What BTS’s “Boy With Love” ft. Halsey Can Teach Us About K-pop

EPISODE 123

How should we listen to K-pop? This music has become a global phenomenon, charting on the Billboard Hot 100, taking over social media feeds, and touring the world. In particular, the group BTS has captured the ears of millions, building an Army of fans along the way. As uninitiated listeners, the language and culture barrier left us uncertain about how to approach listening to, let alone breaking down their music. So we sought out the support of Dr, Suk-Young Kim, Professor of Critical Studies and the Director of the Center for Performance Studies at UCLA, and KCON’s Vanessa Augsbach. Dr. Kim’s research on K-pop helps to expand our ears and understand the genre’s history and aesthetics, while Augsbach helps us better appreciate the fandom. Applying their insights, we listen to “Boy With Luv” as a first foray into the wonders of K-pop.

MORE

Read Dr. Kim’s book K-pop Live: Fans Idols, and Multimedia Performance,

Watch Vox’s Netflix series Explained on the history of K-pop

SONGS DISCUSSED

BTS ft. Halsey - Boy With Love