BTS

The first two groups that I was shown were Blackpink and BTS. BTS ended up being the group that would draw me in to the kpop fandom. Within the first few videos I was shown, the first thing that grabbed my attention was the effects of the videos. As I went through college, I worked with the technical theater staff and I learned a lot about video and light production. As I watched the videos, I was amazed by the editing and technical aspects of the videos. But when I took a minute, I realized the song itself sounded wonderful.

For me, I have to get to know the individual members for me to become a big fan of a group, so I watched quite a few “guides” that showed me information about each of the members. I have discovered that some fans know a lot about their favorite idols, but I don’t have a need to know their blood type…

When I started watching guides to BTS, I couldn’t tell them apart but knew that I enjoyed watching them dance and sing. They all had wonderful personalities and cared for each other. They care a lot about their fans as well. That is one thing that I like a lot about kpop; the fact that performers take the time to interact with their fans and make them feel appreciated/loved. Almost all (if not all) kpop groups host vlives (live broadcast with video of idol and chat log from fans) where they can personally interact with their fans.

BTS was the first group that I was a big fan of, and even though I am still a fan, I don’t interact much with others in that particular fandom (called ARMY). I will take a second and introduce the members of BTS (by their stage names) now so everyone can catch a glimpse of what each one looks like. The first member (in order by age) is Jin, who is the picture on the top left. He is the oldest member and does many vlives involving food. The second member (top row, middle) is Suga. He is one of the three rappers in the group and writes many songs for the group. The next (top right) is J-Hope. He is the second rapper in the group and wishes to be a source of joy and happiness to the fans. He is also known for learning choreography quickly and teaching it to the other members. Next is RM (bottom left), the last rapper of BTS and the leader. He speaks English and learned by watching Friends and has used that as an advantage, including speaking at United Nations youth event. The next member to the right of RM, is Jimin. Jimin studied dance before he became a trainee and is sometimes known as someone who loves to receive affection from their fellow members. The next member is V (the member with the blue hair). V likes to joke with the others and stands out in various way (whether it is fashion, laugh, blank stare, etc). The maknae (youngest) of the group is Jungkook. He is called the “golden maknae” because he is good at almost everything he tries. He is very talented when it comes to dancing, singing, and photography.

My bias (favorite member of the group) in BTS is Suga. Personality wise, I have always been given V, except once I was resembled to J-Hope.

The last thing that I need to mention about what solidified my admiration for kpop, is the meaning they depict in each song. Most of the songs you see in American media include women that are half naked and sometimes involve demeaning lyrics. With the songs that I like within the genre of kpop, this is far from the truth. Songs from BTS and other groups promote loving yourself, supporting others, and sometimes expressing how one feels when in love.
I don’t need to understand all of the lyrics when I hear them, I have already read them and understood what meaning they hold. The music itself is a work of art and is fantastic to listen to.

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