ONTD Original: Best BTS B-Sides
For the purposes of this post, I'm defining B-sides as songs that weren't promoted as singles and/or don't have music videos associated with them. Is that the official definition? No idea. lol. But that's what I'm considering a B-side to be.
I've chosen 7 songs, for obvious reasons. So apologies to all your favorite songs that got left off my list. Yell at me about it in the comments or something.
Instead of building suspense, I'm just going to cut to the chase and start off with the #1 Best B-side from BTS.
1. Pied Piper (source)
Click to viewThis song positions BTS as the Pied Piper from the story, and ARMY are the children that followed the Piper to their deaths. 😬 It really is a clever song though. It's kind of about the back and forth/push and pull of the relationship between artist and fan. It starts out being like "Hey, ARMY, calm down. Don't completely devote your lives to us." And then by the end it's just like "ah well, give in to our irresistible call". Also, wow @ RM calling me out with the lyric "Your parents and boss hate me/Video clips, pictures, tweets/V app, Bon Voyage". Rude. He didn't have to do me like that.
2. Silver Spoon/Baepsae (source)
Yeah, I used the dance practice instead of an actual live performance because JK looks GOOOD in this outfit. The other member's outfits are great in this video too. And I used the mirrored version because it has English subtitles available. ANYWAY, I don't speak Korean, but from what I understand, a lot of the lyrics of this song are playing around with puns and idioms? The jist of the song is that the younger generation works hard with fewer resources/opportunities than the previous generation, but with the same expectations. It's an expression of frustration of the kind of pressure young people feel and how the older generation doesn't understand what it's like in the current state of the world.
3. Ddaeng (source)
I LOVE a good diss track, so of course this song made the list. "Ddaeng" is a really solid 'fuck the haters' song. The song was originally posted by the rap line on SoundCloud as part of their celebration of 5th anniversary of BTS's debut. But it's been performed by all 7 members live and I wanted to include a performance of all seven of them performing it because it's fun seeing the vocal line rap. :) I just love the energy and swagger in this song. @Big Hit: PUT DDAENG ON SPOTIFY, YOU COWARDS.
4. Dionysus (source)
Imagine what a fun music video could have been made with this song! This is the 'getting drunk' anthem we all need in our lives. But it's also more complex than it seems at first. There's this undercurrent comparing the feeling of art/music/performing to the same feeling you get when you're drunk which really fits with the themes of other songs from the Map of the Soul era where the members are reflecting on their relationship to their art. Anyway. Getting drunk on art! Or alcohol. Your choice.
5. Dimple (source)
A vocal line subunit song! This song is currently so high on my list of best B-sides because of the pairing with Pied Piper at the 5th Muster performance. If you ask me in a month when I'm less listening to the Dimple/Pied Piper performance on repeat, my answer might change. But for now, Dimple makes the list! This song is maybe more typically boy band lyrically because it's all about how my dimples are so cute that they should be illegal, but they want it anyway. Swoon! And then to follow this song with Pied Piper? GENIUS. Anyway, the other reason this song makes the list is the choreo. Those hips! The body rolls! Hell yeah!
6. Anpanman (source)
I LOVE the fun energy of this song. It's so bright and vibrant. And it's really cute lyrically. BTS is saying that they might be a superhero like Batman or Superman with fancy gadgets or superpowers, they'll still be our heroes. They're more like Anpanman (a popular Japanese comic character who has a head made of red bean paste bun)- maybe not super impressive but still trying their best.
7. Go-Go (source)
This song is full of joyful irreverence. It's all about YOLO and having fun and spending money. I've read some commentary that this song is critical of that mindset, and I think it is maybe poking fun at it a little bit (or at least poking fun the excess of it). Like, there is a sense of irony throughout this song, but I wouldn't say it goes so far as to be overtly critical of the hedonistic mindset. What say you, ONTD ARMY? Regardless, for me, it's just a really fun song that I use to justify impulse shopping online.
Mods: I linked the sources by each video because it seemed easier to keep it all organized like that.