Watch BTS’ Nostalgic Video for ‘Stay Gold’

South Korean pop juggernauts BTS return with a brand new video for their hit single “Stay Gold” from their upcoming Japanese album Map of the Soul: 7 ~ The Journey ~ , set for release on July 15th. The album marks the septet’s first Japanese record since 2018’s Face Yourself.

“Stay Gold,” which dropped last week, was written by songwriters and producers Sunny Boy, Melanie Fontana and Lindgren and is a track about sticking together because love finds a way, no matter what life throws at it: “Stay gold/As long as you’re here/I don’t need anything else/Stay gold, gold/Just want to hold you/Love is endless/Uncovering the light/More than any stars.” The production is mainly R&B-tinged pop with elements of soul and delicate piano peppered through to amplify the emotion in the members’ voices and push the track into ballad territory.

The video is a heartwarming display of the bond BTS share and how they are happiest when they are together. Each member has scenes where they are alone in dark, decrepit and abandoned locations, seemingly reminiscing about their days together as group and family. On each chorus the video switches to happier scenes or ‘memories’ drenched in gold light and confetti, where the seven members are spending time together, content and completely at ease with one another. Rays of gold light eventually shine on each member in their dark surroundings and guide them all back together as they meet again to walk into what seems to be a giant meadow of flowers in paradise. Fans have pointed possible visual callbacks to the group’s music video for their hit 2017 single “Spring Day” and the idea of winter finally turning to eternal spring.

BTS have been keeping fans happy with tons of new content despite the postponement of their 2020 tours due to COVID-19. Earlier this month the septet treated audiences to Bang Bang Con The Live, a livestreamed concert that drew in around 756,600 viewers, marking what the band’s label claims to be the largest paying audience ever for a livestreamed concert. This week the group also announced the upcoming launch of a new book project titled GRAPHIC LYRICS, a series which interprets some of their most iconic songs through illustrated, graphic novels.