Director Reacts - Episode 41 - 'Black Swan' Deep Dive 

I think we can all agree that Black Swan is a gorgeous masterpiece that should have won a Grammy! Every time I watch the art film MV, I get so emotional because it is so beautiful. 🥺

Dear Roscoe, as you've gathered by now, BTS' songs and MVs are often interconnected with each other, be it the fictional storyline or the song lyrics themselves. I'm afraid the only way you can completely avoid spoilers is to start from the very beginning and work your way through their entire discography. As a 2020 Army myself, I personally didn't mind all the spoilers, they only intrigued me to listen to those connected songs.. and honestly I probably wouldn't have made many of the connections myself because I also was randomly watching their MV in no order. What I'm trying to say is, please don't get too bummed and too stressed from spoilers, allright? It's okay 😀. Woosaaah >> insert Martin Lawrence gif

As a dancer who quit dancing for a while due to a injury and then later to covid and then started again at home and lately back teaching and performing with a group, the quote “A dancer dies twice - once when they stop dancing, and this first death is the more painful.” is very true. Losing a passion for something you once loved is worse than death. Because everything you have poured into this Thang has become pointless. Years of wasted effort and time. And you choose to just bury it. That's why Jimin with the wings bursting out of his back is so important. BTS' song Wings which you heard a snippet of during BTS Room Live speaks about Wings trying to break free so that you can fly. "Going down the path that others tell not to go, doing things that others tell not to do, wanting things that are not supposed to be wanted, and getting hurt again, hurt again." (When I say "you" I mean people in general, and me specifically.)

This comeback was so interesting because they made it all about art and performance and the connection made through different types of art. The MN Dance Company video came out first and I remember how amazed and confused I was. This orchestral version they used as part of their award show performances but never released for download. I really wish they had cuz I love it.

As a former dancer, I've felt that first death. (I had to stop dancing due to injuries.) I felt it even more watching the Black Swan Art Film. The emotion I felt watching it really overcame me. It was also thru this song that I became Army.💜

“i can’t assume that has anything to do with the song” me screaming at the TV… “thats the entire theme of the song!!!” 😂

I'm debating whether to comment at all because I have so much to say. Map of the Soul 7 was the 2nd album in the Map of the Soul series. It had 19-20 tracks(if you count the Sia version on the digital version), the first 5 of which were from the 7 track Map of the Soul Persona album. They said towards the end of the Love Yourself Answer album that now (now that they recognized the need to love each part of themselves) they needed to go back to the beginning to search out the map of their soul. They loosely used the book Map of the Soul about Carl Jung's theories of psychological development as inspiration to explore their "soul"(whether you take that as individuals, as a group, personally, etc. gives the listener multiple layers/levels to start exploring/interpreting the music of this era. There can be more, but as I said it's a start for peeling the onion.) and development into who they are today, really exploring each of those parts that they are made from and what they've hidden deep inside. So the entire Map of the Soul series is delving deep, and into their very beginnings. This makes it extremely difficult to NOT reference their previous discography (even if they didn't so tightly intertwine their albums together) since the very concept is reflecting on the past. MOTS:Persona starts the journey back on the surface, exploring the various masks and personas being used now and gets progressively deeper in purpose. The Shadow and Ego albums we were anticipating (theory titles ARMY was using in the months waiting between Persona's release and the eventual release of 7) ended up being combined into one album after some behind the scenes as yet unrevealed circumstances caused a "vacation" break to disrupt their original internal album release schedule. Especially for the MOTS:7 songs you should take into account the timeline of when things were released and their place in the album arc as you dissect it, and consider what info we all had so far been given as these songs hit us, as they were literally laying out the Map. The amount of work, effort, and anticipation that went into this album, the ART collaborations used for the promotions, and Tour prep (the anticipation at the beginning of 2020😭) that was cut off suddenly by lockdown, directly led to the songs of the BE album, and the releases of the 3 all-English songs, Dynamite, Butter, and Permission to Dance (PTD being released as news of the vaccine arriving gave anticipation for 2021 to bring us back to normalcy) as gifts of energy and cheer to the world. MOTS:7 largely got lost in the pandemic, and was robbed of the attention it truly deserved, while the majority of the world moved on, focused on issues of fear, isolation, and irrationality towards "otherness". A lot of Dynamite era and newer ARMY are unfamiliar with the complexity of the MOTS:7 release, so they miss just how deep it goes. Anyway, the album was teased with the "comeback trailer" of Interlude:Shadow, and continued with the MN Dance Co. Black Swan MV, and Black Swan (first) live performance done on the James Corden Late Show, followed by spectacular performances on Jimmy FALLON at Grand Central Station. The second, more theatrical versions of both songs were released after. Release dates were: 1/09/20 Interlude:Shadow 1/17/20 MN Dance version Black Swan MV 1/29/20 James Corden Black Swan premiere live 2/21/20 ON Kinetic Manifesto film;Come Prima MV 2/25/20 Jimmy Fallon ON premiere (?) live at Grand Central Station 2/27/20 ON MV (theatrical) 3/04/20 Black Swan MV (theatre) *(Final edit) Just want to clarify that there is zero criticism to ANYONE (except the painful world at large that insists on hurting each other) and no compulsion to react or view anything on your channel in ways that you don't enjoy. Since you've seen both official MVs for both Black Swan and ON, I don't think I've given any spoilers, just background, but if others disagree, please let me know so I can be aware in future comments.

