Musichrome

Author: cvazquez28

  • Art work made from artworks: Art Pieces shown in BTS Music Video Blood Sweet & Tears

    Camila Vázquez Marrero

    BTS’s “Blood Sweat & Tears” is a music video brimming with artistic and literary references, rich in history and visuals. When we watch this video closely, we realize that, in a way, it functions as a moving art exhibition. Released in 2016 and making part of the album WINGS, this music video (MV) combines paintings, sculptures, religious references, literature, and mythology to weave a story about desire, temptation, and the loss of innocence. The aesthetic is opulent and surreal; each element contributes to a narrative about what it means to grow up and to face, for the first time, experiences that reshape our identity. 

    Demian and the Discovery of a New Identity 

    The video’s story is based on Hermann Hesse’s “Demian”, a novel that explores the coming-of-age journey of a young man. Emil Sinclair begins to question traditional ideas about good and evil. For Sinclair, becoming an adult means confronting his own darkness and discovering an identity that doesn’t always align with others’ expectations.

    This collection is one of the most important literary references in “Blood Sweat & Tears.” Throughout the video, the members are surrounded by contradictory images: angels and demons, light and darkness, innocence and sensuality, beauty and destruction; rather than presenting these forces as opposites, they blend them together. Midway through the video, Kim Namjoon (RM) reads an excerpt from “Demian”. “He, too, was a tempter; he, too, was a link to the second world, the evil world with which I no longer wanted to have anything to do.” At this moment, the reference becomes a direct part of the video’s narrative. The question posed by the novel, what happens when that which tempts us is also part of the process of discovering who we are?, becomes the central question of “Blood Sweat & Tears”. 

    The Fall of the Rebel Angels: When Innocence Falls

    One of the first works to appear in the video is “The Fall of the Rebel Angels” by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Jin is shown looking at this painting at the beginning of the video. Angels are often depicted as symbols of purity, protection, and divinity. However, in the painting, these beings have been cast out of heaven and become symbols of rebellion and the fall. Through this image, we can anticipate what will happen later in the music video: just as the angels abandon their heavenly state, the boys leave behind a stage of innocence.

    Furthermore, this painting introduces us to an important concept in the video: Falling does not necessarily mean dying; it can also mean changing. Jin is not just looking at a painting; he is contemplating a representation of what can happen when someone crosses the boundary between innocence and experience.

    Landscape with the Fall of Icarus: The Desire to Fly Too High

    Another work by Pieter Bruegel the Elder is “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus”. The story of Icarus comes from Greek mythology. Daedalus builds wings for him and warns him not to fly too close to the sun. However, Icarus lets himself be carried away by his desire to fly and ends up falling when the heat melts his wings. Like Icarus, Taehyung (V) finds himself facing something that represents both freedom and danger. His leap is a symbolic representation of surrendering completely to temptation. V’s fall depicts the moment when a person stops observing the danger from afar and decides to experience it for themselves. 

    The desire is so intense that the members are willing to give themselves over to it completely. Like Icarus, they are aware that it is a risk, but the desire to get closer is stronger than the fear of falling.

    The Lament for Icarus: The Price of Temptation

    Icarus reappears in Herbert James Draper’s “The Lament for Icarus”. Unlike Bruegel, Draper depicts Icarus from an emotional perspective, focusing his work on Icarus’s body and the figures mourning his death. This difference allows us to observe two important aspects of temptation. Bruegel depicts the fall as an event within a world that carries on, while Draper depicts the emotional consequences of that fall. 

    BTS uses this reference to show that desire has two sides: while it can bring pleasure and excitement, it can also cause suffering. We see this directly in the song’s title. Blood represents pain and sacrifice, sweat represents effort and dedication, and tears represent emotional suffering.

    The Pietà: Beauty, Pain, and Sacrifice

    Michelangelo’s Pietà is a sculpture depicting the Virgin Mary holding the body of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion. This work introduces a new dimension to the concept of sacrifice. While Icarus represents the danger of ambition and the fall, the Pietà represents the pain caused by loss and sacrifice. The song portrays love as something for which a person is willing to sacrifice themselves. The beauty of the Pietà creates a contradiction that we can see throughout the music video. A deeply painful scene can be profoundly beautiful, just as temptation can be dangerous yet utterly alluring. 

    The Last Supper: Shared Desire and Conflict

    One of the most recognizable scenes in the music video is a composition reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper”. In the painting, Jesus is at the center, surrounded by his disciples in the moments leading up to his betrayal and crucifixion. The scene is charged with tension because the viewer knows that something tragic is about to happen. The similar composition used by BTS builds anticipation. Rather than directly depicting the biblical scene, they transform the image by relating it to desire, youth, and temptation. It also reinforces the concept of sacrifice present in the song.

