footballfina 29,566 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 As any K-pop fan would uncomfortably admit, sometimes it's hard to get a handle on the personalities of a group's various members. It's not their fault: In the K-pop industry, the slightest "slip-up" (like, say, an imperfect Twitter photo or the way you flip your hair) will earn a singer loads of hateful online comments that typically translate more rapidly to the Internet-obsessed general public. Most Korean pop stars are trained to give very formal answers in interviews, and sing about safe topics—first loves, parties, break-ups—to stay as much in the good favor of a society that banned PSY's "Gentleman" video because kicking a traffic cone was deemed "abuse of public property." These obstacles are particularly tough for international fans trying to get on board with K-pop but are used to the bombastic personalities of artists like Kanye West, Miley Cyrus and Nicki Minaj. While it will be a long time until Korea's entertainment industry gets to a point of Western outspokenness, young boy band BTS is a shining example of a group that's finding a way to speak honestly about topics they deem important, even in a conservative society. And their importance to the genre is cemented with the release of their new album, The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 2. Earlier this year, Fuse named BTS' Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 1 one of the year's best albums: The group found a balance of angst-ridden raps and emotionally charged arrangements, best felt in the lead single "I Need U." It was not only an artistic breakthrough, but a professional triumph, as the single became their first Top 5 hit in Korea. That trajectory is further continued in Pt. 2, which not only consists of some of BTS' best songs, but their most complex, prodding and relatable lyrics. Lead single "Run" is a follow-up to "I Need U," with an aggressive hip hop sound blended into a lush and soaring chorus. But the album opener "Never Mind," which was co-written by member Suga, feels like one of the most honest rap performances the group has given to date, as they explicitly detail how they've stayed themselves after facing not only the pressures of youth, but of success. They spit, "We are still young and immature, don’t even worry about it / Moss surely grows on a stone that doesn’t roll... If you feel like you're going to crash then accelerate more, you idiot / Never mind, never mind / We're too young and immature to give up." Meanwhile, "Whalien 52" explains loneliness through a yet-undiscovered whale species that speaks at the atypical frequency of 52 hertz and has been named the "the loneliest in the world." They croon over a hip-hop beat, "In the middle of this ocean, one lonely whale cries / No matter how much it shouts, no one can hear it...Lonely lonely lonely whale I sing again / This song that receives no reply / I sing till it reaches someone tomorrow." On Pt. 2, BTS expresses all the different emotions their young fanbase is experiencing; loneliness is not a sexy topic that most pop acts can sing about in a convincing way, but it's a feeling that can be inescapable in childhood, and BTS successfully captures it with a fantastical metaphor. The band has said that their albums and EPs look to express different points of youth, and Pt. 2 encompasses the moment that a young adult is beginning to think about the world in more complex ways than "I love you"/"I hate you"—something their fanbase will soon experience, too. In past releases, BTS has tackled school bullying, the pursuit of happiness and rejecting society ideals in its lyrics. And while what they're singing about now is important, listeners should also focus on what the members of BTS are saying outside of their music. In an interview with the blog Kpopism earlier this year, BTS leader Rap Monster hints at mental health issues, admitting he's not always happy and deals with dark and light times. Meanwhile, Jin casually talks about how he uses a pink phone case because "it's pretty." Rap Monster has shown public support for gay rights—which don't currently exist in South Korea, is taboo to talk about, and whichvery few celebrities vocally support. He did it by recommending Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' "Same Love" to fans on Twitter, writing that, when he read the lyrics, he liked the song twice as much. BTS isn't the first Korean act to speak about substantial topics, but it is one of the acts doing it in a clever, shrewd way--and it's only getting more popular by doing so. This year, BTS sold out two small stateside tours, and it's no coincidence that The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 2 has been hovering in the upper ranks of U.S. iTunes' Top Albums chart, and could potentially make a rare K-pop appearance on the Billboard 200. In a world of social media and overexposure, everyone has a platform to speak as loudly as they want and potentially reach millions. BTS is taking that platform and talking about things that are not only brave to tackle in modern music, but especially in its traditional community. This is the type of group that will not only boast a more passionate fan base for the way they made them feel from a certain hit single, but also one that can help push a society forward while they're at it. Source: http://www.fuse.tv/2015/12/bts-kpops-social-conscience Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noon 20,968 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 YASSS BTS GET DAT RECOGNITION Meanwhile, Jin casually talks about how he uses a pink phone case because "it's pretty." WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoonacorn 907 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
satoori 45,814 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 BTS continue to get recognition for their talent. So proud #RiseofBangtan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
