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The Story of BTS's Global Appeal
"What is the identity of BTS's global appeal?"
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| This book is an academic study on the appeal of BTS, analyzing the BTS phenomenon from the perspectives of cultural sociology, communication studies, and international politics. The eight contributing authors find the reason why the BTS phenomenon deserves attention in the comprehensive and fundamental issue of appeal. While previous studies on BTS have focused solely on finding the success formula of the Korean Wave or highlighting the excellence of Korean popular culture from a nationalistic viewpoint, this book focuses on various factors that make the BTS phenomenon appealing, such as business strategies in popular music, the use of new media, and the role of the fandom known as 'ARMY'. As a middle-power nation entering the mid-21st century, South Korea faces the challenge of not only adapting to changing times but also creating a new cultural identity that can lead the era. In this context, the authors pose the core question, 'What is the identity of the appeal that has captivated global fans?', ultimately showing interest in finding Korea's appeal, that is, creating an attractive Korean identity. Specifically, by noting that the BTS phenomenon has consistently and continuously stimulated the empathy, admiration, and aspirations of young people worldwide, transcending temporary trends and illusions, they transform the search for BTS's appeal into an engaging endeavor through the following four core questions. |
"What is appeal?"
Notably, this book focuses on the meaning embedded in the Chinese character for charm (魅力), which implies 'a charm that captivates the heart like a goblin,' rather than the US-centric concept of soft power. Among these, the interaction between the appealing subject (BTS) and the other party (audience or listener) was identified as the core of BTS's appeal.
"What is the differentiating appeal of BTS from the Korean Wave in general?"
Despite the intense idol training system, BTS has not lost its identity as artists. All members have strived to incorporate the concerns of the younger generation into their songs and dances, and they have been unreserved in showing their unadorned, authentic, 'raw' selves.
"What is the identity of BTS?"
The aspects that make BTS uniquely BTS have resonated with people from diverse backgrounds worldwide. Among these, the culture of communication, where they share their messages with others, the hybrid style and performances that break down existing genre and cultural boundaries, and their lyrics have been highlighted as BTS's identity.
"What is the nationality or denationalization of BTS?"
The BTS phenomenon was possible not because BTS is Korean, but because they spoke universal messages while occasionally utilizing specific Korean stories and language at opportune moments. The combination of the universal and the specific has maximized their appeal. This suggests a new public diplomacy strategy of 'charm diplomacy' for South Korea, a middle-power nation heading towards the mid-21st century, and is expected to introduce keywords of 21st-century civilization into international relations.
The storytelling of global artist BTS is ongoing. However, analysis of the BTS phenomenon and its appeal, as described above, holds timely significance for fostering a second or third BTS nationally, for the continued growth and evolution of BTS themselves, and for individuals to draw strength and solidarity (reglobalization) from BTS's universal yet relatable messages.
Based on the content described above, this book contains a total of nine chapters, including the introduction. The main content of each chapter is as follows.
Introduction (Han Jun, Son Yeol)emphasizes that the purpose of the BTS Appeal Research Team is to find Korea's appeal, that is, to create an attractive Korean identity, and poses the core question: 'What is the identity of the appeal that has captivated global fans?' South Korea, a middle-power nation entering the mid-21st century, faces the challenge of not only adapting to changing times but also creating a new cultural identity that can lead the era. In this context, the author notes that BTS has stimulated the empathy, admiration, and aspirations of young people worldwide, transcending temporary trends and illusions, and introduces the research team's work in finding BTS's appeal.
Chapter 1 (Han Jun)examines the macro-environmental changes of the world since the mid-20th century that have enabled BTS's appeal to be globally accepted, through a review of existing research literature and historical studies. The author identifies keywords for macro-environmental changes in culture and arts as the reorganization of center-periphery in global culture, the weakening of cultural hierarchy and the emergence of omnivorous tastes, the combination of hybridity and authenticity as cultural values, and the emergence of digital personal media, positing that BTS's appeal is context-dependent. However, the author reminds us that context alone does not create appeal and examines the process of forming the conditions for the active acceptance of BTS's appeal.