    Conclusion: A Museum of Temptation

    “Blood Sweat & Tears” functions as a complete work of art. Drawing on literary and artistic works to create an audiovisual narrative about the transition from innocence to experience, with each work of art representing a part of that process. The video suggests that falling, suffering, and confronting our desires are necessary experiences for discovering who we are. Growing up means being willing to lose a part of who you were in order to discover who you can become.

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  • A Genre for the Movement

    Camila Vázquez Marrero

    Art and music are things that change and evolve over the years. There are many genres of music, from classical to rock; they all consist of emotions, sounds, and a message conveyed through different sounds. One of the things I like most is when these genres blend together in a single song and complement each other. Art has done the same over the years; over time, art movements have evolved and brought greater freedom to the art world from the Renaissance to Modernism, art has changed and transcended greatly. 

    Listening to music is one of the greatest sources of inspiration for an artist; from a single song, you can draw an image, a story, a technique, and even a color palette to create your work. Here, I want to discuss which music genres I think would best connect with each artistic movement and why they would inspire me to create a work based on that movement.

    Pop – Pop Art

    Pop music and Pop Art are linked by more than just their striking colors, sounds, or images. Both seek to evoke emotions and capture them at a specific moment. A pop song can make us feel different things, such as joy, nostalgia, or sadness. Pop Art does the same by using bright colors, familiar faces, and everyday objects to stir up feelings and memories in the viewer. Both transform elements of everyday life into an emotional experience. 

    Jazz – Cubism

    This two break away from traditional structures, presenting a different reality full of freedom and new perspectives. Jazz uses improvisation, changes in rhythm, and a combination of different sounds to create a spontaneous and unique experience. Cubism emerged in a similar way. Cubism breaks objects and figures down into different shapes and perspectives, simplifying an image and revealing various points of view. Both convey curiosity, surprise, and freedom; they do not present things in a predictable way. Jazz and Cubism remind us that there is no single “correct” way to see, hear, and feel the world.

    K-Pop – Surrealism

    K-Pop is a music genre that has grown over the years and is characterized not only by its musical expression but also through concepts, choreography, costumes, and music videos, creating alternate worlds beyond the everyday. For this reason, I believe the best artistic movement to associate it with is Surrealism. Surrealism distorts and exaggerates forms, creating unexpected and impossible images, like a dream that exists in our subconscious. Both convey curiosity and wonder; making us experience a story. Both awaken something inexplicable within us, whether we like it or not. 

    Hip-Hop – Dadaism

    Hip-Hop emerged as a way to express the experiences, frustrations, injustices, and dreams of communities that were not being heard. Dadaism rejected traditional ideas about art, using the absurd, the unexpected, or the provocative to challenge society. Both movements emerged, in a way, as a form of protest, and demonstrate that creating art releases emotions and gives us a voice. Hip-Hop and Dadaism have different forms of expression, but remind us that it’s okay to break the rules in art in order to express ourselves as artists.


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  • How does the Artwork sounds like? The best songs for art pieces

    Camila Vazquez Marrero

    Art and music convey feelings, stories, and moments, sharing them with the world for eternity. Here, I’ll talk about how each work of art I’ve chosen resonates with me and why. Connecting music with art can range from the most literal to the most metaphorical or indirect, which makes it fun and creative. 

    The Kiss by Gustav Klimt – Bésame mucho by Andrea Bocelli

    I’ve always found “The kiss” so beautiful, elegant, and full of emotion. The way the couple embraces and shares a kiss is beautiful. Likewise, the song “Besame Mucho”, which literally translates to “Kiss Me a Lot” and is performed by Andrea Bocelli, conveys an elegance and a deep love that I can definitely see reflected in this painting. I think they’re perfect for each other: the soft, lively bolero instrumental goes perfectly with the background and the flowers at the couple’s feet, while Andrea Bocelli’s voice perfectly matches the emotion conveyed by the couple.

    La Danse by Henry Matisse – Dancing Queen by ABBA

    I find “La Danse” to be a very fluid painting, which made it somewhat difficult for me to find a song to pair with it, at first, I imagined a softer, more fluid song, but none of them seemed quite right. In the end, I settled on “Dancing Queen” by ABBA. Even though this song is very different from what I initially imagined, I think it’s perfect. The painting depicts women dancing freely, holding hands, representing freedom, unity, and social constraints, exactly what “Dancing Queen” is about.

    The Scream by Edvard Munch – Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush

    “The Scream” depicts the anguish, anxiety, and psychological pressures of modern life. On the other hand, “Running Up That Hill” is about the desire for a man and a woman to switch places so they can understand each other’s perspective in everyday life. The song connects well with this artwork because, aesthetically, I think they complement each other nicely. Furthermore, both address complex issues in society; although they don’t directly tackle the same topics, they convey a sense of despair and frustration in their own ways. 

    Starry Night by Van Gogh – Die with a Smile by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars 

    “Starry Night” has always struck me as romantic in some way; it’s as if I were sitting on a mountain, looking out at the view of the town. “Die With a Smile” seems perfect for this piece because it’s a romantic song, full of emotion. Combining these two makes me imagine a scene where the couple is gazing at this landscape during their last night together.

