Originally posted November 30, 2019.
There was no doubt going into last night's performance at the Melon Music Awards (MMA) that BTS was going to bring it and leave nothing on the stage. The group themselves had expressed throughout the evening that they were looking forward to showcasing something even more magnificent than they had the previous year, which was saying something as last year's set included several epic dance breaks along with unique sets for their songs Fake Love, Airplane Pt.2, and Idol.
This year once again, BTS held the final performance slot leading into the final three Daesangs (all of which BTS would go on to win, making them the first-ever artists to take home all four main awards from the MMA's).
Their performance, entitled “Map of the Soul: The Show,” jumped between pre-recorded elements and live stage performances, with video vignette transitions designed to help set the tone shown between segments. These transitions were carefully constructed to allow time for costume changes, the addition of props, stage movement, and so on, which was necessary considering the many elements they incorporated into their approximately 37-minute performance.
After the first video ran, RM began his solo song from their most recent album, 'Map of the Soul: Persona'. The stage design and vibe matched what was previously seen in his music video. The performance utilized unique camera effects that showcased all of the feelings of the song, and RM's rap was smooth and powerful. As the song came to a close, it neatly transitioned into the title song from their 2014 extended play 'Skool Luv Affair' Boy in Luv. As RM sat in the school setting from Persona, the camera pulled out to show the crowd before pushing back in to reveal the rest of the members as the song began.
This throwback song choice not only allowed for a nostalgic feel during the performance but also set the tone for the following song, Boy With Luv, from their most recent album (which took home Song of the year). These two songs expressed the growth in the group since they first debuted both literally and musically. Overall, both performances had a more subdued feel, (at least in comparison with what was still to come,) and stuck pretty close to the original choreographies while still showcasing their personalities and allowing them to have fun on stage. I remember thinking about how comfortable they all seemed to be on the stage as they started Boy With Luv.
Following another short video came their fourth song of the night, Mikrokosmos, which appeared to have been pre-recorded, allowing them to get ready for the final stage. For me, this performance was a perfect mix of style and emotion, as it was simple and yet epic at the same time. They had switched from their school uniform style to jeans, T-shirts, jackets, and beanies. The simplicity of the performance, however, didn't lie in costuming but stemmed from the focus being on the vocals with no choreography. The epicness, on the other hand, came from how it was visually brought across the screen. Utilizing visual effects to make it feel as if they were truly at the center of the cosmos, the edges of the stage blending into darkness coupled with light smoke allowed for the visual effects to transport us into what felt like another dimension of just ARMY and BTS. Honestly, for me, this has always been one of my favorite songs from the album and holds such a beautiful meaning for the group and ARMY, and I felt that this stage was a beautiful expression of that.
As Mikrokosmos finished, a final video came on, tying together elements from the intro and the final performance they were transitioning into for Dionysus. This last set was where I was left in awe and wonder. This final song continued to mix pre-taped and live elements as they had done all night, giving them the unique ability to accommodate the epic stage they had set up. Some of these elements included live horses, aerial hoops and silks, backup dancers, and what would have been a quick costume change.
After all the opening fanfare was complete, the members took on their solo stages as part of the song's intro. They weaved together the past and present, performing to a mix of their songs from the oldest to the newest. To be honest, each and every single one of these solo stages wrecked me in one way or another. They all did a fantastic job, and their stage presence was incredible.
The first to take the stage was V, who glowed in his beautiful white with just a hint of black at the lapel suit. He performed his dance break set to a darker-toned arrangement of their song No More Dream from their debut album '2 Cool 4 Skool.' His movements as he performed in the middle of an arch amidst the aerial performers were crisp, and his expressions were on point to suit the song's tone.
Keeping with that darker tone, next up was Jin, who was brought out onto the stage to the song Danger from their first full studio album 'Dark and Wild' while "riding" a silver horse head and wearing an all-white suit. His dance break suited him well as he controlled the movements of the backup dancers surrounding him with sharp, precise motions and epic stares at the camera, before ending his routine by grabbing the reigns and unleashing a golden horse who galloped across all the screens.
From here, the tone calmed down as the backup dancers ran across the stage with a long white sheet, eventually revealing Jimin, who would proceed to return to his roots of contemporary dance. Like Jin, he also wore all-white during his beautifully done piece to their song I Need U, which would be the first of three solos that would feature music from their album 'The Most Beautiful Moments in Life'. All of his motions throughout were smooth and fluid. At times he left me speechless; it felt as if he was flying as he gracefully moved across the stage, putting his full body and emotion into the performance. I always love to watch him dance and especially appreciate moments like this when he is able to do so in such a beautiful way.
Following Jimin, the pace picked back up, and the tone changed once again, taking us back to that darker feel that the first two solos had. Suga, also in all white, took the spotlight sitting on a set of stairs as flames lit up around the stage. The camera work here did wonders as they zoomed in on him as he uttered his starting line 불타오르네 from the song Fire. The song continued as he staggered down the steps and the monitors all around him lit up with flames, and his unbeatable stage presence took over with his body roll and hip thrusts.
From here, the fire in the screens was washed out by water, and the pace calmed back down as the performance transitioned to Jungkook wearing all black and kneeling in water for his solo dance performance to their song Save Me. Jungkook's dance was very unique and beautifully done. He used the water to emphasize his movements and add to the already stunning visuals of the choreography. He moved gracefully throughout the performance and was left lying in the water as it came to an end.
For the next song, they jumped ahead a few eras to Fake Love from 'Love Yourself: Tear' for J-Hope, who, like Jungkook, was wearing mostly black. This song allowed his personal dance style to shine as it was an almost techno version of the song where he emphasized every one of his movements. At one point during the performance, his backup dancers, who complimented his movements, pushed him forward into the air. Not only was the dance stunning, but the lighting effects utilized only helped to emphasize his unique style more.
Finally, it was the leader RM's turn for his solo moment. However, as he had performed Persona earlier in the performance, his time here was a bit more abbreviated, but still just as epic. As he walked out toward the front of the stage to the song they were about to officially start, Dionysus, he grabbed the staff placed there and plunged it toward the ground.
Now having fully transitioned into their final song, the audience was greeted with the final stage setup. This, of course, included the inflatable jaguars that had been a prominent fixture during their stadium tour, taking their place on either side of the stage. This was also the point in the performance that the horses and backup dancers made their appearance as part of the song’s opening.
The backdrop for the performance was stunning and even had a BTS logo inscribed on it in one spot. After a quick pull-out to show the wider setup, the song started in earnest, and the group truly left nothing on the stage from that point on. While the entire set so far had showcased their passion, they somehow seemed to summon even more at this point, though from where I have no idea. But, without a doubt, they put everything had into the performance.
Everything was on point, and their movements were extremely sharp and in sync. As they hit the dance break following Suga's part, I couldn't help but feel mesmerized by the pure amount of effort that was put into the stage. Throughout this dance break, their precise movements enabled them to hit the various beats as the song transitioned to N.O from their album 'O!RUL8,2?' Throughout the epic dance break, there was a large amount of trust in those around them as they navigated the transitions on and off of the raised platform. One of my favorites was when RM and Jin fell off the stage, and simultaneously, Jimin and V were pushed onto it in their place.
As the dance break wrapped up and RM transitioned back into the last bit of Dionysus by asking the already ecstatic crowd, "if we were ready to get hyped up," his iconic lyric from the song and the group finished up the song with all the fanfare that it deserved.
Overall the performance was overwhelming in so many ways, and I don't believe it will be one that anyone forgets anytime soon!
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