Review

Song Review: BTS – Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)

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BTS - Yet To ComeAs BTS’s popularity has skyrocketed, the frequency of their output has dwindled – a surprising approach for an act as in-demand as they are. The past nineteen months have seen occasional solos and collaborations, but only a trio of full-group tracks. Now, we can add several more to their catalog. Their multi-disc compilation album Proof nestles four new recordings among a host of career standouts, including title track Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment).

Yet To Come is clearly designed as a marker for this specific stage in BTS’s career. It carries the sentimental, nostalgic vibe found in many disbandment tracks, but this is the turning of a page rather than the closing of a book. Call me jaded, but there are very few acts who can rouse genuine emotion from this style of song. More often, the music feels like not-so-subtle pieces of marketing, designed to appeal to collective fandom catharsis. It’s akin to movies that signpost their most emotional scenes with overwrought strings and maudlin piano. The song itself doesn’t even matter. It’s all about the connection.

On this weighted scale, Yet To Come is sufficient but hardly transcendent. It’s less that I would expect from a group of BTS’s stature – more an interlude than a fresh transition to greater things. The song has a satisfying warmth, driven by an alt-hip-hop instrumental that bops along comfortably without ever stretching itself. The melody is similar: relentlessly pleasant, yet rarely compelling. It’s nice to hear a few unhurried rap verses, especially when they avoid the heavy-handed vocal effects plaguing much of the song’s melodic refrains. And although the chorus never finds a dynamic hook, its call-and-response structure works well.

When it comes down to it, Yet To Come wasn’t made for me anyway. It’s been a long while since I’ve been an enthusiastic fan of BTS’s music. But for those who have streamed and downloaded through thick and thin (and whatever Permission To Dance was), this track serves as a well-deserved exhale.

Hooks 7
 Production 8
 Longevity 8
 Bias 7
 RATING 7.5

66 thoughts on “Song Review: BTS – Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)”

  2. Your comments about this feeling like marketing pretty much hit the nail on the head for how I felt about this one. It’s so bland, and has so obviously be shepherded through rounds and rounds of review that it feels almost weird to watch the members of the band smiling blithely at the camera during the MV. It all just seems deeply inauthentic, and all it can get from me is a shrug.

    The ultimate irony of this era of kpop for me will be BTS making their (enormous and well-earned) name on a perceived authenticity with their fans only to start producing…this. Ah well. I still love a lot of their work and respect them as artists and idols but have a feeling I’ll just keep being disappointed by their output.

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  3. I found this song to be extremely pleasing to hear. It is not the most formidable release in their lives, Run BTS is an upheaval to their recent style. This song is a kitsch, and at the same time I don’t feel it tries to water down itself. I think Yet To Come is a welcome addition to BTS’ stunning library, and listening to its preceding tracks you can really feel it is an apt conclusion of a chapter.

    I obviously have a leaning towards BTS, and recently I’ve been tired of the helpless conditions of the mundane Korean music scene and so it feels that this song even if it is quite unenergetic for my taste works well. In any case, BTS have surely achieved a wonderful anthology project, featuring the dynamic sides of themselves. I’m happy.

    This song is A- to me (8/10)

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  4. Honestly, I am so glad that this isn’t like their English singles that I’ll take a ballad type song any day. I can finally properly put permission to dance behind me and forget its existence.

    So for this song, honestly I needed a few listens before I typed this comment. I usually like it when BTS go this route – I’m not a huge Spring Day fan like some army but I LOVED Save me! This isn’t as likeable as both of those outputs and kind of reminds me of Pied Piper or Zero o clock but it’s a nice pleasant song, though forgettable in the face of all the songs that I’ve mentioned. I wish this had the pulsating energy of Save me. Instead, the melody just meanders. Slow doesn’t have to be boring. But they seem to be closing this chapter of their journey so far and the boys can do victory laps for all I care, they certainly deserve it and like I’ve said – I’m just glad this isn’t like their English output. I guess some of the fandom would be happy with this coffeehouse vibe and they can enjoy this. They also seem to be done with chasing after a Grammy so PHEW.

    Side note- I’m really liking Seventeen and their songs these days and they are so funny on the few variety shows that I’ve seen. Could anyone recommend which of their shows should I watch so that I can procrastinate on my work properly? Gracias!

