokopia so I see influences there). The classical instrumental is nice touch and Jinkook "Take you out" part with the choreo is so addictive and Hobi's verse is really good (especially the "crowd looking like a campus" part). My only issue with the song is that I keep waiting for big buildup with a louder and more chaotic/noisy instrumental but it doesn't happen. It doesn't really deviate from my enjoyment of the song and while the song is weird and good, I think they fumbled a bit by resorting a little bit to a "safer" melody and instrumental when they could have fully leaned into the weirdness, especially when the chorus hits and prior verse is interesting but then it just goes back into "watch this, watch this".
3. Aliens (9.5/10): Now this what I call a BANGER. First few secs of the track and BAM, welcome back Agust mfing D. That's no SUGA nor Min Yoongi, that's Agust D coming back for spite one last time with that fiery loaded beat that drops with every sense of conviction. Open a song like that and I am SAT. I love this track for its boldness spoken into every line and BTS putting their foot down. I absolutely chuckle at the shoes reference as an Asian myself but I also love the subtle reference to the Jungmori rhythm, the Korean alphabet, and the Korean poet in a classic BTS "alluding to things" and "shading your bloodline" double combo. Initially, I was a little put back a the weird vocal distortion at the post chorus (??) especially with Jinmin but idk I kinda don't mind?? Absolutely love the ending with the chants and I get chills all the time.
4. FYA (7.5/10): Ngl, the Namseok's verses a bit too repetitive and eh for me but considering the song I can get past it since its not really meant to be a serious song and the best part of the song is ahead. I love the beat on this song and how catchy it is. The kinda music I expect to play at the clubs when I turn up but get disappointed nowadays when its a snoozefest. JK's "can't forget" is permanently etched into my brain along with the beat drop in between Namgi's parts. Also, its criminal how I see people ignore the obvious best part of the whole song is clearly Yoongi's verse. His verse is what I need when I throw on my hot girl walk playlist for the gym.
5. 2.0 (4/10): This song is a skip for me, sorry. The MV was great and hilarious and one their best MVs recently speaking and choreo is slick af but the song just doesn't do anything for me. Maybe it's because I'm not just a fan of that particular rap style and I typically don't listen to hiphop in this particular style but I can't say this song is interesting to me. Hobi's verse seems well done but not enough to get me going. I think some of the chants and the "RIDEEEEE" "Yk how I do" parts got stuck in my head tho. I can't really forget those and they are oddly addictive but other than those part being an ear worm, that's all I remember from the song. The beat is really nice and I keep waiting for something bigger but it never comes and leaves me a little starved for more.
6. No. 29 (10000/10): SOTY ALL THE GRAMMYS FOR THIS ONE, jokes aside I think I like concept of tonal shift of the album being demarcated by an ancient bell (and the following silence) is cool and funny, otherwise I really got no opinion for this one
7. Swim (7/10): BTS somehow encapsulated "the dead wife montage at the start of action movie" and put it into a song. Its a radio friendly song so I don't expect much from it but its nice. I've really become a hater of the radio as of late and they play the same damn 3 songs over and over again so hearing this would feel like a bottle of fresh water in the desert (or any song that isn't the same 3 songs tbh, my local radio station is gonna get jumped by me one day). I think it flows well and is made for easy listening when driving so I see their point. Would I have enjoyed a more stronger track as a lead single? Yes, but I liked the song from the first listen and I think it flows well. Ik it's much simpler but I really love the choreo and it just flows like water. Idk why but I love the "moon and sharks" line, its different from "moon and stars" and it takes the loneliness and uncertainty of the ocean into account. I love Jin's remix of it sm with the guitars at the end, they should have made that one the main one.