    L’étoile by Edgar Degas – Black Swan by BTS

    “L’étoile” really makes me think about the feeling of being on stage and the beauty of doing what you love. BTS’s “Black Swan” is about when an artist is forced to stop creating and “dies” by abandoning their art. Although this connection may seem somewhat contradictory at first glance, as an artist, it makes sense to me. Art becomes a part of us; no matter how early or late you abandon your art, it’s something that will always be with you. This piece conveys a deep passion and love for dance on the part of the dancer, reminding us why we artists do what we do, while “Black Swan” conveys the deep fear of never being able to do what we love again.

    What do you think about this matches? Do you agree or disagree and why?


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  • Creating a Story based on a song and an art piece : Best songs for Girl with a Pearl Earring

    by Camila Vázquez Marrero

    Art is characterized by telling a story or conveying a feeling, whether it be music, theater, dance, or the visual arts. Connecting these stories and feelings can create an entirely new story. For this reason, I will connect Girl with a Pearl Earring with different songs in an effort to give this work of art a new story.

    Girl with a Pearl Earring is one of the masterpieces by the Dutch painter Johannesburg Vermeer. It is not a realistic portrait of a specific person, but rather a “Tronie” ( Dutch term for painting created as a study of an idealized or imagined image featuring accessories and an exotic expression). Although I love having context behind a painting, I enjoy it when it doesn’t have a deep meaning, it allows me to imagine a reason and assign multiple stories to a single painting. Girl with a Pearl Earring gives me a sense of nostalgia. Feels like the feeling we get when we think we’ve seen or heard someone we miss. She looks back as if searching for someone; her lips are slightly parted, as if she were about to speak or had been startled. Yet at the same time her face appears gentle, or even sad or disappointed, as if she hadn’t managed to see the person she hoped it would be.

    Glimpse of Us by Joji

    Joji –  Glimpse of Us

    The lack of a story behind this image allows us to connect this painting to a wide variety of songs, but I think my favorite so far has to be “Glimpse of Us” by Joji. Although at first glance these two seem completely different, I feel they connect well. “Glimpse of Us” is about someone who is in a new relationship but ends up thinking about someone from their past. Both works share an intimate, mysterious moment filled with emotions that are hard to explain. “Glimpse of Us” is the perfect match for Girl with a Pearl Earring because it lends a deep, melancholic interpretation to the young woman’s gaze.

    Looking at this painting while listening to “Glimpse of Us” allows you to imagine how the girl remembers or encounters someone who is no longer in her life but who left a mark on it, showing her to be physically present but emotionally elsewhere. 

    “Glimpse of Us” depicts a relationship in which, despite having someone new in one’s life, there is still a constant comparison to someone from the past—no matter how wonderful and different the new person may be, small details and actions draw one back to the past. Thus, we might think of this young woman as merely a memory. We might also ask ourselves: Who imagined seeing someone else, the Girl with the pearl earring, or us as viewers? Who received “Glimpse of Us”?

    Ocean Eyes by Billie Eilish

    Billie Eilish – Ocean Eyes (Official Audio) – Lyrics In Description

    On the other hand, another song we can compare this painting to is “Ocean Eyes” by Billie Eilish. Girl with a Pearl Earring shows us a girl looking directly at the viewer; her gaze is calm, somewhat mysterious, and doesn’t let us know what she’s thinking. “Ocean Eyes” speaks of the eyes of the person being admired, expressing fascination and attraction toward them. Comparing “Ocean Eyes” with Girl with a Pearl Earring highlights the importance of the gaze, imagining how she might be lost in those eyes she admires. 

    The blue of the turban she wears on her head is one of the most important visual elements in this work and another key reason why linking this piece to “Ocean Eyes” works. Blue conveys depth and tranquility, as well as a sense of melancholy, which aligns with the song’s atmosphere. Furthermore, the combination of blue and yellow easily evokes images of the sea and sand. Vermeer gives us no context about who the young woman is (because, as far as we know, there really isn’t any); we know nothing about her identity, we have no clue about her thoughts, she is a complete stranger. “Ocean Eyes” shares this mysterious quality in a way, as the person described in the song seems fascinating and hypnotic, but we really have no idea who she truly is. 

    As Final thought

    I think both songs connect well with the painting in different ways. “Glimpse of Us” adds a dramatic story to the painting, a sense of nostalgia, and more emotion. On the other hand, “Ocean Eyes” manages to add a bit of story without over-dramatizing it, while preserving the beauty and mystery for which the painting is famous. I enjoy this exercise of connecting images with songs; finding connections between a painting and several songs at once is fun and enhances creativity. As an artist, it’s an exercise I’ll continue to work on, as I think it will help me with future artistic inspiration.

    What other songs you think could work with this artwork and why? Comment down bellow