Thank you for being so open & sharing with us. You aren’t a reactor…you are real. 💜

There is an interview with the lead dancer (art film) , Luka Vodopivec, done by Jose (JoseOchoaTV) and Rosan (xCeleste). Luka talked about the process of creating the dance. It was very much a collaboration between the dance company and BigHit/Hybe. BigHit gave the concept and music, the dancers developed the choreo, then BigHit gave feed back (they liked Luka's style, and wanted him to exaggerate his movements). This process was repeated several times. Roscoe, I kept wishing I could have asked you some questions as you analyzing this and you were getting stuck. (ex: Why do you think BigHit included the Martha Graham quote? What is the location of the MV? Why here? Why these rooms and P.O.V.s? What album is Black Swan from? Do any of these things matter? Why does Suga open with "The heart does not beat anymore when listening to music/It feels like time has stopped/that would be my first death/ I been always afraid of"). I loved taking my students on deep dives into songs, film, speeches, commercials etc. (Being Glenda, pointing them down the yellow brick road, letting them choose whichever fork in the road, giving just a bit of support when stuck, and there at the end to celebrate when they understand the journey.) You think YOU ramble???😂🤣

yoongles and joon reference mg’s quote pretty directly in their verses, echoing the sentiment in regards to their art of making music. “A dancer dies twice - once when they stop dancing, and this first death is the more painful.” - Martha Graham The heart does not beat
anymore, when listening to music Tryna pull up
It feels like time has stopped *Oh that would be my first death* *I been always afraid of* 
If this can no longer resonate with me
If this can no longer make my heart flutter
*Perhaps, this will be how I die once*

Jimin used to struggle to fit into the hip hop style. It's a sign of growth and respect that the group should honor him with this piece of contemporary art .

“spoiler”: a description of an important plot element in a TV show, movie, or book which if previously known may reduce the surprise or suspense for a first time viewer or reader. Roscoe, I think “spoiler” means something else for you. I think you want to respond to the music without being influenced by others’ interpretation of imagery and lyrics. I get that. However, there is information (rather than interpretation) about the Korean linguistic, cultural and historical references in BTS work that can enhance one’s understanding. doolsetbangtan in particular, provides all these kinds of info as well as notes about how the song’s lyrics and imagery refer to other songs in BTS discography. None of this information has prevented me from developing my own personal connections and interpretations of the songs and videos. As far as “theories” go, they are theories. They are one individual’s interpretation. Don’t feel compelled to make anyone’s theory right or wrong, including your own.

Unfortunately for you, Roscoe, BTS’ music, music videos and art in general are all connected. Their albums are usually released in trilogies or similar so any songs within those albums (eg. The three Love Yourself albums) have interconnected messages. It goes further than that though, as a lot of BTS’ recent music references their old music, even going so far as to use the same beats or reminiscent beats or titles. As someone else said, the only way around this is to go back to the start and work your way forwards, or just get used to spoilers 😅 unfortunately BTS are too deep & meaningful as an artist to skip around this one

One of the interesting thing I love about BTS music is that they are interconnected with each other. The songs that make up the album is so coherent, a lot of thought and effort has been put into them. Black Swan i my fave BTS song. Thank you for looking into it, Roscoe.

Black Swan is one of my all time favourite BTS songs. It's just an absolute masterpiece. it feels like the whole music video as well as the art film performance should be placed in a museum. It's just beautiful.

For me Blackswan (MV) is like acknowledging that your inner self died..(caused by different circumstances in life) .. you fought your demons hard but what you really have to do is accept it, embrace that it's a part of yourself.. let it not control you or pull you deeper into depression so you can move on and proceed to fly.. build another life that is better.