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    • Sorry forgot to mention- my one major gripe with this song is the weird vocal effects which Hybe slaps everywhere. This plasticky effect that feels like someone has bubble wrapped these singers and is making them sing through multiple plastic layers. It’s effects are more annoying in such songs. Honestly, I would pay for someone to go and wring the neck of the guy who makes these decisions. Leave their vocals alone man!

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    • Seventeen has their own weekly variety show called Going Seventeen! There are a lot of fun episodes, but these are some standout ones:

      Insomnia Zero: the members take turns pretending to sleep on a mattress while their heart rate is recorded, while the other members tell funny stories/potentially lie to try to raise the sleeping member’s heartrate the most. The ones with the highest heartrates have to do a penalty at the end, the lowest ones/winners get to go home early.

      Don’t Lie: mafia but with a treasure hunt added in to the mix. The guys get VERY into the mind games.

      Mousebusters: they split into two teams, one team consists of “mice” who are hiding and trying not to get caught (getting sprayed with colored water in water guns).

      Personally my favorite episodes are the ones they’re trying to fight/beat each other up LOL, they’re great with physical humor.

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    • For GoSe the Debate Nights (where they discuss whether it would be better to shoot water from your armpits or fire from your butt, among other things) are my favorite episodes!

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    • Ok, so BTS is taking a hiatus for the foreseeable future. The next chapter is them pursuing solo projects….NO….

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    • I mean is it really? They’re so special and significant to Korea that I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they are exempted. Don’t think the government would want to stall one of their biggest money makers and soft powers, especially with the goals of the new Korean presidency.

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      • I don’t know. I think that move could stir up resentment, especially when I understand the desire of the new president (pre-election, at least) was to have every male serve a full two years of national service. But I’m not over there, and I’m not legislating the exemption.

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      • There is nothing more dull than the Army going on again about mandatory military service. Just go, dammit. It would have been half-way over by now, or thereabouts. Even Elvis served for two years when it was his time.

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  6. This song sounds really bad on Youtube for some reason, like I thought there was a lot of autotuning gone wrong there. Other versions sound much better, although that note in 2:50 in the MV is still there in the Spotify version so I don’t who thought that sounded good.

    I have no attachment to BTS. I don’t particularly follow them but I do know enough songs from them. I know all the names, but that’s by osmosis just being around the k-pop sphere. I’m not invested enough to know more about them, but I don’t think me not being into them is going to affect them whatsoever.

    I do think this song is boring. It’s not like I can’t like chill songs, just that this chill song doesn’t do anything for me. Unfortunately, as I said, I don’t any attachment to really like ground myself without losing focus because it’s very monotonous, worse since there’s not a lot of interesting things about the song production (it’s essentially the same beat the entire way through just with less layers at times) aside from the occasional chipmunk in the background. The vocal line in the MV just doesn’t hit for me, especially since it sounds so weird with the vocal effects which seem not present elsewhere.

    Like Nick said, it’s not a particularly compelling song. It’s very muted for an emotional song, which isn’t a bad thing on its own, but combined with the very morose MV and its unchanging tone, it’s kind of dull to me. I don’t think manufactured is the right word, more like engineered. Like this is what they came up with to appeal to fans rather than a random ballad they just sang over. I mean, it certainly works, but… eh.

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  7. I like it more than their past few releases but the usual culprit (autotune) is really dragging it down. I think if I were ARMY I would enjoy the sentimental value but objectively the melody is not doing much for me (I’m glad they’re rapping again though).

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    • Listening to it for the second time, I’ve concluded this is a korean- Kpop song, especially when the rap’s in korean, but this honestly got me confused on what category it’s apart of.

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  9. I’ve been an army for 7 years now and I feel like ive seen the boys grow leaps and bound over the past few years, far greater than i could’ve ever imagined. That being said, I truly miss the music that they used to put out before they got catapulted into the stratosphere.

    Its not a bad song by any means. Its really pleasant to the ears and does have a lot of references to their old songs and even the music videos has references to their old mvs. As an army, seeing that made me really happy. But I was really anticipating and hoping for something along the lines of a Fake Love type of comeback or even something like Butter. It has been ages (at least in the kpop world) since they came out with group music. Tbh Life Goes On was okay but really depresses me when I listen to it. Permission to Dance is a song I only love because its by BTS. As time goes on I find myself listening to their older music much more than I go clicking on their newer music.

    If this is supposed to be a new era for them then why go this direction with a song that, as Nick pointed out, sounds very much like a disbandment song? Something with big emotion like ON would’ve been a perfect way to start a new era, like a sort of charging into the future kind of vibe. I still love them so much and will always support them. Just hoping all their future releases wont be this subdued tbh.

