Okay, so the K-music industry has a problem. And so does the Western media too but we'll get to that.
Just, with idol groups and soloists like BeWhy wanting to make their mark on the Billboards...I mean the idol groups got on BB200 and BB100 though all they achieve is just the sales BTS has in their gradual rise...everywhere.
When BTS and ARMY can definitely feel the problem with not getting radio play, getting the right countings for their views, streamings, placings in charts, etc. I don't think Blackpink, Blinks, NCT, NCTzens, Monsta X, Monbebes, and all those who did get on the BB200 and BB100 are way too busy savoring the mainstream to even consider they must work hard because the global music industry is hard to get into, much less survive in. Just because they survived the SK music market and even the Asian-based music markets do not mean they have a step in international charts that is not America.
Blackpink couldn't even match BTS's sales despite being the so-called most dominant girl group in the world. They got one million sales at least while BTS reached three to four million easily. Ya think that Blackpink could reach it easy now they could score at least around the 20s in the BB100 but not even close to reaching the one million sales. Don't you think the Korean media around YG and YG especially will buzz if they let out the news they got two million presales? Because that's what Big Hit did, releasing information they got close to four million presales for MOTS7.
These Kpop groups think BTS made it so easy they could ride the coattails or think they could do it too with doing the same strategy. Blackpink's popularity is only because they got the bad girl/girl crush image that the Western people like. So far, their only grasp of actually standing out is the Youtube views and the awards they got nominated in...that is nowhere close to the AMAs, BBMAs, and Grammys. Hey, YG, Blackpink has yet to be nominated in any of the former two and you think BP is eligible for the Grammys when they haven't done the process to even be considered on the radar of the Grammys people. Because only BTS so far could get far in the Grammys now while BP could only get the PCAs for the time being as Exo, Got7, and NCT are considered for the former two.
YouTube views are only part of the story. There must be purchases on platforms that sell these songs, presence there, and on Billboards. Could be successful concerts too; could be a factor though some stars like Drake have a problem selling tickets. There must be an organic actual demand.
And BTS got it in spades. They were dragged here by their fans and the American media noticing the online passion ARMY has for BTS that they nominated them for Top Social Artist.
I don't even want it to break it to BP, Blinks, and basically the whole Kpop industry and the international fans. People, you guys are part of the Hallyu Wave but BTS and ARMY are a separate success story.
The K-music industry has a problem: Thinking with Hallyu and all the idol groups making it over to some degree with BTS being the crowning jewel, the soloists and bands too. The general public, the non-Kpop fans, have no clue who you are. They know BTS but not Kpop. If you dive into Kpop, then you will know more groups and the general public cannot be expected to know all the groups and fandoms. The general public gives little fucks about Kpop and K-music outside of BTS and Psy. They could know a little but the only major name they know is BTS and ARMY because there is so much identity to it even though the stupid 'dark side of Kpop' prevails.
Hallyu Wave means that only a slice of the music is soft power because the global music industry is brutal to break into and sales must matter in the long run. Most people are far more interested in K-dramas and K-beauty products with Kpop being vague as BTS and Psy are the only ones they can name. I can ask my gamer cousin who is in no way interested in Kpop and she'll tell you that she only knows BTS and Psy. BTS is only how far they could get while the idols including BP could only get so far. BP ain't gonna get Grammy nomination this year and next year unless they get within the radar of the Grammy Museum that they must go get an interview from, an interview that is hard to get.
Getting onto a popular US talk show host is one thing but you must use that window of time to make an impression and perform your music. In the US, star power is a celebrity’s nature here. BTS did that so many times now that they were asked to appear in SNL, Tiny Desk, and MTV Unplugged without question. Not making a good impression on the US soil is a bad thing as I know some people famous for nonsensical reasons slated to get on like that guy whose only trait was attractiveness and that’s it. He was forgotten quite easily. I don’t know if BP ever got the results they wanted but BP is lumped with Kpop and BTS is so mainstream everyone knows their name but not Kpop, a niche genre still that has poor racist optics from the West. While Kpop groups do feel the racism, BTS and ARMY feel it more closely did to the fact everyone knows them.
It’s embarrassing to see the soloists and non-idol bands tried to break in. You guys are the Hallyu Wave with BTS being the epicenter but BTS only broke in because of the demand. There is a reason why Americans know Shakira from Colombia and Adele from GB but we don’t know all Colombian and English singers. Only those who can break in and make a name for themselves is how only BTS broke in. The US ain’t gonna know all the Korean idol groups and soloists. You must make a damn name for yourself when it comes to the global music industry which is difficult. Kpop is kinda getting attention but that's only adjacent to BTS. Fuck, BTS is far known than Kpop although BTS is connected intrinsically to Kpop. BP can make a damn name for themselves had their fanbase is enthusiastic and organized to actually promote them or do everything just like ARMYs are doing. Blinks don't have a distinct identity, having fallen under the Kpop fandoms.
BTS broke the glass ceiling, not only for Korean artists but also for Asian artists in general as Cpop is arguably gaining traction with acts like Xiao Zhan, Lay, Jackson Wang, and Wang Yibo. C-dramas, C-variety/reality shows, and C-animation are making their way over here with TGCF getting a dub. I don't think Korea even realized it as BTS may break the glass ceiling for them but also broke for the rest of Asia. Even though Chinese artists will utterly refuse to promote all over the world outside of traveling for modeling photos, high-end gatherings, and vacations, preferred to remain in their large market...and Thailand and Taiwan as the CQL cast went there for fan-meetings. Chinese stars are a different story. Seriously, XZ has an RIAA Diamond single equivalent in the form of Spotlight. I doubt any of the Chinese stars care about getting worldwide fame when China in itself is a lucrative market. Chinese movies and movie stars are fine as their movies were well-regarded before the tanking of lack of imagination for most of the movies as outsiders can see they are just trying to do the Hollywood methods. Jpop is arguably gaining some steam as I know Yoasobi got some love.
Think of it this way: The general public can name ARMYs alongside Trekkies, Whovians, Star Wars fans, and Potterheads. They cannot name Blinks or NCTzens. Fuck, they can name Arianators and Beliebers over Blinks and NCTzens anytime! They even know Grateful Dead's fans, Deadheads! Again, I can ask my gamer cousins who are in no way interested in Kpop and ask them to name a Kpop fandom and they'll name ARMY, not Blink or NCTzen or Supporter or Carat or VIP or anything! I only know this because I kept up on the news on Kpop halfheartedly after I was introduced to it back in elementary school where I was watching anime like crazy.
Companies can sell things to specific fanbases that have a distinct identity. When I-fans are commonly multi-fans calling themselves Kpop fans, then they're Kpop fans. Blinks, NCTzens, Supporters (I cringed when I wrote that because really, SM, SuperM cannot have a cool fandom name? It's already bad they're already close to sperm, but they have to have SM in it somehow due to the pride of LSM), and other Kpop fandom names I don't have the time to name don't have a distinct identity. More often, they are categorized as Kpop fandoms. While ARMY is still a Kpop fandom tangentially, people tend to put ARMY in its own separate category based on its distinct identity. I don't recall Blinks getting the same categorization in the news as ARMYs had done. They're still categorized under Kpop fandoms and not much has been done to give them a distinct identity.
