Intro: Persona

{{Infobox song

| name = Persona

| type = song

| language = Korean

| artist = BTS

| album = Map of the Soul: Persona

| released = {{start date|2019|04|12}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| genre =

Hip hop
trap
rap rock{{cite web |author=RD |title=The 50 best albums of 2019 |url=https://www.nme.com/features/the-greatest-albums-of-2019-2586777 |website=NME |access-date=May 24, 2025 |date=December 16, 2019}}

| length = {{duration|m=2|s=54}}

| label = Big Hit

| writer =

Hiss Noise
RM
Pdogg

| producer = Hiss Noise

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|M9Uy0opVF3s|"'Persona' Comeback Trailer"}}

| type = song

}}

"Persona" is a song by South Korean boy band BTS, rapped as a solo by member RM. It was released digitally on April 12, 2019, as part of the extended play Map of the Soul: Persona. It was later included in the band's 2020 studio album Map of the Soul: 7.

Promotion

Big Hit promoted the song in a tweet upon release. There are plans to also promote the song, along with the album, on the upcoming Speak Yourself tour.{{cite web |last1=Martin |first1=Annie |title=BTS shares 'Map of the Soul: Persona' trailer starring RM |url=https://www.upi.com/BTS-shares-Map-of-the-Soul-Persona-trailer-starring-RM/4631553707647/ |website=UPI |access-date=April 1, 2019 |date=March 27, 2019}}

The song was performed for the first time at the 2019 Melon Music Awards on November 30, 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/8545107/bts-performance-2019-melon-music-awards|title=BTS Turn 2019 Melon Music Awards Into Mini Concert Before Picking Up Top Honors|website=Billboard|access-date=2019-12-03}}

Music video

The music video was directed by Choi Yong-seok and co-directed by Guzza of Lumpens. Yoon Ji-hye and Park Hye-jeong, also from Lumpens, were the assistant directors, and Nam Hyun-woo of GDW was the Director of Photography. The Art Directors were Park Jin-sil Park and Kim Bo-na while the art assistant team was Ahn Ye-min and Kim Gyu-hee. The Gaffer was Song Hyun-suk of Real Lighting and Artist Management was Kim Shin-gyu, Kim Se-in, Kim Dae-young, Kim Su-bin, Bang Min-wook, Lee Jung-min, An Da-sol, and Park Jun-tae. The Visual Creative team was Kim Sung Hyun, Lee Sun-kyoung, Kim Ga-eun, and Lee Hye-ri.{{cite web |title=BTS (방탄소년단) MAP OF THE SOUL : PERSONA 'Persona' Comeback Trailer |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9Uy0opVF3s |via=YouTube |publisher=ibighit |access-date=March 27, 2019 |language=en, ko |date=March 27, 2019}}

The video references various visuals and sounds from their "Skool Luv Affair" concept they had in 2014.{{cite web |last1=Kelley |first1=Caitlin |title=BTS Revisit Earlier Days In Comeback Trailer For 'Persona' |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/caitlinkelley/2019/03/29/bts-revisit-earlier-days-in-comeback-trailer-for-persona/#2494c9da1068 |website=Forbes |access-date=March 31, 2019 |date=March 29, 2019}} Throughout it RM can be seen rapping in an empty classroom and addressing a squadron of cyborgs.{{cite web |last1=Maicki |first1=Salvatore |title=RM raps to a squadron of dancing cyborgs in trailer for BTS's new album 'Map of the Soul: Persona' |url=https://www.thefader.com/2019/03/27/bts-map-of-the-soul-persona-trailer-rm-kim-nam-joon |website=Fader |access-date=March 27, 2019 |date=March 27, 2019}} RM is confronted with various versions of himself with words such as "persona," "shadow," and "ego" which references Carl Jung's theories of psychology. In the song he rapped, "My shadow, I wrote and called it 'hesitation.'" According to Jung's theories, a "shadow" represents the dark side of one's personality. RM appears to start rapping from the perspective of his shadow, telling his flaws over the beat of a guitar. But RM also finds power in reclaiming these insecurities.{{cite web |last1=Bell |first1=Crystal |title=BTS' RM RECLAIMS HIS NARRATIVE IN SCORCHING MAP OF THE SOUL: PERSONA ALBUM TEASER |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/3118570/bts-map-of-the-soul-persona-teaser-rm/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328000902/http://www.mtv.com/news/3118570/bts-map-of-the-soul-persona-teaser-rm/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 28, 2019 |website=MTV |access-date=March 27, 2019 |date=March 27, 2019}} Additionally, he wears a jacket that has emblemed on it, "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain,” which could reference Jung's teachings about having two versions of oneself: the person who everyone sees, and the person behind the curtain that is hidden.{{cite web |last1=Mylrea |first1=Hannah |title=All the fan theories about BTS' new album 'Map of the Soul: Persona' |url=https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/bts-fan-theories-map-of-soul-persona-trailer-2468251 |website=NME |access-date=March 31, 2019 |date=March 31, 2019}}

