#bts analysis

so. about BTS wings. i, personally as a queer teenager, think it can be perceived as a queer metaphor (not to see that it is).

One day left until the official end of the solo era. And we have some hard data, don't we?

Albums and Singles

(I'll only be listing as singles and collaborations the ones that didn't appear as parts of their albums)

RM

Albums: 2 — Indigo (10 songs), Right Place, Wrong Person (11 songs)

Singles: 1

Outside collaborations: 4

Jin

Albums: 2 — Happy (6 songs), Echo (7 songs)

Singles: 3

Outside collaborations: 1

Suga

Albums: 1

Singles: 0

Collaborations: 3

j-hope

Albums: 3 (one of which completely dismantles the siege mentality around Jimin's solos) — Jack in the Box (10 songs), HOPE ON THE STREET (6 songs), Charm of HOPE (6 songs — and yes, this is the one that dismantles it)

Singles: 2

Collaborations: 2

Jimin

Albums: 2 — Face (6 songs + hidden track), Muse (7 songs)

Singles: 2 (plus Promise and Christmas Love)

Collaborations: 3 (though I'd really rather not have to count Angel, because as much as I love it, it's a little demeaning to show up just to sing backing vocals... Nothing like hitching a ride on BTS's popularity, right?)

V

Albums: 1 — Layover (6 songs)

Singles: 2

Collaborations: 1

Jungkook

Albums: 1 — GOLDEN (11 songs)

Singles: 3

Collaborations: 2

Okay. But What Does Any of This Mean?

Artistic output leads to awards and sales figures, my dears. And the numbers are not kind to anyone claiming Jimin underperformed.

Jimin went and collected records wholesale. But let's do this properly and in order.

Because honestly, the solo era was never about which of them did better. Though one could make the argument that Jungkook (in the mainstream sense) and Jimin (through fanbase strength and "consistently solid" material) left the rest pretty far behind — I'm going to stick with the position that the BTS members were simply given completely different assignments for this solo era. Each one different.

The Assignments

Jungkook: Crack the American Market

Take JK, his full promotional machine, and the strategy of betting everything on seasonal hits. JK wasn't supposed to make an artistic statement — because if that's his peak, then no thank you — but rather, dressed up under his own brand, to pave Hybe's way into international (primarily American) markets.

Partially successful, because JK genuinely became a radio voice, heard everywhere and not just on streaming platforms. Partially unsuccessful, because even though his material was tailored for American audiences (including a departure from the sugary idol image — god forbid he be modest, polite, or not vulgar!), it still didn't translate into anything beyond sales and reach.

Jimin: An Entirely Different Job

And here I completely understand the points made by Jimin Solo Stans — myself included — who argue he was treated as an afterthought. Because yes, fan meetings arranged like awkward elementary school Q&As, apparently saving money on balloons at lives, generally less push overall... Yeah, that wasn't great.

But also — Jimin didn't release an album to go commercial. Notice that he was only actively involved in the promotion of Face, and Face is an introspective album. By design, it was meant to feel close to the listener. By design, he was supposed to bare himself and shake off the whole aura of money and promotional machinery. Muse is something different, but do you really believe the release order was outside his control? I don't. And if he had control over it — or at least real input into which came first — choosing the far more personal content felt far more like Jimin than trying to slot him into what JK got and did, don't you think?

Beyond that, Jimin had a completely different set of tasks. First, he was partly meant to fill the gap in the Korean domestic market (his promotion was clearly tailored for Korea — even his solo stans can't argue against that, and if they tried... well. Just look at how little promotion j-hope got). Second, his success had to be organic, because he is Park Jimin, and we all know that whatever else you can say, Jimin's fanbase is the most disciplined part of BTS. Nobody expected it to go to the scale it did — I think Hybe itself was surprised — but that he'd succeed with minimal financial investment? Every market analyst in the building saw that coming.