8. Merry Go Round (10/10): Ngl while I picked up on the Tame Impala production from Kevin instantly I kinda didn't really vibe with this on first listen (I will say it dropped close to midnight for me and I had been up since crack of dawn with tons of work so atp I was just fading from exhaustion). On my relisten of the album with the lyrics, I felt like I got sucker punched in the gut. Man are the lyrics so depressing in the classic BTS way, this has their pen game all over it. The vocals are gorgeous and the repetition of the melody and the flow of the vocals and the rap really make you feel as if you have been stuck in MGR ride for days. This song on my driving playlist will have me disassociating for hours in a sickening way.
9. Normal (6.5/10): It's an earworm and I like it but I won't say its my fav song off the album and its kinda dependent on whether or not I want to listen to it. It sounds very much like a Taylor Swift song which was my first impression of the song, not in any bad or good way ofc, just an observation lol. I don't think I go out of my way to listen to it but the "kerosene, dopamine" and the "heavy is heart" parts are my favorite and I think the backing vocals are great. I LOVE Taekook's "got me feeling" and "knees" part (especially the knees, I'm a sucker for JK-isms with his voice and this is one of those). The lyrics hit hard and BTS be talking their shit as they should.
10. Like Animals (9.5/10): Now where is the MV for this song? All 7 ate down on this track and the guitar is really raw and sultry. The vocals at the bridge with the Jin's falsetto, Taehyung's "heart untamable", JK's belt, followed by Jimin's signature low sultry tone are 10/10 no notes. I LOVE the lyrics and I think it plays on 2 fronts with an obvious sultry and suggestive tone (nothing wrong with that ofc, sensuality is a great topic, ask my buddy Blood Sweat and Tears) I do think there is a much symbolic meaning about being intimate with something in a way that's not just physical or sensual but emotionally and mentally speaking (a huge part of sensuality too ofc). I LOVE the "eat this life till your heart is full" line, it speaks to me idk. The only thing stopping me from giving it a 10 was that it was a little bit of a grower for me and it's too short IMO.
11. TDKBU (6/10): Same as Normal with this one. I like the lyrics and the message they want to say but this song is a 50-50 for me dependent on mood. Love the intro and the backing vocals and the "ooh damn right" part but that's about it as far as formulating an opinion goes.
12. One More Night (9/10): Club banger alert! This what I need at the club and while I think the track isn't overly ambitious (from the b-side kings), it's a BOP and I stand by and I will get down to this track any time and any time. Shame it got skipped for the setlist.
13. Please (10/10): As an RnB lover, I LOVE a good RnB flirty/freaky anthem and ughhhhh this song is just that. They knew what they were doing with having JK open up with that "baby ohh pleaseee" (and I shamelessly concede, you win, BTS). This is my favorite off the album and it's probably already gonna end up as my most replayed song of the damn year. Need an MV for this one and the freakier version that was allegedly scrapped.
14. Into the Sun (6.5/10): Sigh, this was the hardest to rate. I'm so sorry to BTS but I CANNOT stand the vocoder. It gives roblox face on a chicken nugget with a cowboy hat (idk either and I live in the US South in peak yeehaw nation so that's saying something). Ik this screams Tae all over it which great for him but that vocoder makes it an instant skip for me which pains me because if that part/effect wasn't there it would have made my top 2 songs on this album. The rap lines verses flowed so smoothly and Jin's vocals in the middle were so sweet. Above all, lyrically it was heartwarming and the end with the everyone joining in and JK's background vocals reminded me so much of Spring Day and what a way to close out an album about coming home like that. I love the live version tho so with that being said, averaging out a 4.5 for the album version and an 8.5 or so for the song excluding the vocoder, I give it a 6.5.
15. Come Over (9/10): Not an official track but still worth mentioning. Prod Suga will always deliver for me and opening the track with those vocals was so good. I liked the rap verses though I could see some changes to the "you never loved me" part where I thought it was a tad bit bland but the instrumental and the humming was a nice touch.