Uh, the West only knows BTS and maybe Blackpink. While NCT is achieving moderate success, it’s not even close for the general public to learn who they are. The general public has no clue Chungha and Song Seungyeon are! Only those in the know who they are! And these are the artists who planned to release their albums in the US market!
Listen, I'm not hating on Blackpink or Got7 or Monsta X or NCT, I like Ddududu, Stay, and Forever Young, but BP isn't selling out all their tickets or having strong purchases across the board except YT views and social media tweets yet didn't translate to sales. I haven't heard BP actually being considered for no.1 on BB200, not even one article that could prophesize it. BP got gold RIAAs but that doesn't mean anything when I haven't heard any strong sales everywhere else as even their album sales didn't garner that much noise unlike BTS's album sales kept soaring everywhere. The fact they got gold RIAA is something at least. For Godoka’s sake, in 2019, they were in Wembley Arena with Monsta X and Got7, not the O2. BTS got the O2 in 2018 and transitioned to Wembley a year later!
As we are in the streaming world (my brother likes to stream his faves on his Spotify), the very fact Asia prefers the physical albums said it all. While artists tend to make the most money touring, physical albums must sell too for the Kpop groups wishing to expand outside of Asia. And they aren’t getting it.
Even BP performed in smaller venues than the larger venues like O2 you would expect - I expected BP to perform at O2 in 2019, not the Wembley Arena! - as BTS was able to before graduating to the stadiums usually reserved for groups with a tremendous amount of fans. But BP is at Wembley Arena, adjacent to Wembley Stadium, something they won’t get in the years to come if their fans just buy their albums and singles on paid platforms. Their online concert got 280k (including groups) tuning in. The realistic goal for BP is to get O2 as their online concert drew that much capacity. Blackpink couldn't get close to BTS's first online concert numbers even though they are the biggest girl group in the world.
I'm just sorry but when the idol groups when people are cautious about adding BP next to BTS, BTS is popular but even they have a 'Who?' when they debuted officially to the general public in America. BP is only a name, not even close to a household name over here in the West, as people are far likely to name BTS over BP. Only when you know more about Kpop, then BP pop up. While the Kpop groups are popping up in BB100 and BB200, even though their sales couldn't match with the big-name Western artists, it doesn't mean anything. There are artists in the Billboard charts and even their sales couldn't match each other. BTS is the only one who can possibly match the big-name sellers like Taylor Swift, Billy Eilish, and Ariana Grande! When Blackpink couldn't match their sales against Selena Gomez, then it says something about their fandom's dedication who can only go as far as RIAA golds and that's it.
This is why I question folks like D’Angelo Wallace who love to hate on BTS needlessly without understanding why they are huge and chose BP even though BP’s sales can’t even come close to BTS’s. If their YT views and social media tweets are all that matters, where are all the sales that say BP is a queen that can stand beside BTS in terms of numbers of sales? D’Angelo isn’t helping BP when BP desperately needs to make the sales counts and they can’t, not when their recent online concert only drew in 280k people including groups. That couldn’t match up BTS’s first online concert numbers! This is supposed to be the biggest GG in the world and they couldn’t match up against BTS’s first concert numbers or at least get close to it! I thought they’ll crack the 500k! They are just barely a thousand stronger than the numbers that aren’t BTS!
This is why I did not like BP's PCAs 2019 wins because BTS has the potential to beat the other big-names in the Western music industry. BP doesn't even have the cred for that yet as in England, they were in the Wembley Arena, not even close to O2 Arena. It would be surprising to see BTS beat out the other big names enough but at least they got numbers and sales to back them up to stand alongside them. This is why BP hasn't yet to be invited to AMAs and BBMAs even though they are supposedly the dominant GG in the world right now, BP got sales on iTunes but not enough to compete with records, just enough to get RIAA golds.
BP's sales as well as the rest of the Kpop groups trying for success in the West are trailing behind BTS and it's for one easy reason why they couldn't. They got social media, they got US television appearances, they got sales sort of as they are on BB200 and BB100, they got RIAA or at least BP got it, they were invited to AMAs and BBMAs although they were never asked to perform outside of nominations, they got streaming. SuperM and BP got no.2 on BB200 but I haven't even heard prophecies about them, especially BP achieving a no.1 on BB200 any time soon. BP got iTunes sales but not enough to actually compete with BTS's records. They're on the World Digital Song Sales at least consistently.
Yet their sales, reliant on their fans, have to matter from concert seats to strong purchases. BP and SuperM have sales but not enough to compete with the A-list singers. They are maybe B-listers. Like, people know their name somewhat at least on the same level as say, Lewis Capaldi. Their name is known...kind of. Please, BTS is at Beatles' level of fame here, they long passed Adele's level of fame. If I were to compare the level of fame, BP and SuperM are nowhere near Adele and Billie Eilish, somewhere Lewis Capaldi and Carly Rae Jepson.
As I read in other posts, a problem that K-fans and I-fans have is that the I-fans historically never bought any of the music. Given that presently outside of ARMY, the K-fans won't adopt the I-fans due to the fact they aren't helping to buy the music in any capacity with only the few that managed to buy gets on the charts at all worldwide or could barely get a certification. Most preferred to stream than buy in large numbers. Doing little projects like getting them on TV just one time isn't enough, guys, buy the music with the merch being a cherry on top of the wonderful sundae. I have seen more I-fans with more merchandise than albums or singles and that can be seen easily by the number of sales where BP and SuperM can barely crack certifications.
Look, I'm not diminishing BigBang or any of the other idols. That is not the point. They are hardworking but the point is the I-fans aren't doing the financial support. Hey, just because G-Dragon and Taeyang are rich now doesn't mean their fans in Asia aren’t still giving them support despite them having black cards.
There is a major disconnect between the I-Kpop fandoms and the global music market and how it works. Internet fame does not properly translate to actual fame outside that the general public would know.
Despite what media play hast to say about the Kpop wave, while Kpop is making it on the charts, that means nothing when the general public doesn't know who the hell they are and aren't expected to know every damn singer from Korea. Are they expected to know every damn singer from Britain? This isn't Kpop, where one gets addicted and then falls down the rabbit hole. This is American music where only the artists who made a name for themselves can truly go in from the bad ones (Lucas Graham) to the good ones (Adele, BTS).
Kpop is niche and will remain that way. Kpop may be making it on the charts but that means nothing because it's a niche. The I-Kpop fandoms know who the hell the Golden Girls are, but the general public doesn't and doesn't care. The general public will name Psy and BTS, not adding BP because it's only a maybe. There is a problem with how the Western media otherize the Kpop industry as this 'dark side of Kpop' is obviously bland, which led to only BTS and Psy being accepted as they made it clear they wrote their own songs. The Kpop industry doesn't help as they kept pushing this narrative.
The only Korean musician before BTS who made an impact was Psy and he was left a one-hit-wonder (two but still he's remembered for Gangnam Style) because the general public wasn't made to care about his discography. I saw blog posts about how Psy might not be a good impression of what Kpop is and didn't support him when the dude writes his own songs and his songs are Korean-minded. He bucked the traditions and the general public was curious about him for bucking traditions even though they might not be aware of that peripherally but was not made to learn more about him.
