BTS has truly outdone themselves with their stunning new single, “Black Swan”. The smooth ballad, off their new album MAP OF THE SOUL: 7, is a true work of art that invokes true emotions from listeners. Is it about the Bangtan Boys’ deepest fears, as the lyrics suggest? Just a sampling (translated from Korean to English): “The heart no longer races / When hearing the music play / Tryna pull up / Seems like time has stopped / Oh that would be my first death / I been always afraid of.” Or, is it about how their relationship with music has changed throughout their careers? That’s the great part of this song: its message is subjective, and up to ARMYs to decide for themselves.
Plainly put, it’s one of their best songs yet! The music video, which you can watch above, is equally breathtaking. Dubbed an “art film,” rather than a traditional music video, BTS is replaced by a group of dancers from the MN Dance Company. Clad in oversized, black blazers and slacks, the dancers gather around a shirtless man in an empty warehouse and seemingly overwhelm him with their haunting moves. At one point, they move into a “cage” made of light beams, and he eventually breaks free. The video ends with the dancers lifting him up as he flaps his arms like bird wings (a swan?), looking up at sunlight shining through into the bleak, concrete room.
Again, it’s totally up to the viewer to decide what all of that means. “Black Swan” sounds a bit different in the video. The song is slowed down, and accompanied by violins. Both versions of the song are equally gorgeous, but this one is perfect for the emotional dance. “Black Swan” was co-written by RM (aka Kim Nam-joon), who raps on the track, “I been always afraid of if this can no longer resonate / No longer make my heart vibrate / Then like this may be how I die my first death.” The music video begins with a quote from the late, legendary dancer Martha Graham: “A dancer dies twice — once when they stop dancing, and this first death is the more painful.”