Overall, I enjoyed this album. I won't say its my fav from them (D&W, HYYH:YF, and LYS:A will reign for me still) but I was surprised in all the ways and I think I'm happy with that. I felt like the album felt like a rough draft where the music nerd in me could hear all the small minor areas where the album could be tweaked but the album had a strong identity and sonical boldness that was starting to disappear from their music around BE now in hindsight. I wish I liked some of the tracks more but that's just personal taste atp and I do appreciate their ability to bring something fresh to the table

My final album ranking: 7.5-8/10

Hi! I don't know how many of you read my previous post but I rated all of the tracks in that one plus commentary. I wanted to talk about more album/comeback topics in this post so I have linked the first part in case any of you wanted to read that one:

Part 1/2: https://www.reddit.com/r/btsthoughts/comments/1tcsldr/arirang_review_the_redebut_of_bts_12/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

I wanted to offload some thought Arirang in the ~2 months since its release. Now that the storm of initial sentiments have worn off, I think it's best to take a deep dive:

• Arirang is BTS essentially re-debuting.: I don't know how rehashed or repetitive or popular this opinion but it's in my firm belief that Arirang is BTS' redebuting. Aside from the fact that they've entered a new chapter of their career and they themselves have mentioned the idea of a "BTS 2.0", I think it fits with the return to hip-hop, rap-focused music, and even rock influenced music (peep BIL, Danger, etc.) Which leads me to my next point...
• "Arirang doesn't sound like Dark and Wild": I mean, isn't that the point? I'm a die hard D&W and debut BTS fan and I still get salty at people letting D&W flop (D&W>Arirang personally sorry not sorry) but what's the point if they make the same album again, especially after nearly 12-13 years? Hip-hop, rap, and trap has not stayed the same in nearly a decade since the album came out and there has been in increasingly large presence of an electronic sound in the genre since then so the sound is going to be different than what they delivered a decade ago (additionally with some of these producers being direct contributors to certain musical elements present in some albums over the 10s and early 20s). D&W was choppy and messy in all the ways fit for a group of teens in a garage that wouldn't make sense with those same guys being in their 30s after international fame. At times Arirang feels too polished (more on that later) but compared to D&W and their growth it makes perfect sense. It's totally fine if that's not your cup of tea and pop BTS is what you love. It's totally fine if you are a debut fan and didn't like Arirang or if you were an Dynamite/Butter and you hated Arirang too, but I do think expecting an artist to sound the same after nearly a decade and a half of maturity from their end, tons of life experiences, and a general evolution of the sound in the music sphere is unreasonable.
• The Meaning Behind Arirang: One of the largest noises about the album was the "disconnect between the title and the album" where people expected a "return to roots" and were not given that supposedly. (Now, I would like to give a disclaimer that since I am not Korean I am not speaking in absolutes for this point but rather will try to give my analysis as someone who read through some of the history and as Asian American myself who has faced similar situations within my own cultural subtext so if I misstep and get something wrong, I humbly request to be corrected). Prior to the album drop, I read that Arirang is an folk song that is essentially Korea's 2nd National Anthem due to its sentimental feelings of longing, Korean pride, resistance, and essentially what I interpret to be a homecoming after a long battle/fight. This was my interpretation of Arirang as an outsider so I can only imagine what it means to an actual Korean. People were getting upset at the lack of Korean heritage in the album due to some of the English lyrics and the genres/producers on the album (while I am upset at the some of the statements provided by the A&R team due to their rationale, I think people's reaction at BTS opting to choose a language other than their native language were frankly xenophobic and rude which they now use the A&R team's words to justify the statements which I still disagree with). But beside the Arirang sample, Aliens references, and No. 29, going down the tracklist a lot of the songs to me had a theme of "return" or "homecoming" which was supposed to be Arirang. Starting with B2B with a strong foot down to a return and the first album being all hype and cheeky "missed us, huh?" tone to it. Second half of the album are the mellower and more introspective songs with more complex emotions on love, longing, what it means to come back, ending it with a song that sounds like a sun setting at the end of long day. To me, I see what BTS meant by Arirang because it seems to them and Koreans that Arirang means a return to home and BTS through the course of this album showed us the prideful yet emotional sentiment of "coming home" to their fans. I do think some of the marketing especially from BigHit's side seemed to lean too much into the Korean roots and not emphasize that this album was also a return to their musical roots. As someone who grew up in mixed culture split between my orthodox Asian parents and the Western culture outside of me, I've learned to conceptualize cultural concepts in a way that blend both of my background because I cannot ditch one for the other. I look for themes of cultural elements found in my native culture within my American lifestyle and I adopt American humor and mannerisms into cultural contexts. So much for the "BTS Western Validation" argument that gets beaten again with a lack of nuance, BTS' music was inspired by Western artists and to ignore that is doing them wrong as artists. Even if the idea was initially pitched to them and they had a lot of back and forth (understandable part of the process), I honestly understand BTS' interpretation of Arirang with the album (or at least what I'm taking from it at the very least) because to BTS, Arirang is a sentimental emotion filled pride, sorrow, joy, longing, love, etc, and BTS felt that though they may not portrayed in a traditional Korean sense using instruments and musicality, thematically the best word to describe that feeling is Arirang. This is not the first time they've done this, I've read Koreans' thought about Spring Day capturing the essence of cultural concept of Han, despite it being a Brit Rock track, or the fact that the LYS uses traditional storytelling despite being very pop heavy. Whatever you interpret Arirang to be, I do think people policing BTS on "incorrectly titling their album" and setting a level of "Korean to be" (especially from non Koreans) is distasteful because how can they not be Korean overnight?. If someone who was Korean bashed my entire review right now (ouch but fair game), I'd accept it because I cannot articulate what it means to be Korean and what Arirang means to the Korean sentiment.
• Arirang was a bit rushed: This is probably a hot take and a divisive one but IMO Arirang could have cooked a little bit longer. I don't see major issues with it and I think its a good album but there are parts that I think give "rough draft" vibes more so than finished product. Just a little bit longer would have been nice and especially if that final "cooking" happened on the mixing would have been nice. I think some of the mixing on their work post-Persona has been weird and while they do love autotune stylistic choice, I'm starting to feel like a label thing too. I don't know why it keeps happening and honestly it felt like some of it was fixed during their solos but it kept popping up during Arirang which bugged me from time to time cuz they don't need that mixing and they sound great when they perform it live.
• Arirang was the direct result of their solos: Not so much on the renewed creativity point, but I hear each member and their sonical influence on this album. This may be the most OT7 album to date because of how each guy can be heard musically, the even line distribution, and the way the vocal and rap line blend nicely in this album. I think that's why this is great start for album that heralds a "comeback" in all senses.