Two things that I noticed about this song/MV that might be more peripheral but still were moving for me when I thought about them: 1) The position of the song on the album. It’s right after Interlude: Shadow, which explores Jung’s theory of the shadow part of the person. I think the MV especially highlights-literally-shadows. The hidden side or struggles of what performers/artists/creatives keep inside. This has so much within it that we can’t see, some can be good, some can be negative, and sometimes hidden from even ourselves. The style of the MV itself is also very reminiscent of Baroque style painting: huge contrasts between light and dark. The subjects are often in some kind of “spotlight,” and a truth or action is revealed. 2) A “ black swan event” is known in philosophy as an unexpected event that is out of the ordinary; it could be for good or ill (someone correct me if I’m wrong) but in any case it comes out of nowhere. In this context it could be negative: Bangtan pointing to the fear that suddenly and unexpectedly they will lose their passion for doing all this. It’s staggering how raw they’re being with us about this: it’s like a spotlight monologue or a diary entry. The layers to this song are so, so many. It’s what made me fully fall down the ARMY hole and I know it’s had so much impact on others too 💜💜💜

The thing you have to know when getting into BTS’s music is that you can’t always assume that a song is just a song. What I mean by that is, BTS’s albums tend to tell a cohesive story so a lot of songs will connect on themes. Not every song, but a lot of them. For example Black Swan and Interlude: Shadow (as mentioned in the video from Bookish Theories) are on the same album (Map of the Soul 7) and share some connections. Likewise, many of BTS’s songs across multiple albums are also connected. You could choose to react to a song released in 2019 but there might be references that include another song from 2015. Because so much of their music (art) is connected, when you pick a song to listen to, you should probably go into it knowing that there’s a chance it has connections to other songs. So if you look further into the meaning of a song, there could be a chance you might be exposed to others as well. Unless you choose to watch the MV’s and not look any further into their meaning or lyrics, I’m afraid you’ll never be able to completely avoid spoilers. The only other option for completely avoiding them (besides doing no extra research) would be to go through their discography in chronological order. Otherwise it kind of is what it is. :/

i agree with almost everyone... have you read someone said that stanning BTS since the beginning is like growing up with them? because that's how their music goes.. they grow up them, they reminisce the old times through their songs, from their high school life to adult life, there's always a reference... so yeah, their discography is full of "spoilers" because you're listening to their journey, their life, their past, and their thoughts.... like... i can't even explain some other terms from the songs that you've heard without spoiling the other songs lol

This song immediately made sense to me and resonated at such a deep level. I had heard the Martha Graham quote before, but hadn’t connected them. I’m not sure why, but maybe as an artist and as someone with a career that is insanely meaningful to me (Im a trauma psychologist), there are senses and feelings I fear losing so deeply. To lose the capacity to react intensely to music and art, and to people, would absolutely feel like death. Then add the layers of Jungian psychology in this song, it is really one of the most perfect pieces ever written.

I think in order not to be spoiled, it's best to follow BTS discography in order. That's the only way to appreciate the deep meaning of their art. You can do their albums one by one. This is a more satisfying journey, I promise you! Thanks for loving BTS!

As a dancer I can say that this dance was more contemporary mixed with hip hop elements rather than interpretive dance (interpretive dance is a little different but very much how you explained it) here they are telling a story of an emotion or connecting the moves to the lyrics rather than a literal scene But you are 100% right in every dance a dancer should have a story behind the moves When I learn dances from others or make up my own I always make up my own story for why I do the moves!! The audience will never know the exact story but will then feel the emotion and put their own story on to it (kind of like how we do with music) * Also sometimes for upbeat songs the intention can purely be to entertain and have fun PS Loved your explanation about the fridge door 😂 the dance you made from that was great 💜💜💜

Welp! I hope you allocate about 2 hours when you get round to doing Blood Sweat and Tears. You are so gonna need it lol. Fab breakdown Roscoe I enjoyed your take on it. Keep them coming Couch Capt, this spud will always be on the couch with you all :)

WOW!!! Seeing our family portriat on canvas brought tears to my eyes 😭 I've seen the official video so many times but it still gives me goosebumps. The art film feels like a visual representation of the battle with depression and anxiety as well as the potential for creativity to die in those conditions. Love your theories on birth etc!

Hey Roscoe! Since we are on the subject of spoilers, I realize that this BTS journey is littered with spoilers about life in itself. But like life, a lot of these spoilers don't make sense in the moment. Sometimes, their meaning take shape along the way or just past a certain bend in the road. I remember how someone in the comments before described your method akin to "overturning random rocks". But sometimes, the rocks itself can also turn out to be not random at all -- only noticing the pattern later in the journey. Isn't this exciting?! So don't let spoilers spoil you. You can take it with a grain of salt or not. You can always change your mind down the road (which also happens a lot in life). Good luck!

commenting while watching... you just mentioned depression and couldn't agree more. it's like a never ending battle. I remember myself drowning with all my emotions and thoughts I struggled so much to get out and slowly I somehow was able to go to the surface.. though there are times I can sense/see the shadow of it wanting to pull me back.. I am grateful I was able to acknowledge to avoid drowning again. I'm rambling here.. but I hope everyone who is going through this battle of mental health would be able to fight it. Fight our demons. BTS really helped me during that trying time and up to now. Honestly, that's why they have a special place in my heart, it's theirs forever.

for me Black Swan has a lot to do with the classical ballet Swan Lake by Tschaikovsky. The theme of this ballet is changing identity and finding salvation. Odette has to turn into a swan to get rid of a dark character who is following her. She turns into a swan to hide from him and to be safe. But the only way to get back into human form is through love. I was always thinking that this maybe also a theme of Black Swan. Bts is afraid of the time when they are no longer able to perform, due to age or injuries. Or they are afraid of losing their passion for music, of being an artist. perhaps love may be the only thing that can help to go through this and to find happiness.

