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Rewri ti ng 2020s Tragedywi th Success
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Hello to our lovely readers. Happy new year! Our team sincerely wishes that you were able to relax and spend some quality time with your families. Enduring the year 2020 proved to be a struggle for many of us. Aside from the COVID-19 pandemic that claimed so many lives, people from around the world experienced multiple calamities and acts of injustice that tested our unity and resilience. If there’s one thing that helped us survive every new day, it’s music. For ARMY, BTS’ music is more than enough to give us hope. As a new year’s gift to all of you, the Borasaek Vision Magazine team has spent the past two months creating a compelling issue to start the new volume with a bang. As this is the first issue of the year, our department (the Design team) ensured that the magazine’s look and feel would bring hope, calm, and brightness. The magazine’s simplistic and clean aesthetic, in tandem with our articles for this issue, will deliver a sense of closure for 2020 and welcome 2021 with open arms. On that matter, let’s take a deeper look into what we have learned over the past year. In this issue, we’ll explore the struggles BTS and ARMY have gone through together during 2020, a year full of firsts - both good and bad. We’ll talk about the completely self-produced album, BE, which was a significant milestone for BTS, especially during this pandemic. We’ll also explore the world of marketing in connection with BTS. How has Big Hit gone outside the box for their marketing campaigns? And of course, we will also cover reliable publications and journalists outside the ARMY-sphere so that you as an ARMY, new or old, know where to look to get your information. On a final note, we’ll also take this opportunity to remind you, dear readers, to not let the pandemic get the better of us. As the old saying goes: new year, new hope. But let’s not forget that COVID-19 is still looming over us, so it’s better to stay safe and stay home. Thank you, and 보라해요!
Borasaek Vision Design Team
Rewriting 2020’s Tragedy With Success
1
What Makes BE Special
5
Exhaling A Warmer Breath in 2021
9
Reliable Sources and How to Find Them
13
Marketing:
19
Bangtan Book Corner:
25
Game Corner
27
We’re Part of It, Too
Halsey - I Would Leave Me If I Could
Borasaek Vision
Rewriting 2020’s Tragedy WITH SUCCESS
written by | Antonella Edited By | Vera Checked by | Aury Designed by Alex & Mheer
The year 2020 has brought many changes into everyone’s life. The world is in the middle of a pandemic, and people have had to adapt to new circumstances to try and live normal lives while staying safe. 2020 has been full of firsts — both good and bad. The music industry, among others, had to reshape itself as well. 2020 meant a whole host of "firsts" for BTS as they tried to adapt to the changing times and not only survive but thrive. Their concerts and tour dates were cancelled; shows appearances were put on hold, then later broadcasted online; the boys were interviewed over the internet, using platforms such as Zoom Meetings. The great news, as we all have witnessed, is that they didn’t let the reality of the situation stop them. Instead, they took it in stride and made the best out of it.
BTS’ Attitude During the Pandemic BTS has demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity since the start of their career, and now, seven years later, they've done it again. When Big Hit Entertainment announced that the “BTS MAP OF THE SOUL TOUR” had been temporarily cancelled and put under a rescheduling process to ensure the safety of both the artists and the fans, both ARMY and BTS were devastated. Of course, we understood
1 | Rewriting 2020’s Tragedy With Success
the reasons behind the rescheduling, but being apart from each other has been a terribly hard blow. When Namjoon did a VLive in which he talked about how difficult it was for them to give up performing for the sake of everyone’s health, it was clear how much BTS has been suffering while taking this decision. He talked about the struggles of performing for empty seats during their MAP OF THE SOUL:7 ‘s comeback week promotion, how they had no energy to keep singing and dancing without hearing ARMY cheering for them. “We had so many things we prepared. We prepared for such a long time. We practiced so much. We wanted to show this in front of you,” he said, and later admitted that he hadn’t wanted to do the VLive, but that there was, at the time, no other way to talk to us directly. But BTS didn’t let the situation demotivate them. In fact, they reinvented themselves every day, creating new content for ARMY to enjoy and keeping open communication with us. ARMY got to enjoy daily tweets from each member, their lives on YouTube and FMs on VLive, the late-night chats on Weverse, and much more. We cheered each other up during the time apart, and our bond has become so much stronger than before. Not even a global pandemic keeping us far away
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How BTS Thrived During This Tough Time: Online Concerts & Giving Hope Through “Dynamite.”
that didn’t affect our mental wellbeing too much. In fact, pure excitement and lively energy filled everyone, the air sparkly and electric! BTS shared that the process of creating "Dynamite" was specifically to try to help people get through something that most of us had never faced before.
