At the time, I was writing about Bang Bang Con, a weekend marathon of the seven-member Korean group’s old concert footage that attracted 50 million views. But the words held true this past weekend, when Bangtan Sonyeondan held their two-day Map of the Soul ON:E concert.
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It was a virtual sự kiện that was originally intended to lớn have both an in-person audience và an online one; in September, Big Hit Entertainment called off the audience portion to abide by government guidelines around pandemic safety. But the group made ON:E no less epic for its online status — the live shows felt huge, intensely detailed, and imaginative, proving once again that nobody in 2020 is doing it quite like them.
Below, we’ve recapped some of our favorite moments from Map of the Soul ON:E, a live virtual concert that made it easy lớn focus — if only for a few hours — on what we’ve gained, instead of what we’ve lost.
President Kim Namjoon Takes the Stage
Rising on his podium during “Intro: Persona,” ON:E presented President Kim Namjoon. Though ARMYs have been using the nickname for years khổng lồ describe member RM’s penchant for motivational speeches and comforting lyrics, the moniker took on new meaning during the ending ments for Day 1. "We'll find a way, we always have,” he said during the concert, referencing BTS and ARMY being able khổng lồ be together during these difficult times. “If there's no way, we'll redraw the map." —P. Claire DodsonA Familiar Dance Break
Leave it lớn BTS khổng lồ kick things off not only with a literal blast but also a blast from the past. The septet started the much-awaited concert on a high lưu ý with a transition from 2020’s “ON” khổng lồ 2013’s “N.O.” However, it was the dance break from “N.O.” to lớn “We Are Bulletproof Part 2” that took the cake. As is customary for Bangtan, the high-powered, zestful dance solo also included an Easter egg for ARMY. The beginning of the dance mirrored the choreography of their 2014 MBC Gayo Daejejeon dance battle with GOT7, a segment that Big Hit later uploaded khổng lồ You
Tube with different camerawork as “Intro Performance Trailer.” Flags were updated with new logos, but the passion remained — only this time with a cảm biến of nostalgia. — Sara Delgado
The Grunge Looks in “Boy in Luv”
Bangtan in school uniforms is a concept. Whether it’s for commercials, music videos, or Run! BTS episodes, the septet has been seen clad in the juvenile attire multiple times but nothing has quite compared lớn the MOTS ON:E’s rendition. After last year’s Melon Music Awards, Jin pointed out on Weverse they looked more like office employees than high schoolers wearing uniforms at this point, and the stylists found the perfect solution: Make it grunge.
For both days, the seven members took to the stage khổng lồ perform “Boy in Luv” clad in mismatched, distressed “high school” uniforms that screamed punk rock; complete with safety pins, red & white visible stitching, chains, spiked chokers, và Converse-style shoes on most of the members (JK stuck khổng lồ his trusty Balenciaga triple soles while J-Hope & Suga favored low, Nike SBs dunks). Footwear aside, the outfits instantly became some of the best inclusions to Bangtan’s tour wardrobe, & the perfect companion khổng lồ Tae’s indelible growls. —SD
“Black Swan” SOTY
“Black Swan” is the tuy nhiên of the year, it just is. That was clear at ON:E, when the members appeared just after a powerful transition from Suga’s darkness anthem “Interlude: Shadow.” The song itself is packed with cool, broken-wing choreo, but then enter: Jimin, who embraced his contemporary dance origins for a moving modern art solo set to the song’s orchestral version. In the watery xanh depths, he flung himself into strong, delicate motion, his toàn thân turning into a wave, an electric shock. “Black Swan” — with its fusion of strings & trap beats, fear and longing, thudding hearts & stopped time — continues to be a masterwork. —PCD
Finally Getting to lớn See MOTS: 7 Solos Live
Among the most highly-anticipated parts of ON:E were the members’ solo performances. On Map of the Soul: 7, each musician has a tuy vậy that embodies both their musical aesthetic và the image they present lớn ARMY. The costumes và choreographies of ON:E only magnified the specialness of those songs. RM was presidential with a literal flaming mic in “Persona”; Suga pushed through the hands of endless spectators (and on Day 1, was accidentally checked in the face by one) in “Interlude: Shadow.” Jungkook mused on his unorthodox adolescence in “My Time” while feeling himself on the dancefloor (especially on Day 2); Jin incorporated imagery from The Little Prince into his lighthearted “Moon”; và Jimin played with illusion, perception, & rapid outfit changes in the heart-stopping “Filter.” In an especially moving scene, V sang trọng the self-reflective “Inner Child” lớn a real-life child doppelgänger, bringing new life to lớn the climactic bridge, “You’re my boy.” & when BTS rejoined J-Hope after the contagiously fun “Ego,” the celebration of every thành viên in OT7 felt complete. —PCD
The Chaotic Cuteness of Day 2’s Opening Ments
Day 2’s opening ments gave us plenty of memorable moments from the members – from Jungkook interrupting Jin’s iconic kiss introduction (leaving the oldest in a fluster) to J-Hope briefly singing Jimin’s 2018 surprise solo “Promise” during his turn (after doing so in tandem with Jin the previous day).
