BTS (방탄소년단) '피 땀 눈물 (Blood Sweat & Tears)' Official MV
K-Pop, Hip-Hop/Rap
MV’s relation to the lyrics
“My last dance too just take ‘em, take ‘em” – These lyrics, repeated throughout the chorus, could refer to the group’s dance routine and their attempt to captivate and capture a new audience.
“Peaches and cream. Sweeter than sweet. Chocolate cheeks. And chocolate wings. But your wings are devil’s wings. There is a ‘bitter’ next to your ‘sweet’.” - Within the time frame 1:38 – 1:47, a theme of temptation is present in both the MV and the lyrics. Here, “peaches and cream” refers to pretty and soft skin and “chocolate cheeks” refer to when someone’s cheeks are as tempting and sweet as chocolate. In the MV, Rap Monster is shown to be drinking Absinthe (1:47). Absinthe is a hallucinogenic alcohol and is prepared by putting a spoon over a glass of Absinthe and melting a sugar cube on it. Absinthe was a very popular drug for writers in Paris in the 1900s and when you look at Rap Monster’s room it seems to belong in the same era.
“Want it more” – At 2:33, BTS are seen to be eating together, but the only thing on their plates is an apple. Apples often represent wisdom and in reference to Christianity they are often said to be fruits that Eve bites into in Paradise. To eat a fruit from the tree in Paradise is said to give knowledge, both of good and evil. It is safe to say that it is human nature to always strive for knowledge, regardless if it’s good or bad. Knowledge is power.
“The grail was poisoned but drank it anyway” – At 2:58, BTS are seen to be doing the action of drinking.
“Close my eyes with your hands” – Although not exactly the same lyrics, at 3:51, Jimin’s vision is being blocked by a black ribbon. This motif is repeated up until 4:01.
“My blood sweat and tears” – Images associated with this are clearly shown as paint begins to seep out of the statue as well as Jimin in 5:42.
MVs relation to the music
0:56 – Scene cuts to the start of the group’s dance just as the ‘white-noise-like’ effect is played.
0:56-1:02 – Scene cuts several times in accordance to when the bass plays each note.
1:07-1:08 – The dance performed matches with the time signature of the track.
1:12-1:15 – Several cuts are made at the same time the bass drum is played.
1:23 – Scene cuts back to the dance at the same time as the cymbal crash.
1:32 – Medium shot of Rap Monster indicates his next part.
1:38 – Scene pans down to Rap Monster as the reverse cymbal crash is played.
1:40-1:45 – Scenes portraying the burning painting of a bird and themes of absinthe and hallucinogenic effects are shown on the bass drums.
1:48 – The group move out of the way to show J-Hope as the synthetic hit plays.
1:56 – The group imitates raising a glass during the bass drums.
1:59 – The dance routine as well as the MV becomes less intense as the chorus begins again.
2:14 – The dance becomes more intense as the music builds up to the drop.
2:32-2:34 – Scene changes according to when the bass is played.
5:35 – Explosion of colours occurs as the drop is played.
5:37-5:38 – Scene changes in time with the bass.
5:39-5:41 – Scene changes in time with the bass drum.
5:52-5:54 – Scene transitions to different versions of the same group in time with the bass drum.
Intertextual References
0:09 – As soon at BTS walks into the museum, the statue ‘Venus de Milo’ by Alexandros of Antioch-on-the-Meander can be seen to the left
0:16 – Rap Monster is seen to be reading a book to Jungkook. It’s safe to assume that the book is ‘Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair’s Youth’ by Herman Hesse, as at 4:06 he quotes, "He too was a tempter; he, too, was a link to the second [world], the evil world with which I no longer wanted to have anything to do."
0:17 – V and J-Hope are shown to be admiring a statue which looks similar to a Four Seasons statue of Autumn.
0:23 – To the right of V and J-Hope is a torso extract of the famous sculpture ‘Laocoon and His Sons’.
0:25 – The classical piece of music being played in the background is Bach’s ‘Mass in B minor’.
0:30 – Suga and Jimin are sitting by a statue representing a crouching Venus, surprised in her bath. Although there are many versions of this motif, the piece shown is called ‘Venus Accroupie’ by an unknown artist found in the French King Louis XIV’s collection.