I love that you always get Tiny desk recommended! It knows you Roscoe lol. Amazing reaction again!

Great video Roscoe! :) Black Swan is a masterpiece, and one of my favorite songs to see them perform, it's just so elegant.

I am so happy. I love this so much. Thank you Roscoe 💜💜

Just started the dang video and already made me cry. The pic is amazing!!!!

Yours is the most intensive reaction to Black Swan which I have seen. Even though I know the “back story”, I have been completely absorbed by your insightful interpretations and I would not be at all surprised if BTS hadn’t some of your exact concepts in mind as they created this masterpiece. Kudos to you as well for mentioning the teamwork and genius of the entire production crew. Your information regarding how things are filmed are always welcome. In short, your reaction is a masterpiece in itself. Thank you! 🙏💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Such a masterpiece, it drives me nuts when people talk about BTS as a boy band. This song is so full of meaning and beauty.

I think this song and MV is so deep. As someone who did classical ballet for 6 years, my personal interpretation has a few references: Black swan (the movie), uses the concept of Swan Lake (the most famous ballet ever) to show the dark side of ballet: the black swan represents the obsession, the competition, the extreme dieting, all these terrible things that sometimes end up making ballet dancers turn into something ugly. Ballet is a career that starts very, very early. For you to go all the way and become a professional ballet dancer, you have to start dancing when you’re 6 years old. It’s a very tough path, not only you have to be extremely talented, you have very long days of practice, you sacrifice a lot of quality time with family, with friends, you’re constantly dieting and people expect you to be several pounds under what is considered normal and healthy weight. And the pains… bloody feet become your routine. Now imagine all that sacrifice for it to end before you’re 30 years old. It truly must fell like a first death. I think the boys are telling this story with Black Swan (the song). They’re dancers themselves, and they have talked several times about getting old and not being capable of doing the same stuff they did it in the beginning. They must also be talking about being performers, and the fear they must fell of the day when they can no longer step into a stadium with 70.000 people chanting your name.

I'm amused that your man cave is slowly transforming into Bangtan land.

Roscoe's spoiler face is almost enough to scare a witch 😅

Yes, Jin is so beautiful that you can not take your eyes from him. Gorgeous. And the song, lyrics, and coreo are like a mantra. You can not stop listening to it.

This was a good one! How can the fear of losing one’s passion and drive be so eloquently displayed in a MV with music & lyrics to match? The very talent of BTS! Enjoyed your exploration….ready for the next one!💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Black Swan is one of my top 5 favorite songs by them. The video is top 3. They did a great job of following the premise of the ballet Black Swan, while making it fit their lives and struggles, like if they were to ever have the music or preforming not mean the same to them or not resonate with them, then that would be their first death which is the hardest to take. I enjoyed the different theories that you had for the dance, your ideas of illness and running from death, can fit in all of our lives one way or another. Great breakdown! Love the new canvas picture of the couch and thank you for the cereal bowl hug 💜💜

Got it! So excited, can't wait. Hope it's a deep dive 💜

OMG!!! I cannot wait. I've been dying for you to get to this! Those clues. Whew 🤪

Hey friend! Glad you’re enjoying your dive into BTS! Black Swan is one of my favorites 💜

This song holds a special place in my heart, reawakening my creative side after years of it languishing. And watching it today, this week really, with your interpretation, just fit. Hanky/emotion warning...my mom passed away a few days ago. I've been escaping the grief and anger and sorrow with your videos throughout her illness and eventual death, and it's been healing for me. Thank you. 💜 I spent the day in her "studio" yesterday, her craft and sewing room, so even making that connection to artistic creativity with this song. And I may not have commented, but I've been laughing at soju q&a and grinning at mail time and, today, groaning with you at explanation spoilers. Someone made an argument for them, but I disagree. Even seeing lyrics, a short video clip, or photo from another video, and especially tying it to this one, is a spoiler. It pre-disposes you to certain interpretations instead of allowing you the freedom to let the art resonate with you within your own frame of mind and experiences. Keep exploring! In or out of order, as you wish. Take care, and thanks again. Peace and love to you and Annie and all the potatoes on the couch. 💜

