Amateur Recommendation Hour: The Most Beautiful Moment In Life (Parts 1 and 2)

Today’s recommendation is from a group you may be familiar with. Their global reach and mainstream interest is unprecedented in the Korean pop space and has arguably contributed more than any group before them to the permanent place the medium of Korean music has in international mainstream channels.

The Most Beautiful Moment In Life (Parts 1 and 2) by BTS are their most personal works by far and represents the biggest shift away from their less refined and confrontational pop infused Hip Hop sound. Settling for more of a healthy medium between the two. Nothing is more subjective than deciding which is better as we know that there is difference between taste and opinion, but of all of BTS’ modern discography it possibly balances the two genres most fairly, not leaning further one way or another.

There is a remarkable amount of self-awareness in this work. From the opening line “Welcome, first time with BTS?” aware of the international interest that they were only just beginning to garner, to the introspective lyricism that balances their individual identities and collective group mentality together so remarkably well. These are truly the first records of theirs that caught attention beyond the niche of their fanbase. To say this would be a landmark moment in the history of Korean pop music would be putting it lightly. Even if they weren’t the first ones to attempt to appeal to a global demographic, Girls' Generation come to mind (because of course they do) they certainly were the ones to successfully do so on an unprecedentedly large scale. Successfully maintaining an astronomically sized audience that is continuing to grow by the year.

My personal interpretations of these works are that they are a reluctant acceptance amongst the group that they are now international superstars. That while they are inevitably going to find even more success and notoriety that also comes with saying goodbye to places and people they spent a lot of time with, a sacrifice they have no choice but to make if they want to continue their careers. It is conveyed in a very genuine way with a lovely balance of subtle and raw depending on the tone of the particular song.

Even if we do not share the same spotlight as they do having public careers, I think having to say goodbye to a lifestyle, a place we called home, someone we love is something we can all identify with having to do at one point or another in our lives. And in doing so learning how to process both our emotional and physical memories that come with the person or place we must continue on without. Whether they can be revisited or not.

If you’ve ever been wanting to give BTS a try but aren’t sure where the best place to begin is, I think this is a great starting point. Definitely two of their finest releases to date. This isn’t the first and certainly won’t be the last time I say this but if you write them off as nothing more than mindless teen girl thirstiness you’re doing yourself and them a disservice. If ultimately you find that they are not for you then that is completely alright. Music is one of the most subjective art forms after all, and if they're not for you, at least you gave them a chance, which is more than I can say for a lot of people.