Borasaek Vision Magazine Volume 2, Issue 2

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BVM

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I n t ot h eHe ARTo f BT S Di s e a s e : Wh yI t Ma t t e r s Ba n g t a nBo o kCo r n e r F u nZo n e

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Hello to our lovely readers.

As we continue through 2021 as ARMY alongside BTS, it is our wish that you remain hopeful and happy. For us here at BVM, BTS’ music and their message has played no small part in helping us keep our sanity during these times. However, as Namjoon said, spring will come again. And, indeed, spring is just around the corner. We hope that everyone is doing their part to ensure that the season will bring new life and renewed opportunity — and hopefully even tours and concerts!

Once again, we at BVM are proud to present a gift to you to make your day a little brighter. We in the editorial team have had the pleasure of combing through these articles for you, hoping to present only our best.

In this issue, our second edition of the year, we are delving into what goes on behind the scenes in BTS’ music; we cover aspects of their choreographing process, meanings and thoughts behind and around certain songs, taking a deep dive into some aspects of our fandom culture, and so much more. Come and meet the brains behind the epic performances from the group so beloved by their fans.

As you enjoy this edition, we hope you keep in mind how many talented and invested people it takes to create this ARMY experience we’ve come to know and love. It takes a literal army: from the choreographers to the managers, from those who inspired BTS to those who are inspired by BTS, from BTS themselves to the individual members of ARMY who spread their message and lifestyle of good will — you and me.

Thank you, and 보라해요!

Borasaek Vision Editorial Team

The Geniuses

Behind The Dance

1

Into the HeART of BTS

5

Collaborations: Deep Dive

9

BTS & ARMY

An Inter-Dependent Lifestyle

Dis-ease:

13

Why It Matters

17

Bangtan Book Corner:

21

Game Corner

23

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The geniuses behind the dance Written by RAM Edited by Aury Checked by Vera Designed by Euni Design inspired by Kiseob Kim

BTS are arguably one of the most well-rounded groups of artists out there. People often acknowledge that these seven men have changed the world with their music, mainly putting focus on their lyrics. BTS themselves have stated how they always want to make healing music for their listeners ― specifically their fans, ARMY. However, BTS are not only capable of conveying their messages through words, but they are also gifted storytellers who use their bodies to weave meaning into the music.

“There is a limit to what we could listen to with our earphones. We have to do music that people will focus on when watching the performance,” Bang Sihyuk, the CEO of Big Hit Entertainment, once said to BTS. As a result, BTS has been presenting tight choreographies and powerful performances as one of their primary weapons since debut.

1 | The Geniuses Behind the Dance

Image from Big Hit Entertainment

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BTS are capable of showcasing various styles of dance. Having several members with a specific dance background has been an enormous advantage. As is widely known, BTS’ Jimin has an extensive background in Contemporary Dance, having majored in the style during his high school years.

Later, he also studied Hip-hop style.

J-Hope has also been exposed to various dance styles while actively taking part in the underground dance scene ― largely being influenced by street dance ― and was signed to Big Hit due in no small part to his exceptional dance skill.

SUGA has a background in B-boying, though he stopped when he injured his left shoulder in an accident. However, now that he has undergone corrective surgery, we’ll be hopefully able to see his B-boy dancing in the future.

Jungkook was sent by Big Hit to an intensive dance course in Los Angeles during his pre-debut era. In fact, he initially wanted to focus only on his dancing before he was chosen to become the main vocalist of BTS. V, Jin, and RM are the only members without a dance background, as V passed his audition unexpectedly, Jin got street-casted, and RM signed with Big Hit as a rapper and producer. And yet, despite their lack of a background in this field they still manage to crush every single choreography perfectly.

Back to their earlier years, BTS’ style was heavily influenced by Hip-Hop culture, both in their music and

choreography. The septet even flew to Los Angeles to participate in a variety show “American Hustle Life” in order to educate themselves in Hip-Hop culture.

Though, they did not limit themselves to what was familiar to them. Down the road to their seventh year, BTS has been open to various styles of music and dance, from contemporary, latin-pop, urban dance, to their traditional dance move.