Learning how extremely valuable it is to understand the artists' message especially if there are socio-cultural and sometimes political nuances and unique contextual influences in their music (instrumentation), lyrics, dance (choreography) / expression enriches my musical experience. Bend & sway like bamboo and flow like water throughout this learning process. I also love how we can use our imagination as we interpret what we see or hear.... even as a child (and up to now) I love how I could draw pictures in my head when I read Lord of the Rings or Anne of Green Gables before even watching the movie/ tv show. For those of us who may be limited with a sense of sight, I am very sure that every little movement of the dance from fingertips, head tilt, facial expression, twist of a torso, flexed foot or pointed toes, whether it be those of the dance company's or BTS', will be meaningful. Just as those of us who can only hear will be moved by each haunting note as it builds into a crescendo then softly fades in the orchestral version. Thank you to everyone's thought provoking posts. Learning a lot!

Ooh black swan 💜 I never thought about the casket thing! Also, loved the tip on interpretive dance. Sorry you got some spoilers in this one! There’s still tons to the other videos, so hopefully it won’t affect it too much.

Black Swan” is a bilingual track, as most of their songs are. The song builds around the quote by Martha Graham: “A dancer dies twice - once when they stop dancing, and this first death is the more painful.” In the song, we hear about the life of a dancer who dances no more. A ‘black swan’ is often considered a curse and misfortune in literature since black is a colour of dark, gloom, anger and death. However, on the flip side of the coin is that ‘black swans’ are a rarity and thus could be considered unique and precious.

"first death" have you ever, in some point of your life, thought that you're not enjoying your passion anymore? like you can't find happiness in it and you became a shell and was just only doing it now as a work (like "if you enjoy what you're doing, you won't work a day in your life" or something kind of thing) you feel lifeless, you thought life isn't worthy anymore... that's what your first death is it's not the actual and literal death... the rebirth i can think of is when you find the meaning of your passion again and why you're doing that in the first place and you can assume that the quote has anything to do with the song cause that's the inspiration of that song

Your extensive pondering… and what I Clearly remember is you saying,.. “Jin is beautiful “ ☺️ thank you for that Roscoe! ☕️ I raise my cup to you! Edit: particularly enjoyed how you were enthralled by the Dance company’s performance! ……. The Depression,….. 😳🥺😭😓….. yes,.. that’s Jiminie! And yaaah! Thx for reviewing the Making of/Behind the scenes! :] #BTS💜 … ‘amazing’ how BTS didn’t receive an award for this track!

This will be a very long and unrequited answer, that probably you'll never read, but I will leave it here anyway. Can I make an example to you? Just to explain my personal point of view. You see the white attire and you think "Life" and "Light", but in many many asian culture the color white represents death. I don't know if it's the case in Korean culture, but I know in China and Japan is like this. Now... you see it through the filter of western culture, and it changes your point of view and your interpretation, obviously, and it's totally right to "feel" the song through your own interpretation, BUT... sometimes, when it comes to other culture that are completely estranged from us, we need an explanation. Those might come from someone who knows and lives that culture, or from the artists themselves, but we need it, and it is not a "spoiler", just a way to better understand a message that we might never catch because we don't know the roots from this notions came from. I know you absoluterly hate spoilers, but not everything is a spoiler, meaning: not every notion that someone can explain might ruin (spoil) your very own experience with the music and the meaning it might have to you. Journeying (I don't even know if that's a word, sorry ^_^) with Bangtan it's also learning from them and from whomever we come across on this path ^_^ I'm really happy that you liked Black Swan. It's the song, toghether with On, that made me stay, and as an artist myself I deeply relate to the lyrics 💜 Borahae 💜

I'm totally in love with Black Swann, the music, the lyrics, the concept, the setting, Jimin' s solo dance, and all the live performances, just mindblowing and beautiful ! The Martha Graham quote, and the way BTS deliver their own fear, it's so relatable for me. Because last year, I was about losing all my passion (drawing and writing) during a lot of months and I was afraid to stay "empty". So I cry a lot when I hear this song for the first time ... and after that, it help me a lot (as all the BTS songs, messages, variety show and their amazing personalies) Also, please Roscoe, just do your thing and don't mind the spoilers ! They are everywhere because songs and albums are interconnected, but it dosen't mean you have to avoid it, or keep an order to see their stuff. For most of us, spoilers are like little fishhook, picking our curiosity, and push us to discover more, in order or disorder. But there is no real spoilers about Black Swann, or in BS about the BU if it's your fear ! I have a question: Roscoe, why do you avoid the "green explanations" on doolset lyrics ? I have notice that a bunch of time. Have you a special reason for that ? explaations are not spoilers. That is why the doolset translation is better than any others : they explain the meaning of a word /expression not only to Korean vs English langage in the comon sense, but also the special meaning /private jokes/ reminiscent it is for BTS .

