[TRANS] ‘WINGS’ Concept Book Interview - Rap Monster
© floofyjimin
KRN - ENG © ktaebwi
『 Will we settle down here, or will we run more? There’s a visible limit of until where we can run, but settling down is, rather than right or wrong, not cool in my standard. I think it has become my vocation. We need to see until where we can go, we need to pave the way, I told the members I hope they would think about that, and thankfully they all related to me. I don’t know where is the end but we need to finish. 』
I heard the members were confused when hearing the title “Blood, Sweat & Tears” for the first time.
“(laughs) After reconsidering for about a day I thought it sounds okay. Suga-hyung opposed it. That hyung opposed it at first. (laughs)”
Where did you feel like it sounds okay?
“It’s not a colloquial expression in Korean. We normally say ‘shed blood and sweat’, ‘shed blood and tears’, we don’t use ‘blood, sweat and tears’. It sounds unfamiliar. I like a rapper called Ace Hood and he has an album titled <Blood, Sweat & Tears>. This is a commonly used expression in English and I thought if we take and change this to Korean, we could make it into one of our expressions. Also, I kept thinking about the phrase ‘blood, sweat and tears’ and the words’ feel is kind of uncomfortable. Feels like something is emitted. I thought about it for a day but other people would think it’s either sexy or dirty when hearing the title. It ended up not sounding dirty so that’s a success.”
How did you feel when you first heard the concept of <WINGS> will be based on <Demian>?
“I enjoyed reading <Demian> when I was young. I just read without knowing anything. I only thought ‘It’s a cool novel’. (laughs) The only thing I remember was that it was cool and difficult, but I went to read again after knowing the concept of <WINGS> will be <Demian>. Hearing Bang Shihyuk PD-nim talking, I got to understand why <Demian> is a classic coming-of-age novel. The elements in <Demian> suit what we want to do and what was portrayed in the ‘Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa’ series too.”
You even personally recorded the English quotes in <Demian>.
“This was Bang Shihyuk PD-nim’s idea. The reason why K-pop, combining various factors, can succeed is because of its organic storyline. BTS’ story is once again completed more strongly with <Demian> in <WINGS>. When people ask ‘Why do you like K-pop that much?’, ‘You should listen to Justin Bieber or One Direction, why do you have to like BTS?’, I think they can answer that it’s because of the storyline and the members’ fiction-like chemistry. Using my voice as another installation will make people immersed more. Besides, we are currently at the stage where we can’t only think of the Korean market anymore.”
How much did you participate in the repackage album <YOU NEVER WALK ALONE>?
“I wrote chorus for the first time in the title song ‘Spring Day’. Until now our title songs’ choruses have always been written by professional composers so I didn’t hold much greed, but I happened to write this when I went to Saetgang Park one day. That day the dead leaves oddly caught my eyes. It reminded me of how I used to dry leaves, put in letters and sent. 20, 30 minutes later I came up with a melody starting with ‘dead leaves’. When I first heard the title song, I wished there would be a melody with such kind of feels. I tried combining with what I wrote that time and it sounded good. I have thought that this would definitely be great from the start and after bringing them, they all said it’s good and in the end it was approved without any change. It was an honor for me.”
Do you come to the park often?
“I like parks and I also like coming to unfamiliar places. Sometimes I got to Jungnangcheon or Cheongnyangni Station for no reason, or basically anywhere. If I see any place I like on the car, I use the map on my phone and take photos so I can come there next time. I probably have gone to every place that’s worth visiting in Seoul. Now I’m planning to come to every place I haven’t gone to even if it has no special meaning. Like Gongdeok Station. Come and do nothing but just be there, seeing how people live, seeing them walking around. I’m curious how everyone lives in places I don’t know.”
It means indirect experience.
“Yes. I tend to come to such places and relieve my stress. I come there and see, doesn’t this world have no connection to me? Everyone is busy with thoughts about work always linger in their heads. When I come to such places, look around and have some time alone to think, something will be resolved. Even if there’s none, it’s emotionally relieving. It’s hypocritical how I get anxious when I have nothing to do, but when I do I want to escape. So I want to keep going outside and blend in the world that has no direct connection to me, even if I have to force myself. No one interferes me there. I don’t have many chances to hang out and talk with my ordinary friends, so coming to those places and listening to people talking sometimes help with my work too.”
What you just said is the story of your solo song “Reflection”.
