"Those words really hit home for me"- BTS' RM addresses the misogyny controversy in Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS

BTS' RM's comments on the group's misogyny controversy from 2015 in the septet's biography, Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS, has been making rounds on the internet ever since it was released on July 9, 2023. The group leader's approach to the issue has garnered much favor from netizens.

In 2015, the septet was criticized for objectifying women in several of their songs like War of Hormones, Joke, and Converse High. This drew a lot of criticism from all quarters. After numerous protests from fans, Bighit Entertainment also released a statement acknowledging their mistakes and apologizing to the public for making people uncomfortable.

In Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS, group leader RM opened up about how someone explained the situation to them, enabling them to understand why their lyrics proved to be problematic. As per RM, the person said:

"Someone I know said, if you call a situation of equality "0," and the world's injustice is at as much as "+10," then those experiencing injustice have no choice but to emphasize not "0," but "-10" in order to achieve equality. Those words really hit home for me."

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BTS' RM states the positive impact of acknowledging the group's controversial issue sooner

In Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS, RM clearly mentions that when the group achieved success, they were simultaneously criticized for using misogynistic lyrics in their songs. It was at that point that the members decided to rethink their concept.

RM's area of expertise is rap and he has been exposed to that genre of hip-hop since his younger days, but he soon came to understand that the genre included some misogynistic elements as part of its features.

Eventually, when the group faced the aforementioned controversy, the members had to learn about the concept of misogyny and the role it played in society. Reflecting on their experience in Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS, the group leader deemed the incident an important one:

"I can talk about it. Looking back on it now, I think it was something I needed to go through."

In the biography, the group leader also spoke about how that early experience impacted their music later on:

"About this kind of concept and awareness, I have come to think that as someone living in the 2020s, it's something you come up against at least once. And because I was criticized early on, I could recognize the problem sooner."

At the same time, he also mentioned how the group was receiving hatred and attacks through cyberbullying, acknowledging that it was time to make certain reforms regarding the issue and change their thought-process.

In Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS, the rapper also added:

"This was because I'd received clear comments and criticism about the raps I'd written as well as my views. The Gangnam Station murder happened around that time, and so from a woman's perspective I think there was no choice but to speak out even more."

In the end, the idol stated that the misogyny controversy ended up positively impacting them:

"If it wasn't for that process, we wouldn't have made it this far."

At the time of the controversy in 2015, Bighit Entertainment also released a statement addressing the issue. The statement read:

"Through self review and discussion, we’ve learned that we can’t be free of societal prejudices and mistakes, as they are a part of each individual’s growth and experiences - things that are seen and learned in society. We’ve also learned that defining a woman’s position or value in society from a man’s point of view could be wrong."

After reading RM's opinion about the concerned controversy in the released biography, fans were particularly pleased by the way in which he acknowledged his lack of understanding on that particular issue and made changes in keeping with the times.

Beyond the Story: 10 Year Record of BTS is a biography focusing on the South Korean pop group BTS. Authored by Kang Myeong-seok and BTS themselves, the book has been translated into English by Anton Hur in collaboration with Clare Richards and Slin Jung.

According to a press release from BigHit Music, the aforementioned biography marks BTS' first official book. It offers a comprehensive account of their musical journey, starting from their pre-debut days and extending to the present. Additionally, the book provides insights into their future aspirations and endeavors.

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In other news, it has been reported that BTS' Kim Namjoon is currently working on his upcoming music.