MC’s Song Of The Week #33: “Boy With Luv” by BTS (ft. Halsey)

Hello, I’m MusiCommentator, and for my 33rd edition of Song Of The Week, I will be discussing BTS’s smash hit “Boy With Luv” featuring Halsey.

BTS: we all know them by now. They’re the K-Pop sensation that has taken America–nay, the WORLD–by storm! I guess America wasn’t able to come up with another boy band quick enough after One Direction broke up, so we had to outsource to Korea. This isn’t a bad thing, though. I kind of like BTS. They’re not the best group around, nor are they the best modern and/or foreign musical act out right now, but they have some really great tunes. I feel that BTS–and K-Pop in general–get a lot of flack for representing a side of American culture that isn’t taken too seriously outside of the media, but BTS has some great talents, and this song “Boy With Luv” helps represent that.

Now, I can’t really talk about this song’s lyrics, because, well, most of them look like this:

“널 알게 된 이후 ya (Oh)
내 삶은 온통 너 ya (Ya, ya)
사소한 게 사소하지 않게 만들어버린 너라는 별 (Alright)
하나부터 열까지 ayy, ayy
모든 게 특별하지 ayy, ayy
너의 관심사 걸음걸이 말투와 사소한 작은 습관들까지, ayy“

Unless you all want some insightful commentary about how the placements of “ayys” and “alrights” in this song impacts the overall thematic meaning, I don’t think the lyrics will be much help. And we all know that translated versions of songs usually sound wordy, clunky, and outright incorrect. However, this song still shows its quality with everything else it has to offer. I’m not usually a huge fan of bubblegummy pop songs, but this song is one of the few exceptions to that rule. This track does not hide its bright and cheery demeanor, as the bright synths, bouncy basslines, and catchy rhythms all work together to make the song a pleasant listen. The vocal performances from all the artists involved are great, from the high pitched crooning of Jimin in the first verse to the sporadic flows from Suga in the third verse, their performances all meld together to create a cohesive, flowing track. Halsey also does impressively well, even though her singing is confined to the chorus. I’ve described how Halsey’s music is usually a mixed bag for me in my “Without Me” Song Review, but here, her voice works extremely well for the fun, light attitude the song reflects. And I swear, that “oh my, my, my” refrain in the chorus is one of the catchiest things I have heard all year. If you like your pop very glossy and sugary, or you want to try to get into K-Pop, I would definitely recommend this song to you.

Thank you for reading my 33rd “Song Of The Week”!  If you liked this post, make sure to follow my website, Twitter, and Instagram, like this post, and be sure to check in soon for future content.  Also, if you have something you want to see me review, tell me in the comments.  Until then, keep on listening to good music! I know I will.