With the release of BTS’s fourth studio album Map of the Seoul: 7 back in February, there was a lot of anticipation for their latest album. Be ventures into both the past and the present with its structure and sounds.

“Life Goes On” is an interesting title track that is the antithesis of its predecessor, “On” from Map of the Soul: 7. While “On” is filled with heavy percussion, the modernized version, “Life Goes On” offers solace to its listeners in times ripe with abrupt adversity with an alternative hip-hop beat attached to it.

The track was almost like a hug, with members V and Jimin harmonizing the phrase “I remember” in the outro. The two words can represent how important it is to remember that life will always go on, no matter what.

This gentle aura eases into one of melancholy with the track “Blue and Grey” where the acoustic guitar instrumentals take the forefront. With striking English lyrics such as, “I just wanna be happier” that tug at the heartstrings, this is a song that was produced by band member V to illustrate his burnout as an artist.

The title within it of itself paints a bleak picture, as grey is most commonly representative of being mundane, and blue is most commonly associated with sadness. It’s daunting and brave of them to release a song that illustrates what burnout feels like, and the group did a good job of representing the struggle of wanting to be happier but being consumed by being blue and grey.

“Skit” offers a complete surprise on the track list, taking listeners away from the music and focusing on a snapshot of the conversations that go on in the recording studio. The track is filled with fun snippets like when Suga said “Oh, I’m sorry Billboard’s No. 1 singer has arrived too late. I went to the bathroom,” being followed by, “Can you treat the Billboard No. 1 singer like this? No seat?”

“There are six No. 1 singers who arrived earlier than you!” RM wittingly responded.

It was heartwarming to see the references that haven’t been included in their albums and EP’s since 2017 in Love Yourself: Tear.

BTS was always popular among international fandom due to their funny and genuine content. Their skits were one of the ways to see that. The skit was a cute tongue in cheek idea that illustrated their excitement at becoming No. 1 Billboard artists.

Last but not least, they end on a high note with “Dynamite.” Its disco influence defined it as a hit for its cheerful demeanor. This single has reached huge milestones, from being the band’s first fully recorded song in English to being the song nominated along with the group for “Best Pop Duo/Group Performance” at the 2021 Grammy’s.

From nostalgia in terms of music genres to reviving old skits that were in albums, Be is a time capsule of emotion and sincerity that both ARMY and non-fans can listen and relate to.