BTS’ Global Press Conference for “BE (Deluxe Edition)”

To kick off the release of their new album “BE (Deluxe Edition),” BTS held a press conference November 19th to talk about their music and how they’ve coped during the coronavirus pandemic. The 42-minute Q&A session was live-streamed via Bit Hit Labels’ YouTube channel.

Except for Jungkook, who wore a grey jacket, RM, Jin, J-Hope, Jimin and V opted for black ensembles. The septet was missing one of their rappers, though. Suga stayed home to recuperate from his recent surgery.

The world’s most famous boy band looked elegant and relaxed as they explained how “BE” came to be.

“This album was planned before we released ‘Dynamite,'” said group leader RM. “We feel like we made this together with ARMY (the group’s fandom). When you look at the logo and hear the songs, that’s how it feels to us. It was a collaborative effort with our fans.”

More so than on previous records, each member of BTS had a specific role on “BE.” The maknaes — or youngest members — were given some of the most creative responsibilities. For instance, Jimin was the project manager. V was in charge of the album’s visuals. And Jungkook directed the music video for the soothing title track, “Life Goes On,” which the group will perform November 22 on the “American Music Awards.” The addition of home movies of the group interspersed with the high-end cinematography gives the music video a sleek, but personal touch. And when we see V driving by Seoul Olympic Stadium and see his wistful gaze, we feel a pang of angst along with him. Had this pandemic not shut down life as we know it, BTS would’ve performed at stadiums like that around the world.

“I hope you all love this album and ‘Life Goes On,'” said Jin. “Everything stopped for everyone, so it’s a time of confusion and emptiness. We wanted to capture all of these emotions in an honest way.”

Besides “Life Goes On,” the other tracks are “Fly To My Room,” “Blue & Grey,” “Skit,” “Telepathy,” “Dis-ease,” “Stay” and “Dynamite.” Of their chart-topping “Dynamite,” the group said they wanted to close the album with it because of the imagery the song evokes. At their stadium tour last year, they ended each concert with a spectacular fireworks show. They can’t do that due to the pandemic. So the dynamic song is their compromise.

In many ways, “BE” offers optimism. BTS created it to offer comfort and joy during a time that has been rough for many of us. It’s their way of saying we’re all in this together. And we will get through this together. 

One of the great joys of being a BTS fan is having watched their progression as a baby band into the world-class superstars they have become. (Check out their performances on “Music Bank,” “Show Music Core” and “KPOP World Festival.” One of my all-time favorite BTS appearances is on Episode 972 of “Inkigayo,” where BTS performs a pitch-perfect version of “I’m Fine” and look like they’re having the time of their lives.)

At the press conference, several members mentioned their hope of being nominated for a Grammy. (The nominations for the 2021 awards will be announced on November 24.) But no matter how many trophies they win or how many records they break, one thing never seems to change. BTS will do just about anything to make ARMY happy.

When they appeared on “Star Show 360,” Jungkook and J-Hope danced on demand when asked to imitate choreography performed by girl groups. (They were good, too!) When they guested on “Running Man,” they risked the wrath of Kim Jong-Kook to win the most ramen to donate to charity. And when they competed against other idols on “Idol Star Athletics Championships,” they showed their need for speed by beating their competition in the sports arena. 

By refusing to allow naysayers to define who they are or who they should be, BTS have remained true to themselves. And with their latest collection of songs, they are encouraging their fans to also just … BE.