What it means when we say BTS is the Genre

Hello bookmys! (If you missed it, it’s bookish ARMYs!) BTS month is ending soon. Which is sad because this has been an amazing month (and alongside Pride Month, too!). And since it’s my very first BTS month as an ARMY, I wanted to post something to wrap up their 8th anniversary celebration.

However, up until last week, I didn’t know what exactly to post (because let’s be honest, there’s so much to talk about BTS and I feel like if left unsupervised, I will just ramble on). This was until I looked at my Spotify and my Instagram stories and realized, I have the perfect theme to talk about: BTS is the genre.

See, for three weeks, I have been sharing BTS songs on my personal Instagram. I’ve been analyzing their songs and highlighting lyrics, and just showing off the talent and the dynamic that they have as a group. And as I go through it, I keep realizing every day, that their discography is so versatile and they truly have a song for everything.

You want rap/hip hop? There’s Hip hop Phile, the Cypher songs, Outro: Tear, Dis-ease.

Oh, you want something feel good and with pop vibes? Try Boy with Luv, Dynamite, Butter, Telepathy.

Now you want ballad, and maybe songs to cry out to? Sure. The Truth Untold, Serendipity, Epiphany, Singularity, Euphoria, Heartbeat, Film Out.

Oh, what’s that? You want songs that bring you comfort and feel like a hug? You have Spring Day, Mikrokosmos, Magic Shop, Life Goes On, Blue & Grey.

Oh, now you’re looking for dance tracks and/or EDMs? IDOL, Save Me/I’m Fine, Fire.

You’re wondering about diss tracks? MIC Drop, Ddaeng, UGH!, is here for you.

And you know what else? You can always count on their lyricism to come through. From wordplays, to metaphors, to symbolisms, to drawing inspiration from literature and philosophy. Yep, they write and produce their songs, too! (Leader RM is even known as the philosopher who raps. But that’s a topic for another time.)

Not only that, but they have done more genres and styles apart from what I’ve mentioned above as well. Here’s a clever and apt compilation of the music genres BTS has done:

Part 2 of this compilation can be found here!

Their versatility and their artistry are truly something else. And I’m not just saying this as an ARMY, I’m saying this as a music lover. Because before I had books, I had music. And I have never seen an artist or a group that puts so much time and thought perfecting their craft and wanting to create all kinds of music and share that with the world. Most of all, I have never connected to a group that just wants nothing but to share art and happiness and comfort with their fans through their music. It’s amazing to see.

My belief that BTS is the genre was further cemented when I discovered two particular reactors on YouTube: Rapper Knox Hill and rap/hip hop fan ToneyReactions.

Knox Hill does not only react to the song or the music video, he dissects and analyzes the rap and the lyrics as well. Being a rapper himself, he knows certain rapping techniques and skills and he shares it in his reaction videos. I love how on point he is with his analyses of the lyrics of the songs. Plus the way he appreciates BTS rap line’s skills and talent and BTS’ artistry as a whole is such a breath of fresh air among the hate and prejudice they get.

Rap and hip hop fan ToneyReactions, on the other hand, started with Dynamite and has been reacting to other BTS songs ever since. He’s always amazed with every song and music video every time, and quite frankly, I can relate to his whole journey. Discovering BTS because of Dynamite—going from pop to rap to hip hop and more, it’s such an experience. And when he says “It’s like a different group every time!” in his reaction videos, I can’t help but laugh and nod in agreement.

All of these things, for me, just reinforces the fact that BTS is the genre. This is already a common tenet among ARMYs, but this month, I felt like I truly understood the essence of it. They have no one sound, they have no one style. They are everything all at once, they go above and beyond, and they own it. That’s what BTS’ music is like. That’s what we mean when we say BTS is the genre.

Now, BTS has over 300 songs in their discography, and I haven’t listened to the entirety of it. It’s going slow, but I’m getting there! And I just cannot wait to discover more, and see more of what they have to offer. Whether it be in Korean, Japanese, or English. Whether it be old music or new music.

And speaking of new music, there’s a new track coming along this July 9th (which happens to be the fandom’s birthday)! And with BTS, we can’t really expect anything specific anymore. Whatever they have up their sleeve, I’m sure we’ll be surprised in the best way possible.

For now, Stream Butter!

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Come talk to me at the comments below, fan or not! Bookmys, what are some of your favorites from BTS’ discography? And also, are you excited about the new track?! Let’s talk!

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