[Review] BTS - Save Me

"Save Me" is an appropriate title, as I'm saved from having to review "Fire" by opting for this song instead. I've praised BTS for being extremely consistent in their tracks since debut, but "Fire" was unfortunately lackluster. It's not that I wouldn't want to review a bad or less proficient song, but I'm just not feeling the negativity at the moment. So with "Save Me," we still get to review a BTS song while escaping the sadzone a little. This time around, it's yet another take on the BTS formula that is continuing to push this group higher and higher.

The song structure in "Save Me" is setup in a way that balances out the song. The singing has roughly a third of the runtime, the rapping has about a third, and the dance break has about a third. Well honestly the vocals take up more than that, obviously, but everything flows together without any awkward jumps. No one in this group is a standout vocals-wise, but they always seem to make ends meet. Jungkook and Jimin keep spearheading the group with their lighter voices, but V is really the member worth talking about. His voice is rich and unique, putting him in a special class of voices alongside iKON's Junhoe, Girls' Generation's Sunny, etc.: they aren't super talented, but when they're utilized properly their voice really makes takes the cake (yeah I just wrote that). It's worth noting V sounds his best in a lower range though ("War Of Hormone"). On another note, it's nice to see Jin getting some love. He's usually been relegated to scrapping by for lines, an unfortunate attribute shared by group fillers, but he teams up with V to provide a good buildup into the chorus.

BTS have the most potent trio of rappers in Kpop, and this is perhaps the most evenly distributed series of raps out of them in a long time. Part of this is due to the song structure skewing line distribution and leaving each rapper with about 15 seconds, but hey whatever works. Suga and J-Hope continue to grow and impress, but will they ever be able to reach the same level as Rap Monster? To be determined. I'm still not a fan of the inflections which showed up twice in J-Hope's part but a negligible gripe to have considering the well-rounded nature of the entire song. Rap Monster's inclusion at the very end was an interesting take on a bridge leading into the final chorus. I wonder if I would have thought Suga and J-Hope got better if Rap Mon had a longer rap. Oh and don't think I missed the self-introduction, Suga. Stop that. The only times where saying your own (group) name is acceptable is at the very beginning of a song (think AOA). I'll never like introducing the rappers (or anyone) this way in the middle of a song.

What's not to love about BTS choreography? The difficulty is always up there, the moves look fluid, and the group is synchronized. Actually, there is less uniformity in this time around compared to past songs. Whether this was to give the choreography a looser feel, or show some individuality for the members I'll never know, but considering how together they have been for other hits I like this change of pace. "Save Me" could also have been called "Spin Me" because there is a lot of spinning involved. Don't try this at home if you're lightheaded, haha. This is a perfect example of how you don't need to be 100% synchronized to have a dance look good! The only questionable part is the opening moves for Rap Monster's part, I'm not sure what they were going for. And finally, definitely appreciate the ending where they fall in line with the lyrics (a la Lovelyz in "Destiny"). A+ for this dance, without a doubt.

This music video is shot in the patented one-shot style (or is it one-take?) where the POV doesn't change from start to finish. Other videos you can compare this to are Big Bang's "Love Song" from way back in 2011 and a few of EXO's MVs. The grass and ground is an interesting color (or is that a filter?) but combined with the sky creates a dreamy atmosphere which is befitting of this track. All this empty space makes for pleasant transitions between individual shots and group choreography shots. It's a pretty boring MV all things considered, but shows off the fluid choreography and that's really all the MV needed to do.

This is simply a very sound song. There are few (if any) flaws, and is absolutely a contributor to the rise of BTS. "Fire" may be a little too loud for my tastes, but they recovered quickly with "Save Me," and I already project this song as a top 5 of the year so far. As for their future, they should continue a mix between experimenting with new genres and keeping with the tradition of strong dance tracks.