This year full of struggles allowed BTS to show how unwilling they are to let anything stand in their way. They never stopped pursuing their craft and spreading their message of hope and love, and never for a second forgot to remind ARMY how much they missed us. Firstly, it’s impossible not to mention that their online concerts gave us the chance to meet again, even if only through a screen. Both “BangBangCon” and “MAP OF THE SOUL ON:E” concerts allowed artists and fans to enjoy some time together. But, instead of pretending as if the pandemic had never existed, we were given the opportunity to learn to live with the new safety rules in a way
“Suga described ‘Dynamite’ as ‘disco pop with a fun and cheery vibe’ that ‘sends a message of happiness and confidence,’ ” says Variety. “‘It’s dedicated to all the people who feel like they’ve fallen down while running a marathon.” Trying to encourage everyone, Yoongi added: “Even if you’re going through tough times, let’s do what we can in our places, and find freedom and happiness through dance and music.’”
Image Courtesy: Mnet Asian Music Awards 2021
Rewriting 2020’s Tragedy With Success | 2
BTS said that they created “Dynamite” to give strength to the people who listen to it; their goal was to have as many people as possible hear it and get a little bit of reassurance and healing from it. BTS truly succeeded in their task, the genuine care behind the creating process of the song and the upbeat melody enough to cheer anyone up! However, BTS weren’t the only one reinventing themselves. ARMY took the opportunity to better their streaming strategies to let BTS know that we’ll always be waiting down the line.
“Dynamite” and “Life Goes On” Rank #1 on Billboard Hot 100 To show their support to BTS, ARMYs did their best to help the boys set new records. Beating the “Most Viewed MV in 24 hours” record on YouTube, with 101 million views, wasn’t the only achievement we aimed at anymore. The saying goes “aim for the moon,” but our goal was not an impossible dream. Determined and strong willed, ARMY streamed “Dynamite,” and later “Life Goes On,” so that both songs soared to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a goal that BTS has long said they wanted to achieve. ARMY was so happy about it that they trended “What Yoongi wants, Yoongi gets” in the Worldwide Twitter trends. BTS became the first all-South Korean act to ever top the Hot 100 upon the song's debut. Billboard said that "Dynamite" drew 13.3 million U.S. streams and sold 136,000 downloads in the week ending Sept. 10, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data, as well as attracting 18.3 million airplay audience impressions.The song debuted 3 | Rewriting 2020’s Tragedy With Success
at No. 49 on the all-format Radio Songs chart, marking the group's explosive first entry on the ranking. As for “Life Goes On,” the song drew 14.9 million U.S. streams and sold 150,000 in the week ending Nov. 26. It also earned 410,000 radio airplay audience impressions. The track debuts at No. 1 on the Digital Song Sales chart and No. 14 on Streaming Songs. “Life Goes On” was BTS’s third Hot 100 in 3 months, because their “Savage Love” remix topped the chart on Oct. 17. This all comes after their most recent personal best back in February, when “ON” was released and the song debuted #4 in the chart.
Birthday Presents and “Daesang All-Kill” At the online press conference, when asked about the Hot 100 goals, Seokjin said: “No matter what the chart is, no matter what the rank is… it’s always an honor. It means many people have listened to and like our song. Any time we see that report card, we’re always thankful.” Little did he know that on August 31 “Dynamite” would reach the top of the chart. The next day, Jungkook turned 23, thus giving him a birthday present he won’t forget. Jimin, too, had a similar present for his 25th birthday, as “Savage Love Remix” charted #1. On Nov. 24, BTS were nominated at Grammy 2021 – and here is Seokjin’s birthday present!
But that’s not all of it. At MMA, BTS won 7 awards. While at MAMA, BTS took home 9 awards, becoming the most awarded act of the night. BTS swept all the awards in their “Daesang All-Kill” for the second year in a row. This is the definition of thriving.
Hopes For 2021 ARMY can’t wait to see how much BTS will flourish from now on. In time, the artists and fans will look back to see how far they’ve both come. Neither parts let the reality of the pandemic stop them; on the contrary, they worked hard to reach for higher and higher goals. ARMY will always back BTS up, just as we know that BTS will always be grateful and love us back just as much.
“No matter what the chart is, no matter what the rank is… it’s always an honor. It means many people have listened to and like our song. Any time we see that report card, we’re always thankful.” -Kim Seokjin
Rewriting 2020’s Tragedy With Success | 4
WHAT MAKES BE SPECIAL Written by Alapadma | Edited by Esma | Checked by Vera | Designed by Euni
Images from Big Hit Entertainment
On Sep. 27, 2020, Big Hit Entertainment made the long-awaited announcement that BTS’ new album was titled BE. The announcement came with a brief description of the album, stating that BE contained the most “BTS-esque” music to date. It was an ambiguous yet meaningful statement that revealed almost nothing about the style or sound of the album but, rather, simply ensured that it would be honest, authentic, and relatable.
RM has expressed this dichotomy himself, acknowledging his “locality” while also understanding the need to be global — a natural predicament many people of today’s globalized generation may find themselves in. But through BTS’ songwriting process, the group has managed to balance these halves, allowing their authenticity to shine through their own contributions while also integrating sounds and ideas through working with artists from around the world.
