Jimmy Fallon BTSWEEK day 2 performance of BTS was HOME from the album Map of the Soul: Persona. A very special “ Home” set was set up for this performance.
Today, the art director of “Always Run Film Production”, who made the recording, shared behind-the-scenes photos from the set.
The choice of HOME as a performance track was certainly not accidental. The house represented our lives in our quarantine days due to the pandemic. In those days when even the most basic need of breathing became unpleasant outside, the only place we could breathe directly was our homes. What a contradiction it turned out to be: the home became the only place where we were both imprisoned but also where we could breathe freely.
In the video, Jimin opens the refrigerator door as if it was opening the door of heaven. The same goes for all of us. We all gained excess weight because of eating in front of TV, didn’t we?
Later, when Jimin was standing in front of the mirror and said “ Yeah, I am going out baby, the whole world is my home “, which was by definition true as the image of the house in the mirror is (by logic) the same as the house. Subtle but beautiful detail.
Again, following the Jimin‘s line in the pre-choral part, “ Whatever I fill becomes emptier; the more we are together, I feel lonelier “, the room’s doors open and the group members crowds the room. The association between the lyrics and the visuals is magnificent in this scene. They fill the room, they all come together, but they also symbolize the loneliness experienced during the quarantine period reflected byu the lyrics. Thus, we are witnessing one of the most beautiful examples of the combination contrasting verbal and visual expression. This is the beautiful, matchless duality of BTS style expression.
Another image that the rotating room evokes in me is the roller that is placed in cages so that the small animals such as hamsters do not get bored and deplete their excess energies by running inside the roller. These animals run at full speed by turning the roller from inside. The rotating room seems to represent analogous roller for us. In the same vein, the scene of Jungkook performing chin-ups over the edge of the wall (where other BTS members are dancing and having fun in front of the kitchen) reminded me of the emptiness felt by the gym goers (addicts?) and their efforts to try to somehow exercise at home.
If we return to contemplating about the rotating room, its structure can also be seen in the shared photos. If you’re wondering how it works, the Paloma Faith video for 2018 illustrates the working principle of such rotating rooms very well. The video below shows the video itself on one half of the screen, and the rear camera views on the other half. In this video, Paloma is seated and rotates 360 degrees so she is glued to the seat (with her hat glued her head). She also gives a great acting performance!
Watch Paloma Faith Returning Room Video here:
The rotating rooms in music videos are as such. But there is also a real phenomenon makes me remember the rotating room in real life. It’s something I personally experienced years ago. I would like to introduce you to “ Paternoster “, which is also known as “Eastern Europe’s Death Elevator“! This elevator does not have a call button because it is constantly spinning. When it reaches the top, it moves clockwise and starts to move down this time. So it is a constantly rotating nightmare! To get on the elevator, you jump into it while it’s on the move. If you do the timing wrong, you are burned. Fortunately, one gets used to getting on and off in a short time, but there is a constant, guaranteed adrenaline rush. It is incredibly stifling to look at the wall for a long time when you cannot get down on the top floor and have to pass through the roof section. Hence, the roller in real life is also not a joke!
Here is the video of the Rotating Elevator:
These were my contemplations with the images of “HOME“. BTS continues to impress us by contrasting emotions so well.