Distance and borders has never been a problem in BTS’ choreographymaking process. BTS has worked with several talented choreographers both domestic and from abroad. Most of these amazing dancers created and recorded their demo choreography that was later sent to BTS. Namely, Keone Madrid and his wife, Mari Madrid, are the geniuses behind the choreography of “FIRE,” “DOPE,” “Not Today,” “DNA,” “Blood Sweat & Tears,” and even V’s solo, “Singularity.”

This husband and wife duo has made a name for themselves as award-winning choreographers, directors, global instructors, world-renowned dancers, and the founders of dance space with an exclusive online dance training program called “Building Block Dance.”

Fabian Tucker, one of the dancers for “Singularity,” said “It’s their storytelling that is so impactful. It reaches people.

Their choreography goes beyond this moment in time. It’s timeless.” Through a detailed style of “West Coast Urban Dance,” Keone and Mari have intertwined dance with film, theater, music, and even an online platform.

They had been making it big in the The Geniuses Behind the Dance | 2

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dance industry even before working with several world-class superstars, including BTS. A Filipino-American choreographer, Brian Puspos, has shown his admiration towards Jimin’s sleek fluidity in contemporary dance and received the honor of choreographing “Serendipity.” Before that, he showcased his skill through the choreography of “Butterfly” and also took part in choreographing “My Time,” Jungkook’s solo. It wasn’t only Brian who got the opportunity to choreograph a Jimin solo; Nicky Anderson is the man behind “Filter,” and Markus Pe Benito made the dance for “Lie.” Sienna Lalau is perhaps the youngest professional choreographer they have ever worked with. The name was widely known in the ARMY fandom during the release of their title song “ON,” as the 19-years-old Sienna Lalau got the honor to choreograph and dance alongside the septet. Though before that, she has choreographed for “Dionysus” with Andrew Elam, her fellow dance crew from “The Lab,” a dance crew based in California. Both songs are known for their intense choreography with dangerous tricks and drops ― though, of course, the septet always nails the moves perfectly.

BTS has also emphasized their Korean identity by including Korean traditional dance moves into several songs.

“IDOL” is their song with the most evidence of Korean traditional dances, 3 | The Geniuses Behind the Dance

such as the head spinning dance a.k.a Sangmo (Hat) Dance, and several other traditional moves. The genius behind the iconic dance of “IDOL” is no other than Rie Hata, a Japanese Choreographer that also took part in the making of “Mic Drop,” “Anpanman,” and the latin-pop “Airplane pt.2” dance.

Furthermore, if we want to look into subtle hints of Korean Dance in their choreography, Weverse Magazine has explained some of the moves. The first being the right-left-up-down movement from “Blood, Sweat & Tears” choreography; it was believed to be inspired by a dance called Sabangchigi.

This dance is something that represents the meaning of humanity and the interactions between us and nature.

Though BTS haven’t made any official statement about this, this specific Korean dance has been blended with K-Pop choreography throughout the years.

Another dance they mentioned was the choreography of “Boy With Luv.” The dance of SUGA’s part, where he stays in the middle while the other members bend at the waist and circled him, is very similar to a Korean dance called Ganggangsullae. As it was traditionally performed to bring bountiful harvest, the simple motion is to express exhilaration by showing the moves performed by the solo dancer in the middle of the circle they form.

Before all of those choreographers, however, Big Hit Entertainment’s Performance Director, Son Sungdeuk, had been there since before BTS had even been properly introduced to the

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world. He made most of their earlier choreographies, was in charge of their stage performance ― including instructing their gestures and expressions ― and undeniably being an incredible influence on BTS’ work ethic.

Notably, “RUN” was choreographed by him, and one of his creations that left him feeling the most proud.

While most of the choreographers sent a dance demo over the internet, it’s Sungdeuk’s responsibility to teach them directly, and make sure all of the members get the dance right. But his job goes beyond teaching the dance moves. He has to make their performance stand out as much as possible, taking the BTS members’ feedback and thoughts into consideration, examining and making the most out of each member’s characteristics, individual skills, and dance abilities.

and hard work that determines the final result, whether the conveyed message is well-presented and touching or not.

But of course, BTS has executed every single dance accurately and moved the hearts of many people.

Image from Big Hit Entertainment

Dance, arguably, is one of the easiest ways to communicate. It doesn’t need language, doesn’t need talking; it only requires our body and music.

