CONCERT REVIEW: BTS’ Highly Anticipated Speak Yourself Tour
BTS will be returning to the stage on October 11th, to continue their tour in Saudi Arabia. But for those who haven’t gone yet, here is my experience from their show at the Met Life Stadium in New Jersey. The concert itself deserves an award. The work they put into the show is impressive as the members don’t just simply sing but give their fans everything they can, in turn, reinventing what it means to hold a concert.
The crowd roared once fire erupted from the stage and the beginning notes of Dionysus began the show. Two giant inflatable panthers arose from the stage revealing the greek table the members sat surrounded by dancers dressed in all white. The rap infused rock music paired with fiery choreography unleashed pent up elation from the crowd. Afterwards, they played the nostalgic and dauntless “Not Today,” along with the motivating “WINGS” outro. Later, Jung Hoseok demanded the stage with “Just Dance.” Hoseok’s solo matched his jovial personality with a reflection of his mixtape, “HOPEWORLD." It highlighted the rapper’s vocals as well as flawless dance moves. The Army Bombs (lightsticks) held by every fan transitioned from pink to blue as Jungkook appeared to perform "Euphoria." His soft yet strong vocals filled the stadium showing his versatility in range. He was then lifted into the air as he hit the high note and soared above the crowd. Euphoria’s ending was Best Of Me’s beginning as BTS came together and sang the fan-favourite track.
Jimin’s solo performance began with him trapped in a bubble. "Serendipity" captures Jimin’s unique ability to produce high notes easily and includes choreography with contemporary aspects. Namjoon’s "Trivia: Love" started off his bouncy rap track filled with Korean and English wordplay. His clever rap style was balanced by a bit of vocals at the end making a perfect segway to Boy With Luv; the groups’ record-breaking title track. The concert shifted into a darker theme as Taehyung performed "Singularity." His style embodied the story told through song, dance, and props such as masks. The deep bass backing his baritone voice composed a darker, mysterious tone perfectly leading into Fake Love. Moving onto Seokjin’s Epiphany, the ballad’s story is looking at the past and seeing how you tried living for others and realize that you should love yourself. The sincere emotion that flows between soft vocals to powerful high notes makes the song emotional as thousands of voices“I’m the one I should Love." Yoongi’s solo, Seesaw, included a beautiful city background and moving floor to appear as if he was walking down the street. He switched up his rap style to include more vocals to show off his low-toned, smooth voice. The addition of choreography also made this piece very different from his "WINGS" album solo.
The energy the members exhibit throughout the concert makes the show feel bigger within the stadium. The member’s personality fills the space and connects with the fans and feel the emotions of every song. The colour-coordinated army bombs flashed with the music creating an amazing view no matter where you sit. The concert ended with each member expressing their thanks and appreciation towards fans wrapping up an impressive stage.
