By Mariah Perez
Following the massive success of the ‘Butter’ remix with Megan Thee Stallion, BTS is back with another collaboration that proved to be another fan favorite!
The past week had certainly been eventful for Coldplay and BTS fans, as the bands released their long-awaited collaboration with ‘My Universe’ which is set to be a part of Coldplay’s upcoming album, ‘Music of the Spheres.”
On Sept. 24, the lyric video dropped, serving stunning visuals depicting a colorful journey through the universe. Meanwhile, the music video was revealed a few days later, showing BTS and Coldplay as main characters in a futuristic dystopian universe devoid of music⸺ and there were holograms and aliens, too!
As for the song itself, ‘My Universe’ is a soft and upbeat alternative pop-rock song that tackles a love shared between people that ‘come from different sides.’
This track was refreshing yet warm; it was exciting and energetic, while being comforting and fun; it also felt like a perfect encapsulation of what BTS and Coldplay are known for: comfort. The message of the song was also sure to speak for fans all over the world, as it perfectly captured both groups’ message of spreading love, regardless of barriers and differences.
‘My Universe’ also did a tremendous job at highlighting the strengths of both bands, as it was tastefully created to suit their styles. This is so, as everything from the production to the vocals to the lyricism were so true to the groups’ signature work and is sure to hook you in for an experience that is so incredibly true to the artistry of BTS and Coldplay.
This was, perhaps, the perfect collaboration, marrying the artistic qualities of both bands.
The song started off with bright vocals accompanied by expertly mixed harmonies to create a nostalgic-sounding echo that exudes warmth and comfort, followed by strong drums and a steady beat that is sure to get people moving. The punchy beat and the echo effect do continue throughout the song, and in addition to this, they also added an instrumental bit in anticipation for a dance break for when the bands get to perform the song together!
Simply put, the track brings the audience an auditory experience that will leave you energized and bright.
However, when it came to the listening experience and the sound, it can be said that this song did not really offer anything new to the listeners. This was so, as it did not bring excitement over new things; rather it evoked a feeling similar to coming home.
“My Universe” is even comparable to some of the older releases from the groups, such as “Mikrokosmos” and some tracks from the “BTS World” EP by BTS (which actually follow this cosmic theme they got going on!), and “Something Just Like This” and “Yellow” by Coldplay!
Meanwhile, it is worth commending how they were able to include everyone in the song’s entirety, making it even more special.
RM, J-Hope, and Suga’s verses were so well-incorporated despite the song being vocal-heavy, which is not a surprise as BTS’ rap line is known for their versatility.
As for the vocals, V and Jungkook take most of the lead, along with Chris Martin. The vocals were exceptionally executed, with V’s deep voice, Jungkook’s bright vocals, and Chris’ unique tone.
Jin and Jimin, on the other hand, shone in their own ways, providing the harmonies and the backing vocals which were distinctly heard throughout the song. The two most definitely did a marvelous job, as they are known to have the widest vocal ranges in BTS, and thus, their voices did make the song feel and sound so much more complete.
As part of the song’s promotional content, they also released a documentary on BTS’ YouTube channel, sharing the process of the song’s creation.
The 12-minute video showed everything: from BTS and Coldplay meeting in Seoul, to the recording of the song, and everything else that went down in and out of the studio with them.
Apart from the documentary, they also released multiple versions of the song, including an acoustic version, a ‘Supernova 7’ remix, and the instrumental⸺ all of which you should listen to!
“My Universe” truly had taken everyone on an out-of-this-world journey, venturing through space, and maybe having BTS and Coldplay as space heroes of some sort. Perhaps, it is safe to say that its message was well-received, and they have proven that love does transcend all barriers!
With that said, the song has only been out for a few days, and everyone’s already looking forward to the bands’ future projects.
Who knows? Maybe we’ll get another collab in the future.
