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6 min readNov 23, 2020

“People won’t say you’re a weak person if your physical condition is not that good.”

NOVEMBER 23, 2020

DIA DIPASUPIL

BTS have never been ones to stick to the status quo. Whether it’s imbuing upbeat songs with social commentary or refusing to change their identity to drive more sales, the seven-man act has long been vocal about societal pressure and the impact it can have on one’s identity. In a new interview with Esquire, the members of BTS opened up about their journey since debuting in 2013 and touched upon preconceived notions of masculinity while doing so.

In days where some question how “manly” men can be based solely on their sartorial choices, BTS’s approach to such a loaded term is nothing short of refreshing. “There is this culture where masculinity is defined by certain emotions, characteristics. I’m not fond of these expressions,” BTS’s Suga, who is currently recovering from shoulder surgery in his hometown of Daegu, told the magazine. “What does being masculine mean?” And, really, what does it?

Whether it’s embracing the flower boy aesthetic popularized in Asia in the ’90s in promotional photo shoots, discussing their sought-after skin care and makeup routines, or hugging high fashion concepts, it’s easy to say BTS challenge the heteronormative masculinity common in the West based solely on how they present themselves. But it’s precisely that box-checking approach that baffles Suga.

“People’s conditions vary day by day. Sometimes you’re in a good condition; sometimes you aren’t. Based on that, you get an idea of your physical health,” Suga went on to explain. “That same thing applies mentally. Some days you’re in a good state; sometimes you’re not. Many pretend to be okay, saying that they’re not ‘weak,’ as if that would make you a weak person. I don’t think that’s right. People won’t say you’re a weak person if your physical condition is not that good. It should be the same for the mental condition as well. Society should be more understanding.”

In line with Suga’s words, perhaps more refreshing than any aesthetic choices, is Bangtan’s openness about mental health. It’s no secret that toxic masculinity takes an emotional toll. In clear opposition to that, BTS has long been open about the hurdles they’ve faced. The members have opened up about trying times both in private settings (shared to fans via various types of documentaries) and with tear-jerking speeches during major awards shows.

Naturally, as musicians, they have also penned the sentiments in song form, most recently in tracks like Map of the Soul: 7’s “Black Swan” and “Shadow.” Suga, under his Agust D moniker, also discussed his own struggles with mental health in his first solo offering, which was released in 2016. Most notably in tracks like “140503 at Dawn” and “The Last,” the wordsmith amply addressed his history of grappling depression and fame; he continued that thread in D-2 earlier this year.

Per Esquire’s piece, BTS’s English moniker, Beyond The Scene, is described by parent company Big Hit as “symbolizing youth who don’t settle for their current reality and instead open the door and go forward to achieve growth.” That’s precisely how the members seem to approach masculinity. Ultimately, leader RM said it best during a 2016 VLIVE: “There’s no need to live your life based on the standard of others.”

This past Friday (November 20), BTS released their highly-anticipated new album BE, which means fans finally got to hear what has been selected as the project’s single, “Life Goes On.” Unlike most stars in the West, BTS sometimes share a promotional track in advance of a full-length, but the real single doesn’t appear before the entire set. The new cut deals with a world in turmoil, and it carries a message of hope that so many need to hear right now.

BTS’s latest offering may be notable because it is particularly uplifting, but it is also noteworthy because of an important choice made by the band in creating the tune — one which many other acts likely wouldn’t have been bold enough to select.

“Life Goes On” is performed almost entirely in Korean, and while that’s not entirely surprising, given that BTS are from South Korea, the tune does follow the biggest hit of their career, which saw them try something new. Just a few months ago, the septet hit №1 on the Hot 100 for the first time with “Dynamite,” their first all-English single. The cut debuted atop the most competitive songs ranking in the largest music market in the world, and it is still going strong after a dozen frames on the tally.

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It would be logical for any act to attempt to replicate that incredible success, but BTS went another route. Instead of releasing another single in English, which would have appeased everyone from new followers to radio DJs and playlist makers, the band went back to not only what they know best, but who they really are.

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The decision to sing in their first language on a song which will be promoted as a single — which is expensive, as it involves shooting a video and dedicating staff to reaching out to writers and radio programmers — shows that even though they may be the biggest band in the world, BTS isn’t just in it for the sales and the charts. They are going to make the music they want, and they’re going to perform in whatever language feels right for the project.

When Billboard begins rolling out information connected to “Life Goes On” and BE in about a week, chances are both are going to be huge successes on the charts. Everything attached to BTS sells well, and the title is bound to open at №1 on the Billboard 200, while “Life Goes On” already stands a good chance at becoming another top 10 hit for the band. Sure, the initial showing may be impressive, but in the past the group’s Korean singles haven’t held on and stayed afloat as well as “Dynamite,” with language playing a big part in that reality.

The new cut may be in for a lofty start and then a slow but steady fall down the Hot 100, as was the case with previous smashes performed in Korean, like “On,” “Boy With Luv” with Halsey and “Idol” with Nicki Minaj.

“Life Goes On” is one of seven new tracks featured on BE, and they are all sung in Korean, with a few words here and there in English. Only “Dynamite,” the last cut on the short album, differs, and it’s interesting that BTS made sure the most successful of the bunch didn’t dictate the direction or purpose of the effort.

BTS may be the most popular band in nearly every country in the world right now, but they have made it clear that first and foremost, before they’re global superstars, they’re Korean musicians, and they’re quite proud of that.