The Rest: Protecting BTS's Identity as a Collection of Individuals

You might ask what everyone else was doing. Here too I can tell you:

Maintaining BTS's identity as a collection of individuals. Yes, we know they're different, varied, more or less artistic, more or less commercial. But we know that — ARMY, solo stans, OT7, OT6, OT-whatever-number-you-like. The person JK pulled in from the Western market? They don't know that yet. That mythical new listener arrives lured in by JK (and maybe stumbles onto Jimin by accident), and then discovers: rock, pop, poetic rap, furious rap, R&B, jazz, and literally everything — all wrapped in a very aesthetic package of seven quite attractive boys. They just have to dig long enough.

We can debate who balanced this task with their own break and their own identity better or worse, but roughly? That was the point.

Suga: The Test Case

Suga got his tour before enlisting. First, because as one of the "ready" members — those who had enough material for a full tour — he was the only one with time left to do it. Second, because he's objectively a litmus test.

Giving Jimin a tour wouldn't have answered the question of whether BTS member solo tours are profitable (because Jimin's disciplined fanbase isn't the same thing as ARMY, even if they overlap). Giving it to JK wouldn't have answered it either. Giving it to RM also wouldn't — his music is far more lyrical, more poetry than pop, and it doesn't reach Hybe's target demographic.

So Suga was the safe tester for j-hope, and the proof of concept overall. It worked — because after coming back from the military, both Hoseok and Jin got their own tours, right? Right.

Did Anyone Actually Lose?

Despite finding the solo era as a whole disgustingly boring with occasional bursts of fireworks — I don't think any of the BTS members actually lost anything here.

RM put out exactly the albums he wanted. Lyrical, a little more artistic, less pop, more poetry.

Jin proved himself as a solo artist. Presumably gave his ego a boost — though his ego is depressingly low, and he's a star, he should be a little more of a diva, he deserves it.

Suga — okay, the scooter incident probably hit him, but he got his tour, carved space above BTS, got to go back to the roots of what he does best — being a furious cat who talks about things heavier than teenage hormone problems. I got the sense that the K-pop genre started to weigh on him at some point.

j-hope and his experiments with content showed clearly that he did what he wanted. He proved he's more than sweet music videos and lots of colors — I'll never forget picking my jaw up off the floor at the Jack in the Box premiere.

Jimin gave us a masterclass in being a diva in practice. Because this isn't about being arrogant — it's about being exactly who he is. Simply a winner, and in my opinion the person who made the best use of these past few years. He came, gave us two albums, swept the awards circuit with both, and went back to being a slightly chaotic soft noodle in AYS or a good boy on variety shows. One who isn't embarrassed to wrestle a bandmate on camera (or maybe not a bandmate, but that's another story), or just be funny — because he has absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Not in the slightest.

V — and those who've been here a while know I'm not a fan — also got what he wanted. He worked with new people (not the same rotation of songwriters and marketers associated with BTS), released an album in a completely different vibe, and marked his distinctness and individuality probably more than anyone — which makes sense, because he arguably had the least room to do so before.

Jungkook fulfilled his dream and for a moment became a globally recognized pop star rather than a K-pop vocalist. And I want to stress — that's what he wanted. To be the next Justin Bieber, or whoever he had in mind. So he became that.

The Wrong Horse

Here's what I actually meant by that.

Through all of this, there's a bitterness in the fact that Jimin — who earned his success through a disciplined fanbase, his magnetic talent, and the fact that Hybe didn't stomp quite so heavily on his actual lyrical content (because honestly, some of his songs say things that, if I were building the myth of a happy "family" and "besties forever," I'd really rather not have said publicly) — didn't get what JK got.

But here I'd ask myself: did we actually want Jimin to get what JK got for Face? (Because Muse was released during his military service, so that kind of machine was never on the table.) Do we really want Jimin's debut album to be a collection of one-summer hits and music videos where he runs around half-naked singing about sex with nothing but suggestive choreography?

I don't. I wouldn't want that.

