The first taste of Love Yourself: Answer went online on Aug. 9, and if you weren't clear that the K-pop champs BTS believe you should love yourself — this message is on repeat. Sometimes fragmented and mysterious, like finding one's identity in a world of choices, this first tip from the monster-crew's latest comeback puts vocalist Jin at the intersection of worlds both real and alternative.
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The calla lily and notebook both trace back to highlight reel symbolism that fans like BTS Army love to discuss, but the sense of going backward and forward, through time and through different versions of one's self, jumps out. The issue of being alright on the inside has been one of BTS' recurring themes, presented in many lights. In the septet's band-culture, it's also key to how to be a responsible, caring friend. The lyric speaks to the inner life of connecting to one's shining soul, beautiful even if inadequate, and working outward from that center.
BTS has been the center of attention with Love Yourself: Tear, topping the Billboard 200 earlier this year, and the reincarnation of that album with new songs in Answer is set for release on Aug. 24. As their North American tour approaches, the group is likely to attract a huge focus again, as demonstrated by their recent addition of a stadium date at Citi Field in New York — a first and a coming-of-age for Korean musical entertainers.
