This is a big moment for the Fangirl Follow Along. Yesterday we celebrated Christmas and today we have our first roundup special.
BTS puts out a ton of videos. Like, an epic amount of content. Dance practices, behind the scenes, videos, collaborations, you name it and they have it. Even sticking to the videos featured on their Wikipedia page there are currently eighty entries (I’ve added in the Halloween videos and removed the one that’s JHope and Jin for three seconds)
And while I could write two thousand words for each one… they don’t all warrant that. So every so often I’ll be dropping in to share with you the extras. Not full music videos, but items of note. And we’re gonna start with why I was angry with Jo Kwon.
Animal by Jo Kwon featuring JHope.
July 13th, 2012
Jo, angel, baby, light of my life… what are you doing to me?
You look like you’re running a vampire rave in Blade. I’m just going to say it. How do you go from that to this in just one year?
And it’s awful because I know you look like this while in a blue sweater…
But can move like this…
We’re not friends, Jo Kwon.
And you just broke my queerdar. How dare you, sir.
Look. At this. Shit. Dancing in killer heels and throwing his leg out there and…
He has so much to answer for.
But what we’re actually here for just walked on stage. PreDebut Jung Hoseok.
It’s easy to forget when compared to RM and Suga and taking into consideration his dancing, that JHope is actually an amazing rapper in his own right. Like, he’s fucking astounding. He’s a miracle. And he has a smile that could melt the heart of Maleficient, Elsa, Ursula, and Scar all at once. Kylo Ren and Hux would accept the light into their hearts. They’d renew Hannibal. They’d stop letting predatory men make movies!
…
moving on.
Baby JHope comes on, wraps his verse, and leaves… and that’s his intro to the KPop world. A song that may or may not have a video with live performances that required the death of many animals.
And it’s why I was upset with Jo Kwon and now have these conflicted emotions in my heart… because the song is good and Jo Kwon is talented and I know he can be precious but vampire rave…
Fuck…
Thankfully, there are other videos to analyze.
Vote or Shut Up by RM
December 17th, 2012
The legal voting age in South Korea is seventeen (international age, not Korean age) and minors are prohibited from participating in the elections. Seventeen-year-olds can sign up for mandatory military service, but nineteen-year-olds cannot vote. In 2012 there was a movement to get the age lowered to eighteen and allow minors to engage in political activity, but nothing came of it.
RM posted this video preDebut on December 17th, 2012. This is not a coincidence.
Set to Kanye West’s “Power” it’s… about voting… let’s just look at the video.
So the preDebut videos have this “we shot some footage of ourselves and then cut in random images” feel to them.
In case you were wondering why I’m not dedicating two thousand words, peace sign on a pad.
But it’s also fascinating because it has this raw and unpolished power to it. It’s also a great reminder that RM was famous in the underground rap scene (enough to woo Jungkook into joining BTS over other offers) and it’s a glimpse of what it must’ve been like to see him back in the day.
Remember all the nice things I just said, because RM is about to violate our trust in him.
School of Tears by RM, Suga, and Jin
January 20th, 2013
IT’S THE HYUNG LINE! In a video that I know nothing about. But it’s okay. We’re in this together.
I could probably live off close-ups of RM’s mouth at this point.
I was going to get a screencap of his split and chapped lips, but then it cut to his hair and… wut? Are those… dreads? Is this when you had your perm? RM, we need to chat…
(I will not be getting into the tendency of Koreans to borrow from Black culture nor Blacks borrowing from Asian cultures. My white ass is staying in my own damn lane.)
Instead, I’m going to ignore his hair the rest of the video and focus on this:
He’s got a little baby mustache started! I didn’t know BTS could grow facial hair since their skin is always so flawless. Well, one riddle solved all thanks to extra content and firmly ignoring questionable hair choices.
*takes a breath in* *lets it back out* No, you know what? No. I’m not worrying about or questioning this either.
OH MY GOD, RM. YOU CANNOT DO THAT. I TAKE IT BACK. I QUESTION EVERYTHING AND I’M JUDGING YOU RIGHT NOW.
I need a minute. I have to walk away from this for a bit. I’m disappointed by past RM and I don’t want to be.
(chocolate break)
Okay, back now.
Welcome to my new nightmare.
Wait a minute… that’s not RM’s chin. That’s Jin. And holy fuck, why can I tell BTS members by their chins? I blame my child, as Jin is her favorite.
See? I was right. Also, Jin is prettier than I remember him being. I think that’s in comparison to RM’s hair, though…
Like, even his ear is cute. How dare he?
Fine, don’t even give me a chance to guess if that’s Suga. See if I care.
(I care. I care a lot.)
Suga was also an underground rapper, and I think here we get to see that he was the original Fuckboy of the Daegu scene. (It’s the hat and gold on the shirt… If not for those factors, I’d be calling him something much different…)
So pretty it hurts to look at him.
(This is where I got distracted by Suga’s rapping and almost seeing his eyes… sorry, not sorry.)
I really wish there was more with these three as their voices pair together really well. Or just more Jin in general. I know that in an ensemble of seven it’s hard to give everyone the spotlight, but I miss having Jin in it.
Especially since he released a Christmas video with RM!
A Typical Trainee’s Christmas by RM and Jin
December 22nd, 2012
The preDebut release by Jin and RM starts a little weird. Hitman Bang is announcing something and it fades out to cut to:
Self-cam footage (not frottage, no matter what my hands and subconscious want to type) of Jin and RM hanging in the studio. Bobbing and weaving to the beat.
Clips from random things (photo not found.)
The two of them together for a night out on the town. In case they were wondering why so many people ship them, this is it.
And I want to acknowledge the Darth Vader there, but Jin is singing Last Christmas now and I’m gone. For the rest of the video.
Have a very Merry Christmas everyone. I’ll see you next Saturday to break down “We Are Bulletproof Pt2.” Still missing is we are bulletproof part one.
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Or, since it’s the Christmas season, you can buy me a present.
Ginny Lurcock 