Map of the Soul On:E - A Concert Review.
Seven years have passed since BTS debuted. Known to the world as Jin, SUGA, j-hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook, these seven would go on to become the “Beatles of the 21st Century.”
Pic: Google Images, Creative Commons Licences - Wikimedia Commons.
The Korean boy band hasn't performed to an in-person audience since January 2020, when they sang at the Grammys, yet still managed to pull in nearly one million viewers to watch their online pay-per-view concert, Map of the Soul On:e, which took place on October the 10 and 11 via their online website and cost upwards of $44.
As the lights dim, a large gate opens on stage. Accompanied by their dancers, BTS appear, dressed in long red robes, Handmaid’s Tale-style, standing atop a huge rock. Against the dusty orange backdrop, they somehow manage to make the concert venue feel dystopian, as each member stares intimidatingly down the camera lens. As the pre-recorded screams grow louder, it almost feels like you’re there in Seoul, entranced as the seven members descend the rock face - a throwback to their ON music video.
It’s moody, it’s fierce, and exactly what fans have come to expect of BTS
Suddenly, a familiar couple of notes start. A group of dancers move, their muscle memory kicking in as Jimin sings the opening verse to ON, a powerful and energetic hip-hop track which experiments with a gospel choir, marching and a brass band. The atmosphere is electric.
It’s clear to see why they are the biggest boy band in the world. The lack of a physical audience doesn't seem to affect them, and they perform every song like it’s their last, creating a seamless show.
Interspersed with new songs from their recent album, Map Of The Soul: 7, throwback songs from their earlier albums, such as N.O and We Are Bulletproof pt2, are also performed. The older songs highlight BTS’s growth from a grunge hip-hop band, criticising society for diminishing their dreams, to a group of international superstars.
With frequent costume changes, such as Jimin’s red suit for his solo performance of Filter, and various backdrops, including a fully working carousel for V’s solo performance of Inner Child, there were also three remixes. Boy With Luv gets a surgical facelift, as the seven perform with light-up umbrellas that open and close to create an eccentric 1990’s feel. It is fun and preppy and shows BTS’s duality.
The setlist is packed with 23 songs featuring both fast-paced tunes, as well as soft and slow ones, allowing everyone to take a breath.
Before their final song, the seven band members take turns speaking directly to the camera, each lamenting how they miss interacting with their fans face to face, as well as rejoicing at being back in action. As the venue goes purple, a colour BTS uses to show their love and appreciation to the fans, an electronic dance ballad starts up, the last of the show. We Are Bulletproof: the Eternal resonates even more during this time, as BTS sings about how they are stronger together.