Band That Changed Me

Being a mere girl born in a middle-class joint family, it was always a hard life. I've never had a dream. Not that I didn't want to have one but I was always scared about the money it would cost and the judgments my parents would face. I remember how back in class 4 I was chosen as a child model but the tantrums and criticisms against it led me to give it up. Since then, I not only gave up on one dream but on many more dreams of mine and opted to go with the flow. Whichever path would lead me to earn in a way that no one will judge. I never had the guts to question myself about who I was? What did I want? How did I want it? This was because somewhere my mind feared what society would say.

With age and time, discriminatory practices and constant comparison ensured that I started developing a sense of inferiority vis a vis my brothers. I was regarded as uncultured when I would dance at events, guys thought I was fat and disrespected me and many more. I was always made aware of the sacrifices that I would have to make to survive in this society because I was a girl, the societal standards of an ideal girl.

In class 11, I had to take up commerce because many looked down on upon arts and failing with science was more shameful. All this made me more aggressive, conservative, afraid to speak up against any injustice, an introvert with self-hatred and I started deteriorating in my studies. To my friends or amongst my relationships, I couldn't stand up for myself because I always felt that I got way beyond what I deserved and thus I sacrificed and gave them everything they wanted. These all led to anxiety, loneliness, bad moods and, depressing thoughts.

It was going this way and would have remained the same if one night I had not come across a Korean band. Brought up in this kind of society, I was stereotypical, orthodox, hypocritical, prejudiced and judgemental at first because we always limit ourselves to the standards we see in media or books or what we hear about. I used to judge the way they looked, the things they ate, their language while jamming to Spanish songs and found reasons not to accept them just like every other person.

But I don't know how that night I decided to listen to their song. It was quite modern, the group synchronization was satisfactory, and the best thing was their friendship that made me happier. Since then I started listening to their songs and researching them. They debuted in 2013 as a hip-hop heavy act with "2 cool 4 skool" under Bighit entertainment, a small and minor agency dominated by large YG, SM, JYP entertainment. Dubbed the BANGTAN SONYEONDAN (BTS) in Korean and Bulletproof Boyscouts in English, the act consisted of 3 rappers and 4 vocalists all in their 20s coming from different parts of Korea.

RM formerly called Rap Monster is the leader and Suga are the main rappers who have produced and written many songs of BTS albums. Hope is another rapper and main dancer. Vocalists include Jimin who hits high notes, Jin a multi-instrumentalist, Jungkook the youngest as well as a sub-rapper and V a deep voice crooner, all seven-pitch with writing credits on most of their songs. Despite their ambitious start, their early school-themed albums touched on pressures familiar to every student. The group often faced judgments and criticism but their desire to speak their minds led it to tackle societal issues like materialism and mental health.

With songs like "PARADISE" and "NO MORE DREAMS", they tell their fans that it's okay to live without dreams as long as you are happy. As a survivor of high competitive kpop jungle they give sincere advice like, "Live as you like, it's your life anyway," by FIRE and boldly asks, "Who made us study machines and will take the responsibility of us living the lives as puppets?". Not just this but they even went onto socio-political territory, a taboo for kpop, a genre that usually sticks to safer subjects like romance, party and, daily life. Their fans (knowns as ARMY) have said that songs like 'Dope', 'Silver Spoon', 'Am I Wrong?' are rife with condemnation of media, societal ills, class divide, and political implications. They speak of respect towards caste, creed, sex, religion, skin and just not while attending UNICEF. They speak of how to love ourselves and speak up for ourselves by quoting "USE US TO LOVE YOURSELF" and "NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, WHERE YOU ARE FROM SPEAK YOURSELF."

The seven band members were born and brought up in poor families. They came to Seoul from different parts of Korea on their own, giving up homes, happy lives and parents with just one aim and that was to address societal needs, help those with depression and combat suicidal thoughts without having the urge to earn money. They met as strangers and accepted, trusted, helped and changed each other while starving, working, living in small dorms all together like a team. Amidst critical comments, they opted to change themselves before they could change society. They came forward, used makeup, kept long hair, shaved their beard mustaches off to fight against feminism, they addressed other issues too like LGBTQ. They promoted the concepts of "LOVE YOURSELF" "SPEAK FOR YOURSELF" campaigns on their tours or shows that they attended. They help the disabled, orphans, diseased and not just humans but animals too in every way they can.

Most importantly, while they are the craze in today's world, they never forget to reply back to their fans and, respect and thank them and their parents for each and every achievement. In certain media, they even reply back to the problems fans face and help and motivate them. Unlike any other artist, on their rest days, they don't date or spend time on any other way but work towards the betterment of society. They also educate the world with their own story to make us believe in ourselves and work, stay focused towards our dreams which has no limit amongst technological distractions.

They broke the language barrier and chose music as a means to help since it is limitless. I've never been this fond of anything and for a girl who was so conservative unless something really unique exists it would never change me. From being shy and an introvert to being unafraid of speaking against injustice, from being lonely to enjoying my own company and making good friends,from not daring to dream to working hard towards it, from feeling inferior and settling for less to loving myself and avoiding negative influences, they taught and changed me a lot.

They never spoke against their haters. Instead, they respected every human being. In time, they replied back with their work from achieving Billboard to recording Grammy, they have won more than 200 awards. Their music not only changed my life but millions of lives like mine. In a society with a diversity of cultures and religions, I often hear people disrespecting different religions, nationalities, and address them as "too gay", "with no beard or moustache", "eats beef, pork, and dog", "wears makeup". I really want to help educate everyone, help people with issues and be someone as great as them because if I am open today towards everything then it's just for them. They are just not some singers but souls that we should idolise. In just one year they changed me completely to a different person than what I was before. I often wonder how my life would have been if I had not taken this decision that night.