After an extremely busy week of grading finals, followed by a Friday evening with ARMY friends from Scotland, the U.S., and Switzerland, and then a Saturday spent helping a friend just outside Seoul repair his property after the recent torrential…
Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting ARMYs who’ve come to see me while visiting Korea. Some even traveled all the way to Damyang, the small, mountainous town in the southwest where I was living during the COVID…
MORE “MORE” may not be everyone’s cup of tea (but as someone who loves rock songs, it is my cup of tea, runneth over), especially to those who want J-Hope’s music to be effervescent and sunshiny, but no one will…
Translation of Every Song in Jack in the Box Album Where’s my safe zone?Let me know if you knowWhere’s my safe zone?DamnSacrificing my 20s,I’m living a prolific lifeI react to my fans’ cheers,But also reflect on my growing personaWorld is…
한국어 After watching the 1990s film Seopyeonje, a sorrowful tale of an obsessive pansori (traditional Korean musical storytelling) master who seeks to reach a deeper realm of sound through his supremely gifted daughter, while striving to preserve this venerable vocal…
Forever Rain “Forever Rain” my favorite track from his magnificent mixtape album “mono.” The song perfectly encapsulates the motif of the whole album, which deals with the dichotomy and contradictions of life, of both wanting to be left alone and…
Everythingoes The song’s intention is clear from its long, meditative intro: nearly two minutes of RM gently repeating, “Ji-nah-gah (time heals),” as if to reassure both himself and his listeners that, in the end, things will be okay. This masterpiece…
Two days ago, Korea celebrated the 80th anniversary of Independence Day. As many of you know, Korea was occupied by Japan from 1909 to 1945. During those years, Japan ruled the peninsula brutally, stripping Korea’s resources for its conquest of…
Uhgood Each line in the song is spare, yet heavy with nuance. Layered metaphors and subtle turns of phrase reveal how much can be said with so little. Through Uhgood, RM demonstrates the austerity and expressive depth of restraint, inviting…
