Hey! Hallie here!
I can’t believe it’s been five years since this masterpiece came out. This intro, and it’s music video, is one of the major things that solidified J-Hope as my bias. “Boy Meets Evil” is one of J-Hope’s best solo tracks and one of the best intros to any album I have ever seen. It perfectly captures some of the darker tones that were prevalent in the ‘Wings’ album. In honor of this anniversary, let’s talk about all of the amazing themes and work that went into “Boy Meets Evil”.
The Song:
This was J-Hope’s first album intro. The rap line was usually given the intros to each BTS album, but these intros were either done by Namjoon or Yoongi before the ‘Wings’ album. Hoseok worked extremely hard on the song to prove himself worthy of opening the album. He was also aware that anything he opened the album with would have to connect to the theming of the rest of the album. This song is J-Hope introducing us to ‘Wings’. Which means it had to stay in line with the “temptation and growth” messages throughout ‘Wings’. This song absolutely succeeds. It covers the feeling of someone falling in love even though they know the situation is bad. J-Hope himself described it as a boy meeting the devil that is love. The lyrics describe a childish love, as well as the greed and ambition it brought, tearing him apart. Though it’s difficult to endure, he expresses that it’s more difficult to give it up. He even uses imagery of his own position in the public eye to convey the feeling of being trapped by his own temptation. This song utilizes a faster rapping style than a lot of his other solo songs do. However, as usual, his style adapts with the melody of the song. It makes this whole piece extremely fast paced, energetic, and addicting to listen to. However, towards the end of the song we get some amazing vocals from Hoseok to slow it down and tie it all together. A lot of people are torn about whether or not Jungkook is actually providing the vocals for the singing parts of this song, but Jungkook isn’t listed on the song. And considering the fact that Hoseok has sung multiple times for other songs, and that the voice in this song does sound like Hoseok, I don’t know why this debate started. Regardless, all of it works together incredibly well. It’s no wonder so many ARMY keep going back to this intro.
The Music Video:
This music video is about the choreography. Hoseok practiced intensely to get the choreography right. He upped his usual one hour practices to two-to-three hour practices. And you don’t really have to wonder why. There’s a different move for each beat of the song. Some of the choreography was even filmed slower so it could be sped up for the video. It’s incredibly intense. Meanwhile, the setting sets the mood for the song. Hoseok starts out in a crumbling building, similar to a subway station, where light shines through the ceiling in only a handful of places. He begins by staring up at the light above him, but the darkness surrounding him makes it clear that he can’t quite reach it. As his dance goes on, we get some incredible effects. The ground cracks beneath his feet. The room flips into one completely devoid of light, save for some glow-in-the-dark paint splattered on the walls and on his clothes. His shadow sprouts wings, apparently revealing him to be a fallen angel. As for his outfit, let’s be honest, the ripped jeans and flowing white shirt look incredible on him. Hoseok was extremely nervous to release this video. As an intro, it came out as a teaser for the entire album before the album was released. In many ways it seemed like the way this video was received would indicate how well ‘Wings’ did. But Hoseok had nothing to worry about. I’ve watched this video so many times I lost count. The dancing is some of the best I’ve ever seen, as is the song. It’s perfection.
I love J-Hope and I don’t think I will ever get over “Boy Meets Evil”. It’s not simply that he looks great in it, which he definitely does. But it showcases his many talents. He’s the perfect dance leader for BTS. His dancing speaks to his experience and devotion, and I don’t think anyone could have pulled off the choreography the way that he did. He also has an amazing rapping and singing range. The song is completely different from his other solo songs but it proves just how diverse his work can be. It’s partially responsible for making me a J-Hope bias. And for that, I’m incredibly grateful.
Don’t do anything fun until I get back!
Hallie
Oreos & Peanut Butter 