MAP OF THE SOUL & BTS: The journey continues
Hi again! How are you? As promised, today I’m back to continue the analysis of Map of the Soul & BTS and the connections that have been built through it.
In the previous post, we discovered that “Map of the Soul” is actually a book published by Dr. Murray Stein where he discusses some of the main concepts and ideas developed by one of the greatest theorists in the field of Psychology: Carl Jung. In addition, we went through a brief but detailed analysis of the album “Map of the Soul: Persona” (2019), the first of this current series. I recommend that, if you haven’t already read this first part, you go back and read it so you can move on without losing our line of reasoning, right? Just click on this link: https://medium.com/@amandavargasferrer/map-of-the-soul-bts-what-are-we-talking-about-and-how-did-it-start-b9a18ba0416d
Well, to continue this study, today we will turn our attention completely to “Map of the Soul: 7” (2020). This album brings, first of all, such a significant musical diversity and such a fantastic multiplicity of messages. But one thing is certain: “Map of the Soul: 7” is the continuation of an even deeper journey through the human psyche.
However, before we jump into the analysis of the songs and concepts presented there, we need to talk about the number 7. SEVEN. Characterized as symbolic, mystical and even sacred in a plurality of systems. Christianity, for example, considers it the sacred number of perfection. Others consider it a lucky number. It can also be said that it is composed of 3 + 4, numbers that make up the figure of the triangle and the square, very important ones for the studies of Alchemy. It’s also easy to see that we have seven days a week. Many examples can come to our mind, right?
Added to this is the fact that 7 is a number full of meanings for our boys. BTS has 7 components. BTS has existed for 7 years. Also, notice that 7 is a prime number, that is, it’s divisible only by 1 or by itself. Thus, this number also expresses the group’s configuration very well: there are seven men with different personalities, but they all unite around a single purpose (like the metaphor of the ship, widely used by Namjoon to explain the group’s dynamics).
Moving on, let’s get to the songs. Nonetheless, the first five tracks of this album (“Intro: Persona”, “Boy With Luv”, “Make it right”, “Jamais Vu” and “Dionysus”) were already present in “Map of the Soul: Persona”. Therefore, I will not stick to them since they were already explored in the previous analysis. So let’s resume and continue this journey from them, building the necessary connections, okay? Let’s get it.
“Map of the Soul: Persona”, in general, was based on the PERSONA concept from the perspective of Carl Jung. To understand where we are in this series, imagine yourself, for example, facing an ocean and you’re about to dive into it in order to get to know it better and explore it. Right on the surface, the first thing we would have contact with would be precisely the persona, as well as the complexes and the initial understanding that we’re also composed of an inner world. However, the album ended with the track “Dionysus”, which says a lot about what was about to come our way.
Do you remember when I wrote “We cannot be completely Apollos. We cannot ignore our Dionysiac side ”? Well, from the perception of that “other side” that is also part of who we are, BTS and we started to turn to another and even deeper structure of the human psyche: the SHADOW.
I believe that before proceeding with the songs, we should take just a moment to understand what the shadow is and its relationship, for example, with the persona. This will be fundamental to our understanding of songs like “Interlude: Shadow” and “Black Swan”.
Take a look at these small excerpts from Dr. Stein’s book:
. “The shadow, a complementary functional complex, is a kind of counter-person. The shadow can be thought of as a subpersonality who wants what the persona will not allow. ” (STEIN, 2006, p. 101)
. “The content and specific qualities that contribute to the formation of this internal structure are selected by the ego’s development process. What the ego consciousness rejects becomes a shadow. ” (STEIN, 2006, p. 100)
. “The shadow’s personality is not visible and only appears on special occasions. The world ignores, to a greater or lesser degree, the existence of that person. The persona is much more in evidence.” (STEIN, 2006, p. 100)
. “In general, the shadow has an immoral quality or, at least, little recommendable, containing characteristics of a person’s nature that are contrary to the customs and moral conventions of society.” (STEIN, 2006, p. 98)
. “What the ego wants in the shade, however, is not necessarily bad in itself […]” (STEIN, 2006, p. 99)
. “[…] the encounter with the shadow also has a transformative effect […]” (STEIN, 2006, p. 101)
In short, the shadow belongs to our personal unconscious. Shadow and persona — as well as the ego — are opposites. But while the persona is expressed in the different roles of adapting to the social world in our daily lives, the shadow is composed of what we want to keep in the dark, hidden from everything and everyone — including ourselves. In order for you to understand it even more in depth, I highly recommend that you listen to the episode 53 of the mentioned podcast (https://open.spotify.com/show/7ndyZNV5xYZxSYXhLzVpBl).
