The Rising Idols: Analysis Of BTC Album
The artifact I have chosen is the Korean pop album, The Most Beautiful Moment In Life, Part 2, by the South Korean group, BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan). This album was released in 2015 and received overwhelming support from domestic and international fans around the globe. This album contains nine tracks that focus on how adventurous and dauntless youth really is. BTS consists of seven members: Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, who are consistently growing in popularity since their debut in 2013 (under the label, Big Hit Entertainment). There is a high probability that BTS will be mentioned if you ask about something related to K-pop.
Following BTS on multiple social media platforms (Instagram, Youtube, etc. ), has allowed me to immerse myself into a great deal of the Korean culture. What started as a simple interest in foreign music has been translated to an addiction of a particular culture. I believe that the rise of mass media has heavily influenced technological development (Lecture 2) and allowed international entertainment to be easily obtained and enjoyable.
As I adopted the use of technology at a young age, I feel obligated to expose myself to information past Western culture and attempt to discover some of the East Asian culture which is closer to my roots (China). Despite only being able to listen and speak Chinese, I actively try to make connections between the Korean language with the Chinese language while watching reality and variety TV that BTS appear on. There are many similarities present with the two cultures protruding past the languages that I take part in without realizing it. In addition, The Most Beautiful Moment In Life, Part 2, centers around the development of youth, consisting of nine tracks to tell a story. Starting with the intro track, “Nevermind”, delivers a message of hardship when there is no one around to supports your path, but proving them wrong in the end. The second and title track, “Run”, displays how youth puts you in a position of being on the edge which is very tiring and difficult. Third track, “Butterfly”, explores the fear of losing someone and how to overcome it. Fourth track, “Whalien 52”, deals with alienation within a crowd of people. The fifth track, “Ma City”, is about representing where you come from and how it’ll always be an important part of you.
The sixth track “Silver Spoon”, highlights the idea of ‘being born with a silver spoon in your mouth’, in other words, privileged to be born into a wealthy family, having it easier than others. The seventh track, is a skit put together by all the members about their experiences together since their debut. The eighth track, “Autumn Leaves”, contains a metaphor about youth that is fading away much like autumn leaves and how reluctant they are to leave that stage of their lives. The ninth and final track, “House of Cards”, signifies how unstable and risky youth can be, but when achieved, it can be full of promise. Through the music BTS released in this album, awareness and empowerment is provided about issues regarding mental health and coming of age. BTS serves as a role model (their identity that they present to us affects our outlook on life, either positively or negatively (O’Brien & Szeman, 2018 ) for myself and many individuals around the world as continue to positively impact people’s lives. Difficulty arises when trying to identify economic success or artistic success (O’Brien & Szeman, 2018, p. 110).
The Most Beautiful Moment In Life, Part 2, was considered very financially successful in terms of the number of units sold in the first year of release with 274,135 physical albums were sold in 2015 alone (Gaon, 2015). A path was definitely paved for BTS to gain recognition for their talent as well as growth potential. However, the popularity of this group coming from financial succession may be considered less of an artistic success because of the overwhelming forefront that has been built from pre-existing content. For instance, with the increased attention BTS has gathered over the years, the bigger their fanbase (ARMY) becomes and the more revenue that can be earned from product endorsements (BTS puma collection) or special appearances on shows (ex. appearance of BTS on MMVAs, winning MuchMusic Video Award for Fan Fave Duo or Group).
BTS may become discredited for their artistic success because of the financial success that overrides their capabilities. Although we are not being tricked into consuming entertainment from them, it is our desire to live free from that and make the decision to purchase it (Lecture two). Mass culture in terms of K-pop have been growing rapidly every year. BTS, is the one group that was able to break out of South Korean boundaries and promote internationally with recognition from influential content creators in America, such as Jimmy Fallon, Ellen DeGeneres, and Jimmy Kimmel. However, this style of entertainment may seem unauthentic to people because of how the group was formed and managed (Lecture three). In order to become a recognized group in the Korean music industry, every member must train for a period of time and get selected into a group - seemingly manufactured in a way (almost objectifying).
It becomes quite manipulative in the lens of consumers because of how an ideal group is crafted into a money making machine that fans are too blinded to see. With that being said, it isn’t at all harmful when consuming mass culture that satisfies the desires of people, but it does glorify harsh standards they must be met when holding the title of a celebrity or the type of entertainment our society is growing accustomed to. The critical race assumption (Lecture three) is very present when it comes to immense reputation an Asian boy group accumulated worldwide. Normally, Asians are stereotyped (scientific racism) into beings who are only good at math (Lecture three), however, this is 100 percent not true. Race does not define an individual’s capabilities and potential, self-motivation and the action of making something happen grants power and influence onto someone. Lasting racist implications tend to linger endlessly because people fail to see past the colour of someone’s skin, into future possibilities. Being as admired as they are, BTS is expected to each have a fitspo body where they can please their fans with “fan service”. This is an awful standard that is forced upon idols as they have to deal with social pressures of having the perfect ideal body instead of actually being comfortable as they are (Lecture five).
The Most Beautiful Moment In Life, Part 2, reinforces and challenges prevailing relations of power because with this album, BTS dares to step into a grey area where the topic of Youth trouble is disregarded or avoided in their native society and decided to spread awareness of it into unfamiliar territories that they may not be entirely welcomed into. Above all else, BTS acknowledges problems within society through their songs and brings light to difficult situations that occur daily. This specific album, focusing on youth, gave an active portrayal of how rough people can be in society and that you’re not the only one that feels that way. While reinforcing societal implications of youth, it challenges it by facing it head on and addressing how low a person may feel during a specific time of their life. A story is told through their music and many people attempt to piece everything together and formulate a theory/explanation that resonates the association of youth; the innocence lost and the hardships of growing up.
The broader implications of society that are present with this artifact has the ability to break through stigmas that not only exist in Korea, but also around the globe. Ethical conditions in the way this group is managed may raise a few red flags as many of them are worked past the point of exhaustion (causing them to faint while performing). We as consumers of entertainment worry about the artists well being and constantly wonder if they are being treated humanely. The expectation of celebrities continue to grow when they offer temporary satisfaction to those who feel unhappy or dissatisfied with their lives. BTS is a strong representation of Asian diversity that now exists within Western culture. We have come to accept music that origins far away from us can carry cultural influences from their native land to be shared amongst each other; completely wiping out the idea of not being good enough for the Westernized world. Furthermore, BTS heavily promotes positivity in themselves and also to others by spreading it around through their music. Hundreds of thousands of fans unite themselves together (even to the point of creating a fandom name, ARMY) so that they can support and encourage their role models, BTS, to keep doing what they do because no matter what race, gender, sexuality, or class you are, everyone is accepted.