“Dance is the language we all know how to speak,” Sienna Lalau once said in an exclusive interview with the Dance Magazine. “When I teach overseas, even if they don’t know what I’m saying when I try to explain something, if I do the move once, they’ll know what I’m talking about.”

Even though these geniuses have made brilliant choreographies, it is BTS’ ability The Geniuses Behind the Dance | 4

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Before we begin: What is ART? The art of filmmaking...

The art of writing...

The art of cooking...

The art of statistics...

You get the gist.

Art exists in diverse forms--often without limitations. If we indulge this belief for a moment, then it wouldn’t be a stretch to perceive the universe as something akin to a large canvas, its inhabitants being the artists.

History is a testimony to the art of living after all.

Our actions, thoughts, and words propel us on a daily basis to further create, interact, observe, unconsciously paving a way for the arts. The answer to “What is art?” then has never been a “one size fits all.”

Not everybody was on board with the concept. Some fans failed to see the “connection” between the exhibits and the album, while a few others said “CONNECT BTS seems like a very forced concept (sic)” that didn’t appear to fit the group’s “narrative.”

A host on Showcase – a Turkish public broadcasting service – didn’t hesitate to question the group’s credibility in her interview with Stephanie Rosenthal, the Director of Berlin’s Gropius Bau exhibition hall. Gloating to be a self-proclaimed “contemporary art follower,” the woman asked Rosenthal to “convince” her why she should take the project backed by a boy band with a “naive” message seriously. Rosenthal, of course, was quick to shut her down: “You’re thinking you shouldn’t be taking it seriously because it is sponsored by a pop act?”

And BTS understands this.

Meet The ARTISTS In early 2020, BTS upscaled their artistry with their 4th full-length album, Map of The Soul: 7. Remarkable discography aside, the septet’s extensive comeback approach to interweaving the message of their music with visual arts from around the world is one for the history books. Take a bow, CONNECT, BTS. This global project was developed in collaboration with curators across five cities on four continents. By connecting with the works of their 22 artist counterparts, BTS prompted an environment that transpired beyond geographical and artistic boundaries.

“This project will encourage appreciation of diversity and establish [a] ground for great new synergies to be born,” CONNECT, BTS curator Daehyung Lee stated at a press conference at London’s Serpentine Gallery.

“Art cannot change the world, but we can influence people to do so.” Would this make BTS and “art” an unprecedented reflection of each other?

Into the HeART of BTS | 6

Between less-than-enthusiastic fans and cultural gatekeepers, BTS has never let the a sky full of drones, and a killer dance break confusion and cynicism cloud their interests.

Sure, art is subjective and preference-heavy. the video was an intersection of arts in It’s precisely why the Grammy-nominated act movement, a celebration even. continues to explore its shared vision as a group.

Same Old, Same New The presence of other existing arts isn’t far removed from BTS’s own, and Map of The Soul: 7 is both a proof and a game changer.

Even with its many firsts, Map of The Soul: 7 wasn’t the only album by the septet to enhance the artistic experience of its listeners and ARMYs. The preceding mini-album Map of While CONNECT, BTS is an extension of their The Soul: Persona saw the group exploring philosophy of inclusivity and connection, science & technology with 3D Humanoids and the “‘Interlude: Shadow’ Comeback Trailer” motion capture, amongst others, while also referenced a prominent contemporary making deliberate cinematographic references artwork – Svayambh. Created by a British to the iconic American musical, Singing in the Indian sculptor, Anish Kapoor, Svayambh Rain. echoed the deepest fears and understanding of “shadow:“ wearing oneself thin in one’s pursuit until they’ve “transitioned” to their final form, eventually. Besides placing a contemporary piece in their MV, BTS took hold—or perhaps, let go of the reins of their expanding art reform with “‘Black Swan’ Art Film.” Performed by MN Dance Company, it is the first time the group let another artist officially embody their song ahead of themselves. In doing so, BTS proved that their art can cohesively exist in others. And how can we not mention ‘ON’ Kinetic Manifesto Film: Come Prima?” A world championship dance team, a competitive marching band, 7 | Into the HeART of BTS

However, the album that instantly strikes one’s memory when referring to “BTS and art” would likely be the 2016 release, Wings. From the Renaissance Art-bustling “Blood, Sweat & Tears” to the seven short films starring each member, BTS was strengthening their status as storytellers in the industry.