night vale. 8,071 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Their music is good and both Run and I Need U's videos had a lot of underlying themes that you don't see in mainstream kpop. I wasn't a fan of their earlier music before War of Hormone but they grew on me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noon 20,968 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 omg wait r they insinuating that jin is gay bc he has a pink phone for an article praising social conscience, the author doesnt seem to be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAUCY 44,499 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 which is why i wish crow tit would get promoted later but.......who knows Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicspeaks09 2,789 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 YASSS BTS GET DAT RECOGNITION WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING LOL that was so random Proud of BTS and their accomplishments this year ​ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stranger101 3,238 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 I'm so proud of BTS getting recognition for the quality music they keep on releasing Also, I'd like to share his reaction here. I'm a fan of most of his reviews. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SugaJam 3,634 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 YASSS BTS GET DAT RECOGNITION WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING because believe it or not, people still believe pink is for girls and a guy using something pink get mock on by others. I think it was mentioned as an example of not minding about other people's view (although this is quite minor) Bts may act silly, but they are not kidding around with their lyrics. They talk about loneliness, anxiety, expectation from society, overcome criticism, moving on with life, believe in oneself and taking jab at popular cultures. It'a shame a lot of their songs are also banned on broadcast so people rarely know them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaity 5,777 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Kings of serious music and lyrical talent! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serendipity 11,102 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 BTS got me jamming to a song about a whale. Whalien 52 is so cute and sad. Rap Monster has shown public support for gay rights—which don't currently exist in South Korea, is taboo to talk about, and whichvery few celebrities vocally support. He did it by recommending Macklemore andRyan Lewis' "Same Love" to fans on Twitter, writing that, when he read the lyrics, he liked the song twice as much. I cry every time. It makes me really happy when people I look up to express humanistic unpopular opinions such as this, because my brother is gay and it is something he struggled with privately in his youth. I always look at supportive people very positively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xin 1,487 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 I love their music and how the new album tackles more loneliness, appreciation of your roots, generational and societal divide, as well as hate in general in many different forms all packaged into beautiful songs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L.Earl 776 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 "This is the type of group that will not only boast a more passionate fan base for the way they made them feel from a certain hit single, but also one that can help push a society forward while they're at it." I'm so proud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunny_ 1,308 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Interesting article. I have to say that BTS crawled into my heart with their first part of the album and I think they will stay there for quite a while. Genuinely beautiful music, in more ways than one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shi~min Park 1,579 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 I'm so proud... BTS got me hooked by their song and its lyrics (and their personalities), not their visuals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
90's Baby 5,035 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 get that praise BTS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Girl_in_Luv 565 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 They're going places Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h0neanias 13,516 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 omg wait r they insinuating that jin is gay bc he has a pink phone for an article praising social conscience, the author doesnt seem to be Are you daft? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeencherry 56 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 after watch the holy run mv and listen to butterfly i gonna check out their album because....their cb succesfully fuck me up...T___T, Rise Bangtan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VANTE 4,595 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 proud of them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noon 20,968 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 because believe it or not, people still believe pink is for girls and a guy using something pink get mock on by others. I think it was mentioned as an example of not minding about other people's view (although this is quite minor) Bts may act silly, but they are not kidding around with their lyrics. They talk about loneliness, anxiety, expectation from society, overcome criticism, moving on with life, believe in oneself and taking jab at popular cultures. It'a shame a lot of their songs are also banned on broadcast so people rarely know them. sorry i dont live where ppl get made fun of for the color of their cellphones they could have followed up the anecdote with an explanation if that's what they were going for. ("member jin has a pink cellphone showing he doesnt care what people think") there's a such thing as unfortunate implications, especially since they follow up that statement with how rapmon supports lgbt. Are you daft? no, are you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BTS Era 1,596 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Im so proud that their music finally receive recognization.Their passion toward music is admirable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
satoori 45,814 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 YASSS BTS GET DAT RECOGNITION WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING imo I don't think the writer was trying to make fun or anything, nothing serious. In American culture a very handsome/manly guy and straight who express their love for a pink phone/etc. is not seen very often. Personally considering that entire paragraph is about BTS being very open and don't filter, and the fact this is a very positive article; I think the writer was just trying to highlight that we shouldn't care about social beliefs like that and it's admirable that Jin is so confident. I mean he is not called Pink Princess for nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brittany 8,837 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Their music makes me proud to be their fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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