BTS: Map of the Soul: Persona “Boy with Luv”

BTS made a comeback with their new album “MAP OF THE SOUL: PERSONA” that released globally on April 12. They performed their first live performance of the new album’s title track, “Boy with Luv,” on the NBC comedy show SNL (Saturday Night live) on April 13. “This SNL was all BTS,” CNN said after the broadcast. As fans lined up for nearly a week on the streets, NBC morning hosts were even surprised, saying, “I’ve never seen such a long line.” BTS is writing a new history of K-pop.
So, I’m going to interpret the music video of “Boy with Luv.” The music video means to contain the growth story of BTS and love for BTS’s fans collectively named ARMY:
1. In the first part of the music video, Halsey closes the box office in the theater, and BTS dances after the theater closes, and there is a movie poster next to them titled “Singing in the Rain.”
2. In the movie, the main character, Don, played by Gene Kelley, is an actor who became famous from a poor street celebrity to a stuntman. He almost failed in the middle, but when he met a woman named Kathy, played by Debbie Reynolds, he was able to make it back and succeed. There is a famous scene in which Don holds an umbrella and tap dances, and BTS member RM stands alone with an umbrella in the music video, so the scene presumably paid homage to Don.
3. Therefore, dancing after the ticket box closes can be seen as an expression of the time when BTS was out of the spotlight. Like Don, BTS, who started the stage outside the theater, will be able to go up to the restaurant where the sky is visible. However, they say here, “Now that it’s too high, I want to set my eyes on you.” Then they go to the people who put themselves up (blue background), and a board titled “Love” comes out, which means love from fans (ARMY). This love has made BTS fly up to the sky, and Kathy in the movie was Halsey.
4. “Everyone says that, I, who was small, became a hero (oh nah)”
“I say that fate was never mine to start with”
In these lyrics, people say they were heroes, but BTS says they are not heroes, and show humbleness by saying they were not the ones that caused this to happen. Their message is that this was all thanks to their ARMY.
5. They say it was the wings of Icarus that allowed them to fly up to the sky. Icarus was a mythical person who flew in the sky with wax wings, flew too close to the sun, and the wax eventually melted into the heat of the sun and fell. RM says he got his wings thanks to ARMY and will go to them instead of going to the sun. And nearby RM, there are albums BTS released, which the ARMY love and describe as the wings of the BTS.
6. The images of the other members sitting and watching the leader RM indicate that they also had moments of improved self-esteem, and when they see him, they agree with him and run on the stage with him. They now join with ARMY on the stage, not on the off-stage street, and last message is ARMY. The most amazing thing is that when you turn over “love” in a last scene, you will see the word “army.”
Through this music video, they express their love for ARMY with their growth story. I think their love for the fans and their humble hearts made what they are now, BTS. I encourage you to watch the music video online!

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