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BTS, ‘Map of the Soul: 7’
2020
BTS blew up into a whole new kind of global phenomenon. The K-pop kings took the sound of Seoul to the rest of the world, without compromising any details in their own sound or style. They even managed to invade America on their own terms, singing in Korean, while making complex concept albums inspired by Nietzsche and Jung. Map of the Soul: 7 is based on Jungian psychology, coming when the seven Bulletproof Boy Scouts had been together for seven years. The highlights include Suga’s rap “Interlude: Shadow,” RM’s emo hip-hop banger “Black Swan,” the V-Jimin duet “Friends,” and Jin’s love song to the audience, “Moon.” —R.S.
