Just a month after issuing their Japanese-language
Face Yourself, K-pop boy band
BTS issued their third official full-length,
Love Yourself: Tear (Bighit Entertainment). Capturing contemporary pop trends,
Tear employed tropical house, sleek synth atmospherics, and smooth R&B-inspired singing that was relatively more subdued -- for BTS -- than their prior output. Even the
Steve Aoki collaboration "The Truth Untold" traded that DJ's trademark bombast in favor of a sweeping, piano-driven ballad of sorts, more fit for waving lighters (or mobile phones) in an arena than bringing the house down with big drops. "134310" infuses a hip-hop lounge vibe with a jaunty flute sample, while the sleek electronics of the
MNEK-assisted "Paradise" slide and glide. "So What" is the closest the boys come to anything as rousing as "Not Today" or "Fire," but the track leans more toward pure rave bliss than boot-stomping aggression. Stylish and yearning,
Love Yourself: Tear is BTS at a polished and focused peak, cohesive enough to feel like it was conceived in one particular period rather than cobbled together like some of their previous releases. ~ Neil Z. Yeung