There is a difference between being the first that had no impact - you cannot possibly think just showing up in America and has minimal interviews is all they got to do when it's much tougher than that. It's still the same thing now, just that these groups aren't catching up to any of the A-list singers' sales numbers because they're B-listers as B-listers can still make the BB200 and BB100. All they got going for them was that they're Kpop and Korean. - and doing it with actual impact. Psy and BTS did that with the latter and remained in the public consciousness while BP is sorta maybe have an impact but not enough as their sales can't even catch up. If anything, they are B-listers as they don't have stadium tours and extensive sales like the big-name Western artists. I think it's the fact they debuted in Coachella which is why it hasn't made that much of an impact on the general public as the general public aren't gonna watch it unless they bought a ticket. Yes, it's on YouTube but this is Coachella. I wasn't even going to buy a ticket for Big Bang's debut in Coachella either because it's insanely expensive. BTS made their American debut in AMAs on free TV.
BigBang, Taeyang, and G-Dragon are still Kings alongside Seo Taiji even though Seo Taiji never saw them as his heirs. That honor goes to BTS. In my mind, the coronation Seo Taiji gave BTS took place was grand while the other kings and queens watch and no, they ain't Seventeen or Blackpink. At most, those guys are Dukes and Duchesses for right now as even BP can't even seem to catch up to BTS on terms of sales. For me, seeing the sales, actual sales with purchases on platforms that sell music, not just for streaming. BP got sales but not enough for them to say they are the Queen to stand alongside BTS's King.
The I-fans seemed to be doing right now at least is streaming and voting for award shows or music shows. But that hasn't translated to buying on iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, and just buying the albums. Because putting the money where the mouth is how these Kpop groups will survive.
NCT got the one for being the first Artist of the Week on Apple Music but that’s their only claim as their sales is nothing on the platforms. Blackpink got the fastest YouTube views but no actual purchases after; Squared Up got at least 10000 in pure sales in the US but the Album got 9000 after that so... I heard not a lot of purchases. Yeah, BP got on BB100 and World Digital Song Sales but there aren’t a lot of purchases of albums or singles. What any of these Kpop groups even have is BTS’s early success, somewhere around 2016-17. And BTS was named the Biggest Boyband in the World by 2017 after AMAs. Blackpink could compete had not been people just purchase them. Yeah, BP and Jennie got gold RIAA but I haven’t heard much else.
This is why I don’t believe D’Angelo Wallace about his videos on Kpop. He says he prefers BP over BTS. Music taste aside, his lack of understanding of BTS, BP, Kpop, and how fandoms work in general makes me think he chose BP because they’re not BTS when he should know the US music market is not only brutal but how BTS was able to break into the scene. If he likes BP so much, why not help them with purchasing their albums or singles on platforms? With his lack of basic understanding of why Kpop fans stream, I don’t think he gets it. BP ain’t feeling the stress of BTS and ARMY feel frequently that they aren’t taken seriously. D’Angelo Wallace isn’t helping BP in any way, shape, or form if his lack of understanding of Kpop means anything.
Then again I-fans aren’t buying the albums beyond streaming. I have yet to hear BP and NCT getting strong purchases on iTunes other than BB100 and BB200. Are the music videos enough but not enough to actually buy on iTunes? Is it unreported because BTS had been unreported before for IFPI or BP’s sales are lacking on iTunes too although I know BP is adequate on iTunes?
There are a few charity drives from certain groups as well as fundraising. Getting some kind of publicity that the fans had done such as getting Got7 on Good Day New York is at least something.
Translating seemed like it's doing better, especially when we got lyrics only sing-alongs for other groups. Though I still hear about purposeful mistranslations from the K-fans...
The only mobilizing I-Kpop fandoms even have is voting and streaming. That's it. Maybe a little charity and fundraising. A little bit on the latter than the former where only the dedicated ones but not enough. I don't think I even heard Blinks or any Kpop fandoms for that matter calling radio stations to have their songs on the radio except when they are supposedly on the list of US Top Radio Songs Chart. It's a minor victory that Loona and BP even got on the radio at all while ARMYs fought for BTS's place and continued to do so; BP is long gone from the charts while BTS is still on there. It's as if Blinks and other Kpop fandoms expected immediate radio play when it's hard to even do so. The Kpop fandoms in the West isn't strong enough as BP is labeled as Kpop while BTS is put alongside western stars and still have that Kpop label. Though with the vehement presence of ARMY, ARMY is placed in its own category with BTS.
Heck, BTS songs are played in public sports stages and in clubs to this day. I heard vaguely BP's Ice Cream is in the running to be played in a sports arena.
But that does not equate to actually buying albums and songs on platforms. Watching a video on YouTube is easy, heck even free streaming is easy.
But actually getting up and buying is another matter.
And that's the main problem with I-Kpop fans. They aren't buying the albums and buying singles or songs on platforms that required buying. They called themselves Kpop fans primarily. While there are identifiable Blinks and Monbebes and so on, the majority of I-fans identified as Kpop fans with the one-group stans being not the norm.
I’m in the know so I get the fandom names but the general public won’t. The general public isn't that connected to social media since I-Kpop fans seemed to congregate in social media and aren't doing that much work outside of small divisions. While social media can help, there are other ways to garner attention to get the general public's attention. There is a reason why Mic Drop Remix and Dynamite got such a hit among the general public where the former could be heard in sports games and the latter everywhere from ads to shows.
ARMY and BTS know how to reach the general public by doing promo work outside of social media with flyers, posters, pushing everyone in their proximity to know BTS and listen to their music and ads for everyday products with the occasional expensive ones such as the recent Sideshow Collectibles. I knew about Sideshow Collectibles as I am a curious anime figure collector who searched up alternates to Funko Pops for fun. Of course, ARMY is known to be the biggest spender on all things BTS as they know it's worth it and to lift them higher and higher. Still, ARMY is the biggest promoter and make sure the general public just gives them a listen.
Kpop is niche and still is. As much as there are Kpop idol groups making it on BB100 and BB200, their sales aren’t meaningful, no matter how many collaborations they did. It must be meaningful. YouTube views and streaming is great but sales must count and ARMY knows this so they will buy the music including free ones on paid platforms and bring them high. None of BP and NCT’s sales matched BTS. BP being the biggest girl group means nothing when their sales couldn’t match with BTS or at least stand up against the big-name Western names. They got the attention of the world but where are the sales matching BTS’s sales first week or even preorder sales? Where are BP’s no.1 albums worldwide? They got on the charts and got some PAKs just like BTS but nothing elsewhere.
There is a reason why the only Kpop fandom the world can name is ARMY. The Kpop community can name Blinks and NCTzens but outsiders aka the general public don't see it. All they see are Kpop fans so Kpop fandoms because I-fans are commonly multi-fans, used to support multiple groups. And those fans might go to some concerts or prioritized buying an album or single or merchandise. While the dedicated fans will be kind of organized as seen by the aforementioned incidents, they aren’t spending their money for the group.
