BTS does not need modifiers. This is because the word "BTS" itself has become synonymous with world-famous singers and popular singers. BTS will celebrate its 7th anniversary on June 13th. For the past seven years, even excluding the audio discussions recently used on SUGA's mixtapes, BTS has been accused of sieving (turned out to be false), political controversy has caused various waves such as RM lyrics discussions. I have experienced it. Nevertheless, the achievement of "BTS" is, above all, fluorescence, and many junior idols want to go along their way. I would like to describe the trip of BTS for the past seven years as "kitsch and avant-garde."
Tot the key value tightly: From "school trilogy" to "flower-like year flower"
BTS has released a "school trilogy" from their debut song "No more Dream" (2013) to "Boy In Lyv" (2014). At that time, their music was aimed at full-fledged hip-hop with lyrics that represent the worries of teenagers in the hip-hop genre such as old school / trap. Immediately after his debut, RM, SUGA, and J-hope have released mixtapes in order, and have announced that they are hip-hop idols. In fact, nowadays everyone says, "If a male idol wants to succeed, he has to do hip-hop," but hip-hop couldn't be the absolute mainstream in the idol market at the time. (Groups such as Big Bang and Block Rain have done hip-hop, but I think it is difficult to display hip-hop as the mainstream, leaving only these.) The representative idols who were active at that time were EXO, Beast, Infinite. And so on. The focus was on these electronic / thin pop-based dance songs. From this time on, BTS has already shown a "kitsch-like" identity in terms of hip-hop idols rather than mainstream idol music.
The "Hana-sama Nenka" series (2015-2016) released after that had a great influence on securing a fan base with a gentler atmosphere than the advanced album. In particular, "I NEED U" (2015) expressed the anxiety of youth with a lyrical sound that added hip-hop-based electronic music, and gained the sympathy of many fellow fans. In particular, BTS is the first terrestrial music broadcaster to hand over the song, and fans admit that he is the "first-class honorary vassal who created the current BTS."
The reason why I pay attention to the "Hana-sama Nenka" series is that it has a unique "B-class sensibility", that is, "kitsch", which can no longer be seen. The most representative feature is the music video that incorporates the world view of BTS with BU (BTS Universe) that leads to "I NEED U'-" Hana-sama Nenka on stage: prologue'-' RUN ". .. (At that time, many music videos in drama format tended to disappear.) The members of BTS in the music video are somewhat anxious, depressed, and sometimes underprivileged. The appearance of the members who escape in such a reality has a lot of sympathy for youth and has a peculiar exaggeration, and it approaches the same as the "insole sensibility" that was popular somewhere in the 2000s. (Furthermore, the big hit released a novel that included the world view of BTS.) Also, the "Comeback Trailer" released prior to that was made from the beginning using animation. Aside from the meaningful results of such attempts, the sensibility and form of BTS, whose subculture is the mainstream, is very noticeable in the stylized idol market.
The avant-garde becomes tight: "WINGS" series
BTS has begun to be widely known to the public through "Blood and Sweat Tears" (2016). In particular, "Spring Day" (2017), which was released after that, went up to the three-year melon annual chart and proved the popularity of BTS accurately. The most striking point of the WINGS series is that it is based on air traffic control culture, that is, universal cultural literature. In particular, "Blood Sweat Tears" is famous for borrowing Hermann Hesse's novel "Damian". The narration that quotes the text of "Damian" in the comeback trailer of "Blood Sweat Tears" creates a cool feeling. In addition, the track of [WINGS] (2016) in which this song was recorded takes the form from "Begin" to "Awake" along Damian's plot.
Lugwin's "Leave Omerlas, People" borrowed from the "Spring Day" music video is a short story with some children suffering for happiness in the utopian city of Omerlas. In the music video, the space called "Omelas" that appears in the space where the members spend happiness appears later, with all the members separated together and the fire extinguished. This is also connected to the title of the album [YOU NEVER WALK ALONE] and implies that members of BTS who are far away will walk together. As a result, BTS showed that there are better and better key values by borrowing avant-garde instead of staying tightly with key values.
Completely avant-garde: after Billboard (after "Love Your Self" series)
In fact, BTS, which was well known among teens and 20s, was the first Korean singer to win the Justin Bieber at the 2017 BBMAs and won the "Top Social Artist Award" in Japan. Was more recognized in. People have made many hypotheses such as SNS, powerful choreography and performance due to the popularity of BTS, but I don't think it can be concluded at all. Of course, BTS also actively communicated with fans through SNS such as Twitter and YouTube to catch people's eyes with performances that are perfect for music. However, rather than concentrating on the Korean music market, they are more interested in the flow of the global music market than going to the United States and recording "Danger" (2014). By the time he won the 2017 BBMAs, he had already held world tours in many countries around the world, including the United States, on a considerable scale, with the global market in mind. It cannot be concluded that BTS has become popular because of these parts, but it is clear that they have never gained popularity for any simple reason in an instant.
BTS, which was tight from its identity, has become a complete avant-garde today. Evidence of becoming these avant-gardes is already sufficient. From "DNA" (2017), which was released after the 2017 Billboard Award, to the recent "ON" (2020), record achievements in the global music market have become a matter of course. The secret to the success of male idols now is hip-hop, and especially the traps they first tried have become an integral part of male idol music. The title of BTS'album, "Love Your Self," is also a UNICEF campaign phrase. The traditional Korean dance and music performed by BTS on the stage of "IDOL" (2018) attracts the attention of not only the entertainment world but also the cultural world. Recently, "Connect, BTS" has even shown collaborations with world-famous museums and writers through the project. Now avant-garde is looking for BTS first. Despite numerous failures and discussions, BTS, which has pioneered these only paths and has been recognized as a complete avant-garde, is meaningful enough. The length of these steps, the path to walk from now on, K-POP will walk from now on. I think it's the road.
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