Working within the framework of the Bangtan Universe (BU), also known as HYYH within the fandom, BTS has built an extensive fictional universe filled to the brim with symbolism and theories.From Demian to Into the Magic Shop, Carl Jung’s learnings of the psyche to Greek

mythology, and even the mind-wrecking HYYH The Notes — the album accompanying booklets — the BU is BTS’s most comprehensive effort to exist yet. Throw in a webtoon, a few notes-based books, and a detailed game to the mix, and now you’re stuck in the BU multimedia time-loop!

When they are away from the spotlight and music, Taehyung can be found spray-painting Jean-Michael Basquiat fanart over his jackets, and the members doodling creative birthday wishes. Art can also lead to hours spent Namjooning at a museum or reading a book in a quiet hotel room while on tour.

Outside the extensive universe, however, BTS’s personal interaction with art is like a poem for little things.

The Art of Healing

Big Hit’s slogan “Music & Artist for Healing” has personified itself in and with BTS over time.

Whether it’s entertaining ARMY with a radio show to enact folktales or a live stream to prepare friendship bracelets in the middle of a pandemic-induced lockdown, BTS members each have found a niche for themselves to indulge in and relax with fans. As artists themselves, too, the septet has their quirks while interacting with their own medium.

Before we part ways: What is ART? Aesthetic...

Catharsis...

Freedom...

Expression...

You get the gist.

From the shutter of the camera to the click of the cassette, it’s the everyday sound that finds itself nestled between BTS’s melodies.

Into the HeART of BTS | 8

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Collaborations :

DEEP DIVE Written by Antonella - Edited by: Esma Checked by: Aury - Designed by: Inglydy

The music world very often sees collaborations happening between artists, creating beautiful projects that everyone can enjoy. In the past, the only popular and innovative form of collaboration was the duet, where two singers would join voices on a particular track. In the present day, however, this line of work has expanded significantly: DJs, producers, vocalists, and other kindred spirits come together to offer the world a new listening experience that can touch hearts and cheer someone up. It’s not uncommon that musicians mention people they would like to collaborate with during interviews and shows; if circumstances are favorable, these collaborations become reality.

Musicians often mention BTS as someone they’d like to collaborate with.

As BTS continues to grow bigger and bigger, more and more western artists are jumping into the queue to work with them.

On the downside however, collaboration projects are often

Collaborations: Deep Dive | 9

Photo: Billboard

prone to receiving criticism based on who BTS choose to work with.

They invite internal arguments within ARMY about whether they think the collaboration would enhance BTS or degrade their reputation if the artist they are collaborating with is seen as another “clout chaser.”

Some questions might arise spontaneously on the topic: must we forego our principles about other artists to support BTS’ work? Do we have to agree with every choice that BTS makes in order to be fans? But foremost, do fans know better than the members themselves?

Let’s break down these questions, and possibly find an answer.

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Collaborations and criticism On social media, people like to be “keyboard warriors.” BTS has been criticized before for collaborating with Western artists, reflecting the xenophobic world of the Western music industry and the rage of people who think BTS is just another boyband that doesn’t deserve the popularity they have gained.

wary of the artists that BTS collaborate with. They care about the boys and hate the idea that someone might take advantage of their talent and kindness.

ARMY is clever when it comes to busting out people’s malicious intentions and often enough, it turns out that ARMYs had a point all along.

Discrediting their hard work and selling them short simply for breaking out in America, where other artists tried to do the same before but failed, says a lot about our society. That’s where the recurring “BTS PAVED THE WAY” motto comes from as a way to fight “antis” and rightfully brag about our boys’ achievements. Facing such criticism means that ARMY, as usual, will continue to protect BTS and insist on showing BTS’ genuine intentions at the forefront of every argument.

Luckily, we have other collaboration projects that we can cherish and find comfort in, such as BTS’ collaborations with Steve Aoki, Halsey, and Lauv; their friendship with BTS always makes ARMY smile, because seeing BTS happy and genuinely enjoy themselves with someone else is the best reward for ARMY. In fact, upon seeing that these artists remotely joined BTS in their online 2021 New Year’s Eve Live concert, ARMYs were overthrown by happiness.

