BTS: Music And Authenticity

ALL LYRIC TRANSLATIONS BY Doolsetlyrics

Break the silence is BTS' third docu series, revealing their authentic dedication for music and performance. The seven members reflect on their career, discussing personal growth, difficulties, and the group's relationship. In the series, BTS prove they are in tune with their intrinsic values and innate character. Still, the septet strive to improve awareness of their truest selves and go against whatever challenges their genuineness, which is why BTS is authentic.

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In David cooper's 'Authenticity and Learning: Nietzsche’s Educational Philosophy,’ he states, "an authentic work can be seen as genuine and real if it comes from the artist's "soul”... authenticity is a particular language of the self, intensely sentimental and reflecting the artist's identity. Thus, authenticity...[is the] artist's expression of him or her self: the artist authenticates himself in his works making them a way to reach his true self...authenticity is directly related with the value of the work of art (Peterson, 2005), which depends on its intrinsic quality and on the freedom of an artist who is untouched by influences from the artistic world (Peterson, 2005)." Authenticity means being real, being true to one's self, and one's beliefs. Therefore, authenticity is connected to identity. In Researcher Simon Frith's 'music and Identity, he explains, "Music constructs our sense of identity through the direct experiences it offers of the body, time and sociability... (We describe the musical experience we value in terms of authenticity)...The experience of pop music is an experience of identity. . ." The septet BTS includes rappers Kim Namjoon (stage name RM), Min Yoongi (SUGA), and Jung Hoseok (JHOPE), as well as vocalists Kim Seokjin (Jin), Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung (V), and the maknae (Korean for youngest) Jung Jungkook. Each member contributes to the songwriting process to create personal somgs, which explores identity, dedication, and emotions, even from their earliest albums; BTS' 2013 debut album includes the track "we are Bulletproof Pt. 2." It unveils the group's strenuous efforts during trainee years, as Jungkook's line includes his passion for singing and dancing :

학교 대신 연습실에서 밤새 춤을 추고 노래 불렀네

I pulled all-nighters, dancing and singing in the practice room instead of staying at school

너희가 놀 때, 난 꿈을 집도하며 잠을 참아 가며

When you are playing, I tailor my dream, force myself to stay awake,

매일 밤새 볼펜을 잡네 아침 해가 뜬 뒤에 나 눈을 감네

and hold a pen all night every night. I close my eyes after the morning sun rises

이중 잣대와 수많은 반대 속에서 깨부숴 버린 나의 한계

Against double-standards and so many oppositions, I broke my own limit

The group only gains more personal awareness in their lyrics as their careers lengthens. They talk openly about learning from experiences, how they felt during those moments, and how they become better versions of themselves because of it. Simon Frith says, ". . .identity is mobile, a process not a thing, a becoming not a being; second, that our experience of music – of music making and music listening - is best understood as an experience of this self-in-process. Music, like identity, is both performance and story, describes the social in the individual and the individual in the social. . ." This description of music and the self is applicable to BTS' lyrics, because their focus on expressing identity through music is so visible. Recently, BTS converged Psychologist Carl Young's teachings in their albums. BTS use Carl Jung’s archetypes (such as persona, shadow, and ego) to understand, accept, and cope with the pieces of their identity:

내가 기억하고 사람들이 아는 나

The ‘me’ who I remember and who people know

날 토로하기 위해 내가 스스로 만들어낸 나

The ‘me’ who I created by myself to speak my mind

Yeah 난 날 속여왔을지도 뻥쳐왔을지도

Yeah, I might have been deceiving myself, I might have been lying

But 부끄럽지 않아 이게 내 영혼의 지도

But, I’m not ashamed of it, this is the map of my soul

(Intro:Persona )