Well, I believe that now we can go a little further. So, the next track on “Map of the Soul: 7” is “Interlude: Shadow”. The title couldn’t be more explicit, huh? Yoongi starts the song by stating a series of desires. “I wanna be a rapstar, I wanna be the top”. But from then on, he starts to affirm and be aware of fears, anxieties and, perhaps, even parts of him that he’s not very proud of or ashamed of. Looking at ourselves through the lens of the shadow is not a pleasant experience and recognizing it leads us to face moral dilemmas that we never imagined. The shadow is the hidden and unconscious part of the ego, but in this song, Yoongi externalized his shadow through unforgettable words and melodies.
“Even if I run away, it is following me
My shadow that gets darker as that light gets brighter”
Still, moving on to the end of the lyrics for “Interlude: Shadow”, Yoongi recognizes something essential and transposes it to the lyrics as if it were his own shadow talking to him. He says:
“Yeah, you’re me and I’m you, you get it now, right?
We’re one body and sometimes we will crash
You will never be able to take me off of you, you get it, right?”
We cannot get rid of the shadow because it’s an essential part of the whole that we are. Denying it takes us farther and farther away from what we are and from what we can be and leaves us to incompleteness. So once again it’s worth saying: we cannot be completely Apollos, we cannot hide our Dionysiac side. It is time to start exploring our shadows, becoming aware of them and, in this way, we’ll begin to integrate them into our personality in a healthy and balanced way.
Oh! Please, be sure to watch the “Interlude: Shadow” MV. The sets, the expressions, the composition of colors… Sometimes, images express even more than words.
Then we come to “Black Swan”. This track was one of the first to catch my eye on the album because it has the same name as one of my favorite movies of all times — and has even some references to it on the MV. “Black Swan” is a beautiful song and, on it, the shadow definitely takes over. It’s kind of a confession of BTS facing the shadow they had been hiding as artists.
“As if I’m bewitched, I slowly sink down, nah nah nah
Though I try struggling, I’m at the bottom of the sea, nah nah”
“I’ll jump into it
At the deepest
I saw myself”
The lyrics and the MVs of “Black Swan” show BTS going through a painful and uncertain moment but, at the same time, with a very mature and self-reflective posture. So, even in the chaos of the shadow, we can see a certain rebirth. In the midst of our psychological development, we will go through countless transitions and transformations. The death of an old identity that no longer serves us is like a snake shedding its skin. Thus, this song, as well as “Map of the Soul: 7” in its entirety, is, in my humble opinion, the beginning of a process of rebirth, rediscovery and personal reinvention for BTS from the contact with their unconscious. We’re talking about stages of development and you and I are also invited to discover ours.
In the sequence, we have “Filter” and this is a song that, without a doubt, sticks to anyone’s head! But, in addition to the “caliente” rhythm and seductive vocals, Jimin is talking about something very important. Exactly: filters.
It’s likely that when you see this word, you directly think about Instagram or Snapchat filters and, don’t worry, you’re on the right way. Dr. Stein, in the episode 55 of the podcast “Speaking of Jung”, says that, for him, “Filter” could have two close meanings. First, it’s a statement with a sense of “We can entertain you” and, in fact, they can. Nobody better than BTS to explore the countless faces of arts and entertainment right now. However, Dr. Stein points out that Jimin may also be singing about the issue of interpretation. Jung himself, for example, was often misunderstood. To better express the idea I’m trying to bring, take a look at this excerpt from one of the books organized by Carl Jung, called “The Man and His Symbols” (it is translated from the version I read):
“Each of us receives general or abstract notions in the particular context of our mind and, therefore, understands and applies those notions also in a particular and individual way. When, in conversation, I use words like ‘State’, ‘money’, ‘health’ or ‘society’, I assume that those who listen to me give these terms more or less the same meaning as I do. But the expression ‘more or less’ is what matters here. Each word has a slightly different meaning for each person […]” (JUNG, 2016, p. 47)
I believe that this is appliable not only to our words, but also to our actions, traits of our personality and many other factors. Sometimes we want to express something but we cannot really know how it will be interpreted by the people around us. Everyone filters everything, this is the truth, and this is not under our control. Therefore, reflecting on this can help us a lot, for example, when we are trying to integrate our shadow and our persona.