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    • I agree with most everyone here. Autotuned ruins it, and it is a little underwhelming. I have been an ARMY since 2015. As a teenager, I may have been too sucked in by the nostalgia factor of this comeback to criticize its blandness; but at 23, I can clearly see and hear his contrived it all feels. They’ve had multiple songs now focused around their career and underdog story, and it’s a story worthy of respect to be sure, but I feel like they have not moved past it and are only now using it as a concept rather than writing about it sincerely. Compare a song like Yet To Come to a song like Sea, Path, Tomorrow, Young Forever, or Bulletproof. They all felt like a more authentic and heartfelt reflection of their journey so far as struggling artists than Yet To Come. Honestly, after such a long wait for a comeback, I’m just disappointed. I missed BTS’ uniquely authentic voice in the kpop world, and I feel they did not deliver it to me. I hope it is an interlude to something exciting, fresh, and uniquely BTS.

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      • “I feel like they have not moved past it and are only now using it as a concept rather than writing about it sincerely.”

        Pretty much what I think too. I thought we were done with the melancholy and nostalgia in Life Goes On. This is their first comeback after more than 1.5 years. I was really hoping for something more dynamic with the “We’re back!” in capitals vibes.
        At this point, I’ve come to the conclusion that whatever I expect from BTS, they’re not giving that to me. It’s a blind game now, whatever they release I’ll have to accept or move on.

        I have high hopes for their solo gigs moving forward though, it seems like they’d rather invest their skills in that now.

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        • Yeah, I agree with everything you’ve said here, especially the last couple of things. When I hear there’s a new BTS track, I no longer expect to like it at all, but I still listen hoping to be pleasantly surprised. It’s a far cry from 2 years ago when I was still thrilled by everything they put out.

          Meanwhile, Hobi’s Lalapalooza turn is a really interesting development and it does make me feel more hopeful about what their solo stuff is going to be like!

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      • Ugh those songs are such apt comparisons, it makes me really sad. I remember Yoongi talking about Young Forever, how he really thought the HYYH albums would be the most famous they’d ever get. You can hear that raw desperation in his voice, which I feel is completely absent from their output now. I miss ’em so bad.. 😦

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    • I feel they are just playing it safe, starting the era with something soft and then releasing something strong later on, if they plan on releasing another song later this year, then releasing the softer one earlier is way better. If they want the chance of getting that grammy(even if they don’t need it) I believe they need to release that strong song towards the end of the year. Just saying…

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  11. I need we all need that one person who commented on the Permission To Dance post with all the one-liners to come back to save our sanity
    This song is so boring, 5/10

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    • I’m here, babes! A little bit late but I don’t even have the energy to write 1/18th of the stuff I wrote about PTD. I feel like I’ve aged several years since last year. Who cares, man? I’m not even ARMY anymore and that’s something I never thought was going to happen…. These days I think about the individual members of BTS so infrequently that it is almost like they have all passed away…. Actually, now that I think about it, don’t you think it is possible that they have been killed and replaced by clones, like Avril Lavigne? It would explain a lot.

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    • I’m curious as to how the “you don’t have to enlist because you are spreading national prestige” is going to go over for them if they are only sticking to solo activities during this time. It seems a bit questionable given the reasoning for them not to enlist, especially since there is really no criteria for it or if it ever stops applying.

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  15. I was never a huge fan of Spring Day or Save Me or Life Goes On, and this one doesn’t improve on any, so this song is an easy pass for me.

    What the song is really missing is sincerity. It loops around itself and focuses back towards itself, without creating inspiration or a moment other than “pleasant”. The melody is narrowly drawn, kept tight within an octave and wrapped up in a plasticated sheen as smooth and unblemished as the desert salt flats landscape behind them. Where is the personality? Where is the artful commentary on the human condition? Joy, sorrow, deep regret, great relief, what emotion should this song be inspiring? I see a desert without life except for the plastic flowers trucked in for decoration.

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  16. They sound…exhausted? I guess I missed the announcement that this would be a compilation album. I was expecting a brand new vision. This seems like a bookmark before the inevotable enlistments begin–I don’t think they can put that off any longer. It sounds like they don’t believe what they’re singing, which makes me sad. I love BTS and I’m glad to hear their distinctive voices again. I just wish this was more enthusiastic about that future.

