Sniping Rifles in the War Against Japan 1941-45

ISBN-13:	9781472858320
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	02/13/2024
Series:	Weapon , #88
Pages:	80
Sales rank:	196,241
Product dimensions:	7.10(w) x 9.60(h) x 0.30(d)

Just a month after issuing their Japanese-language Face Yourself, K-pop boy band BTS issued their third official full-length, Love Yourself: Tear (Bighit Entertainment). Capturing contemporary pop trends, Tear employed tropical house, sleek synth atmospherics, and smooth R&B-inspired singing that was relatively more subdued -- for BTS -- than their prior output. Even the Steve Aoki collaboration "The Truth Untold" traded that DJ's trademark bombast in favor of a sweeping, piano-driven ballad of sorts, more fit for waving lighters (or mobile phones) in an arena than bringing the house down with big drops. "134310" infuses a hip-hop lounge vibe with a jaunty flute sample, while the sleek electronics of the MNEK-assisted "Paradise" slide and glide. "So What" is the closest the boys come to anything as rousing as "Not Today" or "Fire," but the track leans more toward pure rave bliss than boot-stomping aggression. Stylish and yearning, {|Love Yourself: Tear|} is {|BTS|} at a polished and focused peak, cohesive enough to feel like it was conceived in one particular period rather than cobbled together like some of their previous releases. ~ Neil Z. Yeung