And what little I can find of the Kpop fandoms or more specifically the stans is that they’re unwilling to spend money on albums and singles because Asia is doing just fine supporting them and the strange fixation on BTS & ARMY out of pure utter jealousy and rage their faves aren’t either making it or fudge numbers so their group could rival BTS. I saw BP’s online concert numbers couldn’t even crack the 500k I was expecting them to get while BTS’s numbers blew past their previous 756k pretty easily. Why the biggest GG in the world can’t even get the 500k? Every time I see the 280k next to BP, I just sigh. People, you must spend money and if people think Kpop fandoms spent so much money, then albums and singles should be at the top of the list alongside concerts. I see people buy merchandise like Blinks spent more money on merch than on the albums and singles. Shouldn’t these people who want more music actually buy the music? BP’s pure sales can’t even come close to the BTS as their latest album has 81000 pure sales comparable to SuperM’s Super One’s 101000 pure sales. These pure sales numbers fluctuate from album to album instead of consistently getting bigger, remaining in its little approximation. They aren’t anywhere near Billie Eilish’s numbers or could get close to BTS’s first week pure sales.
I don’t think the I-fans realized the true reality of the music industry worldwide. While they are aware of the problems of the trainee system and so forth, I don’t think they realize they must buy the music in order to help the groups they love. They must buy the albums and singles collectively in order for them to chart and survive in the flooded cutthroat Kpop industry where most are doomed to failure. ARMY isn’t here to uphold the Kpop industry, they’re here for BTS only. I don’t get the hate ARMY gets from Kpop stans when ARMYs made it clear they’re not here for the industry, only BTS’s career and comfort. They’re spending money on BTS’s music when it’s up to others to realize they must spend money not only on merchandise but also on the music.
This is unusual as ARMY is specifically focused on BTS. Again, I-fans are typically multi-fans but I-ARMY only wanted BTS. They might listen to other groups’ bops and bangers but their focal point will be BTS and no one else.
It's because ARMY essentially became its own entity that has its own identity. BTS gave ARMY their name and ARMY solidified their love by doing everything in power for BTS's career and comfort. Even if it meant shamelessly promoting to close friends, family, anybody online or offline just so they could give BTS a chance. It really didn’t matter that BTS has black cards now and they can live affluently for the rest of their lives. All that matters to ARMY is BTS.
There is a reason why BTS made it so far as they did. They made sure to thank and credit ARMY in every award show acceptance speech they got. Even as far back as the rookie years, they love ARMY and affirm that love every chance they get.
That's because BTS has every reason to. Without ARMY, BTS would've been possibly disbanded as far back as the Dark and Wild era right now and working as soloists and producers. There will be no survivors in the Kpop idol's Class of 2013. Heck, their achievements were too much they actually considered disbanding in early 2018. BTS literally came into the American public eye when they attended BBMAs 2017.
As detailed here, BTS and ARMY’s rise is gradual. BTS, while having rags to riches myth that preceded them as the boys believed they never made it until I Need U, always have fan support as far back as pre-debut and rookie days. Remember, KCON 2014 got thunderous cheers & Dope went viral and gained a new batch of fans. K-media and media play shrouded BTS’s early accomplishments so much the boys were led to believe their breakthrough was in 2015 - technically it is as it did get them the music show wins they wanted for so long after Boy in Luv came in second the last time - when they actually gain growing interest as far back as their rookie days. They weren’t flopping as much as they were underrated with a growing international fanbase that could rival BigBang and Exo’s overseas fanbase. However, there is a difference between ARMY and Exo-Ls and that’s promotion outside of social media.
The media play and K-media drowned their early accomplishments to the point the boys believed they didn’t make it until years later or that they were popular in moderation, especially overseas. Even they expressed surprise at the popularity they received when Jin and J-hope ran into a fan who recognized the latter. It doesn’t help there is a classist mentality as Big 3 have connections and powerplay and the media connected & fans looking down on smaller companies’ idols. The K-media did not help BTS rise. This is why the K-ent press does not like BTS and usually suppressed information about the magnitude of their success and accomplishments to the general public while the news - not entertainment - channels usually give out the magnitude. Fans pointed out Japan is doing the praising for BTS’s Grammy nomination when SK isn’t outside of evening news and the occasional congratulations from SK stars.
While BTS weren't monster rookies in the likes of Wanna One or Exo that they got immediate publicity, they have reasonable early accomplishments that just weren't reported on.
Together, they shattered the glass ceiling, not just for Korean artists, but for Asian artists as I saw Jpop Arashi and Cpop stars like Xiao Zhan, Wang Yibo, Lay, and Jackson getting just a little traction here due to the former's CQL and the latter three in Street Dance of China is very popular as I was in BJYX fandom at the time, witnessing in real-time Whaackgate. Psy made a pounding on the glass ceiling but not enough.
And ARMY is huge, getting larger the more people sees that BTS does make music for all ages, a grassroots movement that put BTS on the map for other artists like Halsey and Justin Bieber to learn Korean as the latter even have Spring Day blasting in the background.
That's more than what I have seen out of any of the Kpop bands' fanbases including Blinks pushing so they can be taken seriously because they ain't. There are arms but they aren't mobilized and organized just yet. International fans have this mind in thinking liking multiple Kpop groups at the same time equals liking a subculture. ARMY is different. They are wholly dedicated to BTS and BTS only. While there is multi-fan ARMY out there - see Asian Theory, Kpop Junkee, Twins Talk Kpop, and DKDKTV -, the majority are primarily BTS-only and no one else.
There are things that connect BTS and ARMY: their love and dedication for each other & the fact they like to revisit the past and how to grow from it. I will explain the latter just a bit.
There is no denying how much BTS and ARMY love each other. It's a fan-artist relationship like no other. There are artists who thank fans for the help but to actually make the fans not as a monolith but as an active participant in the shared glory is something else.
These fans have a say in where their underdog story goes. They will lift BTS high and higher till everyone knows their damn name in the same way everybody in the world knows Michael Jackson and the Beatles. ARMY has lofty goals every time so that BTS could get the fame they knew the band deserves, even if it's held open by teeny tiny cracks.
Okay, just imagine an ocean of millions of Purple ARMY Bombs holding a crack of a door little by little while BTS watched in awe and gratefulness from the thrones ARMYs built from their own hands from the very start. Or the metaphor BTS chose: ARMY crafting wings for them to fly to great heights and once they landed on a specific goal/stable platform, ARMY will build even more potent wings to soar even higher.
BTS never asked their international fans to buy their albums and singles enough that they are continually on charts overseas, starting from the World Digital Song Sales Charts to BB200 to BB100 nor did they ask them to buy their free mixtapes on paid platforms that unwittingly climbed them onto BB100 and BB200.
That's the thing: ARMY has developed a culture where a large majority of fans are so spend-happy they will buy a free mixtape. That's awe-inspiring.
ARMY basically developed a subculture of their own in the same line of Grateful Dead's Deadheads. While Deadheads will travel alongside Grateful Dead, ARMY is connected by their love for BTS and communication via social media to fanbases around the world.