And that was JK's assignment. JK was supposed to give us the collection of one-summer hits with suggestive moves that would create a "wow" effect on the American music market (toward which I have worse than a bad attitude). The machine couldn't run at full scale for everyone. They had to pick one person to deliver it, and JK seemed like the best choice — because he's the most recognizable member of BTS in that target demographic (we're talking teenagers and young adults at parties, not philosophy lecture attendees who specialize in poetry). Because he objectively looks the least like a "perfect idol." And because among those who could have done it, he seemed the most willing.

Because sorry, but I can't picture Jin wowing anyone with his dancing (not saying he's bad, but he's a little stiff — he doesn't have that natural talent for improvised movement, it just doesn't come naturally to him). And I can't picture V going out there without making a whole performance out of his "jaded artist who doesn't care about anything" persona. They needed JK.

So overall — if the goal was mainstream recognition, they could have gone with Jimin. Genuinely. He could have done exactly what JK did. But do you know what separates them? Risk.

Nobody expected fireworks from JK's music. At least not within ARMY. His solo stans might be disappointed, but disappointing a JK solo stan doesn't sting the way disappointing a Jimin solo stan does. With Jimin? Oh boy. That could have hurt. JK was safe.

Final Thoughts

What still genuinely pisses me off is that Jimin is underexposed. Not just by Hybe — but by the fandom itself. I say this as someone who came to BTS and stayed because of Jimin. Go to any video about him and check the first five comments. For all that Jimin has the most solo stans, the broader fandom treats him as an afterthought. Or openly dislikes him.

But that's maybe a topic for another post — if anyone's interested.

Hybe took what was best in each of them, chewed it up, gave us scraps — but still mostly stayed true to what the boys actually wanted. At least partially. Sure, we'd love for every member to get the full JK investment. But that's not how markets work. It's still a company that needs to make money. Compromises have to be made.

This song is for the people who are experiencing an emotionally exhausting relationship with their significant other, confronted with the complexity of love and the hardships that come along with it.

What once began as a journey filled with promises of endless love, hope, and resilience, has gradually transformed into something far more complicated. In the beginning, the sacrifices seemed small, and taking on the blame didn‘t feel like such heavy burden. But as life threw its challenges your way, the illusion you both held dear started to fade.

You both became tired of each other and the repeated seesaw game your relationship has become. It started to weigh on you - your partner not putting in the same effort to keep the relationship balanced as you did. What began as a simple act of love, of trying to maintain equilibrium, turned into a thankless task. Your emotional exhaustion started to become meaningless, and you began to wonder when things shifted. Was it a small argument, or was it all the countless moments where you tried to be the balancing weight of your partner, only to end up being the heavier one, doing all the work? Perhaps, there was never any true balance to begin with, contributing to you trying even harder to make this relationship work.

However, if this is what love is supposed to be, does it have to be fought for anew every single day? You start to see that in order to free yourself from this endless, toxic cycle, you have to stop being a part of this seesaw game. It brings nothing but pain and disappointment to its players. The decision has to be made now, without discussing who will make it. You‘re aware that someone will inevitably get hurt, and that fear of causing pain stops you from ending the relationship. You don’t want to bear responsibility for the other’s feelings, don’t want to be the bad guy who didn’t try enough, letting your partner fall to the ground. So, you continue to fool yourself into staying in a relationship you no longer want.

You hold on till the very end, but at what cost? You reach the paralleled balance you always wanted in this seesaw game, but not out of love, but of equal exhaustion. What began as playfully bragging about being the one putting in more efforts, has now turned into a competition. You‘re counting who can give more, just to prove that you’re the better partner in the relationship. Inevitably, someone will be blamed for dragging the other one down, for ruining everything. You start to understand the danger of being on this seesaw more and more, realizing you must let go and move on from this emotionally draining bond.

At the end, your partner leaves, and you find yourself walking on the seesaw alone. Just as you started alone, you end up alone again, but finally being able to get off the seesaw.

