ONE UNIQUE REASON I LOVE BTS
BTS are referred to as the biggest boy band in the world right now. They are a group of South Korean artists who have completely taken over the younger generation and continue to break barriers in music. One barrier is that they are the first non American/ non British boy band to take the world by storm, singing completely in their native language.
This is a modern trend in music, where people do not have to succumb to western standards and media in order to become established big artists who influence change in the world. One of the things about them that captivates people is their creative and top notch performances. This is one of their performances;
I discovered them in 2018. I was just a young girl, getting out of my shell. I was still figuring myself out. “Idol” was the first song I watched of theirs, in their “Love Yourself” album. The lyrics in the song are all about loving oneself. I listened to the whole album and I was very inspired. Inspired that there is more to the world than just the narrow worldview of the African society. Inspired and motivated to take my life into my own hands and define for myself who I am.
One of the things I learned from their “Map of the Soul: Persona” Album is that who someone is does not depend on which family they were raised in, which society they grew up in, which religion they belong to, or what their peers define as the standard.
I have learned from them, through their lyrics and through their words that who someone is depends on that person only. As much as finding oneself is important, so is creating the version of ourselves that we want. I have learned from BTS that I cannot simply just sit passively and let my surroundings or who I am supposed to be define me.
I create the me that I want in an active and ongoing approach to growth. They delivered this message perfectly at the 2018 United Nations General Assembly.
Just like they dominate the charts, BTS dominates the soundtrack to my coming of age story. I have grown so much with them by my side, their music, their encouraging words and their refreshing energy have been part of my journey to wholly loving and accepting myself.
They have opened up my mind to new possibilities, new perspectives and new sensations. They have soothed many wounds and given me comfort and ease. Here is one unique reason why I love them.
They got me back in touch with my feminine energy. I grew up in Africa, where a patriarchal and misogynist mindset is prevalent. There is a clear prejudice towards the feminine. It shows in the way they talk, plus the cultural and religious beliefs they hold.
Right now, I strive to have a fluid and flexible balance between my feminine and masculine energies. However, when I was in my late teens, I began to lean more towards a rigid and aggressive attitude as a defense mechanism from many things. I abandoned my authentic energy in order to adapt. I became a hard shell. Angry, rebellious, ready to fight anyone. But this wasn’t authentically me, and I felt depressed often. I ended up internalizing so much of this that I hated anything deemed as ‘feminine’ because it was not seen as cool, it was only seen as weak.
When I started listening to BTS, the people around me bashed them for looking “Feminine.” They made it seem as though looking feminine was such a bad thing.
Aside from this, they used fact that the BTS fan base is 60% female to discredit their success. I remember my big brother asked me once “Do any black men listen to them?” As a way to prove that they are not worthy artists. Because in their psyche, things that appeal more to women are not as credible as things that appeal more to men. I and so many others find this mentality very repulsive and disgusting.
And I just remember at the time, questions ran through my mind. The questions were; “What’s wrong with feminine?” “What’s the matter if a lot of girls like them? Aren’t we humans with brains too?” They were looked at as inferior because they embraced feminine energy. At the time, I remember someone saying with a very demeaning tone, “I bet most of their fans are just women and girls.” All this was said to brush them aside as inferior or not worthy of attention.
Of course right now as 2020 is coming to an end, attitudes have changed, now that they have achieved a lot of success and have risen higher than even I anticipated. It just goes to show that people’s opinions and perceptions will never stop anyone from achieving their goals.
In early 2019, I read “Jung’s Map of the Soul”, the book that their album was named after. I did a lot of reflecting, I realized that I too had rejected femininity and painted it as weak.
That was the turning point, from then on I decided to embrace my feminine energy just as BTS embraces theirs. They became my role models on my journey to balancing my complimentary energies and living in fluidity.
Their song Boy with Luv made me appreciate the real beauty in the color pink, instead of bashing it in order to prove that I wasn’t like other girls. I embraced the color pink because of BTS.
For me, it symbolized the Sakura flower, it symbolized a new beginning for me. A transformation.
BTS to me are like big brother figures. They are just like big brothers I look up to and admire. I love them so much because I feel like they understand me and are so similar to me in many ways. From their style, to their art, to the way they speak and live, their energy is so similar to mine and I relate to them so much.
I feel different a lot of times, very different from my peers and my demographic. They remind me that I am not alone and that there are people in this world that understand me.
I will always love them, because during a rough time in my life, they provided so much positivity, light, and made me fall in love with the feminine once again. They continue to inspire and make me happy everyday. I can relate to them so much, their music, lyrics and words make me feel understood and heard. They show me that there is more to life than the boxes that people put themselves in. I will always choose them, I will always love them.
Originally published at http://kerensarahobara.com on October 2, 2020.