“Na na na na na na na na na
Pick your filter, try saving only me
Na na na na na na na na na
I’m your filter, try entrusting yourself to me ”
Okay, continuing. We arrived at “My Time”, Jungkook’s solo track. This song brings the element of time and talks about the ego’s different perceptions of temporality through the singer’s personal experiences. Dr. Stein, through the podcast, also pointed out that, in adolescence, it’s common for us to have the feeling of immortality. The desire to live madly and to be young forever. But, when we reach a certain age around the age of 20, we begin to realize that our choices are significant and they have consequences. We begin to realize different realities of the passing of time. So, “My Time” is the perfect expression of this coming to our senses.
“But, perhaps I was too fast, there are traces of what I missed
Don’t know what to do with
Am I livin ’this right?
Why am I only one in a different spacetime ”
“Louder than bombs” is the next song and, wow, what a deep melody and lyrics! The track features themes such as suffering, pain, sadness, fear as universal. Dr. Stein interpreted this song as if BTS were watching their own pain and problems but, at the same time, taking a step back and abstractly observing the pain and problems faced by so many around the world. However and beyond that, Stein stated that he also sees this song as a statement of empathy and hope. We will not give up, we will keep going even in the midst of difficult circumstances — whether on our internal or external journeys.
“You and I, we all feel it together
Sorrow and pain,
They are never a coincidence
Yeah, we picked this game
Louder than bombs I say ”
Next, we have the title track, “ON”. And as Kim Taehyung would say, my friends, “it’s massive”. It really is. Because of that, in today’s analysis, I will stick more to the message of the song in relation to the lyrics and, among the next posts here, I will return with more intentionality to the MV and other aspects of “ON” because I believe that they will be fundamental for the next steps of BTS within the “Map of the Soul” series.
Well, Jung once said, “Show me a sane man and I will make him insane” and the lyrics of “ON” tell us “To remain sane, one must go insane”. What do they both have in common? What do they mean? Dr. Stein explains to us that sanity is considered a high quality and virtue, but sanity, by itself, is not enough. It lacks imagination. It lacks depth. Of course, we need it, but it does not satisfy the human psyche, not even close. It’s paradoxical, but it’s real.
In Jungian terms, what the letter of “ON” is telling us is that we need to include the unconscious in order to achieve the integrity of who we are. What is conscious and rational is part of what we are, but it is not ALL that we are.
“I throw all of myself into this two-sided world”
Finally, it’s worth saying that “ON” is still a song of resilience. A song of strength. One deep breath in the middle of the road that makes it possible to stand up and continue on this eternal journey. Keep going forward. Keep moving. Gather energy and go back to the journey.
“Rain be pourin
Sky keep fallin
Everyday, oh na na na
Bring it, bring the pain, oh yeah”
“Where my pain lies,
Let me breathe”
“You can’t hold me down ‘cause you know I’m a fighter”
The 12th track is “UGH!”, this masterpiece from our rap line. First of all, the Korean title (욱) is pronounced “wook”. It comes from another word, 욱하다, which means something like losing your temper because of something or someone who suddenly made you explode in rage. This term also makes a lot of sense with the English title, UGH, which would be the sound we make when we’re angry or frustrated (or trusfrated, as Jungkook would say).
Regarding the meanings behind “UGH!”, Dr. Stein points out that this song has a strong message in the face of a broken and hypocritical world. People who hide behind masks and a world dominated by anger, dislike, envy, violence and hypocrisy. And what is up to us to seek to do in the midst of all this? We must seek resilience and not lose focus in the middle of the journey.
“Even truth becomes lies
Even lie becomes truth
In this place, everyone becomes someone with perfect moral thinking and judgment
How funny ”
“It’s like no one can live without anger
They get angry, angry, and angry ”
In the sequence, the vocal line track, “00:00 (Zero O’Clock)”, has very different tones from the previous one. This is truly a song of hope. It has such simple and sincere lyrics and, at the same time, they’re so real. We all have these days when we face exactly the sensation described on it and that is why “00:00” is able to touch our hearts and bring so much comfort.
The song also ends up going through the question of how we perceive time. The reality of time and our relationship with temporality. Time passes and we cannot recapture it, but with that glance of hope, there’s a moment — 00:00 — when everything stops and can be reset. A time when we can start again. That time is tomorrow. Thus, “00:00 (Zero O’Clock)” expresses the hope that better days will come and this can bring us more comfort and a breath to continue on our journey.
“When the second hand and the minute hand overlap,
The world holds its breath for a very brief moment
Zero O’Clock
And you gonna be happy
[…] Turn this all around
A time when everything is new,
Zero O’Clock ”
“Inner Child”, the next song, is Taehyung’s solo track. Before making any comments on the lyrics, take a look at this excerpt from the song description on Spotify: “V dedicates this solo to the boy who has struggled to become the person he is today. That scared boy will be within forever, but V extends a comforting hand, knowing that the scars have now become a badge of happiness […]”.
