Concluding the narrative arc kicked off with 2017's
Love Yourself: Her
and continued with 2018's
Love Yourself: Tear
, K-pop boy band powerhouse
BTS
complete the story with the third and final installment,
Love Yourself: Answer
. Taking the crucial highlights from
Her
and
Tear
and adding a handful of new songs, the Love Yourself saga reveals itself to be a fully realized progression through the highs and lows of love, closing on
Answer
's powerful and comforting note. Divided neatly into three sections,
shimmers to life with the previously released single "Euphoria," a bright tropical-house gem that finds
Jungkook
singing about the joys of new love. The first of three new rap "Trivia" tracks -- "Just Dance" by
j-hope
-- carries the positive mood into
Jimin
's "Serendipity," presented here as the "Full Length Edition," nearly double the length of the original found on
. After
hit single "DNA" and "Dimple,"
takes a turn into
territory as things begin to fall apart. Following
RM
's solo "Trivia" entry, the jazzy "Love," the
rappers join forces for "Her," diving further into heartbreak with
V
's aching "Singularity," which highlights his smoky R&B vocals.
's big moment, "FAKE LOVE," and the
Steve Aoki
-assisted "The Truth Untold" find new life here, serving as the climactic peak before
Suga
seizes the moment to get off the endless back-and-forth on the aptly titled "Seesaw." From there,
takes a final cathartic break with the angry, biting "Tear" before a solid run of increasingly uplifting new songs.
Jin
takes center stage on the lovely "Epiphany," a standout ballad that realizes the trilogy's entire message: finding strength within and loving yourself. The empowering "I'm Fine" soars on a skittering breakbeat, amplifying the overall energy until album single "IDOL" explodes with power and confidence. It's one of
' best singles -- as monstrous as "Fire" and "Not Today" -- and receives a bonus
Nicki Minaj
appearance on the second disc (which includes other
highlights, as well as some remixes).
end on a high note with the uplifting "Answer: Love Myself," a moving pop/rock confection that neatly closes the Love Yourself story with
,
, and
triumphantly declaring, "I'm learning how to love myself." When all is said and done, after the passionate highs and heartbreaking lows, we only have ourselves to love. And for
, that's enough. For a pop band to display such thematic consistency, depth, and maturity is a wonder, making
' most definitive statement to date and a snapshot of the group at the top of its game. ~ Neil Z. Yeung