The robots pictured in the music video were made by 3D Humanoid and the CGI RM was made through motion capture.{{cite web |title=방탄소년단 컴백 트레일러, 팬들 홀리는 RM의 래핑 |url=https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=609&aid=0000083064 |website=Naver |publisher=Newsen |access-date=March 27, 2019 |language=ko}} The video reached five million views in seven hours.{{cite web |title=BTS' new trailer draws more than 5 mln views in 7 hrs |url=https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20190328001000315 |website=Yonhap News |access-date=March 27, 2019 |date=March 28, 2019}}

Composition and lyrics

The song is in the hip hop and trap genre, and features guitar. It also samples the song "Intro: Skool Luv Affair" from the 2014 EP of the same name.

The first half of the song's lyrics ask introspective questions about RM's existence and flaws, while the second half encourages him to embrace these qualities. The phrasing is similar to that of a diary entry.{{cite web |title=BTS: Watch: Korean septet group embrace their 'Persona' with feisty introduction track |url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/news/world/watch-bts-embrace-their-persona-with-feisty-introduction-track/articleshow/68603398.cms |website=Bangalore Mirror |access-date=March 27, 2019 |date=March 27, 2019}} RM also mentions past controversies in the lyrics of "Persona",{{cite web |last1=Aquilina |first1=Tyler |title=BTS release music video trailer for Map of the Soul: Persona album |url=https://ew.com/music/2019/03/27/bts-map-of-the-soul-persona-trailer-music-video/ |work=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=March 27, 2019 |date=March 27, 2019}} rapping “Three syllables of my name, and the word ‘but’ that should come before any of those”.{{refn|group=note|These original lines are in Korean. The Hangul is as follows: "{{Korean|labels=no|이 시간에 원래 질문에 대해 생각할 때마다 / 내 이름과 그 앞에 형용사}}". The translation is taken from the listed Newsweek source.}} The words "But Namjoon" (RM's birth name) have been used by some fans in K-pop circles to direct criticism away from another artist and instead focus it on RM. According to Kelly Wynne of Newsweek, "the action of taking back 'but Namjoon' [...] can be compared to other artists using hateful speech against them to their own creative advantage", such as Taylor Swift reclaiming the snake emoji and using it as a symbol of personal power.{{cite web |last1=Wynne |first1=Kelly |title=BTS 'MAP OF THE SOUL: PERSONA' TRAILER DROPS SPICY 'BUT NAMJOON' LINE |url=https://www.newsweek.com/bts-map-soul-persona-new-album-rm-namjoon-1377108 |website=Newsweek |access-date=March 27, 2019 |date=March 27, 2019}} Wynne also called the song an, "outright analysis into definition of self", imposing questions of oneself upon listeners also.{{cite web |last1=Wynne |first1=Kelly |title=Who Is Dionysus? BTS Fans Predict Album Content After 'Map of the Soul: Persona' Give Greek God Name |url=https://www.newsweek.com/who-dionysus-bts-fans-predict-album-content-after-map-soul-persona-tracklist-1389145 |website=Newsweek |access-date=April 8, 2019 |date=April 8, 2019}}

