BTS as Storytellers: Forging Human Connections through Music
BTS, the seven-member global phenomenon from South Korea, have always used their music as a vehicle to tell stories about the human experience. Their discography covers a multitude of themes — from the struggles of youth to the complexity of one’s identity, and to the process of loving oneself. Through their music, they share deeply personal stories about their lives — including their struggles, fears, and loves.
The group also seems to have an intuitive grasp of figurative writing. Their songs are full of symbols and metaphors, ranging from celestial bodies to one’s genetic make-up. In Moon, for example, Jin uses the connection between the Earth and the moon as a metaphor for his love for ARMY, BTS’ fan base. This skill in literary writing is further amplified by their understanding of music production.
The group’s leader, RM, is a literature aficionado himself, and calling him an excellent lyricist would be an understatement. His verse on Ddaeng alone illustrates his unique use of flow and wordplay — both in Korean and English; not an easy feat for someone who is not a native English speaker. Suga consistently claims that he is a genius as well, and this is no exaggeration. His skill in music production has been praised by casual listeners and music producers alike. For Suga, even the smallest details of music production are used to complement the stories he shares.
However, it is the way that BTS goes beyond these technical details of storytelling that sets them apart from their contemporaries. When BTS shares their stories, they understand the value of honesty. Neil Gaiman acknowledges how difficult honesty in writing can be, as it requires a tremendous amount of courage:
You had to be willing to do the equivalent of walking down on a street naked. You had to be able to show too much of yourself. You had to be just a little bit more honest than you are comfortable with. And if people judge you, if they felt they knew who you were, that was just something you were gonna have to live with.
Veering away from the extremely polished image of K-Pop idols, BTS has never hesitated in showing too much of themselves. The group initially portrayed themselves as very aggressive youths at the beginning of their career. However, as they matured, they became more willing to expose their vulnerabilities. Songs such as Whalien 52 and Rain, among many others, reveal how the group has struggled with finding their place while being in an unforgiving industry.
More importantly, BTS knows that ARMY will accept these flaws, thus illustrating the level of respect that they have for their fans. Perhaps it is this vulnerability that endears them to ARMY; it lets them establish not just an artistic nuance, but a human connection with their audience. By telling their own stories in the most honest way possible, they assure ARMY that the sense of comfort they provide through their music is genuine.
This bond then allows BTS to use storytelling as a form of conversation. Effective storytelling requires the active participation of the audience; it is not a one-sided dialogue where the other party is just expected to listen while the speaker bombards them with information. According to BB&Co. Strategic Storytelling, effective storytellers allow the audience to “draw their own conclusions from what they have heard.” Through a meaningful exchange of ideas, a great storyteller then encourages the audience to make the story their own. In his speech at the United Nations in 2018, RM put an emphasis on their role as storytellers — how they share their stories to empower ARMY to also confront their own fears and doubts, to find their own stories, and to gain the courage to share these with the world. RM noted:
After releasing the Love Yourself albums and launching the Love Myself campaign, we started to hear remarkable stories from our fans all over the world, how our message helped them overcome their hardships in life and start loving themselves. These stories constantly remind us of our responsibility. So, let’s all take one more step. We have learned to love ourselves, so now I urge you to ‘speak yourself.’
This bond that BTS shares with ARMY, however, seems foreign to Western audiences, where celebrities are afforded an elevated status, some to the point of being deified. Michelle Fan writes, “In Western tradition… the artist is the authority, and the rest of us are mere witnesses to their singularity.” Simply put, the audience cannot share the human experiences of celebrities, whose works are only meant to be gazed upon and consumed, but not to be identified with. As such, critics are still hesitant in accepting BTS as a musical force, dismissing their achievements as “fan-driven.” After the group topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, criticisms became even harsher.
However, as Brian Cantor rightly points out, having passionate fans is not a reason to dismiss BTS’ success — “It’s a reason to pay attention.” While gatekeepers of the Western music industry are keen on keeping them from being a household name in the U.S., such a huge following manifests the impact of the group’s stories as they resonate with millions of people, This might be why, for ARMY, the milestones that BTS reaches in the Western music scene are so notable. In a music industry that is driven by glitz, glamour, and cookie-cutter manufactured hits, BTS’s honest stories and the conversations these generate serve as a breath of fresh air.
Author Robert McKee says it best when he notes that Western artists “would do well to look to the East, where artists have the passion to tell stories and the craft to tell them beautifully.”
Sources
BB&Co. Strategic Storytelling. “Five Characteristics of Great Storyteller Leaders.” 17 Jan. 2014, https://bbcostorytelling.com/blog/five-characteristics-great-storyteller-leaders/
@cantorpedia (Brian Cantor). “‘They have passionate fans’ isn’t a reason to dismiss success. It’s a reason to pay attention.” Twitter, 31 Aug. 2020, https://twitter.com/cantorpedia/status/1300256070129065986
Fan, Michelle. “How BTS is Redefining Art for the Female Gaze.” Revolutionaries, 30 Jul, https://medium.com/revolutionaries/bts-and-the-rise-of-the-girl-gaze-8eb7cf2318df
Gaiman, Neil. “Writing Advice from Neil Gaiman | Discover MasterClass | MasterClass.” Youtube, uploaded by Masterclass, 20 July 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg0_FinB6EE.
Kim Namjoon (RM). “We have learned to love ourselves, so now I urge you to ‘speak yourself’.” Launch of Generation Unlimited at the UN General Assembly, 24 Sept. 2018, United Nations Headquarters, New York, NY. Speech.
McKee, Robert. Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting. It Books, 1997.