BE is BTS’ first self-produced album. The group has openly shared the creative process behind the album’s construction and insights about how they worked intimately to bring the album to life. Four out of the seven songs (excluding “Skit”) were written and/or produced by the members themselves, and the extensive songwriting roles landed members SUGA and RM in the top 10 of the Billboard songwriter’s chart for the first time. However, when looking at BTS’ core creative process, BE does not seem to take that drastic of a step from where BTS have always been. The group has previously participated in songwriting and production, often writing lyrics, rap verses, and melodic/production-based aspects of the tracks, while also incorporating melodies written by other songwriters and sending songs to external producers for completion. But regardless of how much influence outside contributors had to BTS songs, the group’s music always contained a special, unique sound. It stood apart from both the Western and K-pop mainstream and existed in its own space, one that was both specific to the BTS members themselves, but also global enough to appeal to anyone.
BE initially runs in a similar fashion; in songs, such as “Life Goes On,” “Blue and Grey,” “Telepathy,” “Dis-ease,” and “Stay,” BE incorporates elements of the members’ songwriting, lyrics, and production skills while also having contributions from outside songwriters. In that sense, BE might not seem all that different from how BTS usually works — and the similarity in its creation to BTS’ previous albums further discloses that BTS have always played a strong, active role in constructing an album to the extent where a “self-produced” album does not appear strikingly novel. However, upon listening to BE, fans might find something different about it — the album contains a special sense of intimacy, a unique type of personal input. It remains just as sincere as any BTS album, yet stands apart as increasingly vulnerable. What did BTS do differently to give BE this vulnerability? BTS’ albums have always included some form of commentary on society. As early as 2013, in their first EP, 2 Cool 4 Skool, BTS addressed the societal constraints that young people are subjected to when pursuing a future. In 2018, BTS’ repackage album Love
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Yourself: Answer narrated an exploration of self love and acceptance. And in early 2020, BTS dropped Map of the Soul: 7, an album that led fans through a complex journey of identity, consciousness, and self reflection, all emphasized by acknowledging the chaos and frustration found in the present-day world while encouraging listeners to persevere despite these hurdles. BTS’ music speaks to the unmet needs that exist among people in a specific time in society. As a result, BE seemed like a natural project for the group. Society has rarely ever experienced the global trauma of 2020 — a year that was convulsed by a global public health crisis that took lives, decreased quality of life, and changed the future of human interaction. In such trying times, society needed a source of comfort. BTS managed to provide that source of comfort through BE. But as an album that needed to align with the needs of the unconventional present times, BE itself took an unconventional form. In contrast to BTS’ previous albums, BE was built on personal expression that was unlike anything BTS has shown before. Such intimacy was essential, as the endless discomfort that the world seemed to be feeling for the past year required support that was deeper than superficial acknowledgement. BE managed to capture the needs of present-day society through its creative curation; by being a “self-produced” album, BTS took a more central, personal approach to making music, one that would depend more on their own emotions 7 | What Makes BE Special
and thoughts rather than a concept or a storyline. The ideas and themes that the members curated stemmed through various group discussions and meetings showcased through YouTube live streams. Such an open depiction of the music-making process created a deeper connection with audiences and kept fans directly involved in the creation of the album. The songs on the album also flowed more liberally from one phase to the next — while the construction of an album such as MOTS: 7 transitioned through Carl Jung’s psychoanalytical theories, beginning with the persona and ending with the ego, BE transitioned through emotion rather than concept. The first half of BE, brought together with “Life Goes On,” “Fly To My Room,” and “Blue and Grey,” exhibits a sense of longing for the past, reconciled with the optimism of a better future. The universal grief and frustration of today’s society is felt and acknowledged with warmth and understanding that comforts the listeners and encourages them to push through. The second half of BE represents a different side of present-day society: the resilient side, the side that strives for celebration amongst the struggles of today. This jubilant half of BE, containing “Telepathy,” “Dis-ease,” “Stay,” and “Dynamite,” is an uplifting, energetic contrast to the initial, dense opening. However, it is far from tone-deaf; within the excitement of the music, BE still conveys the sense of discomfort and anxiety, and further establishes the need to stay connected during this time. BE’s messages on society stay present throughout the entire album not because of some intricate design, but
because of raw emotion and expression. The album mirrors a natural, human response to this past year. A response by BTS members that is felt by their fans around the world. The songwriting and production of BE acts as a door that opens straight to BTS’ emotions. The group’s personal feelings, ideas, thoughts, and achievements make their way into the album through a careful but authentic narrative. But while the music plays a significant role in speaking to the current struggles of society, BTS adds another layer of intimacy to BE by taking control of the promotional photos, the music video, and the album’s physical construction. Although a rather rare approach for most popular music artists, BTS’ input into these crucial elements of the album’s production allows the album to embody the very messages expressed in the album’s songs. The aesthetic of the music video paired with the “room” concept photos create a special connection, an understanding between artist and fan that is both sincere and welcoming. It invites fans to delve further into the album, reassuring them that it will speak to them and their needs in some way. For example, aligning with the creative concept photos, the song “Fly to My Room” speaks about finding joy in one’s room, and turning a bedroom into a world worth traveling, instead of allowing blue colored feelings of sadness or
Image from Big Hit Entertainment
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negative thoughts to take command of a person. Hence, ideas like these are further enhanced by the physical construction and packaging of the album — as the album comes with photos taken by the members themselves, song lyrics written in the members’ handwriting, and photocards of all seven members. The message of BE transcends sound and video, and manifests itself in the physical artifacts of the album itself.
BE is ambitious not because of intricate, conceptual storytelling such as that in MOTS: 7 or Love Yourself: Answer, but rather because it is raw. It is a curation of emotions, a personal letter to society during a time when society is stuck. The unconventional nature of BE mirrors the unconventional year that 2020 has proven to be, and it maintains that message due to the way in which it was constructed. BTS’ special ability to connect millions of people around the world puts them in a significant yet challenging position when global events cause society to suffer; when millions turn to them for comfort, they need to provide it. But providing comfort seems like a natural habit of BTS. By simply expressing themselves and using their skills to construct an album filled with their empathetic emotions and ideas, they speak to society, encouraging people to keep thinking positively and reassuring them that the future shines brightly.
What Makes BE Special | 8
EXHALING A WARMER BREATH IN 2021 Written by Shelley | Edited by Clare | Checked by Vera | Designed by Kels We are literally strong - the ARMYs I know and the BTS you all know we’re all strong. We’ll find a way, we always have. If there’s no way, let’s draw the map, the whole map again. (RM, Day 1 Ending ment, BTS Map of the Soul ON:E Concert, 2020) And this, beautiful readers, is how this
ONE DAY THE WORLD STOPPED
article begins! With a proclamation, courtesy of BTS’ wise leader RM, that if for
2020 has finally become a “past tense,”
any reason we’re unable to find our way in
and with it a myriad of pandemic-related
dark times, we can… and will… start again.
emotions, feelings, and experiences. However, it is highly likely that the after
How, might you ask?
effects of 2020 will continue to linger, like an unwanted tenant, in our bodies, hearts,
Well, if we follow RM’s lead, there are two
and minds for many days, months, and,
possible ways that we could achieve this.
dare we say, years to come.
First, by remaining strong within ourselves, within the ARMY fandom, and within the
“어느 날 세상이 멈췄어 아무런 예고도 하나
spaces and places that we occupy. Next,
없이 / one day, the world stopped without
by remaining connected to who and what’s
any forewarning”
important in our lives – to our loved ones, each other as members of the ARMY
These are not only the official opening
fandom, and to BTS as ARMYs. The notion
lyrics (as translated by Doolset) for BTS’
of drawing “the whole map again” then
title track “Life Goes On,” but globally
becomes our backstop or our buffer zone,
they are also indicative of large-scale
should things not work out as hoped
transformation. From a more personal
or as planned.
perspective, my world stopped on Mar. 25, 2020 when my entire country went into Alert Level 4 status, resulting in a
9 | Exhaling a Warmer Breath in 2021
Borasaek Vision nationwide lockdown for an entire month.
Spring showed up in the form of a song
During that time, work and schooling
titled “Dynamite.”
commitments continued, albeit in virtual spaces, and I, like millions of other ARMYs,
Like a knight in shining armor, “Dynamite”
took to social media to find out how the
came to “slay.” With its masterful interplay
rest of the world was coping.
of visuals, lyrics, music, and choreo, “Dynamite” transported us to another time
Almost a year later, the world has truly
and place, one rich with color, reminiscent
moved on from March 2020, but for a
of good times, and dripping with serotonin.
brief moment humankind experienced “en-
As we now know, “Dynamite” became
masse” an upheaval of dizzying proportions.
the perfect segue to BTS’ next master
It is not surprising, then, that an impact as
title track “Life Goes On,” with its soulful
universal as this has become an ongoing
ambience and hopeful undertones tinged
concern, and rightfully so. Yet, despite
with a scent of sadness and longing that
everything, glimpses of light emerged from
we could all relate to.
those shadows, and just like the lyrics; Going forward, it is these two key “봄은 기다림을 몰라서 눈치 없이 와버렸어/
ingredients of happiness and hope that
Spring, not knowing how to wait or how to
we need to hold on to as we move into
read the room, showed up anyway”
this new time and space of 2021. We need
Image Courtesy of: ibighit.com
to recognize though, that happiness and
Exhaling a Warmer Breath in 2021 | 10
hope are not always expressed as grand
These lyrics are particularly poignant. When
gestures or broad statements of intention.
explaining possible meanings during their many
Sometimes, they are more subtle and
interview sessions, RM shared his experiences
intimate (yet just as meaningful) moments.
of trying to outrun rain clouds. While the clouds looked entirely within his reach, the harder he
In practical terms, happiness and hope
ran, the further away the clouds seemed to
exist in their own right, both designed
move. Then at some point he realized the key
to serve different purposes. How we as
wasn’t to try and outrun what was inevitable.