Black Swan sealed the deal with me. Boy With Luv, all pretty in silk jammies, was OK but I wasn't there yet. Then Black Swan showed up, and the Ballet Version showed up. So I watched the MV. Holy Moly, OK. Who are they???? And then ... well, you know what happens next, right?! Clips and dance practices and lyric videos and explanations until now when I can (for the most part) tell who is singing when even if I can't see them. The Beatles didn't make me a fangirl, nor the Beach Boys nor The Mamas and The Papas, nor the Kingston Trio, nor the Grateful Dead. I was a fangirl of none of my teen idols. But these boys have grabbed me. It's gratifying to know I'm one of over 20,000,000 people.

The album with Black Swan on it, MOTS7, was my first comeback experience. I remember bring completely in awe and captivated by their storytelling, not only with Black Swan, but with the entire comeback. Their passion for art, their own and art in general, absolutely grabbed me. I loved that they chose to release the art film first, in which the members weren't even it. At the same time, they had the an entire museum/art showcase as part of the comeback, which was supposed to eventually culminate in the MOTS7 world tour. Of course, the pandemic changed all of that. Nonetheless, BTS and their company's advocacy for the arts was so inspiring. But you're right, the loss of the love for art/music can also be symbolic of the loss of love for anything that makes us, us. I think that's one reason that Black Swan is so haunting; it can resonate with us on a variety of levels.

Hey Roscoe! I’m not usually someone who comments on Videos a lot but I had some things in my head that are bothering me a little bit so I thought it’s best to share it with you to give a little bit of feedback. (Please know that none of this is meant in a mean or hurtful way💜) First off I wanna say that I 100% understand that you want to explore stuff on your own. It feels more organic and it’s more fun etc. - I totally get that. But there was also a reason for some of the guiding that happened. It’s not that we did that to dictate you what you can or cannot watch or what we wanna see. (Although there probably were some people with that exact intent and I’m sorry that you had to experience that) I mean a lot of people tried to guide you because some songs build off of other songs… And knowing a little bit about you, it was the best solution for these things because we know that you hate spoilers and also just for general context. Again - totally understand the exploring thing But sometimes your reactions to these types of situations don’t really sit right with me. Of course I don’t know what your actual intentions are when you react like that, I could be totally off but sometimes it just feels like you’re blaming other people for things that you got yourself into. For example the spoiler situation in this video. To me it feels like you’re mad at other people for spoiling you. Again I don’t actually know your intentions in these situations but that’s how it feels to me sometimes. And I know you said yourself that it’s your fault for getting spoiled from that video, I just thought about all of this because of your reaction to the whole “I’m gonna do my own thing” situation. Which also felt kinda “meh” to me (again, it’s not the “why” but more the “how”). Apart from that I also wanna say that I see how much fun you’re having with all of this and that makes me really happy! I absolutely love how you catch yourself when you’re drifting away from the actual point and how the intro and Outro kind of became something like a ritual almost. I hope this whole thing will bring you happiness for a long time and can’t wait to see where this journey takes you (and all of us too) I hope you have a wonderful day! ~ Melina (aka. SugaShock) 💜

As a violinist I understand very well the lyrics of this song, as the boys express their fear of losing their love of music, just as Nina, who lost her love of dance in search of perfection, also lost herself in the process, she was a white swan that became a black swan. Black Swan is the death in life, to stop loving what made you feel alive, to be dead inside, the first death of a dancer is to stop dancing, for a violinist is not being able to continue playing the violin and for BTS is lose their love for music.

Just another quick thing. I’ve read all the comments, so this isn’t about the reaction itself. At the beginning you talked about the classical guitar. It’s not a guitar, it’s a traditional Korean instrument called a gayaguem, it makes a beautiful sound, you would have also heard it in Daechwita.

wow just found you, LOVE ALL YOUR JOURNEY WITH BTS. subscribed!!

I thank Namjoon everyday for writing this beautiful masterpiece ❤️

Its mindblowing...beautiful no matter how many times we ve watch it.💜💜

Black Swan is so different than any other previous BTS videos! but i love how they evolve as an artist and try different things instead to one style

The art film is amazing. I remember having goosies the whole time I watched it. Ps. I think you took death a bit too literally because in this context it's more of a metaphorical death? But your explanation is still interesting. I'm always happy how Bangtan makes people think more, discuss more, feel more.

What makes BTS different from the rest of the artists is that they "DANCE WHAT THEY SING" their choreographies are not random or just dance steps, their dance interprets the lyrics of the songs, you have to be very observant to realize it, but once you connect what they sing with what they dance it's art ! Black Swan is a classical ballet piece , clearly the dance moves represent the dance of a dying swan like in the ballet recitals , the main character is the Black Swan, performed MASTERFULLY by Jimin ( Jimin is the only one who dances contemporary ballet in the band ) that's why he's the main character and he did it MAGNIFICENTLY .The boys are professional dancers and the day they stop dancing will be the day of their first death and it will be the most painful for them. This song talks about the fear that one day they will stop feeling the passion for what they do and that will lead to their retirement I loved your interpretation of the Art Film I loved it. Great observation that 6 people dressed in black were guiding the Black Sawn to death, very clever Buddy, I had never noticed it.

