How I Became a BTS ARMY
Among my middle-aged peers, I stand out as somewhat unique: I stay closely attuned to…
Category KOREAN MUSIC
Stop the Rain
Two bards have crossed paths to share their sorrow, lamenting a world that relentlessly pours…
Singularity
(translated in 2018) The term ‘singularity’ originates from a mathematical concept, indicating a point…
Letters That Stay: RM to Jimin, My Student to Me
One of my students left Korea last year to attend law school in Boston. When…
Outro: Tear
(originally translated in 2018; revised in 2021) Alain de Botton’s “On Love” might be…
The Truth Untold
(translated in 2018) The Truth Untold fascinates me ad infinitum. First of all, for…
Epiphany
Epiphany Ever since this song first graced my ears, its poignant lines about self-love continue…
Moon
Moon The theme of Jin’s “Moon” is a heartfelt reflection of his love for ARMY,…
RM’s Letter From Last May
In honor of Jin’s new album, “Echo,” releasing this Friday, I’d like to share a…
The Astronaut
The Astronaut With Coldplay’s involvement in the composition, the song features a rich blend of…
The Most Beautiful Sight in All the World
In 1986, a Korean folk duo 시인과 촌장 (City Dweller & Village Chief) released a song,…
With the Clouds
With the Clouds In essence, the song masterfully expresses emotional fragility, hope, and human connection…
To Me, Today
To Me, Today The lyrics capture a message of self-encouragement and embracing the present. Through…
Background
Background This song has grown on me throughout the week, as I kept returning to…
Nothing Without Your Love
Nothing Without Your Love While “Moon” is Jin’s heartfelt promise to remain ever near—to circle,…
Closer Than This
Closer Than This This is an irresistibly catch song with smooth beats and flowing melodies.…
Smeraldo Garden Marching Band
Smeraldo Garden Marching Band In contrast to RM’s somber lyrics in “The Truth Untold,”, where…
Rebirth, Slow Dance, and Be Mine
Rebirth, Slow Dance, and Be Mine from Jimin’s MUSE album MUSE’s diverse genres—ranging from Taylor…
So Far Away
So Far Away I have often reflected on why SUGA chose Job’s story as the…
Korean Bands 3: Broccoli, You Too?
The next band I’d like to introduce is an indie group with perhaps the quirkiest…
Strange
Strange SUGA, whose exterior exudes insouciance while his interior burns with a furnace, uses this…
Moonlight
Moonlight (Korean title: 저 달 (juh dahl) (That Moon)) “Moonlight,” the opening track on SUGA’s…
People
People (Korean title: 사람 (sah-lahm) (A Human) Though the verses, layered with tight rhymes about…
RM’s First Letter After the Discharge
It’s Friday once again here in Korea. After several days of high heat and humidity,…
The Long-awaited Letter From SUGA
After an extremely busy week of grading finals, followed by a Friday evening with ARMY…
ARMY Meeting
Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting ARMYs who’ve come to see me…
MORE
MORE “MORE” may not be everyone’s cup of tea (but as someone who loves rock…
Jack in the Box
Translation of Every Song in Jack in the Box Album Where’s my safe zone?Let me…
Forever Rain
Forever Rain “Forever Rain” my favorite track from his magnificent mixtape album “mono.” The song…
Everythingoes
Everythingoes The song’s intention is clear from its long, meditative intro: nearly two minutes of…
Uhgood
Uhgood Each line in the song is spare, yet heavy with nuance. Layered metaphors and…
Moonchild
Moonchild The term moonchild, loosely defined as someone idiosyncratic or out of step with the…
Inner Child
A writer once said that each of us carries a crying child in a quiet…
RM’s Letter from the City of Angels
School started up again last Thursday. From Friday through Sunday we were off on an…
Euphoria
I translated this song in 2019, but I can’t find the analysis I wrote then.…
Serendipity
Serendipity I especially love how RM playfully links 그냥 (geu-nyang) (simply) with 고양이 (goh-yahng-yi) (cat),…
Blue Side
Blue Side For the bridge, J-Hope writes two four-line stanzas of fixed length with matching…
Piece of Peace
Today marks the official opening of the “Min Yoon-gi Therapy Center” at Yonsei University’s Severance…
Heavenly Cover of The Truth Untold
Some of you may already know him, but there’s this Korean guy named Sung Joon…
Dionysus
(translated in 2019) My initial attraction to Dionysus was due to its references to Greek…
Jin, JK, and the Laugh That Heals
JK blocking Jin from blowing his signature kiss will never not be funny. Jin’s natural,…
Seoul
Seoul In “Seoul,” RM takes us on a thought-provoking journey, offering perspectives that resonate with…
Echo
Echo The songs on this album aren’t particularly groundbreaking or emotionally seismic. But Jin’s music…
Fly to My Room
Fly to My Room Blending neo-soul with vocal brilliance, BTS showcases V’s husky baritone and…
Rain
(translated in 2021) During the dog days of summer, the Korean peninsula enters its…
My Time
My Time This song is JK’s reflective, sincere letter to himself, about the disjunction between…
Ddaeng
Ddaeng An artist is nothing without creativity, and BTS’s ability to conjure it at will…
Learning Korean: Korean words and phrases through RM’s latest message on Weverse
안녕하세요! Two weeks ago, RM wrote a short message for ARMY on Weverse about how…
Interlude: Set Me Free
Interlude: Set Me Free One day, he’s so depressed that he’s “바닥에서 (bah-dahk-eh-suh) (on the…
Korean Bands 1: The Rose
Last week, I was pleasantly surprised to see the Korean alternative rock band The Rose…
Korean Bands 2: ADOY
While sharing my thoughts on the Korean alternative rock band The Rose a few weeks…