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    • Right, when they say the best is yet to come, I’m like…. do they even believe that??? Are they trying to convince themselves? Does anybody believe that at this point? Now c’mon now…

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  17. BTS was the entry to Kpop for me five years ago, and for that I’m eternally grateful. But, I think for a lot of fans it’s time to move on. “Proof” to me has never been about showing up the haters or looking for Western validation but about letting go. This song feels like a reassurance to ARMY that although the members are going to on other things, whether it’s enlistment or solo projects, everyone will be okay. I won’t be listening to this song more than once or watching the MV again, but I’m glad it exists and hope that it provides closure for the many of us who grew up with BTS.

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    • Exactly my sentiments, and I’ve been following Kpop for about five years as well since BTS got me into it. Definitely don’t regret any of it. But from this latest release I definitely know that it’s time for me to move on from them. I think I started dropping off since Dynamite era, and from then on I’ve just been casually following their releases. Like what you said, this song is going to provide closure for a lot of people who are also moving on. Sort of like the unofficial end of an era.

      Right now I’m listening to a bunch of their older songs from Proof, especially those from the LY & MOTS era when I was really an invested fan. The demos are lovely (Seesaw still makes me emotional). Listening to those brings back good memories at least, and that’s enough for me.

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  18. Even though I like this I said similar – it’s more for fans and to be referencial vs. stroming the charts to be a dance number and that’s ok for this moment of their career and lives. I can get the general cynicism but I do think it’s intentional at least lol

    Also, OP – I know you cited Blood Sweat and Tears as your link but IIRC you really, REALLY loved Dynamite right?

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    • Nick liked Butter much more than Dynamite based on his reviews, but I’m not Nick, so I’ll leave the rest of the reply to him.

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  19. It totally feels like something from an OST where you go to a hotel and IU settles your scores and then boots you into the afterlife. I mean there are white clothes, a bus, and that “my expiration date is fast approaching” Kdrama lighting. I like Born Singer because it’s mostly rap (ha), Run BTS cause it’s silly and fun (a very underrated aspect of their music), and the last one is a decent gospel ballad that makes me wish for a CIX cover. The rest of those extra tracks? No sir. I got burned on the last one. I’ll hear them when they are uploaded somewhere.

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    • It is interesting to know that there are people who are going to think of “Born Singer” as a new track. What a treat for you, honestly.

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      • It’s heavily sampled from j.cole’s “born sinner.” And it was a bonus track from BTS’s debut album, iirc. That’s why it’s so interesting to see people reacting to it like it’s a new song. Not that I blame you— it wasn’t on streaming sites or anything until now.

        Incidentally, j.cole (whose stage name I believe also inspired j-hope) is going to be performing at Lollapalooza on the same day as Hobi, which brings me joy 🙂

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  20. Interesting comments, but I agree with everyone here. I think the song is okay, nothing special to be honest, but very safe. I don’t see myself going back to it. This whole “comeback” has been underwhelming. I’ve been a fan of theirs since 2015, but started to become disinterested in their music since Dynamite, and it’s pretty evident how much their music has changed since then, in terms of quality. From the unnecessary English tracks, to a very underwhelming album (BE).

    You can tell there wasn’t much effort put into this song or the other two songs. They just feel very bland and uninspiring. Run BTS has good production, but vocally it wasn’t executed properly. For Youth is just another fan song. At this point, I would just like to see more solo opportunities from them. I know some of the members released OSTs, and J-Hope is headlining Lollapalooza (which is awesome). This compilation album feels like a goodbye for now album lol. Maybe because of impending enlistment, if they decide to go as a group, individually, or in different sets.

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  21. This sounds like wallpaper. Its not a song its a brand advertisement. Its watered down, focus group tested, music by algorithm, made for any playlist. Too boring to be offensive and not interesting enough to pay attention to. It’ll be over before you notice it was playing. I’m proud of BTS for they’ve accomplished. They truly deserve it but this is not it. This says “we didn’t try because we don’t have to”. After almost 2 years they come back with this? Its survives solely off nostalgia and a promise that something good is on the horizon. Well can hear some of that? This is nowhere close. This comeback is nothing more than a cash grab designed to hustle Army for $70 for songs they’ve already heard. I love them a lot. I really do which is why I’m so disappointed in this comeback. Its lazy and greedy. Its Disney’s Live Action remake the album.