The members also took turns greeting fans in different languages. Tae went first in Chinese, then Suga, Jin, và Jungkook followed in English, Thai, & Japanese. Fifth và sixth were RM in Spanish (his “HOLA SOMOS BTS” soon reached Twitter’s trending moments in all caps) và Jimin in Korean (which, fair game). Last but not least was J-Hope’s quippy take on French with his unforgettable “Bonjour, we are BTS.” Suga also got honest about his shoulder injury, which some fans had noticed during the performance. “During the opening song, I couldn’t perform as well due to lớn a shoulder problem but I’m fine now, và there’s nothing khổng lồ worry about,” he told fans, per the live English subtitles.
That’s not khổng lồ say there weren’t special moments during Day 1’s opening ments, too. Jin also greeted fans all by himself in different languages và the members discussed how the concert’s setlist và preparation had been more than a year in the making. —SD
Jin Pouting Along With ARMYs
Jin embodied the feelings of ARMYs everywhere when he lamented the fact that the concert must eventually come to lớn an end on Day 2. As he urged ARMYs lớn sing louder, he also offered up a pout that launched a thousand ships. —PCD
Those ENCORES
BTS have a habit of taking ARMY on an emotional rollercoaster: they drive us khổng lồ the brink of tears and then descend into pandemonium. On Day 1, fans were taken on a trip down memory lane with renditions of “Butterfly” và “Run.” Meanwhile, Day 2 viewers were gifted with fan favorite “Spring Day” & a wonderfully chaotic performance of “Idol.” This included Jungkook taking over the cameraman’s duties and Suga dancing to the Gwara Gwara in an adorable manner. During “Dynamite,” RM added in a Korean line to the English-language song, which we can call a subtle flex. The only bad thing about the encore stages was that they meant the concerts were about khổng lồ end. —Natasha Mulenga
“Dionysus,” “BWL,” and “DNA,” But Make Them Remixed
The only thing better than a BTS tuy vậy is a thrilling new remix of a BTS song. BTS và their live band Ghost (who you may recognize from the NPR Tiny Desk performance) breathed new life into “Dionysus,” “Boy With Luv” và “DNA” by remixing all three songs và giving them a new musical flavor. “Dionysus” was given a more chilled vibe; DNA received a 2020 software upgrade; và viewers were treated to the return of EDM remix of “Boy With Luv” from Bang Bang Con. They even brought back the LED umbrellas!
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All we want to lớn know now is: When will the remixes be available on streaming platforms? —NM
Courtesy of Big Hit Entertainment
President Kim Namjoon Takes the Stage (Reprise)
To wrap up the festivities, Namjoon reminded fans once again why we hotline him “The President.” He gave a sentimental speech reminding ARMY that the events of 2020 are not the fault of any one person and gave a poignant reminder that without technology, an online concert wouldn’t have been possible. “We’re just doing our best, we’re just doing what we can do,” he said.Xem thêm: 50 mẫu gạch men đá hoa cương đỏ đục, giá đá hoa cương granite màu đen
“I’m literally so happy. I have no religion, but I thank God we’re living in 2020. I thank God that we have this technology so we can be connected with no latency, see each other’s faces, lượt thích really, you’re literally here. It feels like you’re here and hope you feel the same too.” —NM
“We Are Bulletproof: The Eternal” & a Promise to ARMY
If you’ve ever been to a BTS concert, you know things will over on an emotional high note. Last year's tour closer “Mikrokosmos” found a worthy MOTS ON:E successor in “We Are Bulletproof: The Eternal,” as we all likely predicted since it was released back in February.
BTS performed the serenade as blocks of ARMY started floating in the air, above a galaxy of ARMY bombs. The purple galaxy, or purple sea, was reminiscent of the song’s music video clip but, this time, cartoon Bangtan were replaced by the real members. Paired with the seven members’ ending ments, the song’s message only intensified.