Reception

Natalie Morin of Refinery29 called the song colorful and dynamic,{{cite web |last1=Morin |first1=Natalie |title=BTS' RM Literally Spits Fire & Drops Clues In New Map of the Soul: Persona Teaser |url=https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/03/228191/bts-rm-map-of-the-soul-persona-comeback-trailer |website=Refinery29 |access-date=March 27, 2019 |date=March 27, 2019}} while Kelly Wynne from Newsweek said the track was a "fitting opener" for the album and that it was "bold and confident.{{cite web |last1=Wynne |first1=Kelly |title=Every Song on BTS' New Album, 'Map of the Soul: Persona,' Ranked |url=https://www.newsweek.com/every-song-bts-new-album-map-soul-persona-ranked-1394392 |website=newsweek |access-date=April 17, 2019 |date=April 12, 2019}}

Accolades

class="sortable wikitable"

|+Year-end lists

!Critic/Publication

!List

!Rank

!Notes

!Ref.

align="center"| Rolling Stone India

| align="center"| 10 Best K-pop Music Videos of 2019

| align="center" {{NA}}

| align="center"| Music video

| {{cite web |title=10 Best K-pop Music Videos of 2019 |url=https://rollingstoneindia.com/10-best-k-pop-music-videos-of-2019/|website=Rolling Stone India |access-date=March 27, 2019 |date=March 27, 2019}}

Charts

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col"\| Chart (2019–2022) ! scope="col"\| Peak position
{{single chart\|Hungarysingle\|22\|year=2019\|week=16\|rowheader=true\|access-date=April 26, 2019}}
scope="row"\| Lithuania (AGATA){{cite web\|url=https://www.agata.lt/lt/naujienos/savaites-klausomiausi-w16/\|title=Savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100)\|language=lt\|publisher=AGATA\|date=April 19, 2019\|access-date=December 3, 2019}} \| 39
scope="row"\| Malaysia (RIM){{cite web\|url=http://www.rim.org.my/main/images/stories/RIM/Chart%202019/16_i_dm.pdf\|title=Top 20 Most Streamed International & Domestic Singles In Malaysia\|language=en\|work=Recording Industry Association of Malaysia\|publisher=Recording Industry Association of Malaysia\|access-date=April 25, 2019}} \| 14
scope="row"\| South Korea (Gaon){{cite web\|url=http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/online.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=ALL&targetTime=16&hitYear=2019&termGbn=week\|title=Digital Chart – Week 16 of 2019\|website=Gaon Chart\|language=ko\|access-date=April 25, 2019}} \| 34
{{single chart\|UKindie\|17\|date=20190419\|rowheader=true\|access-date=December 4, 2019}}
scope="row"\| Vietnam (Vietnam Hot 100){{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/bts/chart-history/vtm/\|title=BTS Chart History (Billboard Vietnam Hot 100)\|magazine=Billboard\|access-date=22 September 2022}} \| 56

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

scope="col"| Chart (2019–2022)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

{{single chart|Hungarysingle|22|year=2019|week=16|rowheader=true|access-date=April 26, 2019}}

scope="row"| Lithuania (AGATA){{cite web|url=https://www.agata.lt/lt/naujienos/savaites-klausomiausi-w16/|title=Savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100)|language=lt|publisher=AGATA|date=April 19, 2019|access-date=December 3, 2019}}

| 39

scope="row"| Malaysia (RIM){{cite web|url=http://www.rim.org.my/main/images/stories/RIM/Chart%202019/16_i_dm.pdf|title=Top 20 Most Streamed International & Domestic Singles In Malaysia|language=en|work=Recording Industry Association of Malaysia|publisher=Recording Industry Association of Malaysia|access-date=April 25, 2019}}

| 14

scope="row"| South Korea (Gaon){{cite web|url=http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/online.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=ALL&targetTime=16&hitYear=2019&termGbn=week|title=Digital Chart – Week 16 of 2019|website=Gaon Chart|language=ko|access-date=April 25, 2019}}

| 34

{{single chart|UKindie|17|date=20190419|rowheader=true|access-date=December 4, 2019}}

scope="row"| Vietnam (Vietnam Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/bts/chart-history/vtm/|title=BTS Chart History (Billboard Vietnam Hot 100)|magazine=Billboard|access-date=22 September 2022}}

| 56

Notes

References

Category:2019 songs

Category:BTS songs

Category:Music videos directed by Lumpens

Category:Songs written by RM (musician)

Category:Songs written by Pdogg