Listen to BTS’ Inspiring Japanese Single ‘Stay Gold’

The K-pop supergroup returns with a new, inspiring song off of their upcoming Japanese album, Map of the Soul: 7 ~The Journey~. 

BTS has done it again with their latest music venture. “Stay Gold” begins with youngest member Jungkook singing softly, “In a world where you feel cold/You gotta stay gold” (English translation provided by Genius). Then it dives into a blend of Hip-Hop beats and Pop production, all the while showcasing Rap and vocal talents. The most interesting part of the song is the motivating lyricism, which is a staple in the South Korean band’s discography. When they sing “Stay Gold,” they really mean for their fans to stay strong, beautiful, and driven.

In an interview with Japan CBS CDTV, the band members spoke out on what the song means to them. Vocalist V said, “The message of this song is don’t lose your spark although there aren’t only good things in the world. It’s a beautiful song with this message.” Singer Jin stated, “The key point of this song is the chorus, the part where it goes ‘stay gold’ continuously. So, if you listen it once, it’ll probably get stuck in your head.” While artist Jimin added how “really pure and beautiful” the lyrics are.

The band’s passionate fanbase, collectively known as ARMY, is excited about the boys’ newest song.

“Stay Gold” serves as the theme song for the Japanese television show, Spiral Labyrinth – DNA Science Investigation (Rasen no Meikyu in Japanese), based on a comic book series of the same name. The show was to premiere back in April 2020, but was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. The single also serves as the first of two official releases for the album due on July 14, both in Japan and on international digital platforms. The album will include both new tracks and Japanese versions of songs like “ON,” “Fake Love,” “Mikrokosmos,” “Boy With Luv,” and more.

Even though the song has only been released for three days, it has already risen on the music charts. According to Japan’s Oricon, BTS has risen above their album sales for the first half of the year. Map of the Soul:7 has 429,000 copies in the country since its release back in February 2020.

Listen to “Stay Gold” on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming platforms.