Hate it or love it, the album is doing great numbers wise and it's great to see them comeback on new and fresh footing and attracting new fans while at it. Please let me know what you think of my review and if agree/disagree with anything. :)

This is part 1 of 2, had too much to say and it was too big to fit into one post so I split it. The other part is linked right here: https://www.reddit.com/r/btsthoughts/comments/1tcsm9g/arirang_review_the_redebut_of_bts_22/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Mom said it was my turn to write a long ass take on Arirang that no one wants to read.🧍🏽‍♀️~~(Actually, I'd greatly appreciate it if you did.)~~

I was going to type this up 2 days after Arirang came out but then my opinions kept flip-flopping all over the place so I decided to give a week...which turned into a month... and into almost 2 months (I'm a very busy person, sadly). Remembered I had this saved in my drafts and decided to finish it off so enjoy. I actually think waiting this long was good because the initial hype of new BTS music and the 50 billion think pieces have finally washed over and I think we consume music too quickly and move on rather than having it sit with us for awhile.

So, BTS is finally back (yay!) and the opinions on this comeback are varied to say the least. In what I find quite fascinating, I find disappointment among kpop stans, divide among armys, and appreciation among others. I've been seeing so many things that I wanted to take some time to articulate my thoughts into one post to help me make sense of my feelings and thoughts among the chaos. I would like to mention as well for context and bearing that I became an army in 2022, making this my first OT7 comeback as an ARMY, but I have been a general fan of BTS and their work since 2017 so I have witnessed several comebacks from a distance as a casual fan.

I wanted to start off reviewing each track and rating it, so here goes:

1. Body to Body (8/10): This song is a banger and I am on team this-should-have-been-the-single like 99% of people. What a way to open an album and it screams "BTS is motherfucking back" with riling up the crowd as way of homecoming of sorts (I have more on this later). The beat is too catchy, perfect blend of vocals to rap part, and of course, the amazing interpolation of Arirang that has wonderful vocal styling and percussion that blends seamlessly into the song that it gives me chills the minute the transition starts with JK's vocals and the traditional percussion hits. My only gripes is that the song's lack of a proper structured chorus is kinda bugging me at times and the heavy overuse of autotune that kinda messes with the enjoyment of the vocal line (especially Jimin, really wish they would stop using it on his voice because he has a unique tone that gets altered with the autotune) but other than that I really enjoy this song.
2. Hooligan (7.5/10): Now, I'm aware this wasn't everyone cup of tea but I'm a Hooligan defender. I think the whole song slaps and its weird and chaotic in all the ways that it scratches my brain and its not nowhere close to being as awful as people act like it is. The laughs are an interesting yet weird choice that works for me (apparently people hated the laughs as if the laughs personally murdered a child). The knife slashes and the pounding beat sound cool but this also could be me having heard traditional folk music from my culture that have similar elements so it doesn't faze me as much (I also really enjoy Tyler the Creator and Sticky off of Chromokopia so I see influences there). The classical instrumental is nice touch and Jinkook "Take you out" part with the choreo is so addictive and Hobi's verse is really good (especially the "crowd looking like a campus" part). My only issue with the song is that I keep waiting for big buildup with a louder and more chaotic/noisy instrumental but it doesn't happen. It doesn't really deviate from my enjoyment of the song and while the song is weird and good, I think they fumbled a bit by resorting a little bit to a "safer" melody and instrumental when they could have fully leaned into the weirdness, especially when the chorus hits and prior verse is interesting but then it just goes back into "watch this, watch this".
3. Aliens (9.5/10): Now this what I call a BANGER. First few secs of the track and BAM, welcome back Agust mfing D. That's no SUGA nor Min Yoongi, that's Agust D coming back for spite one last time with that fiery loaded beat that drops with every sense of conviction. Open a song like that and I am SAT. I love this track for its boldness spoken into every line and BTS putting their foot down. I absolutely chuckle at the shoes reference as an Asian myself but I also love the subtle reference to the Jungmori rhythm, the Korean alphabet, and the Korean poet in a classic BTS "alluding to things" and "shading your bloodline" double combo. Initially, I was a little put back a the weird vocal distortion at the post chorus (??) especially with Jinmin but idk I kinda don't mind?? Absolutely love the ending with the chants and I get chills all the time.
4. FYA (7.5/10): Ngl, the Namseok's verses a bit too repetitive and eh for me but considering the song I can get past it since its not really meant to be a serious song and the best part of the song is ahead. I love the beat on this song and how catchy it is. The kinda music I expect to play at the clubs when I turn up but get disappointed nowadays when its a snoozefest. JK's "can't forget" is permanently etched into my brain along with the beat drop in between Namgi's parts. Also, its criminal how I see people ignore the obvious best part of the whole song is clearly Yoongi's verse. His verse is what I need when I throw on my hot girl walk playlist for the gym.
5. 2.0 (4/10): This song is a skip for me, sorry. The MV was great and hilarious and one their best MVs recently speaking and choreo is slick af but the song just doesn't do anything for me. Maybe it's because I'm not just a fan of that particular rap style and I typically don't listen to hiphop in this particular style but I can't say this song is interesting to me. Hobi's verse seems well done but not enough to get me going. I think some of the chants and the "RIDEEEEE" "Yk how I do" parts got stuck in my head tho. I can't really forget those and they are oddly addictive but other than those part being an ear worm, that's all I remember from the song. The beat is really nice and I keep waiting for something bigger but it never comes and leaves me a little starved for more.
6. No. 29 (10000/10): SOTY ALL THE GRAMMYS FOR THIS ONE, jokes aside I think I like concept of tonal shift of the album being demarcated by an ancient bell (and the following silence) is cool and funny, otherwise I really got no opinion for this one
7. Swim (7/10): BTS somehow encapsulated "the dead wife montage at the start of action movie" and put it into a song. Its a radio friendly song so I don't expect much from it but its nice. I've really become a hater of the radio as of late and they play the same damn 3 songs over and over again so hearing this would feel like a bottle of fresh water in the desert (or any song that isn't the same 3 songs tbh, my local radio station is gonna get jumped by me one day). I think it flows well and is made for easy listening when driving so I see their point. Would I have enjoyed a more stronger track as a lead single? Yes, but I liked the song from the first listen and I think it flows well. Ik it's much simpler but I really love the choreo and it just flows like water. Idk why but I love the "moon and sharks" line, its different from "moon and stars" and it takes the loneliness and uncertainty of the ocean into account. I love Jin's remix of it sm with the guitars at the end, they should have made that one the main one.
