Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Having your music cut out mid-song is a living nightmare for musicians. But if you have the wherewithal to go with the flow with the good and the bad, those moments also can become a highlight of the evening. During a concert in Osaka last year, J-Hope was faced with exactly this dilemma. He describes it as the worst thing that can happen at a show. But he handled it with aplomb.
The men in BTS are still so young. But I get the impression that they are not oblivious to the passage of time. They know the half life of a musician’s career isn’t forever. Far from it. And while a part of me feels sad that they had to grow up so fast in the music business, the other part is grateful that they appear to be making plans for the future, even as they are enjoying what they have today.
The argument between two members of BTS was hyped up as being a shocking revelation in the previews. But for anyone who has a sibling — or who has ever been in a serious relationship — speaking the uncomfortable truth is par for the course. Arguments often aren’t about what you’re addressing at the time, but rather all the little things that have built up to make you reach that boiling point. What was more interesting to me was watching Jin and V dig to the bottom of the real issue: respect.
정 (jung) is a Korean word that is difficult to define in English. 정 encapsulates a feeling of love and loyalty that people have for one another. They will do things out of the kindness of their hearts, rather than as quid pro quo. As I watched the members of BTS drinking and laughing together, I realized that it was this 정 they had for each other that was as much of a component of their success as anything else.
I imagine that for the members of BTS, presenting an idealized version of their real selves was par for the course. But with “Burn the Stage,” they have come to terms with who they truly are and are confident enough to show it to the public. It is difficult to explain why this first episode was so moving for me. Certainly, there is the aspect of seeing Asian Representation so beautifully presented; and in a manner that doesn’t exoticize these young men as strange creatures from a foreign land.