They will organize hashtags that will trend worldwide and trend weekly mightily. They will promote BTS to anyone and everyone and convert them as I have seen this happen during the NPR Tiny Desk Concert and the upcoming MTV Unplugged. They will use guerilla marketing tactics such as putting up flyers on bulletin boards, including school, and post-its where people can see them. They will buy up billboards to advertise and it doesn't have to be New York Times Square. They will call up TV producers and radio DJs. Basically, they're a grassroots PR movement for a single band who didn't intend to break into the US market or markets worldwide but did anyway at the strength of their fans' faith and devotion.
ARMY knows better than to keep the fandom on the social media platforms alone. They advertised outside social media, putting up flyers and ads just so people can see them. They want everyone in the world to know and give BTS a chance to PR and studying how the music industry works so BTS can achieve more success. This differentiates from other Kpop groups stans which I haven't heard even a whimper and if they did, made noise but not enough outside of social media.
The fandom is so intensely loyal to BTS and BTS only they will buy up anything remotely related to them.
There are concerts, Musters, and Festas that allowed fans to congregate and celebrate. The Musters are also available for purchase for fans who weren’t able to attend. There’s also the usual fanmeets and social media like Weverse & Twitter and streaming like Vlive & recently YT streaming. From what I see at the concerts online, there’s a dedicated spot for merchandise that required jotting down what you want to buy and how many.
BH is planning more fan experience events. Not just pop-up stores and exhibits, they'll also have a BTS-themed hotel just for fans at the same time as a pop-up store and cafe that has BTS-themed drinks and food, a 'play zone' where fans can have a mini-carnival with food, booths, and games and a virtual queue on Weverse for fans to order online and pick up when ready. BH is so dedicated to the fan experience and its expansion fans are grateful as long as they are connected to BTS.
Fans are so willing to spend on a free mixtape, they will spend it on anything remotely what BTS uses and even eats. TinyTan and BT21 are popular in their own right and pretty steady sales. I haven’t even heard a dip.
BTS and ARMY is an anomaly in the music industry from both Korea and worldwide. It’s a fan-driven phenomenon, pushing BTS to great heights they will be forever immortalized in history books and it’s unlikely even enlistment can halt their fame. Heck, Western stars took a one-year hiatus frequently and they’re fine.
In my time observing BTS and ARMY, they really like to look back on their roots, look at the present, and the future. This is obviously in their discography. The best example is the MMA 2019 nearly-forty-minutes set. Both BTS and ARMY never forget where they came from as a little fandom and band that only wants to support each other.
I have seen this frequently. For example, celebrating hashtag insert number with a specific member or BTS or commenting on an old post where tiny BTS were just happy with little successes. Even in pre-debut and posts about them whether it’s an article or video, fans always comment just how cute and successful they will be and to never give up, speaking to the past BTS. The members reminisced their time together and individually and how they’re grown. Of course, they never fail to credit ARMY to where they are now and eternally grateful and loving.
With the direct line of communication, fans felt validated and are like friends, equals, participants in their shared glory. They have a conversation of intimacy that only they know and understand the intent and stories they’re telling. They look back on the past and look at the present and the future as motivation. Together.
Big Hit further validated fans by surveys in Google Forms. Fans don’t make noise about product placement because they’re loyal to BTS. They honestly don’t care about luxury ambassadors as they just want BTS, besides the numbers and records certainly speak for themselves. Yeah, BTS got expensive stuff on hand that they bought but they never intended fans to buy them.
Now, fans and artists have a passive connection before. But fans were never treated as equals but as a monolith. This can be seen everywhere. Unfortunately, the media loves to tack on the actions of a few bad apples or ‘hysterical’ fans and judge the fandoms from there. Treating fans like trash when they’re the bread and butter to keep the work alive. This can be seen from Kpop to Star Wars to Star Trek to Doctor Who to video games. They love to paint the video game world as this sexist monolith motivated by the stupidity of Anita Sarkessian; she bought up good points but most of the time, she didn’t do the research, and even all her good points devolved into a mess later on. Still, even now the gamers fought that it’s not that they hate female or POC or queer protagonists, just tell good stories that they can connect that happen to have those protagonists. Just make them care, dammit!
ARMY are not passive consumers. They are active cooperators in making sure BTS is taken seriously and to maintain BTS’s place. When they're fighting against difficult opponents like Korean politicians, Japanese Extreme Right, the Jewish Human Rights organization, and China, then they'll fight against people who have expectations their popularity will plateau when they have enlistment or have a post-BTS mentality when BTS is treated like Mickey Mouse and BTS's fans expanded across generations who will never give them up and spend-happy they'll buy a free mixtape. I don't think people analyzing Big Hit failed to realize that fans are buying a free mixtape in the totality of what it means or even just an unpromoted solo work went on to score big as well.
Again, people like free stuff. And ARMYs are buying a free mixtape! Multiple ones! I just saw fundraising preparations for Hope World 2!
ARMY doesn’t like cruel needless insults on BTS. Insult ARMY is fine, but don’t insult BTS. BTS is the reverse: don’t insult ARMY as they know they’re bad eggs too but it doesn’t constitute all of them. They have seen firsthand the racism and prejudice against feminine activities like liking a boyband. Seriously, I have no interest in girl groups in Kpop but I am in Jpop for some reason. Eh, maybe it's because I'm so used to them that even though I know each Kpop GG is different, I never got interested in them. I like a couple songs then and there but I never got interested enough.
ARMY had seen BTS been beaten down so often that negative thoughts like BTS's decline hurt them so much it clouds that BTS's name is known all around the world and people will be curious about them, no matter how long someone might be on hiatus and how many members. I think the way media likes to bring up the enlistment is because they want to bring down BTS, not even considering just how racist that is to bring down mainstream Asian artists who have long since been invisible and minimal in the public light until in recent years and even then Asian artists are treated as if they can and will disappear with the media's say-so. ARMY, especially how large and engaged it is, will still exist and will continue to fight for BTS's recognition till their dying days.
ARMY is not here for all of Kpop. While some might be interested in listening to other K-acts, they will lift BTS and BTS only. That is the point: ARMY isn’t here for a Kpop wave or upholding the various groups as they only want BTS.
They always tell baby Army to never be sheep, solo stans, and to never listen to people mainly I-Kpop fans saying there is no need to buy when they’re millionaires already. Is this their mentality about BP and Exo that they’re so rich already they don’t need to contribute? When Asian singers hoping to break it overseas, they need all the help they can get from paying customers to be successful? The point of buying these albums and free songs is to support them, no more no less. ARMY understands that not everyone can afford this fundraising and always said that there are other ways to buy. However, encouraging not buying when you got the money and time is suspicious as ARMY makes damn sure to spend money on singles and albums. Their goal for BTS is monetary support and they will spend money. Even I know this and I know free mixtapes were on Billboard charts. Even now, in real-time, ARMY is weeding out the multis (only multis supporting many groups, not the ones who will only support BTS seriously and glance a bit to other groups), solo stans, and trolls/fake accounts big & small. They are also educating baby ARMY with a new history day planned in February.
To ARMY, they will only take the dedicated baby ARMYs who took the time to research and learn what is necessary in order to give BTS their place in the global market with the numbers to back them. There is a reason why ARMY dislikes other Kpop fandoms due to their shared disinterest in actually buying the music. A tenet for every ARMY is to buy, especially out of outrage when an unfair thing happened with reasoning to back up. Fuck, even the Britney Spears fans get it more than the I-Kpop fandoms by actually buying tickets and her music; now these people are doing whatever it takes for her well-being.
