Did BTS Just Breathed Life to My Notes and Weaved Melodies to My Unwritten Thoughts?
Flashback… January 10, 2020, while meandering in an alternate universe, I wrote:
At times when you are with the circle of people you love, the weight upon your shoulders suddenly turns lighter and insignificant. You feel your eyes sparkle. You taste your lips brimming a wide smile. You hear yourself laugh.
But as you retreat back into your own room, your vivid vision turns into a blur... emptiness creeps in and you start to feel alone, all over again.
Sounds familiar? Well, because everyone at some point in time has met with joy draining inexplicable dryness.
How to get out? You don't. You acknowledge it. You live with it. You deal with the fact that not all days will be perfect, not all days will leave you feeling like you're living your best life. You continue, regardless.
And as you close your bedroom door and crumble underneath your blanket, you shrug away those bitter thoughts. You begin to water that seed of hope in your wounded heart, with the belief that tomorrow will be just fine. 😉
Meanwhile back in reality, probably somewhere from Korea to California and back, Kim Namjoon of Bangtan Sonyeondan with Antonina Armato, Jessie Lauryn Foutz and Pdogg gave birth to 00:00 (Zero O’clock), the 13th track on BTS’s album Map of the Soul: 7 performed by the vocal line.
The translated English lyrics reads:
(Verse 1)
You know those days
Days when you’re sad for no reason
When your body feels heavy
And everyone, except me
Looks busy, fiercely living their lives
I can’t get my feet to move
I feel like I’m already behind
The whole world seems so cunning
(Verse 2)
Yeah, rattling speed bumps here & there
My heart gets crumpled
I talk less and less
Why the hell did I run so hard?
Oh, why me?
(Pre-Chorus)
I come home and lie in bed
Tried thinking
Whether it was my fault
A dizzy night
I glanced at the clock
Soon, it’s 12 O’Clock
Will something change?
It probably won’t be the case
But still, this day will come to an end
When the hour and minute hands align,
The world holds its breath for a brief moment
Zero O’Clock
(Chorus)
Ooh-ooh and you gonna be happy
Ooh-ooh and you gonna be happy
Like that snow that just settled down
Let's breathe, like the first time
Ooh-ooh and you gonna be happy
Ooh-ooh and you gonna be happy
Turn this all around
Everything is new at
Zero O’Clock
(Verse 3)
The beat slips away little by little
I can’t put on an easy face
I keep forgetting familiar lyrics
There’s nothing going my way
Yes, it’s all in the past
Even talking to myself, it’s not easy
Is it my fault? Is it my wrong?
Only my echo comes back with no answer
(Bridge)
Put my hands together to pray
Hoping that tomorrow I'll laugh more, for me
It'll be better, for me
When this song ends
A new song will begin
I wish you to be happier, yeah
In a nutshell, 00:00 (Zero O’clock) is a comforting piece about new beginnings. It unravels the anxious side of crappy days yet encourages a daily resetting sealed thru a prayer of hope for a better tomorrow.
This sub-unit track with lo-fi guitar sounds and minimal trap beats has done something in my heart that I can’t explain.
The first time I listened to this, I was moved to tears even without understanding the words.
Indeed, music in itself is a language that transcends all boundaries be it space, time or even culture.
Upon searching for the translated lyrics, I was surprised that Zero O’clock (lyric video here), which BTS released last February 21, 2020 almost paralleled the write-up I posted last January 10 on my FB timeline (evidence here).
I was like… Oohh daebak! Did they just seriously composed this?
It’s amazing how they seemed to have turned my thoughts into a song. And how the worries that I had during those times, which were difficult to put into words, have been accurately unmasked.
Sigh. This might sound dramatic but I always thank God for allowing Bangtan to exist in this lifetime. I am grateful not only for the comfort that their music brings to me, or for their comedic personalities that are so charming and entertaining they give me a good hearty laugh every time… but also for their constant affirmations that I never walk alone.
Plus, hearing Jungkook on the opening lines made this even more special. Uwuuu! 🤩
So yeah, Zero O’clock will always be the closest to my heart. 💜
And let me just add here the part that made me a little more proud of these boys. It was during BTS Break the Silence Docu-series Episode 1, when BTS’ rapper SUGA said…
“I’ve been doing a lot of work as singer, producer, and songwriter. `Now that we’re successful singers, I’ll use this song to top the charts`… if I approach it in that way it just becomes meaningless.”
Then I read somewhere:
There’s a reason why BTS is paving the way… not only are they genuine and humble, they incorporate their own stories to their songs to help people as well. They don’t do it for fame, they just want to make this world bearable in some way.
Truly, I couldn’t agree more.
