[MV Review] BTS (Bangtan Boys) - "Blood, Sweat, and Tears"

BTS make their, what? 17th comeback of the year? I honestly lost count, they comeback 20 times a year anyway. 

Okay, first thing's first - I have to get this out of my system:

More on this later.

If you've enjoyed BTS's release since "I Need U" and up then this song should be right up your alley. It's got all the same gadgets and gizmos as their more EDM-heavy songs however it removes the very hip-hop elements out, making it a more commercial release that's right in between hip-hop and pop. The result is a more upbeat dance-hall vibe that is very dance-floor friendly. The vocals and the rapping don't outshine each other hear, nor does it sound like each member is fighting to be heard (which is one of the many faults of "Boy in Luv.") The song sounds very cohesive and runs through like butter. My favorite part has to be, for once, the bridge. It's oddly lush and chill which was a nice change of pace from the more fast paced parts of the song. My only complaint is that the chorus is a bit too repetitive for my liking, but given K-pop's past with repetitive choruses, that's not really a major complaint.

No complaints here though. Nope. None.

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The video is fantastic, the members themselves stated that this concept was all about "seduction." And well it's all in there. Seduction of drugs, (Namjoon with that green smoke symbolizing marijuana, Jungkook literally getting high as a kite is probably reference to cocaine.) Seduction of sex, I mean come on, Suga blind folds Jimin before a BDSM session. J-Hope has been seduced by power, the more power he gets the better he feels. Apparantly V is satan or something? And Jin is pretty much observing all of friends go through all of this and in the end, gets seduced into the lifestyle too. Now keep in mind, all of this is just at face value, and doesn't play into the "Demian" theories, I have a hunch about what's going on based around the choices of art pieces used in the MV, but I'm not going to dive too deep in it right now.Also, hats off to BTS for getting fans to READ A BOOK. As if I didn't need another reason to like them. To top it off, the choreography's pretty dope and keeps my attention.

The visuals in this are absolutely great, not just member wise but video wise too. The sets rock, from the art museum to the mansion, to the individual shots are very well done. Namjoon FINALLY has some of the best hair he's had in a while, and thus looks hot. Especially during the "21st Century Girl" performances. 

Thank you to whoever styled his hair this time. So. Much.

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Yoongi FINALLY has black hair and looks fucking hot (he's also been taking some squatting tips from Jimin.) Never thought I'd see the day that Jimin rocked silver/purple hair but he looks amazing in the video. And all the other members look pretty great, the styling here was very well done...

...Speaking of the styling, does anyone else get very Rick James vibes from this? It looks like a modern twist on that androgynous look that was popular in the 1980s. They even have on those loose fitting dress shirts with the exposed chest and scarfs down!

It's actually very befitting there's BDSM elements in this MV given Rick Jame's most popular song.

The member that shines the most this comeback is hands down J-Hope, it seems like Big Hit really tapping into his potential. He gets the most lines, gets the intro to the album, and his solo is one of the best on the album.

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Overall this is another comeback I enjoyed. BTS honestly haven't released a dud since "Boy In Luv" (a song I fucking hate), and they've been one of the most consistent boy groups for me. 

A song I really hope gets some sort of promo is "Lost". Not only is it straight up amazing but it's one of the rare times where a group gathers it's main vocalists and has them sing a dance song vs a melancholy ballad.

The album itself is breaking all kinds of records apparently, which is both shocking and not shocking. On one hand, no one saw it coming but on another, BTS has always been popular with the international crowd. But still, a fucking Billboard record? Wow.

Anyway, I apologize for not being as interactive with the comments as I usually am, my schedule has been hell the past two weeks.

I'll leave you with this: