Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS

Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS by BTS and Myeongseok Kang, translated by Anton Hur, Slin Jung and Clare Richards

BTS is one of the biggest musical acts in the world. They are also Korean and part of the K-Pop idol system, yet they exerted much greater creative control over their music. Their experience is different from those of western musicians. There are a number of subtleties that come out in this story and make it very different from western musical hagiographies.  There is a strong attachment to fans that is different than what is seen in western rock bands. There is also a greater respect for authority and cultural norms. They are breaking with Kpop idol norms in creating their own hip-hop music with personal lyrics. Yet they are still very much part of the system. They are dedicated to working hard to perform the best for their fans. They can move the boundaries without completely tearing them down. Performance is an important part of what they do. I find it takes extra work to relate to people of very different cultures, however, it is often worth it.