Chapter 2 (Choi Saet-byeol)finds the source of BTS's appeal in their differentiation from general K-pop idols as artists with authenticity. Based on news articles about BTS, the author analyzes the factors contributing to the formation of BTS's appeal within the macro-environmental changes using the cultural diamond model of the sociology of art, in terms of production, text, distribution, consumption, and society. The results identified BTS's outstanding capabilities, Korea's K-pop production system and global K-pop platforms, the influence of social media, the enthusiastic global fandom ARMY, and the combination with the millennial generation's acceptance of cultural diversity as BTS's differentiating factors.
Unlike the above chapters that deal with the conditions or influencing factors of BTS's appeal, the following two chapters feature a more prominent interpretive approachto BTS's appeal.
Chapter 3 (Ha Young-sun)focuses on the essence of BTS's appeal. The author finds the core of BTS's appeal in 'complex beauty,' which is at the forefront of constructing a new civilization in the 21st century, seeking to rectify the limitations of modern civilization. The author notes that BTS is not merely a popular and excellent popular music artist and emphasizes the civilizational weight of the messages they convey. Specifically, using the message of self-love and coexistence in the hit song 'Fake Love' as an example, the author re-examines the values of the era that BTS sings about.
Analysis of the lyrics is discussed more comprehensively in Chapter 4 (Kim Su-jeong). Through lyrical analysis, the author examines what messages BTS aims to convey and how these messages are interconnected. By exploring the factors that have resonated with fans worldwide, the author summarizes the generational emotions, zeitgeist, and narratives expressed by BTS as authenticity, a sense of solidarity, and a desire for self-improvement and a fulfilling life.
The following two chapters present a content analysis approachto BTS's appeal, using comments from YouTube music videos and Billboard articles as material.
Chapter 5 (Lee Hye-eun)presents big data analysis of BTS's fandom and fan sentiment, based on comments on the YouTube music videos of BTS's 2020 new songs 'Stay Gold' and 'Dynamite.' The analysis reveals that within the BTS fandom 'ARMY,' comments are primarily used as a means of expressing fan sentiment towards BTS rather than as a form of communication among fans. It further demonstrates how fan sentiment expressed through comments extends to the relatively less known 'Stay Gold,' centered around the hit song 'Dynamite.'
Chapter 6 (Ahn Mi-hyang)uses articles from Billboard, a specialized US popular music media outlet, as content analysis texts. By referencing the number, style, and messages of Billboard's articles on BTS, the author analyzes BTS's appeal, which differentiates them from existing K-pop idols. The author notes the increasing proportion of favorable and positive articles about BTS and explains why Korean singers and K-pop groups aspiring to enter the US music market should pay attention to the BTS phenomenon.
Finally, the contributing authors expand the discussion on BTS's appeal to the global stage BTS has ascended and the new horizon of charm diplomacy, offering an international relations perspectiveon the global artist BTS and their appeal.
Chapter 7 (Jeon Jae-seong)approaches the phenomenon of BTS exerting global appeal from the perspective of their nationality and Korea's soft power. Noting that BTS's appeal does not hide their Korean identity but also does not excessively emphasize it, the author presents the core of BTS's appeal as conveying universal messages while retaining the details of particularity.
Chapter 8 (Son Yeol)examines the appeal of the BTS phenomenon from an international relations perspective and offers policy implications for Korea's public diplomacy. After pointing out various problems observed in existing Korean Wave diplomacy, the author emphasizes the power of storytelling, efforts to stimulate aspiration and foster solidarity, the transmission of universal messages, connection with taste communities, the formation of transnational cultural networks, and regionally differentiated diplomatic strategies for attractive Korean public diplomacy.
Table of Contents
Foreword: What is the Identity of BTS's Global Appeal?
Chapter 1: Environmental and Structural Conditions for BTS's Global Success ■ Han Jun
Chapter 2: Boundary Making and Boundary Crossing of Global Artist BTS ■ Choi Saet-byeol
Chapter 3: BTS's Appeal and 21st Century New Civilization ■ Ha Young-sun
Chapter 4: BTS Captivates the World Through Narrative, Communication, and Message ■ Kim Su-jeong
Chapter 5: YouTube Comments Speak of BTS ■ Lee Hye-eun
Chapter 6: Billboard Speaks of BTS ■ Ahn Mi-hyang
Chapter 7: BTS: A Global Citizen Raised in Korea ■ Jeon Jae-seong
Chapter 8: Learning Korea's Charm Diplomacy from BTS ■ Son Yeol
*This text is an AI translation of an original written in Korean. Some translations or nuances may be inaccurate.