ARMY understands the state of the Kpop industry and the global music industry. Although buying BTS’s albums was never intentional into breaking into Billboard charts consistently, once fans realized what they did and saw BTS breaking into the Western market... They know what they must do with more fervor. Even as early as 2014, they always promoted BTS outside with flyers.
Again, I have never seen this happen before for a Kpop group and I was there during the second generation. I never saw a single BigBang and Exo flyer outside of KCON and I know they are the most popular groups overseas.
I guess I can understand that. Even though I only looked up the lyrics for Wedding Dress, I never felt any connection to the people behind it. I know there are artists who write their own shit like BigBang; it’s just I treated the second generation like I did with the western artists. With a shrug and say okay, color me when there’s something good like Ariana Grande’s Thank U, Next, or The Weeknd's last album.
I realized why I never got interested in Kpop beyond several listens just a few days ago. I know that the K-music and K-idol industry does have their gems and does have the talent and artistry to back them up, I just never got interested like I am with Japanese music. The only group I considered liking to the level of my faves was BigBang yet I never got that interested in them although I did want to see them at a concert if I somehow got the tickets and something tells me that I can get tickets easily while it will be a bloodbath if I ever go buy a BTS concert ticket.
Again, I only knew about second-generation idols but I knew about Boa due to my exposure to Inuyasha! Before YT, I always watched anime so I knew about Boa. Thank god I knew about Boa before the inception of YT as most second-generation Kpop idol groups fans knew about BigBang and more then as I remember vividly my oldest cousin walking into what is currently my aunt and uncle’s room with a laptop to show BigBang while I was with my younger cousins at a family gathering. While I learned about K-music afterward with Epik High and Dean, my first K-singer will be Boa...singing a Japanese song. Then again with TVXQ with One Piece... I heard about TVXQ but I know I heard them through the anime grapevine, not Kpop, though it’s vague. Hey, my first exposure to BTS was Dope so it evens out. This is in stark contrast as I never outgrew Pokemon and I certainly love the Japanese songs.
Anyways, I never saw BigBang and Exo getting this huge. Fantastic Baby, a viral video that BB couldn't get more impact more of afterward, doesn't even count as I doubt the non-Kpop folks even care as BB and Exo aren't household names while BTS is on their way worldwide. BTS got Mic Drop Remix to play during sports games and the sports crowd is ruthless about their choice in music. The Korean crowd who watches the sports games must be shocked to hear MDR as it shows that it's immensely popular in the West, something the Koreans never thought they'll hear a Korean song on a public sports stage. Heck, BTS songs are being played in clubs.
BTS has motivated their fans enough to take matters into their own hands and make BTS global albeit accidentally. Like BTS, they never saw the 2017 BBMAs nomination coming.
The thing is that BTS and ARMY are conjoined and a team. When you got a passionate grassroots movement with varied demographics just for a single band who never saw this level of success in their life, I doubt enlistment can damage their popularity. With that many arms dedicated to them and their message, I doubt the fans would abandon BTS during enlistment. Even before BTS promoted outside of Korea and KCON, they were heavily promoted by their fans. They are being treated as global western stars with the fears of enlistment primarily motivated to Kpop idol’s life cycles. Heck, people theorized that Wings could’ve been the peak of BTS’s career then as they got two daesangs at the time but the response from the world was another matter as BTS was invited to BBMAs and later AMAs, catapulting them to superstardom.
That superstardom changed them from an idol group or a Korean musician/celebrity that would have their career plateau to a Western star treatment where musicians can go on hiatus for years and still have fans buying albums and get new fans, especially when people know your name. Heck, xxxTentacion is in the top 20 streams in the world on Spotify and he’s dead! This is why most fans don’t worry that much as even Big Hit commented they have lots of materials when there’s enlistment. People pointed out just how powerful BTS is not just in streaming but also in sales that matched well with top western stars, stars who praised their artistry and pushed to make sure BTS is known and heard. It’s very likely fans and the world can breeze through the enlistments when there is so much content with BTS and BTS cemented themselves as global stars that will not go anywhere. The general public knows their name and is curious so ARMY has an easier time not just to convert but also make sure BTS’s name is known.
BTS are attracting adult fans, fans who are the type to be careful of one’s money but are spend-happy if there is something they really love. Please, I’ve been in the Disney fandoms and the video game fandoms. I have seen fans buy merchandise and collectible versions of games, some even going as far as buying another version of the game in Japanese. I saw Disney fans with pricey merchandise or as pricey as they could get secondhand. One of my cousins went to Japan with her now-husband years back and bought a mini-backpack for me and I know these merchandises are expensive as fuck.
When you get adult fans, they are formidable with their love and money. And this is ARMY in a nutshell.
And couple that with the general perception of Kpop and boybands, ARMY and BTS are gonna last a long time, regardless of enlistment or hiatus. The world general public excluding Asia can easily forget Exo as they haven’t made an impression as well as promoting music.
BTS and ARMY have proved their naysayers wrong. This is the ultimate eff you to those who think BTS will plateau when their status is western global superstardom level whereas bands like SuperM isn’t known nationwide or worldwide and can’t match BTS in any way.
This essay provides all the basis why BTS and ARMY are treated the way it is with all the xenophobia, misogyny, societal hatred towards feminine fandoms & women, societal hatred for the queer men, homophobia, toxic masculinity, the stereotypes, the double standards of male-dominated fields and fandoms, the classist intellectual vs ‘obsessive’ when the latter can provide just as much analysis, that fun activities like fanfiction are a fan experience, and the journalism that is so badly researched and racist that all fans ask for is respect for not just the artists but also as fans who have far more knowledgeable as fans pointed out to Anthony Fantano that Genius is not a reliable site for nuances and even accurate translations. On top of fandoms largely dismissed as desexualized feminized monoliths when the so-called screaming fans, particularly the teenage and ‘mature’ women, have so much more to say and have their place in discussions. With just a small portion treated as a whole when that’s not how a fandom work at all. Please, even I know corporations were the ones killing journalism, not the loud tiny section of fans.
It’s not just BTS and ARMY that has this problem of being taken seriously and respectfully but also fandoms that aren’t male-dominated and even then things such as childishness attached to stereotypes of fandoms, anime, and animation were held back. Even fans like Tekking101 and Mother’s Basement aren’t taken seriously because they’re fans and not respected critics who have their own biases & should not be the end-all-be-all arrogant ‘I know better than you!’ mentality. Anthony Fantano is not the end-all-be-all of BTS’s reviews as he lacked context and nuances from accurate translations and culture. At least, he’s consistent by his lack of accuracy and context yet the extent of his legitimacy and sensitivity is in question - personal preference probably plays a part and lack of engagement - as he refrained from mentioning nuances and concepts when it comes to BTS. There’s a reason Lupe Fiasco does not like music critics and the press for failing to grasp his art. I think BTS preferred the engagement of fans and those that are willing to understand and research. Those are the people they want to please more than anyone in the world.
