When I started watching Korean TV series back in 2017, I wasn't all that aware of the Korean music scene... well, aside from Psy's "Gangnam Style". It didn't take long for me to start adding the OSTs for my fave shows onto my music rotations but I could have walked past the boys from BTS on the street and not known it.
According to my Spotify account, I listened to my first BTS song in 2018, but it couldn't tell me which song nor when in 2018 this happened. This is only slightly annoying.
I mean, it's only 100+ songs, right?
There is a chance it was "전하지 못한 진심" (ft. Steve Aoki) (The Truth Untold) " as that may have gotten caught by the Spotify algorithm and presented as one of those "If you liked *****, you might like these..." playlists. But it also might have been "DNA" or "Fake Love" as they are all bangers that would definitely caught my ear at least once. Mind you, that's only if we're looking at the albums released in 2018...
The more I think about it though, the more I consider that it might not have been any of the OT7 BTS songs at all. In 2017, V (Kim Taehyung) played a supporting role in a Korean historical drama, "Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth" and, along with fellow BTS member, Jin, provided a song for the soundtrack: 죽어도 너야 (trans. Even if I die, it's you.), known in English as "It's Definitely You." Of course, I had no idea who V was when I watched the show in 2018, I was there for Park Hyung Sik, who I'd seen in one of the first Korean dramas I'd watched back in 2017, "Strong Girl Bong Soon", and I'd gone looking for more of his work. V was just one of the supporting cast, even if he was one whose character's storyline is heartbreaking, it clearly was not enough to prompt me to look into his works. Wonder what the result would have been... I mean, SHINee's Minho is in the series as well and I didn't start appreciating their music until 2023.
Anyway, it would be nice to know for sure, but hey, I got here eventually and have a veritable cornicopia of music (currently over 26 hours on my BTS playlist) that contains music for practically every mood or moment. I've popped a small snippet of one song's lyrics (including English translation) to the right.
The translation of the lyrics comes from an excellent website, doolset lyrics, whose work I highly recommend for any English-speakers looking to get a greater understanding of the songs,
particularly those that have been predominantly written by members (like Namjoon and Yoongi) as they do incredible things with words.
But it wasn't until early 2020 (just as COVID was making itself known) that I got intrigued by the way an account I followed on Twitter (as it was then known) kept talking about one particular Korean boy group:
BTS
There's a quote floating about in ARMY social media and commentary, I can't find the definite origin, that sums up the reality for many ARMY: It’s okay if you didn’t discover BTS in 2013, because you find them in times when you need them the most.
And, boy, did I need them that year... and the year after that... and the year after that... I don't think it will ever stop.
Fake Love - BTS
(found on both Love Yourself: Answer and Love Yourself: Tear)
널 위해서라면난
If it was for you,
슬퍼도 기쁜 척 할 수가 있었어
I could pretend that I was happy even if I was sad
널 위해서라면 난
If it was for you,
아파도 강한 척 할 수가 있었어
I could pretend that I was strong even if I was hurt
사랑이 사랑만으로 완벽하길
Wishing that love is perfect as itself
내 모든 약점들은 다 숨겨지길
Wishing all my weakness is hidden
이뤄지지 않는 꿈속에서
In a dream that can’t come true,
피울 수 없는 꽃을 키웠어
I raised a flower that couldn’t bloom