BE
| BTS
BE
Be (stylized in all caps) is the fifth Korean-language (ninth overall) studio album by South Korean boy band BTS. It was released on November 20, 2020, through Big Hit Entertainment and Columbia Records, nine months after its predecessor, Map of the Soul: 7 (2020). Created in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Be is inspired by the thoughts and feelings that BTS were experiencing during the conception of the project. The record sees the band members contributing to various aspects of the album including songwriting, development, production, visual aspects, and direction. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
The K-pop superstars’ second album of new material in 2020 fixates on the frustration and grief of life in quarantine, sifting through the blurry days to construct a new form of intimacy.
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Rolling Stone
The K-pop superstars confront hard times as their music enters a new creative phase.
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NME
a sensitive, stunning document of pandemic life.
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Teen Vogue
It’s “dance alone in your room” music, or “laze on the couch and shed occasional tears” music.
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Vox
Be is essential pandemic pop.
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U News
BTS’ “BE” is a creative take on pandemic life.
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The Young Folks
At the height of their powers with more eyes and ears on them than ever before, BTS has produced an album that’s as raw as anything that has come before, gone against the grain and, once again, challenged and defied their own expectations.
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Clash Magazine
No, it may not necessarily have many outside their core fanbase reaching endlessly for the replay button, but its therapeutic nonetheless as the band delivers what they’ve promised ; a personable, relatable collection of tracks that strip away their blinding shine as idols, replacing it with their warm glow of humanity.
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Slant Magazine
The album trades overstimulating spectacle for low-key introspection, but it’s therapeutic as a cup of tea.
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Los Angeles Times
“Be” captures something about the totality of BTS fans’ life in a pandemic: bored, scared and lonely, then resolved and raring to see what comes next.
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Our Culture Magazine
Their latest LP may lack the inventive personality of their best work – and it would have probably worked better as an EP – but it’s still largely effective at what it sets out to do: leveraging each member’s talents to offer not just hope but a sense of togetherness during a time of unprecedented isolation.
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SXU Student Media
Overall, this album, while I had no expectations, was an enlightenment. It’s a dose of familiarity, nostalgia, assurance, and broadening positivity for hope. It’s a short and enjoyable album, and if you haven’t listened I recommend it!
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Mandarin Mama
“BE” is respectable entry in the BTS album pantheon. Though I initially only liked half the album on first listen, even as early as the second listen, I started to like the other tracks markedly more. And now, after repeat listens, I’m sold. Without question, the standout tracks are “Dis-ease” and “Telepathy” — fantastically crafted, rich, and endlessly rewarding.
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Stereogum
On Their Pointedly Chill New Album, BTS Are Mostly Content To Just BE.
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Whip Radio
What makes BE so special is how very human it is. It is hurt, it is pain, it is confusion, and it is uncertainty, but it is also forward-looking, celebratory, hopeful, and encouraging. Jimin shared that he was able to heal a great deal in the process of making this album, and what makes that sentiment so remarkable is the fact that the healing truly goes both ways.
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The Arts Desk
K-pop perfection from the South Korean septet.
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Daily Bruin
BTS matches high expectations with concise, soulful ‘BE’.
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Evening Standard
BE doesn’t overstay its welcome, coming and going in less than half an hour and, like pretty much all BTS albums before it, it doesn’t take many risks. Maybe that’s not a bad thing — in these bleak times, there’s no doubt it’ll be a thing of comfort for millions, and there’s little else that can provide such a thing right now.
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The Suburban Socialite
BE is a solid album that feels cohesive and well structured. Although BE did not include individual solos from the members, it works to give the album a clear, and balanced vision of life during COVID-19, and what lies ahead. Each member had a specified role in the production of the album, and as a result BE feels very uniquely BTS.
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Knight Times
I absolutely loved the album. I do not have the actual album, but I have listened to the full thing and seen many reviews on what the album has, and it is wonderful. My favorite songs on the album are “Stay” and “Dis-Ease.” I am always listening to the album at home. In all honesty, this album is really good, and BTS has done an amazing job with working on it altogether.
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The Runner
A warm sonic hug in the cold darkness of 2020.
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Black Boy Bulletin
BTS Puts the ‘BE’ in Beautiful With New Album.
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The Shield
this album feels like a cup of hot chocolate on a warm day. Sweet, comforting, and wholesome.
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