BTS posed questions to themselves wondering is the me onstage the me offstage too? But overtime, they learned that being yourself doesn't equal being one thing. In Kim Namjoon’s UNICEF speech, he points out that his younger self made mistakes and learned from them, so the past changes him into his present self too: "Maybe I made a mistake yesterday, but yesterday’s me is still me. I am who I am today, with all my faults. Tomorrow I might be a tiny bit wiser, and that’s me, too. These faults and mistakes are what I am, making up the brightest stars in the constellation of my life. I have come to love myself for who I was, who I am, and who I hope to become." As one continues to learn and discover, that person will grow into another version of themself. BTS is a group of individuals who love to perform, and the charismatic singers on stage is a large part of who they are, but they are also themselves when they are not performing and go to art museums. In Break The Silence, Jungkook reflects on the past and says, “ A lot of things happened in 2018. There were moments that were really tough, but still a lot of good things happened as well. I think we’re re-evaluating our position, our actions, and things like that every year. So looking back at what happened in 2018, it made me think ‘ what kind of path will I be on in 2019?’ thought about it a lot that year and my concerns doubled as well.” Each member is attentive to trials and opportunities facing them, actively living in those moments to learn and improve. This Reflection and exploration is a major part of identity: "Identity refers to how people answer the question, “Who are you?” This question may be posed explicitly or implicitly, at a personal or a collective level, to others or to oneself. More pervasively, however, the question is involved implicitly in a wide range of psychological and social processes: the choices we make, goals we pursue, our emotional experiences, relationships with others, friendly or hostile treatment of different groups of people, and thus ultimately our own and others’ psychological and physical well-being. The study of identity is, at heart, the study of how individuals and groups answer the “Who are you?” question" (Vignoles, Schwartz, & Luyckx, 2001). In Break The Silence, Jimin said, “ Namjoon told me something, that made me stop and think for the first time…he said that he’d hear himself talking, and that made him even more aware of the words he was saying. I remember him telling me that. “I think I’ve been feeling like that this past year. That’s how important the Speak Yourself tour is and it’s a way for me to find my own meaning in life.” Jimin also added that, "Thanks to our fans, we’ve been reflecting on and rediscovering ourselves, so I think it would be great if they could reflect on and get to know themselves by watching us.

BTS value their identity, which lends to their authenticity. Whether it is bringing Elements of South Korean culture into their music, showing the work put into performances, or highlighting personal attributes, BTS express who they are. BTS’ leader and rapper Kim Namjoon (RM) explained, "we don’t want to change our identity or our genuineness to get the number one. Like if we sing suddenly in full English, and change all these other things, then that’s not BTS. We’ll do everything, we’ll try. But if we couldn’t get number one or number five, that’s okay" (Entertainment Weekly). For example, BTS released the track IDOL, where the members wear traditional Korean hanbok, the music includes traditional Korean instruments, with the main line "I love myself."

Varga and Guignon’s work "Authenticity" for Stanford states, "The term ‘ authentic’ is used either in the strong sense of being “of undisputed origin or authorship”, or in a weaker sense of being “faithful to an original” or a “reliable, accurate representation”. To say that something is authentic is to say that it is what it professes to be, or what it is reputed to be. . .For in this case, the question arises: What is it to be oneself, at one with oneself, or truly representing one’s self?" Jung Hoseok (AKA J HOPE) observed fellow members Park Ji min and Kim Tae hyung crafting solo songs and commented, "I thin n I can understand them best, because I also moved to Seoul to study and write songs. That's why I can un d e r stand their emotions and ambitions. what sort of music the t want to make, and their music at identity are all reflected in their work." with every project, the members put themselves into the art that create. Together, they write lyrics that best represents their genuine selves, and for Seven celebrities scrutinized under the public's eye, remining genuine is important, even if it means sacrificing larger pay back. BTS' second Docu series, Bring the soul, vocalist Kim Tae hyung explained the band faced choices to take their career higher, which they said 'no' to: Kim Tae hyung- "I want to live happily for a long time with our members. Frankly, we could've gone higher. we had the chances, but instead of dreaming again for something bigger, I went to laugh and be happy. Even if it's a little lower, a little slower. I want to make music with our BTS for a long time."

