BTS: Choreo and Comedy

We were promised new drops every day – and BTS always keeps their promise to ARMY. So the barrage continues, no complaints, the entire fandom has been in a euphoric state for weeks now.

Here’s what happened today:

RM, Jin, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook were live on Weverse to celebrate topping the Hot 100 and the Billboard 200 with “Swim” and ARIRANG. During the live they confirmed that, as speculated, there is a hidden track that will be released with the deluxe version of the album this Friday. Not sure if RM was actually supposed to tell on themselves but… here we are, as usual.

The rumour is that the hidden track will be a collaboration with One Republic, which makes sense because Ryan Tedder worked on several songs on the album. But why look ahead 48 hours when we have so much to process today?

They dropped the video for “2.0” and this is SO them and FOR us. I take this personally because I came to BTS a decade ago for the choreography, and I stayed for the comedy. This video represents so much of what ARMY loves about this band: the music and the dance, the perfect execution of the moves, the interesting formations… and it’s been shot and edited to capture the choreo so that we can appreciate the precision in the performance, their swagger, the pure enjoyment radiating from them now that they’re back doing what they do best.

But this is also a tribute to one of the best: Director Park Chan-wook because the cinematography and the storytelling is unmistakably Oldboy. It’s another layer to BTS being BTS in this video, the way they always represent their country and culture, and Director Park is one of Korea’s finest filmmakers.

And by the way, the Oldboy reference isn’t just in how the video is shot, but also in the costumes. RM’s hilarious wig in particular, and generally all the gangster outfits, which are both specific to the setting but also pure jokes. V’s facial hair is absurd, and Jimin’s moustache, LOLOLOL FOREVER.

That’s what “2.0” is – both a declaration that they are back to reclaim the space that no one could fill in their absence, back with a reinvigorated dedication to their music, but also back the way ARMY has always known them to be: so talented, and hardworking, and inventive… but also… wonderfully, brilliantly stupid. They are fools! The most loveable fools! They have always been silly, they have always been goofs, and this video finds the perfect balance between their excellence and their clownery, alternating between first class performance and, well, utter chaos. One minute they’re stomping on the pretenders trying to claim their crown, the next they’re… I don’t know WTF they’re doing in this bathroom, I’m crying.

Nobody knows, especially not when it comes to the clumsiest among them, Kim Namjoon and that roll of toilet paper – ARMY will be meme-ing the sh-t out of this for years.

What else happened today…

The Fug Girls are not ready to let go of Wunmi Mosaku’s award season looks. And… same. (Go Fug Yourself)

I mentioned yesterday that I screened 15 minutes of a new show and couldn’t keep going because I can’t handle horror – this is that show, Dustin Rowles at Pajiba is calling it the best horror series of the year. While it’s not for me, I’m happy for Camila Morrone and Adam DiMarco, who is Canadian. (Pajiba)

Speaking of being Canadian, apparently there are a lot of Americans who want to be Canadian right now, legally. Fine but don’t come here and cheer for the Dodgers or the Yankees. (Celebitchy)

Megan Thee Stallion was taken to hospital last night after becoming ill on stage while she was performing in Moulin Rouge. The update is that she’s OK, which is a relief, and this is a reminder, not just for her, but for all of us, to not over-extend ourselves. (The Cut)

Pretty in Pink just turned 40. I saw this movie in theatres when it came out, it’s one of the films from that decade that formed my personality. Andrew McCarthy is reflecting on the impact, on what he thought of Blaine at first, and on his hair in the final scene which… I confess, at the time, it didn’t bother me because, like, everyone’s hair was like that, right? (The Hollywood Reporter)