BTS' RM Reclaims His Narrative In Scorching Map Of The Soul: Persona Album Teaser

The countdown officially begins right now. BTS dropped the opening teaser for their forthcoming album, Map Of The Soul: Persona, and the clip features leader and main rapper RM throwing it back with an energetic hip-hop track that finds the artist pondering "who the hell am I?" Over a trial of the group's 2014 song, "Intro: Skool Luv Affair." It's a full-circle moment for BTS and their loyal fans (known as ARMY), plus it can would be a symptom that Bangtan are going back to their hip-hop roots with Persona.


Throughout the video, RM is confronted with several different versions of himself, while words like "persona," "shadow," and "ego" — no doubt a reference to Carl Jung's theories of psychology — are seen scribbled on a classroom chalkboard beyond him. "My shadow, I wrote and called it 'hesitation,'" RM raps. "It has never hesitated immediately after becoming that. It keeps appearing under the stage or the light. Keeps glaring at me scorchingly like a heat wave."


According to Jung's theories, a "shadow" symbolizes the dark side of one's personality; for RM, his shadow is hesitation. The visual then shifts, as RM seemingly begins rapping from the perspective of his shadow, baring his flaws over the hard-hitting, guitar-infused beat. "Someone like me ain't good enough for a calling," he raps. "Someone like me ain't good enough to be a muse."


However RM also finds power in reclaiming these insecurities. At one point he raps, "The three syllables of my name, and the word however that should come before any of these which is a reference to the world wide web phrase although Namjoon" and the rapper's past controversies. It's a way to mention that a phrase that once brought him good shame — a phrase that's segment of his public persona — can no longer embarrass him because it's right now part of him. "This is the map of my soul," he says.


Essentially, event in case you require a crash course in psychology, Professor Namjoon has got you covered.


The scorching intro track also includes one hell of a catchy refrain (in English!): "Who the hell am I, I just wanna go / I just wanna fly / I just wanna give you all of the voices till I perish / I just wanna give you all of the shoulders while you cry / Persona."


As for what else fans can expect from Persona, the teaser appears to hint that the anticipated release will lean heavily on the group's hip-hop DNA. Whereas the Love Yourself era put a spotlight on the Korean act's vocalists, Map of the Soul could put the focus back on the rap line (RM, SUGA, and j-hope).


And while there's probably hundreds of other small clues concealed while in the visual — like, mention, is Map Of The Soul another trilogy and does this teaser confirm that the other two will be titled "Shadow" and "Ego," respectively?! — ARMY are undoubtedly already on the case. All we have to do is wait for the album to drop on April 12, which honestly might be the longest wait of our lives at this point.