Nowadays, unfortunately, many people do turn out to be “clout chasers,” including celebrities. Having a chance to gain popularity isn’t something anyone would turn down. It has happened in the past that singers and producers would collaborate with BTS to ride on their success, only to take full credit on the song during interviews, suddenly forgetting the group’s name and going as far as admitting they knew nothing about them and only did it for their fame.

This is one of the reasons why ARMY is

BTS sang “Make it right” with Lauv, who joined the stage with the help of hologram technology, then they performed “MIC DROP” and “Boy With Luv” accompanied by the songs’ accompanying DJ and singer respectively on an LED screen.

Ahead of the show on December 31, Steve Aoki tweeted: “I can’t tell u how insane this event will be. But u already know this!! @BTS_twt on NYE and me @ halsey and @lauvsongs supporting our boys. If u aren’t #army then ure missing out. Happy New Years everyone!!!”

Collaborations: Deep Dive | 10

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ARMY’s opinion ARMY always takes a moment to analyze the situation. They rightfully form their own opinion on the collaborations based on personal principles. Some ARMYs might not like the general idea of it. Likewise, they may not dote over the artist BTS is collaborating with, but still choose to support BTS’ work because they know how much love and dedication they put into their music, and how much they care about ARMY’s support. Some other ARMYs can disagree with the collaboration and decide not to support the project, if that’s what works best for them.

Sometimes the idea of fans disagreeing with the artist they love sounds strange.

Some might wonder why the fans still support the artist if they don’t like what the artist creates. Some might think this is a valid point, while others understand that fans are humans with personal judgments and are not obliged to liking everything an artist does. This means that ARMY can very well disagree with BTS; after all, they’re humans too, and their own principles and points of views should be respected. They can still support BTS while being in disagreement on a particular topic. That does not mean they are fake fans, and no one should ever accuse them of that.

However, some fans think so highly of themselves to go as far as to be

convinced that they know what’s best for an artist more than the artist themselves.

ARMY has seen a few episodes of this kind happen… episodes in which some fans were so self-assured, blinded by their personal reasoning, that Big Hit Entertainment had to call out their behavior. ARMYs constantly remind each other that they can never possibly know better than BTS members themselves; they should put trust in the boys’ convictions and choices.

ARMY should always be aware of their place as fans, and do their best to support the members, even when something fishy is suspected or when it vaguely appears that BTS is being treated unfairly. Unfortunately, not everyone shares this mindset, therefore it’s necessary that they keep reminding each other of that.

Being careful and mindful of how they act and what they say is important, as ARMY represents BTS’s perception on social media, and one wrong move could affect BTS’ image, which no one wants.

ARMY wants BTS to be recognized and appreciated for their music, as well as for being good people. So, adopting correct behavior is not only recommended, but needed in order for that to be achieved.

Designer inspired by Min Jung-Yeon 11 | Collaborations: Deep Dive

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From now on In the future, ARMY hopes they will get more collaboration projects from BTS, but more than that, they hope these projects will let BTS’ talent shine brighter than it already does. They hope BTS will be able to form genuine friendships thanks to their collaborations, the way they found good friends in Halsey, Lauv, and other artists. It’s always good to see them happy.

As already mentioned, ARMY can disagree with BTS while being respectful and knowing their limits. Everyone has different principles, and everyone is free to choose for themselves what to support. That being said, our freedom ends where other people’s freedom begins, which means that showing respect and kindness should be everyone’s goal.

Besides, this is what BTS has taught us. They taught us to love ourselves and to love people in return. ARMY knows this and tries their best to always act this way. Making BTS proud is surely the best feeling, ever!

“I hope there will be more better days.”

–

“2! 3! (Hoping for Better Days)”

Photo: Steve Aoki’s Instagram Collaborations: Deep Dive | 12

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BTS & ARMY: An Inter-Dependent Lifestyle Written by: Ananya | Edited by: Es ma | Checked by: Vera | designed by: zai “Does anyone remember how their life was like before BTS?” It’s a question I often find myself asking, and sometimes I wonder, “What would I be doing right now if I didn’t become an ARMY?” “What would I be looking forward to every Tuesday if not to ‘Run! BTS?’” “What did I spend my time watching on YouTube before discovering BTS funny moments videos?”

Now, as amusing and funny as that sounds, it’s these subtle little changes in our pre-and post-ARMY lives that have ultimately resulted in massive lifestyle changes. This change in lifestyle isn’t only about 13 | BTS & ARMY: An Interdependent Lifestyle

the contents of your YouTube history or about your preference of “Run! BTS” over a comedy show.