individuals experience these emotions or
They (BTS) had to try something different. They
conditions of well-being is very much up
had to see past the rain clouds and visualize
to the individual, inasmuch as no one can
life from that perspective.
determine for others what they must look, feel, or sound like for each person. This is
So BTS regrouped themselves, talked openly
true also for our experiences as ARMYs,
about how each of the members were feeling,
regardless of the type of relationship that
and acknowledged the legitimacy of their
we enjoy with BTS. Despite the fact that
anger and frustration with their untimely and
ARMYs are a global sea of millions, what
unfortunate circumstances. Then they asked
brings us happiness and fills us with hope
themselves what they wanted to do, what
as an ARMY is also a very personal and
they wanted to say, and how were they
intimate experience.
going to do it.
LET’S EXHALE A WARMER BREATH
These are attributes that each of us can draw on in our own lived realities, the biggest of
“저 먹구름보다 빨리 달려가 그럼 될 줄
which is the ability to talk about our struggles
알았는데 /I run faster than those dark
and concerns with someone who cares about
clouds, I thought that’d make it alright”
what we are experiencing and cares enough to actively listen, rather than judge and/or gloss
11 | Exhaling A Warmer Breath in 2021
over our lived realities with toxic positivity.
may be over, its messages are still very
Jin spoke openly of this when explaining how
much needed today, providing ARMYs
his song “Abyss” came about. After seeking
and non-ARMYs alike with a way forward.
personal and professional help, Jin learnt that
There is no denying that the love that BTS
he could take his pain and struggles, his fears
has for ARMYs goes beyond fan service,
and anxieties and give voice to them through
and that BTS are more than mere idols to
music. “Abyss” allowed Jin to release all that
ARMYs. We hold the enviable position of
had been building up within.
being the “heart” to their “beat” – giving purpose and meaning to what they do as
In 2020 the world experienced “loss” on the
musicians and artists.
grandest scale, and although pockets of the world have returned to a basic sense of
Yet, the BTS members also shine in
“normal,” our understanding of what is normal
their own light. While they are “one” as
has forever changed. What hasn’t changed,
BTS, RM constantly reminds us with his
though, is our ability to care for ourselves and
philosophical musings that they were
those around us. As caring, humane people, we
once seven strangers, who over time
have the capacity to look beyond ourselves,
became a group, then friends, and finally
to see when someone around us may be
family. While they stand together in the
hurting or struggling and to offer them
same space, working towards the same
warmth and comfort. Conversely, if we are
collective vision, each member also has
always trying to outrun those rain clouds,
his own hopes and aspirations – and
we may become oblivious to what is
rightly so.
happening around us. This is what we, here at Borasaek Vision, THE LIGHT WILL SHINE AGAIN
hope for each of you.
“멈춰있지만 어둠에 숨지 마 빛은 또 떠오르니깐
Find your own light, those things that allow
/ Although everything is paused, don’t hide in
you to shine in your own knowing, and
the dark because the light will shine again”
nurture those. If that’s not possible right now, then bathe in the loving purple hues
This is a common thread woven throughout
of BTS – warmed and nourished through
many of BTS’ songs – the notion that no
their music, song, and artistry. 2021 is a
matter how dark things may currently be, the
new year, an opportunity for many of us
sun will always rise the next day. These are
to start fresh, to reimagine our lives, to
the non-negotiables in life. With light comes
“shine, dream, smile” once again. If that’s
dark; the sun rises, and the sun sets;
not possible just yet, exhaling a warmer
life goes on.
breath may be the best that we can do, and that too is enough!
While the Love Yourself: Speak Yourself era
Exhaling a Warmer Breath in 2021 | 12
Borasaek Vision
Reliable Sources & How to Find Them It has become a common practice for ARMYs to ask, “Is it safe to read?” when a new article is published about BTS thanks to the many inaccurate or biased ones they've encountered throughout the years. It makes sense for people to become more cautious with such precedents, especially when people of low journalistic standards are continuously hired to write about BTS and ARMY. It’s only fair to have higher expectations and to desire trustworthy information. But how and where can one find reliable sources about BTS, ARMY, and the music industry as a whole? There are many ARMY-run publications that take the job into their own hands, and while demonstrating brilliant efforts, they are still deprived of access to important primary information and industry news.
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Comparing Different Sources
Evaluating the Available Sources
Let’s begin by explaining what ARMY-run publications, or ARPs, are, and what kind of information they can provide. These are published works, like books, magazines, or journals that ARMYs create to share information and stories. ARPs are trusted because they are run by people from within the fandom, who care about BTS and their work and want them to be represented fairly. Comprehensive knowledge and passion are their biggest strengths, while the possibility of bias and a difficulty to access primary sources are their weaknesses. That’s why it’s convenient to complement and cross-check them with other sources.
When someone first becomes an ARMY, it can be hard to know how to stay informed, but it becomes essential to learn where to look. Certain types of information are time-sensitive, while others remain unchanged, like past events.