Great reaction. You were close in decoding. I would suggest that you wait a while for Blood, Sweat and Tears. That on is based on a book, and everything in the video has meaning. I had to watch about 7 times, dig out the book and google a few things to totally understand it. I enjoy being on the comfy couch.

Annie’s face perks up when you flex your tatooed bicep! Thank you for rewarding my patience and for doing do on a Sunday morning when I could give full attention. This was everything I hoped for and I am so so grateful!

Yes that is Jimin dancing the solo scenes also there is a full video of him dancing the solo scenes for this video too

I came here fastes I can after a 36-hour shift at work and before I see the video I'm dying of laughter with the new Roscoe! meme icons 🤣... now let's see the Black Swan video! I've waited to see it since I saw on tweeter that it was the turn of this masterpiece, let's enjoy it together

Love your interpretation. Did you notice the orchestration is different between the 2 versions.

I have watched this mv maybe 40 times and because of your artistic teaching I just noticed the shadow above RMs part. Very cool!

Literally a work of art 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Black Swan the movie is my ultimate, mostest, greatest favorite movie of all time! So, when I watched this MV, it was through the lens of that movie, but it fits! For me, it's all about being a slave to fame when the real fuel to the craft (love for music/dancing) is already dying. ​Literally squealed when Roscoe just went for it after hesitating for a while! Channel your inner Yoongi, man! (curiosity and the cat reference)

I absolutely love Bookish Theories, they're my go to for explanations. She's such a nice, warm person too. Ps. I screamed noooooo! when you clicked out after the corset joke.

Hi Roscoe, first time commenter but follower from the beginning. I can’t stand watching you in pain. You really can’t go deep into anything if you don’t want spoilers. You simply have to watch the music videos only. Please try to enjoy videos - just jump in … you really will enjoy them. 💜💜

Got it! Wow, I really loooove your riddles 💜💜💜

The instant the picture hit the screen I screamed COUCH CREEEEEEWWW

😁 I think I figured it out! Can NOT wait for this!! 💜♾

We all know how complex BTS is and we love it. In this one, they just said we’re gonna give ya the answer right up from with this Martha Graham’s quote that inspired RM’s lyrics. An artist’s first death is when their body quits on them and/or when their heart no longer pounds in excitement for their art. Yet some of us still struggle with the inner meaning. I love it! U nice, keep going!

Can’t wait for you to react to Fake Love and Blood Sweat and Tear!! 😭💜

Roscoe, I must say I found your channel from a suggestion by friends and I love it! My favorite is everything, but when you asked about the corsets, I don’t only want to know about the corsets!! I was cackling!! Of course, we only want to know about the corsets!!! Lol. 💜💜💜

I really enjoy watching your journey, and at the end i was finding myself frustrated along side you but i was also frustrated just thinking about how so many of their songs reference older songs and you really miss out on the big picture when you haven't heard an older song or watched a video. i know many people will suggest this so i will just become one of the many and suggest you start from the beginning simply to avoid frustration but also it would be fun to watch you build your own theories around the storyline that takes place in many videos. you don't need to know all the details of the B.U. to enjoy the music videos, all baby armys watch the videos knowing absolutely nothing until they search for the extra answers :] and there is one song in particular that is newer i really want you to listen to but you really cannot watch it's music video until youve seen all their main videos. (WAB is what i mean armys) ALSO watching them grow from the beginning is so fun.

Hey 🙋🏻‍♀️I’m just over here enjoying the ride 🙂 I don’t care what order you go in but as you see it is true that things connect. The concept of connecting is something uniquely BTS. They were the first to do this through use of albums, videos and so forth. It is fascinating. My burning question is, can you get shirts made with the couch because I would love it! Borahae party on 💜💜

The official movie video of Black Swan was filed at The Los Angeles Theatre in Los Angeles, California. First time a movie video filmed overseas. You should react to a live performance of Black Swan.

Wow! I am seeing the thumbnails you edited recently on your previous videos and they all are so much of a "MUSEUM MATERIAL"🤩🤩👌👌💜

Brunch on the couch!?!? I'll bring the bagels. 💜

Thanks for playing this mv all the way through without pausing. I know you did that just for me. I'll be humming Black Swan all day!! 😉 I'm at 23:00 and gotta scoot ( work 🙄 ) so hope you get the reference to the meaning of a dancer's first death...