It runs much deeper than that. The changes can be seen in our psyche, in our life choices, in our words, body language, important decisions, priorities, and thought processes. Being an ARMY and knowing BTS starts impacting what book you might read next, what sort of people you choose to interact with, your reaction to certain situations, your food habits, sleep patterns, what’s offensive and what’s not, political awareness, networking, your hobbies and interests, your clothing brands and fashion style,

your judgment of people, your sensitivity, mental health, your physical health, and, ultimately, you as a person.

ARMY Life: A Personal Narrative I believe, as far as my own life is concerned, it’s safe to say that it went through drastic changes — all for the better. Being an ARMY in a country like India is not easy. Misogyny, sexism, and binary gender stereotypes are severely deep-rooted and inherent.

Naturally, BTS or any other K-Pop boy group does not fall into the “easily acceptable” category by society at large. You can be as invested, well-

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researched, well-versed, and knowledgeable about the K-Pop and K-Drama industry, and yet the feeling of embarrassment and shame sticks to you once you come off as a fan-girl in this society.

This has also led to the common

practice of “coming out” as a fangirl to the general public or your close circle.

Such a conservative and reserved mentality also incited a personal incident in my personal life. People I have been friends with since middleschool perceived my news of becoming an ARMY as an invitation to ridicule and mock me, and play targeted pranks on me – all in “good humor,” of course. Needless to say, my social circle grew smaller but stronger. This incident did leave an imprint of an important lesson on me. Even though I lost some of the people I believed to be my true friends, I learned about the kind of people I need to surround myself with. I learned how letting go of negative energy can

make so much room for positive experiences in one’s life. Since then, I have been wearing my ARMY badge with much pride, because it helped me build a filter for negative people and energy in my life.

When you come out as an ARMY, you automatically get to see what kind of people you have

been sharing your life with, and how open or close-minded they have really been. It saves you all the trouble of waiting to discover their true colors and identities. Perhaps you’d feel this is rather sad. But is it really? If a person well into their 20s is still capable of shaming and embarrassing you for loving something that makes you happy in this wretched world, cannot be civil enough to respect other cultures and genres and learn about them , and just does not understand the basic humane concept of respect and “Live & Let Live,” wouldn’t you

be just better off without such a person in your life?

“The fact that we are alive is enough for us to be respected. Right?”

- Kim Namjoon I cannot remember the kind of conversations I used to have before becoming an ARMY. I cannot even remember

if I was ever truly happy or looking forward to anything in life. ARMY life didn’t just kick out negative people, it also helped me break out of my shell that I kept hiding in for the longest time.

It gave me new people, broader perspectives, exciting opportunities, and a zeal for life. I started painting again, because ARMYs motivated me to dive back into that former passion; I started working in Borasaek Vision Magazine, which gave me this extended

BTS & ARMY: An Interdependent Lifestyle | 14

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family from all over the world that I previously did not think was possible. I reconnected with friends who I had lost touch with over time. It pushed me to start networking and meeting new people, reduced my social anxiety, and brought me closer to being the person I used to be and want to be.

A fandom as big as ARMY doesn’t just bring in love and support. It also provides ammunition to scrutiny, clout-chasing, hate-mongering, and a lot of unnecessary doubt. We have perhaps lost count of the number of times BTS’s credibility has been questioned because of their huge fandom. The number of times

minimum of respect for the boys, to show the world that BTS are much much more than the size of their fandom, to establish the treatment that anyone with the talent and humanity like BTS deserves to get. The fandom strives each day to see a time when BTS shall have support outside of the fandom.