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    • Yeah, the whole message of “something good is coming” kills me with its irony…. The fans have already waited for 1.5 years, why not give them something good NOW, instead of whatever this is supposed to be?

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  22. Pretty average as far as BTS songs go, but at least it is in Korean, so I will give it that.

    That said, there is a surprisingly decent album if you combine all the new songs or albumless songs here. Nothing legendary mind you, but very listenable.

    1. Born Singer
    2. Butter
    3. Yet To Come
    4. Run BTS
    5. Young Love
    6. Quotation Mark
    7. Still With You
    8. For Youth

    You can add Tony Montana’s updated version if you count it, but I am not doing so for my version. It makes me want DDAENG, even more, when you realize how nice it would fit into the tracklist.

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  23. Really disappointing (3) tune(s), on a rather boring compilation that makes no sense to me (e.g. plenty of missing singles). I love BTS, but there’s no denying that after BE, they kind of went into a tailspin. Butter was okay, but it was way over-hyped and not even close to their best work. I never need to hear Permission to Dance and My Universe again, and prefer to pretend they don’t exist. That’s fine, they were brilliant for so long, I guess that great run is over. These day, I’m more excited for what TXT and Enhypen will put out next.

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  24. The BTS x Hallmark collaboration is finally here!

    I spent a lot of years loving BTS’ music back in 2017 and earlier. But after 5 years of dud title tracks and slim pickings on albums, it’s time to move on.

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  25. This is just so, so, so NOTHING.

    Remember the comments section for ‘Permission to Dance’ and its record-breaking numbers? Remember how it was the absolute last straw for me and I had a complete mental breakdown? And now look at this comments section. Look at it. It’s dry, vast, empty as the desert in the MV… At least the seething hatred and despair I felt then was a real, human emotion!!!

    Maybe this is actually not too bad of a song if you strip away all of the baggage from it but with the MV combined, it is just embarrassing for me. All the self-mythologizing, the grandness of it all, the Jesus-like posing in all white. It’s…. so corny….

    At least ‘Run BTS’ is a fun little song…. sigh. This feels like end of SOMETHING to me, I’ll say. Feels like we are never getting the original BTS back…

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    • Deep breaths, deep breaths.
      Also, its been corny for a long while, like the “Live Love Laugh” decorative art on the end caps at a Michaels store for $39.99 with coupon which seem to still sell out every year.

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      • I mean, I think as kpop fans we can deal with a little corn and cheese. Like those Korean corndogs with the mozzarella filling, they’re so yum. :’) I’m sure you could argue that their older stuff was cheesy in a sense too (i.e. ‘answer: love myself’ which was just my flavor of cheese, nice Christian youth group boy band music) but the cheese they’ve been bringing for the past 2 years has not been to my taste… it’s giving Velveeta.

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        • A new metaphor. Kpop as flavors of cheese.
          I never liked the Edam or provolone bland kind self-help Christian youth group flavor of BTS much, nor the current Velveeta style BTS. I prefer more of a toothsome with flavor style of cheese, umami and salt, not too smelly. So a nice aged proper parmesan, smoked gouda, Wensleydale, or a feta right out of the brine. A nice stilton with port, yes. But not stinking bishop or the extra oozing soft Brie Camembert type. Also some blues are too blue for me.

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  27. Another factor is Covid… maybe it did more damage than we think when it comes to BTS. I feel like they lost some of their drive to create good, meaningful music. Maybe they’re even a little bit burnt out. I wouldn’t blame them, they worked so hard for so long… All in all, I agree this comeback was underwhelming. I’m a BE era army and I loved BE but I really fell in love with them because of their older music, I especially liked Blood, Sweat and Tears and Fake Love and also Run, I need U, Save Me etc. Also I’m not sure what impact all the changes the company went through has on their creative process.

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  28. Well I guess they’re going on hiatus to pursue solo projects. I’m a bit sad but happy they want to continue as artists.

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  29. After Festa, every ARMY will understand this song completely. It fits the puzzle perfectly. Clearly tell their plan, their sincerity, their hope, even Namjoon said everything he wants to say is in this song. And I can see that many people here is definitely not ARMY, so that’s why yall cant see the purpose of this song :))

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  30. After Festa, every ARMY will understand this song completely. It fits the puzzle perfectly. Clearly tell their plan, their sincerity, their hope, even Namjoon said everything he wants to say is in this song. And I can see that many people here is definitely not ARMY, so that’s why yall cant see the purpose of this song. Well, i guess this song is simply not for you. :))

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