Oooh I had the same thought as how you explained Jin's scene. Love the telepathy!

hmm, not sure anything in her lyrics pages have spoilers per-se. She does a good job of noting the references that they have used in past songs, (which could be spoiler-ish, but not really). And she takes quotes from them when they do interviews and talk about the song and what it means, which they do very sparingly. And often times, it's info that they release when the song comes out. I don't think there would be anything super spoilerish in there at all since song lyrics are not the BU (thank goodness) that is a whole other can of worms. Or other part of their anthology.

BTS songs mean different things for each of us….their songs always touch us right where we need it!

Here I sit, realizing that Chili went back and made new thumbnails ….. omgosh, this one is a winner. But let’s be honest, they all are! You give her all the ammunition she needs, and I’m loving it.

The canvas is so cool!

RM talked about writing this song after watching the movie Black Swan twice. He said he cried the second time watching it. It was very emotional and deep to him.

I am ready, but I have NO CLUE !

Saw someone ask for the quote. It hits me every time I listen to Black Swan, because what if the idea for this piece came to fruition during the time they were considering disbanding? "a dancer dies twice - once when they stop dancing, and this first death is the more painful." - Martha Graham.

The nature of creativity is it's both a blessing and a burden. It holds an artist strongly, yet also limits them. As a young artist develops his or her skills, i.e. learns to fly, there are dangers both for the artist and for those around the artist. Chaos can spin out from the process of learning to wield creativity, and it could affect both the wielder, and those nearby. The power of creativity can limit an artist's flexibility, or weigh down his or her motivation. One of the most difficult features of learning how to wield creativity is learning how to filter choices, possibilities. The tension set up between what an artist wants to achieve abstractly, and what they are able to achieve in real life, is very profound and disturbing. Creativity comes to symbolize an artist's life itself. I'm speaking as an old person, an artist who failed mostly at that confrontation between potential and achievement, yet I've not given up. Watching BTS works is teaching me how to try better. So my involvement with BTS has two main threads: physical rehabilitation, and creative courage. For me, both the original Black Swan art film, which was released first, and the BTS-performed official MV, are both about a confrontation between an artist and his or her creativity. The BTS version has a truncated storyline, compared with the art film. There is no resolution in the BTS version, only hope, courage, and persistence, while in the art film, the conflict is resolved by demonstrating the mastery of the artist over his creativity, as he learns to control it and then uses it to soar. But taking everything in the larger context, I *speculate* that this song originated in some kind of philosophical discussion where BTS and Big Hit explored the uniqueness of BTS's presence in the universe at this time. A Black Swan event is something extremely unique. It's often taken to mean something bad, but Blacks Swan events can also be good. I honestly believe that BTS are a Black Swan event in this century. The reality is that these seven men change millions of people's lives for the good, as they express their creativity, their artistic nature. The struggles they have to go through to be able to do that, personally, are huge and difficult. That would support the more personal, somewhat-unresolved storyline in the BTS official MV for Black Swan. All the above is my personal opinion and interpretation. As a sidebar, when I was 18 I saw a live performance of Swan Lake, by the Royal Ballet, in New York City, at the old Metropolitan Opera House, performed by Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev. This was one of the most iconic performances of that ballet. It was the last year that the old Opera House was used for performances. The next year is when its replacement, the Lincoln Center Metropolitan Opera House opened. I watched it with school friends from the back of the Opera House, in standing room, which we spent about 30 hours leading up to the performance, outside the Opera House, in chilly rain, to obtain. Jimin's affect, the quality of his movement and his ability to communicate warmth and emotion, is very similar to that of Rudolf Nureyev, an electrifying dancer who was one of the best ballet dancers who ever lived. The area where Lincoln Center was built is the old New York City neighborhood where the jazz ballet and movie West Side Story was set. The story in that masterpiece is true to life in those times, and is about underdogs and tragedy. BTS are underdogs who have used their creativity to avoid tragedy. The story of the ballet Swan Lake involves hunting fragility. BTS as artists are fragile beings, whom a few malicious members of the public hunt. All these things are part of my interpretation of the relationship between the idea of Black Swan and BTS.

JGirl has talent! What a happy memory that will be. 😃😃💜💜

That was a long relaxing session on the couch🙏💜

I really loved today's program ! 👏👍👌💜💜💜💜💜

Loved this - thanks again, Roscoe. 😊 Others may have already said this (I read as many comments as I could but may have missed this), but if you want to see another reaction - check out BTS themselves reacting to the art film. Seeing how they feel about others’ interpretations of their music, especially this particular video, is quite magical.

all of your props made me giggle 😄 welcome to the point of no return.

OMG!!! GASP #couchcrew that is absofnckinglutely beautiful!!! The canvus and the tshirt!!! 💜

I'm soooooooooo ready for this!!!!!!! 😍😍😍😍😍

Okay Roscoe, I haven't watched the reaction yet but that thumbnail made me choke on my coffee, lol 😂🤣💜