Listening to Trivia: Seesaw feels like Yoongi acknowledging your struggles and offering you a sense of understanding. It‘s like he‘s there with you on that seesaw, holding your hand while bearing the weight alongside you. He gives you time to breathe, without the fear that everything will collapse if you take a moment to reflect on your relationship. And when you decide to end things, he’s there to take your partner‘s place, ensuring that you no longer have to worry about maintaining balance anymore.

Song requested by @taekritimin123

I don't know if this is true, but it ought to be.

I have seen some idols do the choreo for Lie. (Sorry, I do not know their names.) And they were competent, proficient, even good, but there was something lacking. The movements too sharp and perfect, without the fluidity and feeling Jimin creates, seemingly so effortlessly.

You did say you wanted to talk about Jimin's music, didn't you?

Hi Anon, I did want to talk about Jimin's music. So thanks for the ask.

LIE by JIMIN (Choreo)

To properly understand, I searched up a stage fancam of Lie on YT. Here it is for reference-

Also, this one-

(I also used the Lie short film behind the scenes from a bangtan bomb as reference)

As we can see, the Lie Choreo is NOT heavily dependent on the back up dancers. All the back up dancers do is showcase the chaos- by doing the same moves but in different angles, facing different directions to show chaos, and in the end when they lift Jimin during the bridge. Lie stage is not heavily dependent on back up dancers like in LC or Set me free pt2.

As you can see, the distinctive characteristic of Jimin's dances are -

1. His fast and slow movements, requiring extreme core strength.

2. His beautiful dance lines. Due to his professional background and again, core strength- that lets him always maintain those lines. Pause the choreo at any point and you'll get a pose. You can even compare his lines to the back up dancers and see how prominent they are.

3. Story telling via body language. Lie is a sad song. Like a cry for help. And that shows in his body language, even though he's dancing perfectly, he looks defeated, a little dizzy in between movements, hence bringing out the emotions.

4. There are particular parts of the choreo which I have personally used to compare the idols' performances. One of them being Jimin's body movement during the lines "smooth like-a like-a snake" and the other "순결했던 날 찾아줘"(Please find me who was innocent).

Let's look at the dance covers by idols/trainees-

NIKI-Enhypen

Out of all dances I saw, when it comes to technicality and detail, I think Niki's cover was the best. The only area he lacked in was body language. The way jimin carelessly lets his head dangle during the chorus, showing despair, the way he extends his arms in abandon during the choir part of the song etc- all of those movements generate the emotions of the song. Niki did it exactly the way a skilled, versatlie dancer would do it. The only thing he lacked was the body language of 'despair'. And I also need to applaud him for taking care of the dance lines. He did a great job.

Byeongkwan

Even though technically, Niki was more detailed, I enjoyed Byeongkwan's performance a lot because of the emotions he put. His head movement, hands, expressions - he was using them all to evoke the same emotions of the song. Technically, he missed some details of the original choreo and his body lines were not perfect. The central body movement during "Sungyeolhaessdeon nal chajajwo" was not that fluid. Some dancers do not pay attention to their central body movement when there is already a lot of limb movement (like tiktok dancers). Even though he was not technically accurate, he was a pleasure to watch because of his confidence and emotions. Even though his emotions were more about 'sexy despair' than just 'despair' lol.

YG treasure box (Junghwan vs Hyunsuk)

Won't even bother putting a link because these two are trainees and really really not upto the mark - both vocals and dance. So, I'm sorry I won't be evaluating them lol. You can find it on YT if you wish to. They shouldn't have chosen such a tough song for a battle, especially for trainees. Jimin is called 'idol of idols' but only those who are extremely hard working and daring enough to try to embody Jimin's power should attempt his stuff. It's very easy to fall short if they are not serious about it.

Dongheon from Verivery

A decent attempt for a rookie, I would say. He missed a lot of details and in some places, the popping was non-existent. Dance lines were also not taken care of. But overall, I think if he had practiced more, maybe with another pro-dancer, he could do better. He definitely tried to put in the emotions via body language, and I do appreciate that. Again the lack of torso movement during "Sungyeolhaessdeon nal chajajwo" was apparent. Such a simple thing, but such an easy catch when you need to distinguish idol dancers vs professional dancers.

