V and RM supervised the graphics and design of the album. Suga, V, and J-Hope handled the production together with Jin and Jungkook the latter was also responsible for directing the music video. Jimin was responsible for A&R, acting as a link between the group and their management label.

In addition to writing songs for the album, the band members were heavily involved in the overall production process, undertaking the role of project managers in various fields, which included developing concepts, themes, as well as its visual design. In subsequent broadcasts, it was revealed that the album would be written and produced by the band members. He hinted that they would be sharing the preparation process of the forthcoming album through subsequent self-documented videos as part of their initiative to interact with the fans during the lockdown. During a YouTube broadcast, band member RM revealed that BTS were working on a new album.

In support of the album, the band was slated to begin the concert tour, Map of the Soul Tour in April 2020, but the tour was postponed following the COVID-19 pandemic. BTS promoted Be with performances at the American Music Awards and television programs, including The Late Late Show with James Corden.īTS released their fourth Korean-language studio album, Map of the Soul: 7, in February 2020, to critical and commercial acclaim.

The album has since been certified triple million by the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) and platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). Elsewhere, the album topped charts in Canada, Denmark, Japan, Lithuania, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, the Republic of Ireland, South Korea, and Wallonia and peaked within the top 10 of 14 other territories. The album was BTS' fifth to debut at number one on the Billboard 200, making BTS the fastest group to earn five chart-topping albums in the United States since the Beatles. It was followed by the lead single of Be, ' Life Goes On', which also debuted atop the Hot 100, becoming BTS' third consecutive chart-topper in the United States. The album was preceded by the standalone single ' Dynamite', which marked BTS' first number-one song on the US Billboard Hot 100. A few others expressed mixed feelings and found it unadventurous. Critics hailed the album's pop sound and the eclectic experimentation of musical styles, with many praising its authenticity and simplicity.

Described by BTS as 'a letter of hope', the lyrics are about comfort, loneliness, anxiety, sadness, hope, connection, and joy. The record sees the band members contributing to various aspects of album-making process including songwriting, development, production, and visual design.īe is primarily a pop record, encompassing hip hop, EDM, and disco genres with elements of synth-pop, funk, and R&B. Created in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Be was inspired by BTS' perspective of life during the pandemic. It was released on November 20, 2020, through Big Hit Entertainment, nine months after its predecessor, Map of the Soul: 7 (2020). Be (stylized in all caps) is the fifth Korean-language studio album by South Korean boy band BTS.

Bts unplugged