Of course, when it comes to a gigantic

The ARMY Impact for BTS

some celebrity While an ARMY lives their faked their fondness for everyday life, devoting a BTS just to get those considerable segment of instant likes and retweets. it to BTS, the impact of Let’s not forget about the such a vast and dynamic recent incident concerning fandom may not be so Jason Derulo’s collab with subtle in the lives of the the boys. The sudden seven global idols. More interest in BTS by the than seven years into their Western industry makes careers have finally helped one question whether it’s them adapt to the fame genuine or whether it’s a and responsibilities that love for numbers. have followed. Waking up Incidents like these make every day to the thoughts, ARMYs want to protect messages, love, and BTS with a lot of fierceness expectations of one of the and facts. ARMYs are biggest fandoms in this ready to fight with the world comes with its own world to bring in that bare share of burden and gratitude.

fandom like ARMY, which has the potential to crash servers and websites whenever the boys come live, true harmony is nonexistent. The exponential growth of this fandom every passing day has also been mobilizing a lot of negativity within the “family.” From solos/ akgaes to antis pretending to be fans, the presence of a negative force harms both the boys as well as the true fans. In many instances, obsessive

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“fans” have been found harassing fellow ARMYs, trolling and threatening the boys themselves when the reality did not seem to fit their own narratives.

This harassment comes in two forms of extremes: love and care to the point where these fans want to infantilize the grown men in their 20s by sending trucks, threatening letters, and letters to their agency, or utmost favoritism of a specific member, which leads to facilitated harassment of the

We Need Each Other

BTS planted a sapling in a land that many thought to be barren. With hard work, dedication, determination, teamwork, the right support, and Taehyung calls his bestpatience, they now have friend, Namjoon calls his one of the most beautiful lover,Jimin comes and and magnificent gardens plays games with, the in this world. They made fandom J-Hope and Jin sure to plant every kind celebrate their birthday of flower so that there’s with at 12 o’clock, one for everyone. Along Yoongi serenades the way, ARMYs who fell to while playing in love with this garden guitar, and and the hard work that went behind it joined the process of nurturing it Jungkook and taking care of it. It’s comes and difficult for BTS to maintain others. Over the past “party-party-yeah” with. this garden without ARMYs, few months, the fandom It’s the same fandom that and the existence of this has seen a growth in the helped them get through garden is necessary for percentage of such toxic the toughest tests of life.

ARMYs to sustain a life with fans. Many do believe this ARMY is the first word BTS. Together, they work is also the major reason they utter every time to remove the poisonous why some of the members they win something, every plants and weeds no longer feel safe time someone asks them and create something interacting with ARMYs on about their success and extraordinary. social media platforms motivation. It’s this fandom It’s a once-in-a-lifetime more frequently. for which BTS released opportunity to be a a whole therapeutic and But it’s also the same part of a relationship so fandom that gives strength comforting album. beautiful and tremendous. to the members in the To think and be thought “To be honest, every day darkest hours. It is the of.

To love and be loved. is tiring and difficult. But fandom that made the Unconditionally.

I believe the sole reason boys cry when they heard I can make it through is all images from BTS Official ARMYs cheer for them page because of our ARMYs.” Facebook layout design inspired by the works for the first time in 2020.

- J-Hope of Lee.K (http://leekillust.com/) It is the fandom that

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DIS-EASE: WHY IT MATTERS To err is human, but sometimes, mistakes come from a place of willful ignorance. How many hidden gems are we missing because we refuse to look any further than the surface?

What happened?

In November of last year, BTS gifted their fans with BE, a candid album where they explored their emotions and used their music to deliver a muchneeded message of hope. Each track reflected on their experiences and musings in the midst of 2020, and they covered a variety of themes, directly or slightly related to life during the pandemic. “Dis-ease,” a song from the second half of the album, can seem, at first glance, like a direct allusion to the global situation. However, its meaning isn’t that simple, and reading a translation of the lyrics would make this evident.

Looking up translations might be an extra step for non-Korean speakers, but it isn’t a difficult one. Even the ones found on Genius.com are enough 17 | Dis-ease: Why It Matters

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to grasp the main idea. Skipping this simple step was exactly the problem that Chuck Arnold ran into in his listicle for the New York Post, ‘The worst songs of 2020 sounded as lousy as this year felt.’ Although this article wasn’t supposed to be any sort of insightful analysis, it still left much to be desired in terms of basic research. Arnold’s reasoning to include “Dis-ease” in this list was evidence of that. He stated, ‘But when Time magazine’s Entertainer of the Year decided to chime in on the coronavirus crisis with the cheesiest of puns, it was a major dis-service.’

down on them now, it still happens in subtler ways. Why is that a problem? Think who’s writing about music, exposing the general public to new songs, and judging what’s worthy of recognition. The article is irrelevant, but the underlying issue it exposes is not.

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What was the song talking about?

