The definition of good music may differ from person to person, but it seems certain that good music soothes souls. It helps us vent emotional catharsis in its own way. There are two ways when it comes to how good music usually does it; it has beautifully resounding lyrics or its melodies and beat make our hearts beat faster.

BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, seem to manage both. They have swept across the world with their music, writing a new chapter in the history of K-pop. Their music seems to portray how we look at the world in such a delicate manner that it feels like a well-written poem. Among their lyrics are “Love the funny smell of Cheonggyecheon.” or “Love the loneliness of Seonyu-do and even the sigh of a taxi driver who says it would be a wonderful world with money.” They are written in such down-to-earth manner that they appear to describe how you feel about the world exactly. It is something that you can relate to so much.

The more complicated and competitive the society becomes, the more people want to be consoled. They want to be patted on the shoulder and feel like they have friends who can empathize with how they feel. They would like to hear, “Hey, I feel the same. You’re not the only one. We are all equal beings.” These words give them the sort of comfort and the sense of belonging which make them feel they are not alone.

Being so sensitive and perceptive to those delicate events around us seems to be in line a lot with being loneliness, emptiness, and deficiency. Those who never experienced lack or deficiency in their lives are not sensitive to what’s taking place around them. They become self-centered creatures with time. The reason why the world is crazy about BTS results from such deficiency. It seems likely that as the world is becoming more and more advanced and affluent, there seems to be more and more things that are missing. Just like the people who belonged to the Lost Generation in the 1920s of America, the whole world feels emptiness in their lives. So it is our homework to find out where the emptiness comes from so that the world becomes a better place for all of us together to live in.


From Lim Hyun-soo
Hanam, Gyeonggi Province