By all means, keep on consuming the wonderful works made by ARPs, but make them a part of your selection of trusted sources, rather than your only choice. Form your own opinions based on multiple sources. Why? From one source to the other, many things can vary — from the kind of information they have access to, the focus of the publication, to its levels of professionalism. It’s unlikely that everything an ARMY would want to know could be found in one single place, so get the best each source has to offer.
If you’re interested in award nominations, how BTS is doing on the radio this week, or how the industry is reacting to their most recent work, reliable entertainment journalists are a fine choice. Alternatively, if you want information to convince colleagues and friends to take BTS seriously, feature stories from big publications can work better. Furthermore, in order to learn about their music and messages, primary sources, like interviews and live streams where they can share their words directly, are the best option. Once you know the kind of source you need, it is important to evaluate the ones available within that category.
Reliable Sources and How To Find Them | 14
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Here are some questions to consider when deciding if a source is reliable and useful to you: 1. Is this information time sensitive? If so, when was this piece published? Is it up to date? 2. Who is writing it, and what makes them an authority on the topic? What comes up when you search their name and “BTS” together? 3. Who is this publication written for? Fans, the general public, the industry? 4. Do they back up their information with verifiable sources? Are they publishing facts or opinions? If the information is outdated, if the writer or publication have shown harmful biases in the past, or if they publish unverified or inaccurate facts, the source might not be helpful. Creating a Reliable Sources List
Developing News For current matters, or events that are constantly changing, like weekly charts and industry news, it’s a good idea to pay attention to entertainment publications that cover these topics. However, there are many of them to skim through, and the quality of the articles vary depending on the writer, which is sometimes a freelancer that contributes to different publications. In this case, it’s best to recognize the writers that accurately cover BTS and ARMY more often. Here are a few that you can follow. Brian Cantor is the editor-in-chief for Headline Planet. He’s written about BTS several times on that publication, as well as shared commentary on his twitter account, @cantorpedia, about Grammy nominations, and how BTS songs perform on the radio and charts. His work can be found on headlineplanet.com.
With some effort and patience, ARMYs can create their own lists of sources that provide accurate and timely information. However, while it’s always best to judge sources on your own, it’s also true that it is challenging to look up every single publication and writer to make sure they are trustworthy.
Jae-Ha Kim is a journalist that, among many things, writes about K-pop. She contributes to various publications that cover BTS, like Variety Magazine and Kokowa Blog, but her articles can be found in many places. The best way to find the most recent ones is on her Twitter account @GoAwayWithJae.
In order to make the process a little bit easier, we are sharing a short list of reliable sources — nothing exhaustive, but certainly a good starting point for new ARMYs, and veteran ones too.
Bryan Rolli is a freelance writer that covers music industry news on various publications, including Forbes. He writes about Billboard charts, as well as BTS’s trajectory and success. His work can be found through his Twitter account @BryanRolli, and on Forbes.com.
15 | Reliable Sources and How To Find Them
There are many journalists doing a good job out there, and the more you read and evaluate your sources, the more you’ll get familiar with them. Primary Information This kind of information is especially difficult to access for ARPs because it comes directly from the source, in this case the BTS members themselves or Big Hit. Primary information is useful when trying to learn about their art, hopes, concerns, as well as personal opinions. Good examples are interviews and live streams, but just like articles, they must be taken with a grain of salt. There are multiple superfluous interviews out there, with repetitive and uninteresting questions. For this reason, it’s best to choose the most professional ones. One great source are their interviews for the Grammy Museum, like the “Mini Masterclass” interview, where they answer questions about their music creation process, inspirations, and give advice for young musicians. Interviews like this one help to understand the members of BTS better as artists and professionals. Another example are the members’ interviews for Weverse Magazine. While it is necessary to acknowledge that Weverse is an App from a subsidiary of Big Hit — with an expected degree of bias — the other side of the coin is that the members offer more candid and elaborate answers to the questions.
Reliable Sources and How To Find Them | 16
Big Publications Some might question the need for feature stories on big publications after mentioning Weverse Magazine, which has direct access to BTS. In this case, it is important to understand that having a variety of sources can reduce the effect of bias. Well-researched, painstaking stories from third parties can offer rich perspectives and questions with a different context than those from an in-house publication. A great recent example is Esquire’s cover story about BTS. The author, David Holmes, showcased the thoughtful nature of the members, while also offering insight and context for the readers that might not be familiar with them. From their perception about masculinity to the Sewol Ferry tragedy allusion on the “Spring Day” music video, this story had something for ARMYs and for non fans alike. If an ARMY wanted to introduce a non-fan to BTS, this would be an excellent choice. There have been other instances of good feature stories, like that of Paper Magazine’s “BTS Break the Internet”, but this might be a good chance to ask other ARMYs what stories they’ve liked before practicing evaluating them yourself.