“Inner Child” clearly refers to that past self and the memories and feelings of when he was just a boy. However, under Jungian psychology, this inner child can also represent an archetype. Archetype? What the heck is that? I’ll explain! Archetypes, according to Jung, are sets of primitive images resulting from a succession of progressive repetitions of the same experience over many generations in humanity that were stored in the unconscious. From then on and because of that, Dr. Stein said that this inner child that we have is very sensitive but, at the same time, it has tremendous potential. So, talking about this “Inner Child” is talking about our future and our development potential. This track really connects past, present and future.
“Because the lights that shined onto your eyes,
Are the me of now
You’re my boy, my boy”
Next, we have “Friends”. Oh, “Friends”… This 95 ’Line unit is a gift for us and for themselves through glimpses of their history. The title could not be more evident. This track is an affirmation and also a celebration of the friendship between Jimin and Taehyung. At first, I confess that I wondered a little about why this song is in this position on the album. However, when we look at the lyrics, everything becomes clear. They sing:
“When these cheers die down, stay, hey
Stay with me by my side ”
In the midst of the journeys we hop on throughout life, whether internal or external, even though it sometimes seems that we can do everything ourselves, the truth is that we cannot. Dr. Stein wrote in “Map of the Soul” that “we all need other people to survive physically and psychologically” (STEIN, 2006, p. 107). We need others to share the eternal journey and make it lighter. And who better to do that than a friend? Jimin and Taehyung have been through a lot and that’s why this song means so much. Even in the midst of changes or different circumstances in life, stay with me.
“Seven summers and cold winters
And more to come
Many promises and memories,
And more to come ”
Moving on. If you follow BTS and have never gotten emotional while listening to “Moon”, wow, you’re really strong. This song was composed for ARMY and the lyrics added to Seokjin’s voice are capable of breaking through anyone. He sings as if he were the Moon and the ARMY was the Earth. However, observe that the fact that he chose the Moon as the main character of this track is very interesting. Dr. Stein pointed out that Seokjin could be, for example, singing about the Sun, but it is different. The Sun is steady and represents a conscious feature. The Moon, on the other hand, is what gives light to the darkness, but it’s also changeable and goes through different phases. For this reason, the Moon, under Jungian psychology, often symbolizes the personal unconscious — our imagination, our emotional reactions, our affective memory and other factors. In addition, the Moon also carries a little more romantic vibe, right? Thus, “Moon” is a love song for ARMY and a walk through a part of Seokjin’s personal unconscious.
“I will orbit around you
I will stay by your side
I will be your light
All for you ”
“Respect”, the next track, is quite a song, the perfect unit between Namjoon and Yoongi. To some extent, yes, they are singing about respect, which is a high human virtue, even higher than admiration and, perhaps, even higher than love. Look at these verses:
“It surely belongs to a higher tier than love
A higher tier, perhaps the highest tier
A concept that belongs to that,
Isn’t that respect, huh?”
Respect is essential, especially when we come to understand more deeply the journey we are on and that others may be on, because respect awakens sensibility. However, as I said in a previous post, when it comes to BTS, we need to look twice before drawing any conclusions. In this song, Namjoon and Yoongi are also playing with the word itself. Realize that RESPECT can also be a junction of the English prefix RE + SPECT (in the sense of observing, looking or watching something). So, “Respect” talks about looking at something again, perhaps from new perspectives — which is also linked to the original word, “respect”. Often, we need to look at something or someone more than once to understand it better and respect it. This double meaning is very clear in this verse: “Re-spect, like the word itself, it’s to look and look again”.
The 18th track of “Map of the Soul: 7” is the insuperable “We Are Bulletproof: The Eternal”. This song goes deep into the memories, the past and the trajectory of BTS and ARMY until now. They are claiming that BTS and ARMY are one and will not fall. To better understand what I’m talking about, if you haven’t already, I recommend that you watch the animation produced as the MV for this song, released in June amid BTS FESTA, a commemorative period for another year completed by the group since its debut: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UWBYJjuIL0
I believe it is also relevant to emphasize the importance of the title “WAB: The Eternal”. We know that, in the past, BTS had already released two songs with the same name: “We Are Bulletproof: Pt. 1”, even before debuting and having this current formation, and “We Are Bulletproof: Pt. 2” (2013) in their first album. But I was wondering: why would they put “The Eternal” in the title now? Why not “Pt. 3” or something like that? ‘Eternal’ is a strong word, because it brings the idea of overcoming time and it was exactly through this point that I understood why this is the title. BTS, as a group or each of the boys individually, due to their career and this unity with ARMY, has been placed on a path that overcomes time. They have, in fact, marked their names in history and also in the hearts of millions of people around the planet. For this reason, “WAB: The Eternal” perfectly describes the past, present and future and how BTS and ARMY, as one, have been immortalized in all of these in the midst of the journey. Honestly, even if they’re no longer here, I’ll wait for my 70s and I wanna sit on my bed and be able to bring back memories of everything I’ve lived and learned through these 7 men. So BTS, you can be sure that all my next generations will know what you have brought into this world.
