“BTS: Yet to Come,” A last hurrah 

This Thursday, Prime Video released the concert film “BTS: Yet to Come” starring the record-breaking K-pop group BTS, whose members consist of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook. “Yet to Come” is a concert film of the group’s last concert together back on Oct. 15, 2022, before the members decided to take a break as a group so individual members could fulfill their duty to enlist in the military — as all men in South Korea have to do by the age of 28. 

Because of the contributions they have made for South Korea, the oldest member of the group, Jin, was able to enlist later than 28 due to a revision made to the enlistment law. This revision states that K-pop entertainers who have received government medals for helping spread Korean culture around the world can apply to defer their military service. Each member of BTS met this requirement after they became the youngest people to receive the Order of Cultural Merit from the South Korean government in 2018. Currently three out of the seven members are in the military, but the group hopes to reunite in 2025.   

The “Yet to Come in Busan” concert featured in the film originally happened in October 2022. While at the time there was excitement about the concert — especially with tickets being free — there was also an air of uncertainty around it due to talks of it being the group’s last concert for a long time amidst fears that they would disband. Many fans were left worried as they didn’t know what to expect once the concert ended.  

The setlist BTS performed for this concert perfectly addressed the emotions felt by many during this time while also being a trip down memory lane for long-time fans of the group. Throughout the concert the members continued to give their all as they always do, with high-energy choreography paired with stable rap and vocals.  

The opening songs of the night were filled with energy and complex choreography, with tracks like “Mic Drop,” “Run BTS,” “Run” and “Save Me” starting off the performance.  

The next songs of the evening showcased the group’s vocal and rap lines. The vocal line consists of members Jin, Jimin, V and Jungkook. They performed the song “00:00,”reminding fans to always have hope that things will get better when times are tough, and they also performed one of their more ballad-esque songs from 2015, “Butterfly.” The rap line consists of remaining members Suga, J-Hope and RM, who performed the hard-hitting rap song “UGH!” as well as one of their iconic cyphers, “Cypher Part 3,” which they hadn’t performed in years, completely surprising fans.  

After those songs they performed some of their most famous hits like their Billboard chart-toppers “Dynamite,” “Butter” and “Boy with Luv.” They then performed more of their high-energy songs such as “Ma City,” which describes their roots, “Dope,” which encourages the youth to pursue their dreams, “Fire,” which simply is about doing what you want no matter what anyone says and “Idol,” encouraging fans to love themselves.  

So far the concert had felt like a never ending festival, but after “Idol,” the performance started to have a bittersweet and melancholic feel. The songs performed afterwards matched these emotions. Both “Epilogue: Young Forever” and “For Youth” reflected on the group’s youth and their desire to continue pursuing their dreams with their fans supporting them for years to come. The group then finally addressed the topic many fans were worried about: the future. To these doubts, member J-Hope, teary-eyed, simply stated, “I think this is the time where we shape our future with trust in one another.” He refers to the trust that the group will reunite and that this isn’t a final goodbye.  

The group then started the encore of the concert, and a more hopeful atmosphere was present. Once again the songs picked for this encore perfectly matched these emotions. The group performed a fan favorite, “Spring Day,” about how they would meet again, followed by “Yet to Come,” showing how this is only the beginning and the best is yet to come for the group.  

Overall, “BTS: Yet to Come” is a concert film that tugs at the heart strings of fans and once again reminds them that the best is yet to come while also showcasing BTS’ talent and artistry and why they are considered to be some of the best musicians in the world.  

Rating: 5/5