#interlude:shadow

The set design was exactly what I thought it would be like and really played with horror visuals to represent the fear of unwanted human touch and attention. Took the best visual aspects present in the music video and transitioned them onto stage. I loved it.

I think the moment that really stands out to me though is when Yoongi is wondering down the white corridor and the hands are trying to break through the elastic walls, he carefully maneuvers away from them physically touching him as he raps. But then ends up running into a hand any way. And he flinched. And the flinch wasn't staged. They weren't meant to touch him , but accidents happen.

good idea, today we’re doing two cards.

the song itself

as for shadow’s meaning, the following card came out, and it couldn’t be any more fitting. THE DEVIL which as a tarot archetype traditionally stands for obsession, taboo, mental health issues, helplessness and power relations. it’s a card that tells us shadow wants to make a point about what chains yoongi up. i say chains because it’s a central theme in the image of the card where we see a couple linked up in a dark room with the devil himself watching over them. it signifies mutual dependency and not being able to separate because of attachments. shadow shows us a one-way street. yoongi rapping he can’t escape his current state and it’s heavy on his well-being is confirmed by what THE DEVIL stands for. this card calls for breaking unhealthy bonds which this album will usher in. it’s a stab at those who fixate so heavily on BTS, they can’t let go of them. but also, a cry for resolution because BTS similarly depends on fans. so, this stalemate is at the heart of what the song is: an impulse to shatter chains. that we see the actual devil watching over the couple also tells us there are higher instances (this could be management) at play that he has to bow to. which puts him into captivity but also grants intense togetherness with others as the couple imagery suggests. long story short. the interlude demonstrates one thing plain and simple, stardom is indeed a deal with the devil.

yoongi’s thoughts

as for his take on it, the QUEEN OF CUPS came out of my deck and i was surprised. compared to THE DEVIL, that is pretty much the opposite energy. the cards are as far away from each other as you can imagine. the QUEEN OF CUPS is positive, nurturing, fosters empathy ( hence ”i am you, you are me”). i think we’re seeing a major part of yoongi’s inside world that is unprecedented in how emotional it is. he’s poured a lot of his heart into what he wrote and tries to make us understand what he’s going through which he succeeds in, because the queen is an authority of conveying her feelings in a way that touches you deeply. he has more sweet and tender feelings about the track than we assume. it means a lot to him to put out what has wounded him. in a way, that is an act of healing through creativity, and he cherishes this outlet. the QUEEN OF CUPS is a massively sensitive archetype that accomplishes a flow state. the card itself shows it already, the queen blends into the water that surrounds her throne. water in tarot is emotion — yoongi has accessed a way to coalesce with the feelings of everything around him. he soaks up the atmosphere and that is how the song came to be. he thinks of it as an impression rather than an accuse because he knows that his status (queen = authority) is all thanks to his environment. by sorting out his sentiments through art, he can reach a conclusion more easily than what THE DEVIL might suggest. putting this out has extreme benefits for his mood now that it’s off his chest. 

Persona: “Do you wanna fly?”

 Shadow: “Please don’t let me fly”

 Persona: “Do you have a dream?” 

Shadow: “I wanna be me”

 Persona: “My shadow, I wrote it, and called it hesitation”