BTS: What Role Each Member Plays in the Making of Their Next Album

BTS will release their next album BE (Deluxe Edition) on Nov. 20. The Korean band is self-producing the album. While BE (Deluxe Edition) is a collective effort for the group, at the start of the album-making process, each BTS member took on a specific role.

How BTS announced the album

Back in April, RM held a YouTube Live to update BTS fans. The rapper revealed that the K-pop group was in the beginning stages of working on a new album. He also told ARMY that this album would be different, and the members planned to share behind-the-scenes details about the album via YouTube livestreams.

After RM, Suga held a YouTube Live a few days later. While Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook are known for being involved in the writing and production of their music already, Suga revealed the band was self-producing all aspects of the album.

For the next several months, the members streamed multiple YouTube videos. Through the livestreams, fans learned more about the album and the members’ involvement.

What role each BTS member plays

In the earlier YouTube Lives on the BANGTANTV YouTube channel, the members told fans that each of them took on a different managing role. V was made the visual director, J-Hope was put in charge of choreography, Jimin was made a project manager for music, Suga and Jin are in charge of the album jacket, Jungkook is the director of the lead single’s music video, and RM was made the music director.

While each member started out in a specific role, BTS recently said in an interview with NDTV that their work on the album has transformed into a project with collective input.

“It depends on tracks by tracks and case by case. Life for this album I can’t say many, many things but every member did their part,” said RM. “Even like lyrics, tracks, ideas, or even like fashion, covers, like anything.”

Jimin added, “It’s quite difficult to say who has done what. It was a collective effort where all of us did their best.”

“There isn’t a set role, and for this one in particular, all of us had a lot of input so it’s hard to say who did what,” said Suga.

What we know about ‘BE (Deluxe Edition)’

BE (Deluxe Edition) will be released on Nov. 20 at midnight ET. According to a press release from Big Hit Entertainment, “The new album imparts a message of healing to the world by declaring, ‘Even in the face of this new normality, our life goes on.'”

The press release also says the members were involved in the album’s “overall production: concept, composition, design, etc” which has led to the album showing their “thoughts, emotions and deepest ruminations.” Because of their involvement, it contains the “most ‘BTS-ish’ music yet.”

BTS will release a music video for the album’s lead single “Life Goes On” alongside the album on Nov. 20. The band will perform the song for the first time on Nov. 22 at the 2020 American Music Awards. So far, Big Hit Entertainment has released multiple concept photos and concept videos for the album on the company’s social media channels.