0:32 – To Jin’s right is the sculpture ‘Perseus With the Head of Medusa’ by Benvenuto Cellini.
0:41 – The painting that Jin is looking at is ‘The Fall of the Rebel Angels’ by Pieter Bruegel the Elder.
0:55 – The neon sign behind the group says ‘The Tempter’ which ties in with the quote from ‘Demian’ that Rap Monster recites. Behind the neon lights is the painting of ‘The Lament for Icarus’ by H. J. Draper.
1:09 – Jungkook is on a swing and seems almost like he is flying, referring back to ‘Demian’. In the book, Sinclair says that he is afraid of dreams in which he is able to fly.
1:41 – An image of a painted bird which ties back to ‘Demian’ as well as the short films that were produced to promote their new album. In ‘Demian’, Sinclair paints a bird… “I had painted something, a bird struggling out of the globe.”
1:52 – Behind J-Hope is Michelangelo’s famous sculpture ‘Pieta’ which depicts Virgin Mary with the dead body of her son Jesus after his crucifixion before he was placed in his tomb.
2:32 – They all assemble for a supper, which is most likely to be a reference to The Last Supper, which took place before Jesus’ crucifixion.
3:20 – The scenery that V was looking at is the painting ‘Landscape with the Fall of Icarus’. At the same time, V jumps and falls down, just as Icarus did as he lost his wings.
4:20 – The organ piece that is being played by Suga is ‘Passacaglia in D minor’ by Buxtehude.
5:00 – The statue with black wings refers to their album ‘Wings’
5:45 – Jin approaches a mirror and above it is a German phrase by philosopher Friedrich Nietzche that translates to: “You still have to have Chaos inside you in order to be able to give birth to a dancing star.” This links to statue of the Virgin Mary falling to pieces in 5:50, with the dancing star referring to Jesus.
Narrative
The “Blood Sweat & Tears” MV could be about a boy being exposed to the idea of evil through art, and further, facing evil as a young artist – a tale of the coming-of-age of an artist.
The title, “Blood Sweat & Tears’ is an artistic take on the idea of the sacrifices BTS has had to make for their career, which has been highlighted in earlier tracks like “Dope”. The lyrics appear to be about the complete submission to the temptations of a passionate, dangerous love affair: “Kiss me on the lips, lips. A secret between just the two of us. I’m deeply addicted to the prison that is you. I can’t serve anyone else that isn’t you.” Alternatively, the lyrics can be read as a metaphor for the boys trading in their “blood, sweat & tears” and their body, mind, and soul for their art.
Art is often associated with violence and suffering. In “Blood Sweat & Tears”, J-Hope shoots an arrow at V that produces a colourful splatter, and coloured water bursts into the air around J-Hope. The Fall of the Rebel Angels depict a mass of creatures tangled in combat, their faces twisted in horror, while The Lament for Icarus depicts grief and death.
To be an artist is to face, embrace, and grapple with the dark things in life and the evils of the world, which is suggested by Nietzche’s quote: “Man muss noch Chaos in sich haben, um einen tanzenden Stern gebären zu können. [You must have chaos within you to bear a dancing star.]”
The idea that the artist’s sacrifice brings about greater good for people is reinforced by two references to the Crucifixion. The first is the statue behind J-Hope, a replica of Michelangelo’s Pietà which depicts the body of Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary after the Crucifixion. The second reference is the scene in which Jin leads the members in a toast, which has strong echoes of the Last Supper, the final meal that Jesus shared with his disciples before the Crucifixion. These details underscore the notion of a person who sacrifices himself to save humanity.
Jin’s kissing of the statue, in presenting a unity between him and art, could be symbolic of the moment in which the boy who meets art becomes an artist. This may be why the MV erupts into colourful disarray after the kiss: pink and green water shoots up around J-Hope, the winged statue cracks and paint leaks out, and the dance sequence segues into negative colours of white and magenta. It is a visual representation of the embracing of the artistic endeavour and its accompanying chaos.
Like how Jimin’s face parallels the winged statue with its streaks of paint tears, Jin’s face cracks just like the statue’s. They become mid-way between human and art, symbolic of how the body of the artist is where art is created, with the tears and cracks as a reminder of the artistic struggle.