Fans are an important motivator especially in a field dominated by white men with a xenophobic and misogynistic gaze. This is why POC in the arts needs their fans and the fans need to spend money to raise them up. So far, there are far too many I-fans that are multis and barely enough for fans to even crack a certification and charting. These fans need to buy the music, not just stream, and it’s gonna take a lot for I-fans to finally get their minds into buying just one band's albums and singles on paid platforms and must do the damn research.
When ARMY is the most dominant and identifiable of Kpop fandoms, they feel everything much more than the Kpop fandoms who do feel the racism just not on the level ARMY experience daily. When articles kept bringing up enlistment, fans fired back that they will always support. When friends and family disdained for even liking a Kpop boyband, fans will do everything in power to make them see otherwise and point out why this logic is wrong. When articles are poorly researched and journalists displayed their racist scorn, fans criticized them and deconstructed them despite knowing these journalists will still get their jobs.
ARMY is doing everything in their power to deconstruct biases and misconceptions just as Britney Spears’ fans just wanted her to be safe and away from the conservatorship as they have seen firsthand the sexist and mental damage done to their beloved star who clearly needed help.
ARMY, like every fandom in the goddamn world, is intelligent and allowed to have their moments of joy through what they deem necessary like loud screams and crying and consuming. Please, I'm part of the One Piece fandom and love to go over the Teen Wolf meta to the point of following a compilation Tumblr. I love the analysis side of fandoms a lot because it's interesting and because I have been participating in fandoms since I was 12, I know how fandom works. And all the misconceptions of fandoms as detailed by Elliot Sang have been going on for a long time when fans should be realized as an important figure, especially now that art needs them more than ever.
Boy, whenever critics bought up capitalism when it comes to Asian media like Kpop or anime figures, they really didn’t bother to look at themselves like freaking Disney who just bought over the nuiMOs! As fans requested Asian parks merchandise to be bought over! Yeah, I just want to groan at Americans’ lack of self-awareness. Guys, look at yourselves then look at the Amazing Hero Cops narrative and the military involvement in sports and everyday life. It just occurred at the Super Bowl, totally normal totally, we’re fine, better than China.
Every time I see a Kpop fandom in YT that is discussed by an outsider, they gleefully put ARMY and BTS as their targets, not realizing their racism, misogyny, and homophobia. It certainly reveals their lack of knowledge of how a fandom even works and just how crucial a fandom is. They show their hand by attacking a fanbase with women who love a Kpop boyband because anything that feels female is made for contempt and lesser. Women can’t like anything without being criticized for it unless the women are approved by the boys by partaking in their male hobbies and even then those ladies are criticized by the very men if they don’t adopt all behaviors.
Thank god, the Kpop industry knowing fans are important but not so much trying to get them a dedicated growing fanbase internationally as there is more I-multis. Eichiro Oda knows this too as he loves his fans just as much by humoring their questions in SBS. Female fans are important and don't deserve to be degraded just because they're women. Big Hit took it to the next level by accommodating fans during concerts and giving fans a chance to watch their briefings. BTS and Big Hit knew they wouldn't make it this far if it weren't for the fans lifting BTS up.
I don't think BTS and Big Hit ever thought the KCON 2014 was one of the earliest indications there are greater things in store for them. When they snatched No More Dream at Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart and Skool Luv Affair at World Albums chart, I highly doubt either of them knew what was coming.
I-Kpop fans often expressed jealousy and desire for their groups to get Tiny Desk Concert, MTV Unplugged, Carpool Karaoke, and so forth. Because BTS made it look so easy and the very fact the Big 3 are prone to media play that they exaggerate success that I-fans buy into that they don’t buy, the I-fans and the K-music industry are failing to grasp beyond the basic strategy of self-producing idols who tell stories that address to the youth and growing up with literature references and symbolism complete with being influencers on top of it to deepen the connection between fan and artist.
They are accomplishing just a little but MTV Unplugged and Little Desk isn’t going to do it so easily to BP and others. Yes, we need more Asian representation in music but BP shouldn’t get it just because they are Asian women. It’s like gifting BTS with every award in America because they are Asian. No, equality means being treated fairly judged by characteristics equally.
I don’t know if BP is being considered for Little Desk or SNL. I would like to see Asian women represented although my desire is a Vietnamese woman, something partially accomplished in a show. I’m a naturalized Vietnamese citizen living in America and I don’t see a lot of Vietnamese represented in mainstream media beyond pho. Our cuisine is more than pho; we got bun rieu (my fave Viet noodle bowl), hu tieu, com tam, Banh beo, and more. I have a hankering for these dishes now...
Anyway, BP must not take shortcuts due to YG. They must work hard. Their name is known kinda, but they must do the work because surviving the Asian market is one thing but it’s another to brave the harsh West. I think LSM started to realize that China is the best course of action as globally the Big 3 don’t have the knowledge of how the global music market works or how to stay relevant. Even stars like Lisa and Amber Liu are to appear in Chinese survival shows; Mark Tuan even established his own company in China. Personally, I fear for all their livelihoods as they must gain and maintain power just to survive as a celebrity in China. Though it shows just how out of depth these people are that China does seem like the best alternative. The Chinese market is lucrative given how big it is their own stars could make it through the Kpop stars have to deal with the politics in there just to survive. Big Hit should be a label on the level of American labels so they should be good with the US and European markets since they know how the hell it works. China, however, is still unreliable, no matter how China is familiar with fan culture that will benefit.
Seriously, Big Hit seems like the only company that knows how the music markets outside of Asia works. Heck, they started out small for TXT in their American showcase. BH made damn sure to get stability for their groups in Japan, forgoing China altogether as TXT got anime openings and BTS got collabs with Japanese bands. I heard more about BH's plans for Japan than China. JYP is following behind with their girl groups although they are also tackling the Chinese market with that new Chinese group. While the K-industry still kept going for the Japanese market, they seemed to have concentrated efforts on China and SEA. Blackpink is popular in SEA.
If the other companies want to survive as I apparently heard that investors aren't totally convinced, they must follow Big Hit's lead. Big Hit is known in the west that even Kristin Bell commented on it though she lacked knowledge on idol culture! China in itself is unreliable and Japan is reliable while the western market is brutal. Only Big Hit knows how the hell the western markets and SEA work at all.
When BTS's promotional singles and b-sides are doing well and gaining traction & blocking about 80 percent of idols in the charts, then maybe the idols that I know are talented should try to gain traction or get as much noise when the GGs are the only ones making it onto the charts albeit with one or two songs.
When BTS is busy competing with western stars, Blackpink is trailing behind but their numbers are in the B-list in the western sphere. The others following far behind are C or D-listers. When the West kept anticipating the day BTS disappeared alongside ARMY, BTS and ARMY will prove them wrong.
It gives me petty joy that no matter what feeling you have toward BTS, BTS's name is known and people will be curious to know about them. Why can Shakira be gone for three years until she made her comeback and was planning a tour without releasing a new album while one BTS member can't be gone for a year and a half? Enlistment won't hurt BTS as they transformed into something else entirely. The only thing I could see hurting BTS is a coming-out. Seriously, BTS hasn't released a new comeback in six months that one time and has no comeback in 2019. BTS are global stars on par with western artists. BP isn't established enough as often they are underpromoted, being gone for a year makes nothing when they are still a rookie in a sense.
