Carl Jung—whose theories on psychology heavily influenced MAP OF THE SOUL: 7— believed that the ‘ego’ is the part of ourselves we are most aware of. It is the part of the individual that deals most with identity. As BTS worked on creating MOTS: 7, the members reflected on their individual egos, and who they thought themselves to be—both past and present. While it’s not easy to look at ourselves in this way, there is also comfort to be found in recognizing the through line from our youth to where we are now. This week, as we finish up our exploration of this landmark album, we’ll also examine how recognizing all the parts of our past and how it shapes us is the most authentic way to keep moving forward in life with a sense of happiness.

MAP OF THE SOUL: 7 was written before the COVID-19 Pandemic began, but most of the album’s themes feel very prophetic in hindsight. 2020 was a year full of fear, pain, and a lot of uncertainty about the future. Through it all, BTS—even while navigating their own sadness and disappointment—took the time to reassure us that they were there, and they understood how we felt. They went LIVE for mundane reasons, just to hang out with ARMY, and held record-breaking online concerts. This week we’ll examine more of MOTS: 7 and BTS’ powerful message to us: “We hear you, let’s get through this together, and one day we WILL be happy again.

When we’re on the journey to find ourselves, one of the crucial steps is realizing there are many pieces to the puzzle, and then figuring out how to fit them all together. MAP OF THE SOUL: PERSONA was about the introspection that comes along with learning to love ourselves. The next step for BTS was taking the sense of self gained from that introspection and reconciling it with the world around them. How could they remain true to themselves while dealing with burnout, lack of inspiration, and the trappings of fame? That’s what we’ll talk about this week as we begin our trip through their next album, MAP OF THE SOUL:7.