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Make it a Regular Practice These are just a few examples, but hopefully they can be a starting point for ARMYs that want to have high standards for the information they consume. Once again, you’re encouraged to create a list of sources that are consistently accurate, fair, and written by journalists that take feedback into account. Your personally curated list of reliable sources will make it much easier to stay informed and to trust what you’re reading. Likewise, it’ll make it much more difficult for you to be tricked or confused by half-truths or biased portrayals. It might require some effort at first, but it definitely pays off later when the expertise falls directly into your hands.
Written by Rebeca | Edited by Esma | Checked by Vera | Designed by Dypra
Marketing: Written by: Vera Edited by: Aury Checked by: Esma Designed By: Connie
The global success of K-pop and BTS is indisputable. However, as much as the quality of content and abilities of artists are important, the overall spread of K-pop would not be possible without solid marketing and business strategies. This article will attempt to point out some of 19 | Marketing: We’re Part of It, Too
We are part of it, Too!
the popular strategies in K-pop and analyze how Big Hit follows or innovates them. Moreover, fandoms play a vital role in the K-pop industry, and it might be beneficial for us, as fans, to realize how marketing influences our experiences.
Product Product is obviously the artist and everything related to them – music, merchandise, events, alternative universes, etc. What differentiates K-pop from other genres is definitely the concept of the groups; they have yearslong training periods before debut linked with a considerable investment into the artist, division of members into rap and vocal lines, idols having to master singing and dancing at the same time, MVs with incredible visuals, intricate choreographies, frequent online and offline fan interaction, and so on. K-pop artists come as a package deal. Min Yoongi himself talked about K-pop in an interview for the Grammy Museum in 2018:
“Rather than understanding it as a genre, it is more like ‘integrated content.’ To understand K-pop, there is music, videos, clothes, makeup as well. All of these things come together as a visual and auditory package which might be what sets it apart from previous standards of music. Therefore, rather than understanding K-Pop as one genre, I think it’s easier to understand it as an integration of different cultural content.”
Because of these concepts, fans can become immersed and excited to consume the diverse content. Because of its prototypical origins, Big Hit follows most of these strategies; however, as the company grows and expands, it continuously seems as if it wants to create its own playfield without the need to depend on Korean media companies, such as Naver (VLive) or MBC. This Big Hit “ecosystem” is basically a reinvention of the B2C (business to customer) model that focuses on fan/consumer experience. The company also gives BTS a large amount of creative and personal
Photo Courtesy: BTS Facebook
“What is marketing?” is the first question you might ask. Simply put, it is a way for companies to analyze, identify and satisfy the needs of potential customers – us, the fans. Sometimes it also means to create new needs that we didn’t know we had, such as owning a piece of merchandise from a new collection or a product our favorite idol endorsed. K-pop is quite unique in its marketing strategies compared to any other sector. Let’s discuss them from four points of view: product, price, place, and promotion.
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freedom, as Bang PD confirmed in an interview for NPR. They emphasize a genuineness that results in a strong connection between the artists and fans. Their motto “Music & Artist for Healing” reflects their core values, and we hope they will continue to stick to these values in the future.
holographic technology when Yoongi was projected during “Life Goes On” performance, which they used again in the New Year’s Eve Live concert.
Price
Pricewise, the K-pop industry According to Yim Hyunsu’s can monetize nearly anything, translation of excerpts from and fans will buy it. But we all Big Hit’s registration statement know being a K-pop fan isn’t before IPO, BTS was responsible exactly a cheap hobby. Big for 87.7% of their profit in the Hit is no exception to that first half of this year. This, along drawback. Nonetheless, we also with the fact that BTS is soon to know that they give us plenty enlist, made Big Hit diversify its of free content to enjoy, which products and take root in multiple compensates for it when needed! other industries. With the revenue We are gifted with Bangtan from BTS’ activities, they acquired Bombs, “RunBTS!” episodes, the multiple subsidiary entertainment BangBangCon festival, mobile and media companies, developed games, interviews, Weverse a global fan site app, Weverse Magazine posts, and more. At (with beNX), debuted new groups, concerts and pop-up stores, and are planning to debut more ARMYs usually get freebies, and under their label. it’s hard to find an ARMY that has regretted buying concert tickets Strategies concerning BTS are or albums. Apart from buying BTS’ constantly evolving. Big Hit content, streaming and voting are pioneered online concerts (first a means of showing support and was “LY: Speak Yourself Tour” encouraging the boys to keep concert broadcast in Wembley, doing their job without the need then BangBangCon: The Live, to reach for a wallet. and MOTS ON:E), released mobile games and educational content This last year, Billboard changed (“Learn! KOREAN with BTS”), and the rules about how album sales expanded the involvement of are counted for their charts intellectual property (TinyTAN, to avoid superficial boosts of graphic lyrics, etc.) to relieve album sales by bundling with BTS’ packed schedule. At MAMA merchandise or digital tracks. 2020, we also saw them use 3D Many artists were doing this
Also, the approach to albums in K-pop is very different from the Western industry’s. For K-pop fans, albums are precious collectible items, not just discs with music on them, and lots of artistic value and care goes into making them. This strategy helps entertainment companies to raise physical album sales; Gaon Chart in its November review reported expected album sales in 2020 to reach 40 million copies, which is 15 million more than last year. Other marketing strategies in K-pop include producing different versions of the same album or offering a special item in a limited number of packages.