Now, let’s do what the author didn’t and take a look into what “Disease” actually is about. In order to understand the song’s main theme, we’ll use two sources.

First, thelyrics’ English translation by the trusted fan translator Doolsetbangtan, and second, the commentary from J-Hope himself, who participated in writing the track.

A quick read of the song’s lyrics could have prevented this error, but misguided assumptions like this one aren’t new. BTS’ music isn’t taken as seriously as that of their western counterparts, and it shows in the way people write about For the lyrics, we’ll highlight three them. The author didn’t seem to key lines, in order to determine the know what the song was about, nor overarching themes of “Dis-ease.” did he mention any of the musical aspects of it. His main critique was ‘The uncomfortable the use of a pun, as he called it, which implied that he didn’t bother happiness that has come to go any further than the title. to me suddenly. 24 hours, The article isn’t important in the great scheme of things. But this isn’t an isolated issue, and therefore it deserves to be questioned. This attitude has been present since BTS started becoming more visible in the western music market, and even though it’s more difficult to look

I have so much time.’

This line sets the stage for the rest of the song with a familiar scenario for those who have lived through 2020; canceling our plans, changing our work rhythm, and spending too much time at home. The BTS

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True to their essence, BTS continues to speak openly about diseases of the mind, or mental illness. At the beginning of the song, they explored their own work disease and later acknowledged there are many more, and that plenty of people suffer from at least one. The ‘The friend who’s called word ‘disease,’ oftentimes used “rest,” oh I never liked him. in relation to the body’s health these days, is being cleverly How much money do you repurposed in the song to talk have to earn to be happy?’ about the often misunderstood aspect of human health, our Here, it starts becoming clearer minds - far from a cheesy pun. that the disease being discussed isn’t the coronavirus. For people To sum it up, the themes are BTS’ who work all the time - to the discomfort over having to slow point of feeling guilt if they aren’t down and rest, as well as mental doing something productive, illness, and the fact that many being forced to rest can be people suffer from them. anxiety-inducing. This resonates with the term workaholic. It’s What was the intention likely that the current situation of the song? exposed their unhealthy need to be constantly busy and pushed Songs are open for interpretation, them to question why they felt and they welcome our personal that way. experiences to add meaning to them.

But sometimes, we also ‘There are more than 400 get a chance to hear about their different diseases of the mind origin stories from the creators out there. There shouldn’t be themselves. In this case, we have J-Hope’s words, both in that many who don’t fit into a press conference as well as any of those’ a magazine interview, to give members finally had time to slow down, whereas previously they were constantly on the move.

But precisely because this new situation was the opposite of their old normal, the members had a hard time transitioning and felt uneasy.

additional context about the so much, being that he finally original idea for the song, and had a rare chance to rest. He their intention when writing it. also acknowledged that he was probably avoiding his workAt the Global Press Conference related problems instead of for the release of BE, the facing them and was finally able members spoke about each to explore them through music. track individually, and J-Hope took the role of explaining “Dis- This introspective attitude is ease” since he had a major role a healthy example of how we in its creation. should deal with our mental issues, and that’s the main The song originated from the reason why looking down on this idea that ‘everyone has their own song is such a dis-service. This chronic psychological disease.’ song matters especially now A song with such a theme could when our minds are suffering have been somber, but they from constant anxiety, but it will chose to deliver a hopeful still continue to matter when the message of being able to pandemic is over. Not only does overcome those hardships, as it encourage the listeners to learn evidenced by this line: ‘There’s to know and face themselves, no eternal night. I’ve become but it also normalizes taking stronger. Fireworks are bursting. I our mental health seriously and will never fade away.’ Not unusual talking about it candidly. coming from BTS, and certainly not surprising coming from the embodiment of hope himself, ‘Let’s all keep calm and J-Hope. treat the diseases’ Once again, their openness about these topics is helping What’s the value destigmatize mental health, of Dis-ease? reducing the shame and taboo that surround these illnesses, and We get an even more personal commonly stop us from looking perspective from J-Hope’s for help. “Dis-ease” happens to interview for Weverse Magazine. be a hidden gem that was sadly He recounts how he started misunderstood by someone who questioning why the idea of refused to give it a chance, but having to stop bothered him its value remains unchanged.

Dis-ease: Why It Matters | 20

Photo Courtesy: BTS Global Press Conference

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