Though xinh tươi moments (like J-Hope’s unruly hair during Day 2) were also part of the equation, Bangtan got real about the ups and downs that lead to lớn the creation of MOTS ON:E. “To be honest, I’m 80% happy & 20% frustrated. This online concert is a new challenge for us. It’s the result of our efforts but we’re frustrated that we cannot see you face to face,” J-Hope said, a remark the other members echoed in their own speeches.
Jimin had the tear-jerker moment during Day 1. “From the encore song, I couldn’t really concentrate,” Jimin said as he was brought khổng lồ tears, mirroring his remarks from last year’s Love Yourself: Speak Yourself Brazil concert. Shouts from the members filled the room (RM even urged Jimin khổng lồ cry if he needed to), as ARMYs got emotional on the screens behind. “Preparing for this concert, due to lớn COVID-19, we had many challenges. We could not perform as a group for a while & bring happiness to lớn you. This is what I’ve wanted for so long. During the encore, when I heard your voices, ARMY, I got emotional. I’m so happy to lớn be able to see you. I couldn’t focus so much so I'm frustrated that I couldn’t show you the best I got. Regardless, thank you for your support."
On Day 2, he confessed the members had already teased him about his tears. “I’m not crying. Crying once was enough,” Jimin said with a smile. “They made so much fun of me last night.”
Much lượt thích the meaning behind “WAB:TE” itself, BTS ended with a commitment và a promise to lớn ARMY that “we are not seven with you,” và that we will meet again. It’s a promise the members – namely V – clearly took khổng lồ heart. “I’ll look forward lớn the day we can meet in person again,” he said before adding that he’d be willing to lớn walk from Seoul to lớn Busan (that’s roughly 200 miles) if only they could make that happen soon. As expected, his remark was met with a light dose of teasing from the other members. “I’m just saying that’s how much I miss ARMY,” he then clarified. “I can’t live without ARMY.” —SD
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If you thought BTS had reached their peak, think again. The Bangtan boys have once again proved themselves khổng lồ be artists belonging to the vị trí cao nhất tier of the world’s stage. On October 10, 2020, BTS held their first ‘no-contact’ concert after "Bang Bang Con: The Live." For ARMYs who attended the latter, think a hundred times bigger and better. That was what"MAP OF THE SOUL ON:E"(MOTS ON:E) was. There were blood, sweat, and tears on stage.
A huge part of the concert"s incredible success was owed khổng lồ the incredibly talented dancers who performed with BTS throughout the concert & the production team who made sure the entire program was carried on without a hitch. Something that many were apprehensive about when it came to lớn online concerts was the feeling of “realism.” Suffice to lớn say that the real-time live stream was no less than an actual concert when it came to lớn feeling their energy & love for ARMYs. While many may not realize this readily but ARMYs played a significant role as well, especially for BTS themselves. During their last greeting with the fans, almost all the members touch upon the fact that while this does not compare khổng lồ a real concert because the tangible synergy between an artist and their fans, which is a key factor in the chất lượng of a performance is not physically attainable, this online concert still meant a lot owing to lớn the on-screen presence of ARMYs. Jin mentions how he was afraid that it would feelalmost felt lượt thích any other promotional stage for him until he could see the faces of hundreds on ARMY’s all over the stage walls. It is here that one can feel the sheer importance of ARMY for BTS. There is no fan service, no pretension here when they say that they need ARMYs to lớn be complete.
The concert starts out with a brilliantly resonant performance of “ON,” complete with the full regalia of their characteristic marching band. The members first appear in hooded red gowns, looking onward. If there were ever a tuy nhiên perfect for a war cry, this would be it for all the 7 members of BTS are nothing but warriors. The second performance is that of “N.O” followed by “We Are Bulletproof Pt. 2” which holds symbolic importance, representing the long way they’ve come & with no ease whatsoever. These three performances perfectly mix up the preface for what’s lớn come. “We Are Bulletproof Pt. 2” starts with a never seen before dance break delivered to perfection. Speaking of perfection, next came the leader himself, RM. RM’s performance of “INTRO: PERSONA” was easily one of the best solo performances of RM on stage in the entire history of BTS. ARMYs were left breathless while he didn’t even stop khổng lồ breathe in between those killer verses. It also seems like RM is seriously considering “Kim Namjoon for President” from the looks of how he started off his stellar performance. Almost immediately after, we’re taken way back again lớn “Boy In Luv,” creating a dreamy past & present narrative. “Boy In Luv” is starkly in contrast with BTS today but still a vital part of the journey, which led them to lớn “Boy With Luv” and hence, important. The hype is held up flawlessly as the group transitions into “Dionysus.” However, this is no ordinary rendition of the track. A slight switch in the style of the beat gives a flavourful twist khổng lồ the tuy vậy and, thus, the performance. The only tuy vậy that could possibly lead this would be “INTERLUDE: SHADOW” & Suga knocked it out of the park with this one. It is no surprise that Suga is officially rapper extraordinaire. Coupled with the brilliant stage direction, supporting dancers, & special effects, this performance of “Shadow” bears no comparison.