When nobody in Korea and worldwide saw BTS coming, then BTS is charging forward with their loyal ARMY with a powerful legacy that will never and cannot be undone. The Big 3 never saw BTS coming as this global superstars that they dreamed of for their own stars in the second generation.
BTS and BH upended not only the Kpop industry, the Korean music market, but the world in general. They’re a new change that nobody saw coming and here to stay.
I’m lucky to be with cousins that don’t care whether or not you like Kpop boybands or ‘childish’ things like Pokemon. Heck, my brother just listened to Super Junior’s Sorry, Sorry just a few weeks ago. Even the rest of the family came around that they could not push us away from the so-called ‘childish’ stuff like the Pokemon anime. Heck, none of them made a fuss when my currently married cousin gave her little sister a Pokemon plush she bought with her now-husband on a trip they went to Japan three years ago.
I think it’s because I was raised in a Vietnamese family who quite don’t care as long as their children know how to take care of themselves but want to be in their lives to the point of overprotectiveness. Yes, they are guilty of not listening and guilt-tripping but growing up in a bilingual house means listening to Vpop and traditional music daily allowed me to listen to music, not in English. They don’t care about Kpop and Jpop as it’s easy for me to listen to another language.
Others aren’t so lucky to get a family who won’t get it. Heck, when I was in high school, a friend of mine was a proud Brony. Admittedly, I cringed at that time and now I grew up wholly embracing my feminine activities and loving my pretty bishies. I shouldn’t knock on anyone for liking feminine stuff nor should they be treated with such contempt. I grew up and learned more about the world.
It’s time for the bigoted white people to know that their power means true equality and that they should be more understanding that the POC has their rights and beliefs that shouldn’t be persecuted especially womanly hobbies. They want equality with you white people.
As a budding ARMY, I will support BTS with my money and time.
Jpop is still more my thing than Kpop even though I know the talent and emotion is there. If you're talking about Kpop specifically with all those groups, the novelty wore off for me. It certainly felt so novel for me as I outgrew it after a few months. The last Kpop group song I remembered ever listening to before BTS was Shinee's Sherlock when I watched BBC Sherlock in middle school. Does Gangnam Style even count as Kpop anymore as Kpop fans don't embrace it as much as Koreans do? Because that's the only Korean song I ever heard during high school. It's only until I heard about BTS Dope as it was going viral when I was in college that my curiosity spiked a little. I even heard about BST! In fact, the only Kpop singers I heard through the grapevine after is from the anime so. Hey, at least, I know Boa, TVXQ, and Younha due to anime before I even heard about BigBang and the other groups which I learn solely from YT from my cousins. BTS is right up my alley with my preferred taste in songs as I'm more of a Jpop fan.
BTS’s stories fit well with my preferred line of songs that are storied and filled with emotions. The thematic through-lines and growth narrative are very intriguing. It does help BTS's intertextuality of the arts and psychology is right up my alley. While I do like mellow songs paired with melancholy beats, I have a strange liking for lyrical dissonance songs that has undeniable catchy dance beats paired to a song that isn’t particularly happy. My latest obsession is yoasobi’s debut single Racing Into The Night, a catchy song about depression and suicide.
Kpop isn't my thing. Even though I do listen to some songs from some groups, my major preference is BTS and no one else. Yes, I can listen to some Mamamoo, Blackpink, Seventeen, etc. but they aren't the ones I'm considering buying albums of. While I liked some then and there, my focus has always been Jpop and Jrock. I never consider going to a concert outside of maybe a BigBang concert. Something tells me it'll be really cheap for me to get, seeing I never heard the other Kpop groups selling out tickets, even as far back as BigBang. Got enough for an audience but never a true success.
Rap isn't my thing yet I can tell what is bad rap and good rap. Kpop idol rappers are terrible. G-Dragon, no matter how much training he had, is a better producer than he is a rapper. TOP is a better rapper than GD. GD's rap for Good Boy was embarrassing. Wang Yibo isn't a good rapper as he's a better vocalist. G-Dragon is no Tupac.
I don't think there has been an in-depth analysis of the Kpop idol rappers unlike you can do with Tiger JK and Epik High. However, there has never been the best rap line or rapper in the Kpop idol industry ever until BTS came into the scene. Not even GD and TOP could fulfill that. I think the bad rappers in the Kpop industry couldn't balance out or compete with the former underground rappers.
Then again, the Kpop community isn’t a good place to discuss rap. I saw Kpop fans saying speed and rhyme is what makes a good rap. Even I know there is more to rap than that! Flow and delivery don’t matter? Only speed and rhymes? Not the qualities of the rhymes or wordplays? There is a reason Tupac is regarded as a legend. Elliot Sang even ranted about Kpop idol rappers and not liking the Kpop community’s lack of understanding of rap. ARMYs discuss BTS’s rap-line that it’s striking I never saw a discussion on this level from BigBang for TOP used to be an underground rapper.
BTS's rap-line has always been praised by rappers from both the legends in Korea as well as America. BTS worked with Desiigner, Juice Wrld, Wale, Warren G, Nicki Minaj, that Drake and Post Malone know who the hell they are. When these famous rappers know who BTS and acknowledged their rap line in a way GD's rapping was never once acknowledged by even Tiger JK, then it's everything for Korean artists like BTS to be acknowledged by famous stars.
There is one thing to note: BTS Jhope got into rap because he was intrigued about RM and Suga rapping and joined in. He did it, not because he’s a bad singer, but because he wanted to. Now, he’s well-regarded as an incredible rapper in his own right. He became better than the rest of the industry’s rappers in a year and he’s still learning.
When Kpop idol rappers got the job because to debut, they must be rappers due to their lack of singing ability, no wonder idol rappers got the shit they get from the hip-hop community. Taking aside toxic masculinity and misogyny, the K-hip hop community is prone to a sheer lack of understanding hip hop culture. Then again, it’s not just the K side of things as I know Asian hip hop is prone to the same thing, thinking what hip hop than what it actually means. Heck, even that Japanese rapper that continues to work with BTS, KM-MARKIT, understands hip hop more than them. I don’t know how much but at least he has some degree as he’s not putting up a bad boy gangster image outside of performance maybe? I don’t know.
I don’t know enough about international hip hop as I know more about the K-hip hop scene more while the only Japanese rappers I know are Lotus Juice due to the Persona series and whoever works for BTS. I don’t know enough of the J-hip hop scene as I know more of the J-rock and J-idol scene. I know fuck all about the C and V-hip hop scene and I know just a tad about the Vpop scene while I do know the traditional Viet music more due to my family. I know more about the C-street dance scene, mainly because of Street Dance of China.
I just...I just want to enjoy things for now. And that’s just enjoying BTS and Japanese media with BJYX on the side as I’m actively not watching BJYX’s new propaganda shows. It's not my fault I love and consume Japanese media as well as keep up news on BTS and BJYX.
These two months into the new year are just tiring. The political news here is just tiring and I just to escape from it.
I've been recommended Boy's World so I'll check them out.