“We were only seven
But we have you all now
After seven winters and springs
At the tips of our fingers interlocked
Yeah, we got to heaven”
We have finally reached our final point for today — “Outro: EGO”. Do you remember how we finished the previous album, “Map of the Soul: Persona”? Exactly, we end with “Dionysus”, celebrating the reception of another side of the psyche — in this case, the shadow. In “Map of the Soul: 7”, we will also end by talking about another structure of the human personality: we went through Persona, Shadow and now BTS brings the EGO to the center of attention.
This precious solo track by Hobi is an affirmation of the ego and a celebration of where we got in its development up to this point in the journey. But, before talking more about this song, I would like to draw some points from Dr. Stein’s book so that we can understand in a basic way what is the ego according to Jung. Look at these quotes:
. “ ‘Ego’ is a technical term whose origin is the Latin word meaning ‘I’. Consciousness is the perception of our own feelings and, at its center, there is an ‘I’.” (STEIN, 2006, p. 21)
. “The ego is a ‘subject’ to whom the psychic contents are presented. It’s like a mirror. Furthermore, the connection with the ego is the necessary condition for making anything conscious — a feeling, a thought, a perception or a fantasy. The ego is a kind of mirror in which the psyche can see itself and can become conscious.” (STEIN, 2006, p. 23)
. “[…] the ego forms the critical center of consciousness and, in fact, largely determines which contents remain in the domain of consciousness and which are withdrawn” (STEIN, 2006, p. 25)
In short, the ego is a term used by Jung to represent the center of consciousness — realize that ego and consciousness are not essentially the same thing, but it is through the ego that unconscious contents can become conscious. Thus, the ego is what an individual understands about himself and it is this ability to realize a high level of knowledge of himself and to understand the reasons for his own behavior, that is, a self-reflective ego that differs from our consciousness of animal consciousness, for example, and is fundamental to our internal journey.
“That way, way, way
Wherever my way
Only ego, ego, ego
Just trust myself ”
BTS knows there is still a long way to go, but Hobi’s solo brings this celebration for what has already been achieved and experienced. This journey began with the PERSONA, passed through the SHADOW and, through the experience of integrating these opposites, the EGO is strengthened and developed. See these words from Dr. Stein about the importance of integration and making the most varied aspects of our psyche aware: “Since the global task of psychological development (or ‘individuation’) is integration, and wholeness is the supreme value, we need to ask here, in a preliminary way, at least: What does it mean to integrate persona and shadow? In the context of the topic of this chapter, integration depends on the person’s acceptance of himself […]. A conflict between opposites — persona and shadow, for example — can be considered as a crisis of individuation, an opportunity to grow through integration. ” (STEIN, 2006, p. 112–113)
Finally, my conclusion is that “Map of the Soul: 7” is an intense journey through BTS’s personal unconscious. Through it, they presented themselves before the world and in a new and different way, truly sincere, profound and mature. Beyond that, they presented each one of us with an impulse, an inspiration and an opportunity to also explore our personas, shadows and egos.
However, these three are just the initial elements of this eternal inner journey. Will BTS go deeper in this series? Well, I believe that a final detail here can give us the answer: the presence of the track “ON” in collaboration with the singer Sia in the digital version of the album. I was wondering: why would they put this song here, finishing the album? This very version with the presence of a female voice? I believe that says a lot about where we are walking to with BTS in the “Map of the Soul” series. And you, what do you think?
Very soon I’ll return with the next part of this analysis. Keep an eye on it and share with friends and loved ones who may also need to know this! See you!
*It’s essential to point out that everything that was written here consists of:
➡️ Personal interpretations based on studies I have been developing;
➡️ Questions raised by Dr. Murray Stein throughout his book, “Map of the Soul”, and his participations in episodes of the podcast “Speaking of Jung”, by Laura London (https://open.spotify.com/show/7ndyZNV5xYZxSYXhLzVpBl);
➡️ Other references to other books and works that might be relevant to the subject.
*The referenced quotes were translated from the books I read in Portuguese.
