BTS executes ‘Proof’ by mathematical induction as career reflection thrills fans

What better way to highlight almost a decade of a musical career than to release an anthology album diving deep into the past and reflecting on growth? The worldwide sensation, BTS, did just that on June 10. 

Ever since the pandemic hit, the seven member K-Pop group had brought millions comfort and hope during quarantine with the release of album BE, an eight-song medley of upbeat and sentimental tunes. After being met with massive success after the release of their first English single “Dynamite,” the group stuck to focusing on repeating the formula for English singles from “Butter” in May of 2021 to “Permission to Dance” in July of the same year. 

Ever since these English singles, the group pressed pause on releasing new music and instead held concerts ranging from their home city of Seoul to Los Angeles to a grand finish in Las Vegas. On April 16, 2022, at the Allegiant Stadium concert, the group’s agency surprised fans with a mysterious black-and-white video, showing glimpses of their music videos from 2013 to 2021. At the end, the words “We Are Bulletproof” flashed on the screen, changing to the date of “2022.06.10”. The crowd of beloved fans all cheered as they knew what this cryptic message meant: the band was returning with a brand-new album.

On May 4,  the title was officially revealed to fans through a livestream. Their seventh album, a compilation, would be titled Proof, a very significant message to the fans. Not only is Proof a portion of the word “bulletproof”, a reference to their official Korean name (Bangtan Sonyeondan, or “Bulletproof Boy Scouts”), but Proof could be interpreted as the proof of their struggles and accomplishments as artists from a near-bankrupt company. Furthermore, they managed to reach the top with very few resources. To add to the importance of the album, Big Hit Music, BTS’ label, released that the album would include all of their title tracks, as well as songs picked specifically by the members: their favorite sub-unit songs and their favorite solo songs. To surprise fans, there would be an exclusive disc only available in the physical copy of the album that would include demos and never-before-released songs made by the members. 

It wouldn’t be an official comeback without new music, and that's exactly what the members surprised the fans with next. The title track off of their new album, “Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moments)” followed the anthology theme of reflecting on the past by incorporating references to past music videos. Through the light hip-hop beat of the song, BTS shared the message of how their past may have held their best memories, but the greatest moments are “Yet To Come” if they continue along the same path they’ve always followed. The second portion of the title (“The Most Beautiful Moment”) plays homage to one of their beloved trilogy (The Most Beautiful Moments in Life), whose storyline and concept consisted of the struggle of teenage years to adulthood and how youth should be more appreciated despite the challenges.

Following the hip-hop style BTS are known for, “Run BTS” is one of the group’s edgier songs that once again shares hardships of being famous and their rough beginnings,  with these emotions being newly discovered through growth. This song is one of the most popular off of this album, especially since anticipation highly arose when it was released that the song would be “unfit” to be performed on South Korean broadcasting platforms because of the profanities used by the members. . 

In contrast to the other new songs on the album, “For Youth” is a slower song, without rap-heavy lyrics. Not only is the song once again an homage to their past, but it is like a love song to their fans, thanking them for almost a decade of love and endless support. “For Youth”  opens with a sample of their past song, “Epilogue: Young Forever,” an important song to the band, so much so that Jimin got “Young Forever” tattooed on his arms. Back in 2019, the band was surprised by their fans during one of the Wembley concerts when the audience suddenly started singing a-cappella to the song. The song follows the style of a slow ballad, with lyrics sharing how their success came from the endless support of the fans, who gave them the support to continue making music. Not only do they thank their fans for the love and strength since their debut, but they also mention how they cannot think about the past without thinking about the dedication of their fans. When the individual members struggle alone or together, they always find comfort from their devoted audience.

In the end, the first chapter of BTS’ career was impressive, with them starting from the bottom to ending at the top of the world. Despite all the group had gone through, their perseverance to fulfill their dreams eventually paid off, as seen in their album, Proof. This newest album is the best way to welcome the members’ solo careers as they turn to the next page of their musical career.

by Ruby Pluchinsky

Published October 3, 2022

Oshkosh West Index Volume 119 Issue 1