“Music transcends language. BTS communicates with our fans by staying true to ourselves and believing in music every day.” — Kim Namjoon, Time Magazine
If you know me, you know I love the mere idea of fandom and fan culture. I love the fact that it’s a community built around a passion for something in pop culture. Something that you enjoy, that brings you joy and an escape when you need it most. Some days I’m baffled by the idea that everyone isn’t involved in a fandom.
But fandom can be complicated and messy and complex. It’s natural, especially as we’re in an age where fandom is global but so accessible. When things become stressful or overwhelming within the fandom itself, I find that it’s the best time to reconnect with the reason you are a fan in the first place.
So these past few days, I’ve really made a point to listen to BTS music and watch their content with focus and intention. Even when I have music playing while I do chores around the apartment or get ready for bed, I’m really making a point to listen to every lyric, every beat, every verse. Because the music is truly what matters.
I watched Almost Famous the other night, a movie that I’ve loved for decades because of its messages about the influence music can have on a person. In one of the earlier scenes, Lester Bangs (who was actually a real rock writer) says “Music, you know, true music – not just rock n roll – it chooses you. It lives in your car, or alone listening to your headphones, you know, with the cast scenic bridges and angelic choirs in your brain. It’s a place apart from the vast, benign lap of America.” I had heard that line so many times but it really struck me because my mind instantly went to BTS. To think that a movie about 60s & 70s rock and roll and the culture around it made me think about the Korean boy band I love now in 2020 felt really significant.
When I first found BTS, I of course was blown away by the choreography, visuals, and history of this group. But I truly was so amazed by the music and the vastness of their library. And mind you, this was in 2017 so it’s absolutely insane to think about the amount of seriously incredible music they have released since then!
I love the diversity in their music. That you can shuffle a playlist and get everything from fast raps to slow ballads to dance pop to stadium anthems and so much in between. I love that their music, when you actually allow yourself to take a few minutes to read translations if you need to, are full of powerful, important messages that any human being can relate to. It doesn’t matter who you are, your age, or where you’re from - lyrics about love, sadness, finding joy, feeling confident - you can find a way to personally relate to what they’re saying. I love the way their music makes me feel. How there is a song for every mood and I have created a variety of playlists to cater to specific situations. Feeling down and need a pick me up? Got a BTS playlist for that. Feeling down but want to wallow in that sadness? Yup, got it. Feeling good and want to keep that positivity going? Got that too! I have never gone to the BTS page on Spotify and been unable to find the right song for that moment.
I also made a list this weekend of “my BTS songs.” Those songs that are just so special to me. And next to each song, I wrote a few words to explain why. And what I love is that my why is different from yours. Because we all can connect to this music and make these songs apply to our lives. That’s the power of music. That’s why they are a part of a company that emphasizes “Music and Artist for Healing.” Their intention is to connect and to provide comfort.
Another line in Almost Famous, one I’ve remembered for years now, is said by one of the “band aids” (women who aren’t stereotypical groupies but legitimate fans) - “…To truly love some silly little piece of music, or some band, so much that it hurts.” It may sound dramatic to some, but it has resonated with me every time I’ve watched this movie, and it resonates with me still as I find myself 2.5 years deep into loving BTS. Especially now, with missed concerts and this dark cloud over this year, I get this statement. This band and their music have been an anchor for me during the hardest time and as I’ve listened to their songs in dark moments, or even as I’ve woken up at 3 AM to watch their live-streamed concert, I’ve felt that hurt. That feeling in your heart that you truly love this music and this band so much that you can’t imagine life without them. And what’s comforting is I know that fellow ARMY feel that too when it hits.
Loving a band like BTS is never silly. It’s never wrong. It can get stressful at times when fandom things happen, but the love for the art outweighs it all. And I’m just so damn proud and grateful that I have found a group that creates music that I personally feel is so beautifully produced, so creative, and so impactful. I’ve never felt disconnected from the music, but I’ve had to take a moment to really immerse myself in it sometimes. To put on my headphones, take a deep breathe, and really just listen. And then I’m ready to log in again to share the love for the music and those who create and perform it. Because that’s fandom to me. Loving the art and sharing that love with others. It can be the greatest thing.
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