8. Merry Go Round (10/10): Ngl while I picked up on the Tame Impala production from Kevin instantly I kinda didn't really vibe with this on first listen (I will say it dropped close to midnight for me and I had been up since crack of dawn with tons of work so atp I was just fading from exhaustion). On my relisten of the album with the lyrics, I felt like I got sucker punched in the gut. Man are the lyrics so depressing in the classic BTS way, this has their pen game all over it. The vocals are gorgeous and the repetition of the melody and the flow of the vocals and the rap really make you feel as if you have been stuck in MGR ride for days. This song on my driving playlist will have me disassociating for hours in a sickening way.
9. Normal (6.5/10): It's an earworm and I like it but I won't say its my fav song off the album and its kinda dependent on whether or not I want to listen to it. It sounds very much like a Taylor Swift song which was my first impression of the song, not in any bad or good way ofc, just an observation lol. I don't think I go out of my way to listen to it but the "kerosene, dopamine" and the "heavy is heart" parts are my favorite and I think the backing vocals are great. I LOVE Taekook's "got me feeling" and "knees" part (especially the knees, I'm a sucker for JK-isms with his voice and this is one of those). The lyrics hit hard and BTS be talking their shit as they should.
10. Like Animals (9.5/10): Now where is the MV for this song? All 7 ate down on this track and the guitar is really raw and sultry. The vocals at the bridge with the Jin's falsetto, Taehyung's "heart untamable", JK's belt, followed by Jimin's signature low sultry tone are 10/10 no notes. I LOVE the lyrics and I think it plays on 2 fronts with an obvious sultry and suggestive tone (nothing wrong with that ofc, sensuality is a great topic, ask my buddy Blood Sweat and Tears) I do think there is a much symbolic meaning about being intimate with something in a way that's not just physical or sensual but emotionally and mentally speaking (a huge part of sensuality too ofc). I LOVE the "eat this life till your heart is full" line, it speaks to me idk. The only thing stopping me from giving it a 10 was that it was a little bit of a grower for me and it's too short IMO.
11. TDKBU (6/10): Same as Normal with this one. I like the lyrics and the message they want to say but this song is a 50-50 for me dependent on mood. Love the intro and the backing vocals and the "ooh damn right" part but that's about it as far as formulating an opinion goes.
12. One More Night (9/10): Club banger alert! This what I need at the club and while I think the track isn't overly ambitious (from the b-side kings), it's a BOP and I stand by and I will get down to this track any time and any time. Shame it got skipped for the setlist.
13. Please (10/10): As an RnB lover, I LOVE a good RnB flirty/freaky anthem and ughhhhh this song is just that. They knew what they were doing with having JK open up with that "baby ohh pleaseee" (and I shamelessly concede, you win, BTS). This is my favorite off the album and it's probably already gonna end up as my most replayed song of the damn year. Need an MV for this one and the freakier version that was allegedly scrapped.
14. Into the Sun (6.5/10): Sigh, this was the hardest to rate. I'm so sorry to BTS but I CANNOT stand the vocoder. It gives roblox face on a chicken nugget with a cowboy hat (idk either and I live in the US South in peak yeehaw nation so that's saying something). Ik this screams Tae all over it which great for him but that vocoder makes it an instant skip for me which pains me because if that part/effect wasn't there it would have made my top 2 songs on this album. The rap lines verses flowed so smoothly and Jin's vocals in the middle were so sweet. Above all, lyrically it was heartwarming and the end with the everyone joining in and JK's background vocals reminded me so much of Spring Day and what a way to close out an album about coming home like that. I love the live version tho so with that being said, averaging out a 4.5 for the album version and an 8.5 or so for the song excluding the vocoder, I give it a 6.5.
15. Come Over (9/10): Not an official track but still worth mentioning. Prod Suga will always deliver for me and opening the track with those vocals was so good. I liked the rap verses though I could see some changes to the "you never loved me" part where I thought it was a tad bit bland but the instrumental and the humming was a nice touch.

Overall, I enjoyed this album. I won't say its my fav from them (D&W, HYYH:YF, and LYS:A will reign for me still) but I was surprised in all the ways and I think I'm happy with that. I felt like the album felt like a rough draft where the music nerd in me could hear all the small minor areas where the album could be tweaked but the album had a strong identity and sonical boldness that was starting to disappear from their music around BE now in hindsight. I wish I liked some of the tracks more but that's just personal taste atp and I do appreciate their ability to bring something fresh to the table

My final album ranking: 7.5-8/10