“I wrote it when I went to Ttukseom. That time I had determined to write something and went out. Before I made ‘Reflection’, there was a good song too, but as I listen to it, it was too similar to the vibe of the artist I’m influenced by. I hated that. The company said it’s okay but I have my qualms of conscience. It’s not similar technically but to me it sounds obviously influenced by that person. We got our name on Billboard and other places too now, I hate making songs in that way. Anyway I have to make my solo song so I was going to use one I made before which I planned to put in my mixtape, but I hated that as well. It seemed to bend the album concept. ‘Then let’s just start over’, I thought, but I wasn’t sure what to do after deciding to start over, so I went to Ttukseom.”
What inspiration did you get there?
“If you come in the evening, you can see people just sit there. Everyone is gathering but it’s dark so they don’t mind each other. It’s nice. I can take a can of beer and sit together with them and no one will know. It satisfies my twofold desire. I want to be with someone else, but at the same time I want to be alone. I decided to write the song I want to hear there so I recorded the sound of the subway passing by with my phone and put it in the beginning of the song. I originally wanted to title it ‘At Ttukseom’ but Bang Shihyuk PD-nim said it was unacceptable. (laughs) He said there was no way everyone else’s was ‘Lie’, ‘Stigma’ and only mine was ‘At Ttukseom’. People who listen to this song for the first time find it weird how Ttukseom came out of nowhere, but for me, putting it in the song is important. It started there and ended there.”
As BTS grows bigger, it’s slowly becoming more important to balance out with your personal life.
“It’s really important. I don’t know if that’s why I go outside more often. If I’m too immersed in BTS only, I feel very empty. I would think ‘Is it real that I’m being loved?’ after I’m done performing or behind the stage. Maybe that’s why the only celebrity friend I meet outside of work is GOT7’s Jackson. Or Mot’s eAeon-hyung and (Kim) Yoonah-noona, I meet them sometimes too. Strangely, I don’t know whether it’s because of my image or it’s because people tend to either like or hate me, I don’t make any new friends in the entertainment world after debut. The ones who I meet all the time are my high school friends. Meeting them and hearing them talking about enlisting and coming back or finding job make me happy. I often read newspapers and and watch news because, isn’t the world of BTS and our fans very solid? It’s like a way of trying to escape from it sometimes. I plan to adjust the balance of myself as a person and as a professional.”
What about as the leader of the team?
“I have two thoughts, of where we should go next and of taking a little step back as a leader. There’s a part that I have to give ambition to the team. We have come this far, it’s time to make a choice. Will we settle down here, or will we run more? There’s a visible limit of until where we can run, but settling down is, rather than right or wrong, not cool in my standard. I think it has become my vocation. We need to see until where we can go, we need to pave the way, I told the members I hope they would think about that, and thankfully they all related to me. I don’t know where is the end but we need to finish.”
If there’s a role exclusively for Rap Monster, what is it?
“Leading in official events and giving ambition to the team as I mentioned before, I consider these my roles. Actually, the other guys is better than me as an idol. Everyone has their own role so I think I’m taking a step back there. It doesn’t mean I won’t do it, I’m just working hard on what I do and trying not to dominate too much. It’s been 4 years since our debut, we have passed that stage. It’s good for the other members to show their talents too. We can no longer just blindly say ‘do it’, ‘let’s do it’ like before.”
Then what is Rap Monster’s topic or assignments in 2017?
“The thing that keeps coming no matter how much we do is homework so… (laughs) Firstly, as team, it’s the tour. Should I say concerts and tour are like an assorted gift set to singers? It’s the final piece. We did many things for it. So right now, my biggest topic and also worry is how well I will do at the concerts and how much people will react to it. I have a lot of assignments for myself but the most important one is music. My work is reaching a plateau so I’m worried about how I should I next. I keep thinking in my head but maybe it’s because my body is too busy that my mind doesn’t move forward. Truthfully, I haven’t come up with an answer yet. I need to release many music in 2017 but, I don’t know. I’m a little scared, and I don’t know if I can meet up my standard.”
What do you think about when you need to overcome those times?
“I think about how it feels when I look in our fans’ eyes at the concert. This person doesn’t eat today, doesn’t watch a movie today, they spent their time to come all the way here for us, I think. At the same time, it makes me feel I’m doing a significant work. It’s not something significant socially, but I’m surprised that we can share each other’s energy. There’s no way to perfectly realizing my childhood dream, but mostly I think in any way, my dream came true.”
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