More is just a song but it feels more like a declaration of independence.
I always say that what makes k-pop so compelling is how democratic it feels. The goal of the idol is to be a persona. This likable and easily identifiable character is easy for anyone to use as a template for personal fantasy. K-pop is, above all else, a fantasy industry. How an idol is perceived is more or less broad strokes chosen by themselves or the company and a bunch of stuff everyone else decides to see in the idol because they want to. In many ways, we are turning on ourselves with a bit of help.
What made BTS so successful is that they blended the art and the fantasy well — prioritizing their chemistry and connection to each other with message music that felt like it had a direction and a focus, more so than the run-of-the-mill fantasy factory. BTS are artists, not to say other people aren't. It's just to say there has always been this desire to say something. But the more popular they got, the harder it was to avoid the industry's downfalls. Their success creates opportunities only within the carefully formulated lines of the system that made them. A lot of army don't like for BTS to be called k-pop, but it's the remixed k-pop strategies that make BTS popular.
During the now-infamous Festa video, Hobi sat and listened, providing thoughts here and there but mostly holding space and supporting. Hobi supports. He's a team player who does what the group requires, often blending in and smoothing his edges. He did start to break when Namjoon talked about the strain, the pressure, and the exhaustion. His eyes were glassy when they spoke about losing their way. Jimin mentioned in passing how hard it was for Hobi, and you could see it on Hobi's face, it was more complex than any of us could even know.
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