It's #ArmySongSunday! Today, we're talking about one of my favorite @BTS_twt songs ever (I think I say this every week)... FILM OUT! It's been about a week, but I really do think this is one of their best. This thread is about why it's so amazing:

My music major friend and I had a veryyy long conversation about this song. She brought up how rare it is to hear Japanese songs from Korean groups that don't just sound like translated Korean songs -- in other words, the song actually *sounds* like a Japanese rock song. +

If you think about the "genre" of rock music, you'll notice that it really differs from country to country... as most genres do. But rock in particular is an expressive, experimental form of music -- so those cultural nuances become even more apparent. +

Japanese rock music is often packed with emotion. Songs range in topic from relationships to nature to homeland/identity to death. But they're often rooted in a more narrative, storytelling style of music. Not just verse-chorus, but more like intro, climax, ending. +

Do you hear that in this song? Until about 1:15, I hear the intro to the story. The story continues to develop through 2:00, where we hear (and see) a dramatic shift to Yoongi's verse. The climax starts at Junkook's part (2:24). And then... it takes off. +

Jimin's verse is a variation of Tae's in the beginning -- listen to Tae's verse at 0:41. Then jump to Jimin's at 2:38. They start out the same, but hear the difference in intensity? Jimin's melody keeps building up to a higher pitch until it reaches that final, gorgeous note. +

Jin's part picks up right where Jimin left off. This is where I hear the "climax" of the song -- could also be at Jimin's part, but I think it's here because of the new melody, strong instrumentals, and the "la la la la" that all layers on top of each other for max impact. +

Jimin then repeats Jin's melody, and suddenly things calm down as soon as he's done at 3:14. We're back to the opening melody/section. Here, it's the ending... similar to a bookend. It's not the chorus of the song, just the intro. So, again, it's a story +

Now, this makes sense because the song is written by Iyori Shimizu, a member of a Japanese rock band, and Jungkook. The rock base is not just in the instrumentals but also in this narrative style of songwriting that doesn't follow the pop verse-chorus format. +

Finally, I want to talk more about that "la la la la" part. Songwriting at its best. My favorite music is the kind that has a "hook" -- not a hook in the pop sense, but I mean something that makes a song stand out. AR Rahman describes it as something that "drives" a song. +

In my opinion, knowing what "drives" a song is the the most important thing about songwriting. This song has a clear driving force. The "la la la la" is brilliant because yes, it's beautiful. But it's also used very carefully -- not too much, but just enough to keep you hooked. +

After hearing it clearly once at 0:52, you never hear it alone again. It then gets pushed to the background where it serves as a glue to connect the whole song together. This song is a great lesson in songwriting -- just 4 bars of a good melody is all you need to "drive a song" +

Don't throw in a million things to fill up every second. On the other hand, don't make every line annoyingly simple for catchy-ness. Focus on those 4 bars. Then, you can tell whatever story you want with the rest of the song. Those 4 bars will keep the listener with you. +

This is especially important in film music. Soundtracks are my personal favorite type of music to listen to because it really has no boundaries -- it's grand, cinematic, fantastical... it goes everywhere. You'll hear lots of strings, even whole orchestras. +

In my opinion, it's the most creative you can be with songwriting. While pop, indie, etc. tend to be relatable to the masses, film music escapes that to tell stories that highlight situations outside of everyday life. You hear that burst of emotion in this song very clearly. +

Anyway, a bit of a rant towards the end, but I hope you got something out of it Absolutely love this song. It will always be one of my favorite BTS tracks.