eventually, everythingoes
A dive on the crowning glory that is the song, “everythingoes”.
mono. (laps lock intended) is the second mixtape by RM or as we all call him, Namjoon. While other publications opt to call this a mixtape as by nature it is, Namjoon has stated several times that he wishes for this piece to be viewed as a playlist.
The playlist features seven tracks which sand was released on October 23, 2018. The playlist saw huge success upon its release and to this day holds the record for the album with the most iTunes #1s with a record-breaking 123 #1s in different countries, a feat he has secured since April 2021.
Many ARMY (if not all) have regarded “mono.” as their source of comfort, citing it as a therapy as the emotions, as well as the theme and vibe of “mono.” centers on the bareness, of loneliness, and of being heard as one undergoes through different struggles of every day. The rawness that is presented in this mixtape has spoken to a lot of people, and touched on the hearts of many as it helps ease the weariness one is holding.
Through the release of this playlist, this has also come to solidify Namjoon’s trademark as many people’s comfort person. Not only has this man been empathic and capable of giving support to many people, but the added comfort that this mixtape has given to many has acclaimed Namjoon as comfort personified. The vulnerability and calmness that the seven-track mixtape allows its listeners to feel are a testament to that.
Namjoon did not give many interpretations regarding the meaning of each track. Rather in his behind live, Namjoon gave glimpses and background stories of how each track had come to be, and also a little bit of his input regarding this track. However, overall, he lets the listener to fully absorb the lyrics and music, allowing them — us to make our interpretations out of it. This has become one of the charms of “mono.”.
everythingoes: the unintentional mantra
Let’s dive into the focus of this feature, which is the sixth track of the playlist, everythingoes. The track featuring indie rock band Nell has been stated by NME as the crowning glory of the playlist.
Based around the idea that all things must pass, it builds slowly over a beautiful, revolving melody and swelling production, holding back RM’s vocal until almost two minutes in. It eventually arrives just in time for the track to hit its peak — a spine-tingling mix of needling synth lines, thunderclap percussion and passionate delivery. -NME, October 23, 2018
During his behind live for “mono.”, Namjoon stated that everythingoes is a mantra, not only to him but a mantra that he wishes to say to those dear to him.
As one listens to this track, it starts off with the soft way Namjoon is saying or singing to himself the lyrics, “it shall pass, someday”. As if as the listener, we get to listen to or experience Namjoon saying these words to himself at first. But as we move on to the rest of the song, the intensity of which 지나가 (it shall pass), accompanied by the background, everythingoes, increases, as if he is not only reiterating it to himself but as well as to the listener.
Some might find the lyrics of everythingoes as repetitive because it actually comprises or runs throughout the whole song, encompassing a few verses of the entirety of it, but personally, this is the charm of the song. The power of this track lies in the repetitive mention of everythingoes, its repetitiveness is what solidifies the message of the track. Its repetitiveness is its quality that makes people listen to it. Because of this quality, it proves the message of this song becoming a mantra, of its message to its listeners that everything, in due time, shall pass.
Everythingoes is a song, or even the word as it is coined, gives the listeners this type of notion that not everything is stationary. Like the dawn that becomes a bright morning or the rainy day that clears up, this song gives the message that in whatever darkness one might find, at some point you will reach the light. For some people, something as simple a message as “it shall pass” may be all the comfort they need.
I know this because personally, this song has helped me get through the toughest battle with myself. And its simple message that everything shall pass is what helped me the most.
In a world — society bent on giving unsolicited, too logical advice for a problem or a roadblock, everythingoes is a hug that says it’s okay to deal with this or that right now because, in the end, everything will eventually pass. In the end, any roadblock will be moved, every problem will be solved.
This song offers the assurance that things will eventually work out, and turn out for the better; maybe not immediately, but eventually. Everythingoes perfectly encapsulates what it means for a simple gesture of a hug to solve a problem rather than take too much advice that often leads to overwhelming actions and results. Because sometimes the remedy to a tired heart isn’t paragraph-long explanations and sermons, sometimes the remedy to it is a simple hug and the words, “you did okay”. And with this song, Namjoon reiterates that he understands that.
Fast forward, to two years after the release of “mono.”, in an online concert in 2020, Namjoon said in his ending ment about finding a way:
…we’ll find a way, if there’s no way, we’ll draw the map, the whole map, all over again
This message greatly resonated with me in a way that it reminds me of everythingoes. Though everythingoes emphasizes to us the belief that bad things will pass eventually, for me it also emphasizes reevaluating our outlook in life. There are instances in life wherein it may not require immediate action, but requires us to take a step back, and let things flow naturally. There are instances when we might think that there are no other ways especially when it comes to very difficult times, and this notion causes us pain, and causes us to give up on ourselves even. However, the message of everythingoes is that to let go of this pain we must believe that this pain, this difficulty will pass eventually. And with that belief, we are able to see that as it passes, there are many different ways to get out of the dark.
In a way, this song tells us to acknowledge that pain, that exhaustion, that darkness that we are dealing with, with the belief that it will not stay for long.
If the way we know does not work, we can simply take a step back, and redraw the whole map that we know. And this comes after the acceptance that what darkness we are facing will eventually go. Because after acceptance, there is growth.
Once we accept that everything will eventually pass, we begin to see the flow of things. Everythingoes emphasizes to us that the key to letting go of pain is to accept that it will not be there forever. In a way, Namjoon tells us that the first step to healing is acknowledging that we are in pain and acknowledging that this pain will not last long, and as we acknowledge that fact, we slowly try to think of ways to redraw the map of our lives towards healing.
Through his playlist, Namjoon has given us a mantra to keep repeating to ourselves. One that does not pretend or sugarcoats. Namjoon gives us a mantra that is realistic, that is accepting. He gives us this notion of the flow of things, and how things will eventually flow, and that nothing is really stationary. Time will flow, the sun will rise after the dawn, and no pain lasts forever.
everything goes.