Place Consumers of K-pop are spread all over the world; therefore, knowing your market is quite important since each country has different needs, values, and attitude towards idols. For most K-pop companies, South Korea, Japan, and China would be the three most important markets.
According to IFPI Global Music Report, the top 3 music markets of 2019 were the USA, Japan, and the UK; we can see why Japan is so important, and why Japanese fans get songs and albums in their own language. A desirable, but significantly more difficult market, is the North American one. If we look at different companies, SM Ent. is known to focus mainly on Japanese and Chinese markets, although they cofounded SuperM with an American company; YG Ent. ventured into the U.S. – first with Psy, then with Black Pink. Even JYP Ent. dreamed of breaking into the U.S. but managed only a brief presence with Wonder Girls. Having history in JYP, Bang PD, and consequently BTS as well, look up to the U.S. music industry. We can see that “making it in America” has been their dream since pre-debut, and they achieved it step by step. The only checkmark left now is a Grammy Award.
Promotion Public appearances, media plays, and social networking services have a key role in promotions in the music industry, but K-pop takes them to another Marketing: We’re Part of It, Too | 22
Photo Courtesy: BTS Facebook
because physical album sales have been steadily falling each year, but they still have more weight towards the charting system than streams. Fortunately, BTS don’t have to concern themselves with this issue, since ARMY has gotten BTS’ album to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart for the 5th time now.
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dimension. It’s not unusual to release two, three, sometimes even four albums a year. These “comebacks” are accompanied by week-long promotion periods with multiple TV music show performances, fansigns, and other public activities that are very exhausting for the artist. Before the actual album release, there is a “teasing” period when photo concepts, MV trailers, and other enticing pieces of content unexpectedly drop. This excitement and element of surprise is an excellent marketing strategy because fans would want to actively follow the campaign without missing out on any fun experiences. According to an analysis of the MOTS:7 promotional strategy in the R3 journal, BTS chose a bit of a different approach by giving us the “map” of the comeback. This helped to not only mobilize fans, but also kept them on guard because the “map” didn’t reveal everything they prepared. This comeback was also special because of CONNECT, BTS – an accompanying global art project that served not only as a marketing strategy, but also had a deeper purpose of showcasing modern art revolving around the theme of connection. People could encounter exhibitions and performances in five big cities around the world, experiencing the connection of high art and
pop music. With MOTS:7, BTS proved that they transcend the boundaries of K-pop and presented themselves as true artists. With BE, the marketing strategy was also a bit different from the usual. To cheer up ARMY in tough times, the boys released “Dynamite” ahead of the album, teaming up with Columbia Records in the U. S. This release was accompanied by mysterious revelations on a dedicated web page that kept our curiosity high, and we could see BTS utilizing social media, such as when they released Instagram story filters or their TikTok Lip Sync Party challenge. And for the first time, we could pre-save BTS’ song on Spotify, which undoubtedly helped the comeback goals. Maybe it was the all-English lyrics, maybe it was the promotion campaign or the ferocity of ARMY, but “Dynamite” exploded and brought in a lot of firsts for BTS. We saw it seeping into general public space, getting the radio play all BTS songs deserved, and having insane promotions. We were used to seeing the boys getting tons of interviews with every comeback, and while we even witnessed a huge promotional push for “ON” on Fallon’s and Corden’s shows, it was “Dynamite” that brought the legendary Jimmy Fallon’s
“In a country with bias and discrimination against boy bands, minorities and alternative masculinity, BTS’ first English language single “Dynamite” being produced as disco, is very meaningful from both the history of U.S. pop music as well as the social context.” – Seongdeok Seo for Weverse Magazine The integral part, tying all the marketing points together, is the fandom. Big presence
and engagement of fans are staples of K-pop. We become ambassadors, marketers, and promoters for our favorite group and – most of the time – we do the job better than the entertainment company itself. Having a strong fandom is vital, since the fans not only provide income, but also spread news and trends quickly, vote for their idols, create promotional (e.g., for members’ birthdays) or additional creative content to keep fans enticed (e.g., fan art, fan fiction, translations, memes, gifs, informative videos, etc.), and often look out for their idols, reporting malicious people, calling out wrongdoings of companies, and so on. ARMY, especially, is a great fandom to be a member of because we have created a whole ecosystem (or rhizome, as R3 journal calls it) full of educational, informative, and supportive content to delve into.
Photo Courtesy: BTS Facebook
BTS week, Tiny Desk Concert, countless awards, and a Grammy nomination. Some might feel a bitter aftertaste when thinking about “Dynamite’s” success, but remember:
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25 | Bangtan Book Corner
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27 | Game Corner