Art doesn’t come from someone who takes the shortcut. Only by taking the longest and most strenuous path can art send forth its fragrance. Truth is only realized and expressed through suffering. Yun Hyong Keun Strictly speaking, Indigo is not Namjoon’s first solo album, as prior to this he had released two free mixtapes, RM…
Tag: BTS
Landmark BTS POP-UP: SPACE OF BTS IN LONDON To Launch at The O2
PRESS RELEASE: 21st-century K-pop icons BTS are bringing an exciting retail experience to Europe in the form of a pop-up that will take place at The O2 in London later this week. The retail experience will run until the 31st of January 2023. Launching on 9th December in London within Icon Outlet at The O2,…
Will the Real Jung Ho-seok Please Stand Up: “Jack In The Box” Album Review
While Jack In The Box is J-Hope’s first solo album, it is not his first outing without the other BTS’ members. On 2nd March 2018, the triple threat (rapper, dancer, vocalist) released his debut mixtape, Hope World, which peaked on the Billboard 200 at 38, despite being a free mixtape, available on SoundCloud as well…
BTS Club Night Brings Huge Excitement to The Garage in London.
“It’s my first time at the BTS Club Night”, says Charlotte, then adds: “It’s very nice, the organisers are friendly and quick to respond – there’s a good atmosphere and it’s a great night out with friends.” There is no denial that the BTS Club Night might be one of the hottest K-pop events in…
Remembrance of Things Past: BTS’ “Proof” Album Review
Since the release of the studio album BE in November 2020, BTS has released three English language singles: “Dynamite”, “Butter” and “Permission to Dance”. Proof is their first substantive album in nearly two years. Marketed as an anthology album, Proof is perhaps best understood as a ‘memory-box’, combining mementos from the past with promises of…
Get Up and Dance: “Take me where the rhythm is racy / Let me be a dancin’ fool” – BTS’ “Permission to Dance” Single Review
Permission to Dance is BTS’ third English language single. It follows last year’s hugely successful Dynamite and this year’s follow-up Butter which topped the Billboard 100 for seven weeks in succession (17 July 2021), surpassing the achievements of Dynamite in so doing. And at the time of writing, Butter has passed the baton to Permission…
BTS Take Japan: “BTS, The Best” – Japan Album Review
BTS debuted in Japan on 12 June 2014 with the single album No More Dream. Their first full Japanese Album, Wake Up, was released on Christmas Day of the same year. Since then, the group has released 9 further single albums and 3 additional studio albums. The single albums contain Japanese versions of lead singles…
Smooth Like Butter: Boys Just Want to Have Fun – BTS’ “Butter” Single Review
Butter is BTS’ second English language single, following their 2020 smash hit Dynamite. It is written by Jenna Andrews (who is also credited on Dynamite), Alex Bilowitz, Sebastian Garcia, Rob Grimaldi, Stephen Kirk, Ron Perry (the chairman of Columbia Records) and RM. Vocal production is by Jenna Andrews and Stephen Kirk, while vocal arrangement is…
Music for Healing: BTS MTV Unplugged Review
MTV Unplugged is a flagship MTV programme which was launched on 26th November 1989 with performances by Elliot Easton (The Cars), Syd Straw and Squeeze. With acoustic sets and stripped back, pared down. performances, Unplugged featured iconic sets by some of the most famous musicians of the time including Aerosmith, Elton John, Annie Lennox, George…
The Unbearable Lightness of Being: BTS’ “BE” Album Review
BE is BTS’ fourth (Korean) studio album and follows the record-breaking Map of the Soul: 7 from earlier in the year (February 21). Released on the 20th November, six months after the later, BE is a project album that is best understood as a personal response to COVID-19. BE is grounded in reality; while the…
VIEW OF THE ARTS 