It is completely surprising to see how far BTS has led the industry. They started as a group from a small agency and are now global stars throughout the world. And while they are at the forefront of the KPOP industry, this hasn’t stopped them from focusing on their JPOP market venture. A few weeks back, BTS made their Japanese comeback with a brand new single, Lights. The single is featured alongside the Japanese version of Boy With Luv (which they returned to Korea with earlier in the year) and Idol (their breakout single last year).

It has been a while since I reviewed a Japanese single from the group. To be fair on my part, it is scarce with the majority of their Japanese releases being Japanese versions of their Korean title track. But there have been a few, with For You being the most memorable. Similar to For You, Lights opt for a more ballad approach with their track, departing from the usual upbeat tracks that dominate their promotional cycles in Korea. And I appreciate that, as sometimes dance tracks can get overwhelming over time. What I like about Lights (and these types of tracks) is that it showcases the best of the group without wasting too much energy. Lights ends up being soothing and the only energy you are using is by swaying along to the music. Their vocals were very dreamy and the rapping was quite calm and relaxing to go well with the song. The song talks about supporting each other during a hard time, with the group depending on the audience as the light that leads them out of the darkness.

I thought the music video was quite nice. Instead of showcasing choreography throughout the video, the video focuses on a small storyline. But I think the bigger picture shows that the members will not be happy alone. Instead, they are happiest around each other. Set in a movie theatre, the group is shown to join one another and watch what I think is a home-video (as opposed to an actual movie), reflecting upon their time together and how it brought them joy. There might be some other meaning that I haven’t pinpoint yet, so share if there are other theories. I know the Armys are always creative in this field.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9/10