Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
BTS has figured out the most challenging aspect of stadium shows: how to make them feel intimate. Their boy-next-door charm, lively banter (in both English and Korean) and constant engagement with projected a warmth that reached the upper bleachers of Soldier Field. And even a language barrier doesn’t distract from the storytelling aspects of their songs: Most of the fans in the stadium tonight have long since translated the lyrics.
It has been a good week for BTS. On Wednesday (May 1), the South Korean group won two awards at the Billboard Music Awards (for top duo or group and best social artist). On Saturday (May 4), the septet kicked off its global “Love Yourself: Speak Yourself” stadium tour at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. They will play the second of two consecutive sold-out nights on Sunday.
“Burn the Stage: The Movie” is a taut, entertaining look at BTS — the world’s most famous boy band. While the music, choreography and comic elements will endear the group to moviegoers, it’s their kindness that I remembered long after I had left the theater.
In modern South Korea, pop stars and politics don’t often mix. While some hip-hop acts (such as Epik High) address controversial topics, many idol groups stick to a slick, apolitical formula with a proven record of success. BTS, who just became the first K-pop act ever to top the Billboard 200 album sales chart, have become a record-setting success story in part because of their willingness to buck this convention. My latest essay for Rolling Stone.
Moreso than any of the previous episodes of “Burn the Stage,” this finale is a love letter from BTS to their fans. The eight-part docu-series ended with “Spring Day” playing over the credits. As many of you already know, that song touches my core every single time I hear it, so I’m a little verklempt as I write this.
Having your music cut out mid-song is a living nightmare for musicians. But if you have the wherewithal to go with the flow with the good and the bad, those moments also can become a highlight of the evening. During a concert in Osaka last year, J-Hope was faced with exactly this dilemma. He describes it as the worst thing that can happen at a show. But he handled it with aplomb.
The men in BTS are still so young. But I get the impression that they are not oblivious to the passage of time. They know the half life of a musician’s career isn’t forever. Far from it. And while a part of me feels sad that they had to grow up so fast in the music business, the other part is grateful that they appear to be making plans for the future, even as they are enjoying what they have today.
I was delighted that Chicago was so beautifully prominent in this episode. Late one night back at their hotel, they’re trying to figure out how to perform on a tiny stage for their first U.S. television appearance. I used to do a little work for JBTV way back when, and I can tell you that the stage is tiny. It’s fine for most of the bands that pass through Chicago. But most bands aren’t BTS.
The argument between two members of BTS was hyped up as being a shocking revelation in the previews. But for anyone who has a sibling — or who has ever been in a serious relationship — speaking the uncomfortable truth is par for the course. Arguments often aren’t about what you’re addressing at the time, but rather all the little things that have built up to make you reach that boiling point. What was more interesting to me was watching Jin and V dig to the bottom of the real issue: respect.
정 (jung) is a Korean word that is difficult to define in English. 정 encapsulates a feeling of love and loyalty that people have for one another. They will do things out of the kindness of their hearts, rather than as quid pro quo. As I watched the members of BTS drinking and laughing together, I realized that it was this 정 they had for each other that was as much of a component of their success as anything else.
I imagine that for the members of BTS, presenting an idealized version of their real selves was par for the course. But with “Burn the Stage,” they have come to terms with who they truly are and are confident enough to show it to the public. It is difficult to explain why this first episode was so moving for me. Certainly, there is the aspect of seeing Asian Representation so beautifully presented; and in a manner that doesn’t exoticize these young men as strange creatures from a foreign land.
I cringed at the way Vogue infantilized BTS by referring to the musicians repeatedly as as “boys.” The youngest member is 20. The eldest is 25. They are old enough to vote and serve in the military. Then, too, there is already the disgusting stereotype of Asian men as not really being men, but servile, effeminate boys.
This is for the A.R.M.Y! I wanted to do something fun and special for you… and this is my (small) way of thanking you: I am giving away some copies of my newspaper article and a copy of my book about the TV show, “Friends.”
A long time ago, the Knack released an album called “But the Little Girls Understand.” All the a-holes who make fun of girls for the music that they like and the boys whom they admire, well, it just goes to show that it’s they who don’t understand. Thank you, BTSarmy for being so enthusiastic and lovely!
BTS’ Rap Monster remembers being blown away by the opulence of Las Vegas during his first trip there: “I was last here in 2009 when I was 15. What I remember the most was the inside of the Bellagio. It was amazing. I had never seen a hotel like that before, where there was a whole world inside the hotel. It was beautiful. I got to see Cirque du Soleil’s “O” show. It was so nice. I remember the night view of Vegas, which was tremendous. I remember all the lights and people having fun. I saw a lot of people drinking, which was shocking to me then (since I was so young).”