All said and done, I see he is just a trainee, but I do see the passion, even in dingy practice room, recorded using a phone camera probably.

Tae Young, Seven o' clock

Again, I won't comment because this was done as a gag for an interview. It's not a serious performance or practice. Something you or I would do in the privacy of our homes or around friends lol. You can watch the video on YT.

That's all the covers I could find on YT.

A short note on LIE vocals: You are right, no idol has attempted to sing it. At least no well established idol. I saw some vocal covers by YT singers, but they all did it in their own style. Honestly, Jimin's vocals are not easy to replicate at all. Maybe a song like Serendipity is still okay to attempt, with the intention to sound like Jimin. But Lie?? No way. Because in Lie, Jimin doesn't use falsettos or soft voice (only bridge has falsetto) . It's all raspy, boyish voice and head voice. The high notes in Lie are not falsettos either. It's not just the emotions, but also his pronunciation, vocal fry, vocal texture and vocal cracks that come into play. They are simply not imitable. If you want to cover Lie, just do it in your own style.

Anyway, if you want to read more about Jimin, here's another post by me about his music which didn't receive a lot of attention, go read it if you can:-

This is all alleged and speculation. No relationships are proven true until confirmed by the idols themselves or their agencies. Do not take this personally or too seriously. This is just an extreme over-analysis of song lyrics and observations I have made about idol interactions from years of being a K-Pop fan.  This is a work in progress- RM has like a million songs and I am constantly going back and rediscovering new meaning in lyrics and adding to the song list. So buckle up, get a snack and a drink because I basically typed an 12 page thesis.

I really like that in the 'Running Wild' Music Video, both Jin and his dog, decided to go places to spent their last time together, despite of the apocalypse. Going to places where is not guarded anymore, like the cinema where they just randomly watch a movie together, a thrift store where they just take and try stuff there since nobody is taking care of the store anymore, I'm assuming SOMEBODY'S LUXURY HOME AND SWIMMING POOL- 😭 (They even go to the beach, for last time sake)

But it doesn't matter anymore, only matters is they enjoy their last moment together. Everyone at the beginning were running for their lives from the apocalypse (which is a valid response-), but Seokjin looks up and stares at the meteors falling from the sky, then looks and his dog, and finally decided to plan the MOST AMAZING TRIP THEY'LL EVER HAD IN THEIR LIFE!

But, this is probably me, almost at the end it seems like Seokjin doesn't want to end. He even rode a car, trying his best escape the meteors (AND SOMEHOW HE SUCCESSED DOING IT??? 😭😭). He refuse to let go, just like the people are, but then he saw a family, cherishing their last moment together, still (SOMEHOW??) avoiding the meteors, but then stop the car to watch the world end, as they treasure their last moment together.

For me , this is a metaphor for for cherishing memories with people you love and care about, even in their last moments. The MV definitely capture the song, in a way, perfectly. Despite me joking about the ABSURDLY of how calm Seokjin is in an apocalypse, the message and story did make their point across. I can say I really like it alot! :) ✨💜💛💜💛💜💛💜✨

(It took SO LONG to write this- 💀)

“If “Indigo,” BTS leader RM’s past album from 2022, describes him defining what it means to be human, RM’s newest album, “Right Place Wrong Person,” tells the story of his raw experience putting that definition into practice. It is this experience of RM turning off the switch of TV friendly RM and diving deep into finding who the “real me” is, that expresses the true theme of his album, “Right Place, Wrong Person.” Each song that’s housed in this album sets a precedent of one’s freedom to be human, no matter how many people know their name or not.

As soon as one starts playing the first song, “Right People, Wrong Place,” they are whisked into the world of RM’s mind as electronic sounds mix with a breathy voice and an 80s style synthesizer…”

Read the full 5,000 word analysis here:

Namjoon's openly flirting now ...

And

This