Rap Mon Bts - Blog Posts

Whalien 52

   Many others have discussed this song and done it well, but Imma use it to start our move into BTS' music and symbology. Because, to my mind, it's one of BTS' best songs ever and embodies everything that's so special about them. First, let's look at the lyrics. I'll write the translation out here and not repeat the refrain, for space purposes. I'm using Genius English Translations. I'll also indicate which rapper sings which part, so you know what they wrote, basically.

   RM:

Yeah, the most lonely creature in the world

Eh, do you want to know my story?

I've never told this to anybody

Yeah, come on

   Suga:

In the middle of the vast ocean

One whale speaks softly and lonelily

The fact that no matter how much they shout, it won't reach

Makes them so gravely lonely that they quietly shut their mouths

Of course i don't care what's the matter or what I've now become

When loneliness is the only thing that stays by my side

I've become completely alone. It's a lock that fills sadness

Someone says "Bastard, you've become a celebrity"

Oh fuck that! So what?! Nobody remains by my side and I'm fine on my own

These words that are easily said towards me quickly becomes a wall

Even loneliness turns into something you can see

Even if my breaths are blocked

Because I'm confined in that wall

Head towards the surface of water above

Hey oh, oh hey oh yeah

   Chorus:

Lonely lonely lonely whale

Sing alone like this!

Will i ever shine so brightly like a remote island?

Lonely lonely lonely whale

Like this, try calling once again

Until this song that doesn't have a response

Reaches tomorrow

No more, no more baby

No more, no more

An endless signal will reach someday

Everywhere, even to the other side of the earth

No more, no more baby

No more, no more

Even the blind whales will be able to see me

Today i sing again

        J-Hope:

The world will never know

How sad i am

My hurt is oil and water that can't mix

So only above the surface of the water do I

Breathe, and the interest ends

A child in the lonely ocean

I want to make it known too

My value, Everyday

I become sick with worry, the sticker always beneath my ear

Never end... Why is there no end and always hell?

As time goes by, it's a Neverland in a cold abyss!

But I always think, now

Even if i sleep a shrimp's sleep, my dreams are like that of a whale's

The upcoming big praise will make me dance everyday

Like me, Ye I'm swimmin'

   Bridge:

I go towards my future

That blue beach and

Believe in my hertz

Hey oh, oh hey oh yeah

   RM:

Mom said the sea is blue

She said to let out your voice as far as you can

But what do i do? It's so dark here and there are only different whales

 speaking entirely different words!

I just can't hold it, ma! I want to say I love you

Alone, I look back at this music sheet that's like a rotating song

This ocean is too deep

Still, I'm lucky

(No one besides me knows of these tears.)

I'm a whalien.

   Chorus to end

   Wow, really strong moving lyrics. Just by reading, you can feel the pain and loneliness that they've experienced. Now add the music and voices. Even down to Adora's adlibs in the background, reminiscent of whale songs...

(Adora is a long-time producer with BigHit, in case you were unaware.) And the way they use the "radio sound" to make RM's voice sound further away. And lonelier. The credits for writing this are Kim Namjoon, Min Yunki, Jung Hoseok, Brother(?) Su, PDogg, Hitman Bang and Slow Rabbit. They are the dream team, when it comes to some of BTS' best songs.

   Then you figure out that the basis of the song is the 52-hertz Whale, the loneliest whale in the world. The story goes, a scientist discovered a lone whale in the Pacific who sang at the frequency of 52 hz. And whales can only hear up to about 40hz. So none could ever hear it sing. But it sang its song throughout the ocean, nonetheless.

   What genius! Why aren't there more songs about this?!? Isn't it the perfect basis for a song? Then, they added alien to the word! The very spirit of feeling disassociated, unfamiliar, remote... unheard. The incredible word play that BTS is known for, on full display. How could you not love this song? It's not a trite boyband love song, but rather, a scream from the soul, much like whale song. Reaching out to those around the world who can "hear" this level of loneliness and want. And doing what BTS has always done... Letting the listener know they can "hear" you, too. And they share your fears. And they're in this with the rest of the world. But we are together. Our lonely songs in the dark aren't in vain. They will be rewarded with time, as in all else. Keep singing, no matter who hears, because your song is also valid and necessary in the world.

   So, if you haven't heard this song, it's off of their HYYH (The Most Beautiful Moment in Life) pt 2 album. Released all the way back in November, 2015. Go listen immediately. It's obviously one of my favorite songs in the world. And I would love to share it with everyone. Even while we're all singing our own songs. ❄👸

PS: if you have any questions about how we interpreted something, or just want to relate interpretations of your own, feel free to let us know. Here or on our Instagram page 🙏

   Kim Namjoon, we know him as RM, the leader of BTS. To keep focus on this amazing human, I will let him introduce himself. In his speech to the United Nations on 24th of September, 2018 he described himself. "I would like to begin by talking about myself. I was born in Ilsan, a city near Seoul, South Korea..."

"I was just an ordinary boy. I would look up at the night sky in wonder and dream the dreams of a boy. I used to imagine that I was a superhero, saving the world.... "

"Looking back, that’s when I began to worry about what other people thought of me and started seeing myself through their eyes..."

"Soon, I began to shut out my own voice and started to listen to the voices of others."

"I had one sanctuary, and that was music...  But it took me a long time to hear music calling my name."

"Even after making the decision to join BTS, there were hurdles. Most people thought we were hopeless. Sometimes, I just wanted to quit..."

   Yes, strong and confident RM was bullied and slandered by his peers. In 2013 when, Suga and RM appeared on Kim Bong Hyun’s Hip-Hop Invitational 1st Anniversary Broadcast. A fellow rapper said. "You guys could have taken the road towards becoming rappers, but you couldn’t beat that temptation. Is BTS’s music hip hop? Is wearing makeup on stage like a girl hip-hop?" BTS as a group endured criticism and disappointnents from the very beginning of their young careers.

   July 2015 BTS concert, "The Red Bullet" in NY was abruptly stopped because of death threats towards RM. Again on July 29 in Mexico RM received another death threat. As one of the main lyricists, RM accepted the blame for misogyny in their songs lyrics. RM was quoted as saying, “The most controversial things came from what I wrote. I thought ‘I was so ignorant’.

   RM became depressed after this. But, he went to correct his errors with positive actions. He read lots of newspapers and books to study social phenomena. After he finished writing lyrics, he would get experts such as a professor of women's studies to objectively examine the lyrics. These are just a few examples. Of course, being a writer, RM used his talents to answer and confront his critics thru music. Kim NamJoon said it best in his own words. Again, quotes from his UN speech:

 "...think I was very lucky that I didn’t give it all up.

"I’m sure that I, and we, will keep stumbling and falling. We have become artists performing in huge stadiums and selling millions of albums."

"But I am still an ordinary, twenty-four-year-old guy..."

"I’m Kim Nam-joon, RM of BTS."

"I’m a hip-hop idol and an artist from a small town in Korea."

"Like most people, I made many mistakes in my life."

"I have many faults and I have many fears, but I am going to embrace myself as hard as I can, and I’m starting to love myself, little by little.. .."

   We must remember, he and BTS are just human beings like you and I. They have given of themselves to show us their true selves. Please, let's follow their example of kindness and respect to all we encounter in this life. Love yourself so you may love others.

To learn more about the partnership of BTS and UNICEF, please go to Love-myself. org 🌜🦎

Credit/Sources: Kenyabuzz

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