By Amalia Theocharidou,
BTS is a K-pop boyband that has been taking over the world by storm. The seven members, RM, Jin, SUGA, J-hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook are winning the hearts of millions of fans all over the world with their charming appearance, approachable personalities and incredible stage presence as well as unmatched vocals. As one begins to sink into the BTS or ARMY (as the BTS fans are called) fandom, they come across more than just a stunning appearance but also their extraordinary lyrics and deeper moral and philosophical issues that are being pinpointed through their music. A bright example is the song “Spring day”.
With this song, BTS start by paying tribute to the great shipwreck that took place in Korea in 2014 and costed the life to hundreds of high-school students who were supposed to enjoy their vacation. The government seemed unable to consult the grieving families of the students whose only anamnesis are the belongings of the students that come on the shore. “I miss you”, BTS’ Jimin sings as he hangs a pair of shoes, on a tree that are beached at the seaside. The injustice of the government is being highlighted through another movie reference that is difficult to catch on a first watch. In SUGA’s part, he is rapping laying on a huge pile of clothes, copying a scene from “Snowpiercer”, a movie that highlights the economic and social injustice the world goes through, categorizing the shipwreck as such.
The song as well as the video clip pays homage to dealing with a loss. Following the steps through the eyes of the youngest member Jungkook, who seems to be fighting to let himself accept the situation, the viewer “travels” through the stages of grief. “Until the spring day comes again”. This hopeful lyric implies that the moment of separation won’t last forever. Using the four seasons as metaphors, BTS imply that as the year does its circle and pass through autumn and winter, spring will come again, hope will come again and a brighter future will come. Beginning with isolation, the members seem to struggle realizing that the separation time has come, they run away and try to hide themselves. The next step is questioning. Unable to find solutions, the members seem to seek for their friend, which leads to anger due to the impossibility of finding Jungkook. Depression comes next as well as realization that they need to free themselves from the unbearable pain of the separation (Reecha, 2022).
The video clip pinpoints another important metaphor. Omelas. As it’s pictured we see BTS being hesitant to leave the Omelas hotel. Going back to the famous writing, it is discovered that Omelas is a city full of happiness and joy. The residents live there mindlessly, unaware of the difficulties and struggles outside of the small borders of their town. That is until a small child comes to the realization that this isn’t the truth, the world is harsher and he falls into the dilemma of unraveling the truth by losing his happiness, or staying trapped into this seemingly perfect town? “The ones who walk away from happiness search for its more profound meaning”, the writer states, which is what motivates the members to leave the hotel and come across the harsh truth.
BTS have been stunning people all around the world for years now, as their success continues with more force. Spring day is a message of hope, love and inspiration. BTS preach to love ourselves, to accept us no matter what. Their message needs to be heard and personally, I believe that everyone should give them a listen at least once. As BTS state, “The morning will come again, Because no darkness or no season, can last forever, It seems like the cherry blossoms are blooming, This winter is also coming to its end”.
References
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Reecha. (2022, February 13). Spring Day: A Story about Love and Loss. reechaishere.medium.com. Available here