Having reached the top, BTS now carefully tones it down with a mellow but equally intense performance of “Black Swan.” The đen swan in art usually stands for the pressure of achieving performative perfection. As such, it is undoubtedly the most appropriate follow-up lớn “Shadow” và the story it entails. Jimin is the absolute definition of elegance in his dance break that brings “Black Swan” to an end. At the point, the pre-recorded bits might as well be little “get yourself together” breaks for ARMYs, & they’re essential too because the very next moment, we’re met with one of the mightiest rap lines in K-Pop performing one of the most potent tracks from the album, “UGH!”. The reason why “UGH!” is so socially relevant is a whole another discussion altogether, but this performance was unforgettable from start to lớn finish. It is only fair that the most powerful rap line is followed by the most soothing vocal line as they perform “Zero O’Clock” while looking like actual Princes và sounding like angels from up above. Quite appropriately, they’re succeeded by the solo performances of Jungkook with “My Time,” Jimin with “Filter,” Jin with “Moon” và V with “Inner Child.”
The stages are set up with a magical quality for each of these, and it keeps getting better. Jungkook is a modern-day rockstar; Jimin weaves poetry with his body, and Jin could melt all worries away with his honey voice. V’s performance featured another bright star other than him, a little boy dressed exactly like V himself. Their interaction was dream-like, & the performance was definitely a tear-jerker. Huge props are owed lớn the stylists who dressed all of them in a way that embodied their music. Most notably, V was dressed in striped overalls và a mature jacket – the perfect combination for a song that speaks of preserving one’s innocence no matter what. Next comes the human vitamin, J-Hope, with his “OUTRO: EGO.” There’s always a unique charm in everything J-Hope does, và his solo stages are perfect examples of the same. His dynamic with his dancers is admirable, & it creates such a familial ambiance that it’s hard not to lớn feel lượt thích he’s singing just for you. The cheery vibe is carried forward in the perfect performance of “Boy With Luv.” There’s just something so irreplaceably authentic about these 7 artists coming together to create music, & it shines through in their group performances. “Boy With Luv” could mend a million broken hearts with how adorable it was! The members then pause khổng lồ interact with ARMYs và it is every bit full of warmth và giddy love. They follow up with 3 consecutive performances of “DNA,” “DOPE,” and “NO MORE DREAM” enhanced with commendable augmented reality & special effects. All the tracks are re-made into rock band versions, creating an enviable fusion of the old & the new. From the performances of these old tracks, one can see just how ahead of their time BTS was when these songs were first released. Rapper JK is back at it again with his unmatched delivery, making ARMYs now long for the olden times, và the “No More Dream” dance break delivered by 2020 BTS was a dream in và of itself. Finally, the last leg of the concert arrives và no one’s happy about it, at least not until “Butterfly” starts playing. Emotions reach an all-time high, & they’re kept on hold for “Run” và “Dynamite,” followed by a final goodbye. This is where Jimin has a cathartic outpour of all pent up emotions that he had been holding in all this while, và the rest of the members cảm biến upon the significance of this online concert, especially at a time when tomorrow is uncertain.
With a final wish for the safety of all ARMYs around the world, the seven usher in the most touching performance of the night – “We Are Bulletproof: the Eternal.” Here come the waterworks! Just lượt thích in their usual concerts, BTS closes the curtain but not before walking the entire circumference of the stage, looking up at all the screens that ARMYs were behind. The concert has come to lớn an end, & yet it seems lượt thích BTS is just getting started. As they bow before ARMYs, the world bows before them. Thank you, BTS!
Tickets for Day 2 of “MAP OF THE SOUL ON:E” are available on the Weverse store, so if you missed it, catch them tomorrow for an experience you’ll never forget!
