The digital revolution in music has taken a toll on the physical market. When you can easily access your favorite songs on your smartphone, CDs, vinyls, and discs are not as much in demand anymore. However, the market is nowhere near lost — its purpose has only changed. In K-pop, we can clearly see how effective this change in focus is: the selling of albums is an important driving force in the culture of a fandom, and it's a relevant revenue source. BTS, in their nine-years-long career, have sold over 34 million albums in total, according to Gaon charts, becoming the biggest selling group on the platform. But what makes these albums — and especially BTS' — so special for the fans?
In an earlier Borasaek Vision magazine article, we commented that the level of artistic value and care that goes into producing albums demonstrates how special these items have become for fans. The music industry in general is highly competitive, so in many instances, the design work and packaging flair that goes into an album with the intent of making it stand out from all the rest reflects this. When it comes to visual aesthetics everything from font, image art (both simple and highly complex), wording, positioning, color palettes, design, shape, and size all come into play. Beyond the visuals, there is also that ‘x’ factor associated with packaging that makes the album pop, but often these elements aren’t revealed until the moment of unboxing. Really, there is no limitation to creative expression except for what the mind itself can fathom.
According to fans, there are many reasons to buy and collect albums. One of them mentions how it “is a collector’s item, a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes and glimpses beyond just the stage. It is also a gift to the fans and the notes and special attention helps us feel more connected and less like a consumer and marketed object." They also highlight photocards as an essential part of the collectability of these items. "It’s like collecting Pokémon cards or athlete cards."
BTS is known for transforming storytelling through their music into an artform that transcends borders and boundaries. A feat also acknowledged by the Recording Academy when BTS’ album Love Yourself: Tear received a nomination for Best Recording Package (including Album Cover, Graphic Art, Photography) in the 2018 61st GRAMMY Awards. While it was the creative direction team HuskyFox, who were actually nominated for this award and not BTS themselves, fans were still excited for this acknowledgement, despite the win going to another nominee in the end.
As consumers, they knew from firsthand experience how stunning the design and packaging elements of this series were. With each album releasing four different versions, the Love Yourself series resulted in 12 beautiful yet intentionally minimalistic cover designs. As seen from the images below, the full suite of 12 albums reveals an intricate design concept that permeates throughout the three albums: Love Yourself: Her, Love Yourself: Tear, and Love Yourself: Answer.
Fans also have their own special reason to love these albums and their designs, each holding a special meaning to ARMYs. Another popular one is Map of the Soul 7, released in early 2020, about the culmination of BTS' journey up until that point. The four versions have overlapping sevens to represent each member on top of a slick white design. The big box comes carrying lyric and photo books, photo cards, stickers, and even coloring paper. "The vibrant colors and the coloring set stick with me," one fan says. "Map of the Soul: 7 has the most lasting visual impact because it is clean and simple with the large 7 which holds significance for BTS and ARMY," another highlights.
As such, it's clear to see how these albums and their packaging enhance the value of the music in physical form for fans and artists alike. Whether it's for the artistic visual take of the songs or the collectability of these items, they are loved and treasured by the public and even recognized by critics. So, in the age of the digital, it seems like albums — the ones you can hold and display on your shelf — are here to stay. ARMYs are able to recognize this first hand, with BTS' careful work on their album designs and, of course, the lovely photocards. You can never forget those.
DISCLAIMER: We do not own any audio & visual content in this video except for the editing. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THE RIGHTFUL OWNERS. No copyright infringement intended.
Written by: Carol & Mama
Edited by: Aury
Checked by: Esma