To remain authentic and stay true to their identity, the members are careful to not compromise their values. Authenticity and autonomy guide individuals to lead their life according to their own reasons, therefore examining their own behavior and "self-de ter mined goals" (Varga and Guignon, Au then ticity). According to David Cooper's Authenticity and Learning: Nietzsche's Educational Philosophy, "authenticity is charac terized by the artist being perceived as true to one's artistic self (Dutton, 2004) and faithful to one's true self as opposed to someone else's ideal (Kivy, 1995). In other words, those that focus on projects that are con sistent with innate desires-endeavors close to their hearts-are considered authentic (Ferguson, 2009)." This thought process forms a mindset focused on detail, meaning, personal identity and growth, not to mention their genuineness conveyed through music and documentaries.

In addition, the band openly expresses themselves to fans authentic through various mediums. They provide a deep insight into their lives not only through lyrics, but Vlives, Bon voyage, and their docu series. Often, the members speak on their integrity and sincerity regarding their passion for music and helping listeners through music. Thus, connecting to David Cooper's research in "Authenticity and Learning," explaining, "first person authenticity" arises when artists succeed in conveying the impression that their utterances are ones of integrity." For example, Namjoon filmed a Vlive explaining why it’s important that his lyrics impact fans: "The reason why I'm tearing up and I do all of this is because I know there's some one who gets comforted by my lyrics. This is why I do this. I don't give in to the anger because this is helping Some one's life. - If I could lessen your pain from 99 to 98, if it helps You in your life, I 'm going to continue to write and make music. I believe in sincerity and love" (Modooborahae).

BTS also hope to inspire their audience, realizing how music impacted their youth, and the message they needed growing up. The member's have a goal to create positivity and comfort among listeners. Yoongi explains, "The message in songs are what first got me into making music, because I grew up listening to that kind of music. -they say the music you listen to in your teens and twenties has the greatest impact on during the course of your life. I read that the music you listen to in Your earlier yours holds greater value. That's how crucial music is in creating one's value system. -Being able to leave a positive mess use in their minds would be incredible... i' m making music with the kind of message that I 'v e always wanted to send, which makes me feel fortunate. That's why I live my life the way that I do."The members often speak about inspiration from their youth, which impacted how their desire to 'shield Youth from the bullets of Society." By speaking honestly to fans, BTS openly discuss thoughts and feelings others may have, Yet feel alone because of them. For YouTube’s ‘Dear Class 2020,’ vocalist Kim SeokJin said, "If any of you feels lost in the face of doubt or uncertainty, or the pressure of starting anew, don’t rush. Take a deep breath. You may find that any moment can be turned into an opportunity. Allow yourself to take it easy. Take it one step at a time. You might discover the important things you were missing, and they will reach out to you."

In addition, The relationship between the BTS members is an indispensable piece of who they are. without mutual understanding, a seven member band could not last. “I’m sure the members have their own struggles at times. I’m sure that happens, but BTS is a group of guys who speak the same language. So we’re able to communicate well,” Namjoon explains. “I think that’s really important. Since we can understand each other, there’s no reason for anyone to bottle things up. We talk among ourselves, even if we don’t agree on something. We’re able to get through to one another. I think that’s how we’ve come this far.” BTS often expresses the importance of their relationship with each other; their ability to connect and get along helped propel their career. Being able to open up and honestly discuss struggles and emotions for seven years, formed a strong bond only the members, as individuals, can understand. The members not only express their own integrity, but the integrity of fellow members, as well as support each other’s endeavors inside and outside BTS projects. They express how empathy and growing together results in a deep bond, which affects how they guide each other through struggles artists face, including how the world Judges both art and creator. “I think the key to companionship is trust. Once the trust is broken, I think the companionship is no longer there," Jung Hoseok says. "In the sense, that seven of us have spent a long time together, and I think our faith in each other has helped us come this far. If we weren’t supportive and trusting of one another, we wouldn’t have come this far.”

Sources:

Music and Identity Simon Frith

Vignoles, Vivian & Schwartz, Seth & Luyckx, Koen. (2011). Introduction: Toward an Integrative View of Identity.

Vignoles, Vivian. (2017). Identity: Personal AND Social.

David cooper's 'Authenticity and Learning: Nietzsche's Educational Philosophy

Varga, Somogy and Guignon, Charles, "Authenticity", The Stanford Encyclopedia

of Philosophy (Spring 2020 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL

<https://plato.stanford.edu/archives /spr2020/entries/authenticity/>.