#kim nayeon / discourse.

[bcttlefield]

suspiró, dejándose caer en el asiento del comedor con pesadez. “recibí otra.” anunció, depositando el papel entre ambos con fuerza, como si el mero objeto representara una ofenda personal hacia ella, y lo hacía. “no lo sé, ¿es divertido jugar a estas cosas? desde el otro lado, digo. no el receptor. apesta estar en el lado receptor de la broma.” frunció el ceño, dígitos repiqueteando contra el material bajo su tacto. si tan sólo las palabras escritas tuvieran un mínimo de verdad, nayeon no se sentiría tan--- tan mal. “¿tú qué crees?”  / @fcstpace

[crownjimin]

☆ ⁄⁄ ★ 051 | and we party, part two.

coffee — the enemies to lovers social media au where min yoongi refuses to date a cheerleader, but yoon haryun might be able to change that.

( masterlist / prev / next )

tag(s): @secretlycrazyhummingbird @preciouschimine @bubblytaetae @btsarmymochi97 @chogiyeol-utopia @flyxfall @cherrybubblesandvodka

☆ ⁄⁄ ★

The atmosphere was permeated with high energy and the tangible thrill of partying at Hope World. While most partygoers chose to indulge in the free and unlimited booze, Kim Namjoon took to having deep conversations with anyone who would listen. For someone who happened to be as good-looking and smooth-talking as himself, there were plenty who gladly listened.

          As the party continued entirely, Namjoon was crowded in a corner, one that gave him the ability to see the entirety of Hope World, save for the top lot areas, as well as gave everyone the ability to see him. Throughout the night, many had sought out Namjoon. Whether to ask for a dance or simply say hello, there was a revolving door of people that wanted his attention.

          Nayeon held his attention for the moment, with her feigned interest in Namjoon's plant life and how much detail he had to put into caring for his three bonsais that were back at his apartment. He could tell that Nayeon wanted something else if the way she repeatedly leaned closer and threw herself into him each time she over-exaggeratedly laughed. The joke he had told was not even worthy of a chuckle, but he'd be lying if Namjoon said he didn't like to test how far he could get others to try and please him for their own benefit.

          Once she had straightened herself up and crowded even closer to him, Nayeon cleared her throat before she spoke, "I really admire how much you care for nature, Namjoon."

          He shrugged nonchalantly, having heard that many times before and knowing no one genuinely meant it. It used to bother him initially, but now, not so much.

          "Do you maybe want to-" Nayeon had continued, and before Namjoon could softly let her down, he heard his name called just as two arms embraced him around his waist.

          "Namjoonie," Jisoo whined as she slid herself flush against Namjoon, hugging him to her body. "I was looking for you everywhere. You've been in this corner all night, baby."

          Without a glance in her direction, Jisoo had given Nayeon a hint to put some distance between herself and Namjoon. Admittedly, Namjoon would often flirt too loosely for someone that was in a relationship for the past seven months. Jisoo would tell him repeatedly how he was at fault for entertaining different girls with his body language and the lulls in his deep voice. Still, it was hard for Namjoon to not flirt back. Almost as if it was second nature, he felt the need to feed into it and play a little, but it always sparked discourse with Jisoo. Yet tonight, Jisoo had let herself loose and forwent the scolding she would've laid upon him.

          Somewhere between Jisoo's petulant whines and Namjoon rubbing her back to sate her, Nayeon had discreetly left the two. It was better that way, he'd thought. It had saved everyone the embarrassment of seeing Nayeon look guilty and apologetic when she knew Namjoon had a girlfriend--everyone knew Namjoon had a girlfriend.

          There was no time for Namjoon to speak before Jisoo tugged him toward the dancefloor. However, before he could step foot into the crowd, his eyes caught onto a familiar figure that had him freezing in his tracks. A chill so cold and startling ran up his spine as his brain vibrated and contorted to understand what, no who, he was looking at. Dressed from head to toe in black was Yoon Haryun as she made her way through the crowd, with no signs of hesitation as she continued onward and toward the stairs.

          With the way Namjoon watched her, you would think she had offended him in some way, perhaps she had owed him something, and he wanted to make sure she never left his sight.

Although the moment she had disappeared up the stairs, a voice came from Namjoon's right, a quick "Hyung," that was audible over all of the noise. Taehyung seemed to have noticed the same event unfold before his very eyes if his shocked expression was anything to go by.

“I don’t know,” Namjoon simply said in response to Taehyung’s silent questioning of what Haryun was doing there.

As Jisoo realized her boyfriend had other obligations that did not lie on the dance floor, she sauntered into the arms of Chaeyoung, who whisked her deep into the crowd. As if they had been replaced with Jisoo, Seokjin and Hoseok came right from the group of people on the floor and straight over to join Taehyung and Namjoon.

"Okay," Seokjin was a bit unsteady on his feet, but his eyes were determined. "I don't know if it is just the liquor or what, but I swear I just saw Haryun on the dancefloor.”

“Because it was, hyung,” Taehyung quickly answered right as Hoseok blew his eyes wide and let out a noise of disbelief at the new information.

"Wait, Haryun as in," Hoseok raised his hand beneath his chin. "This tall and said she couldn't make it to the party, Haryun?"

“Do we know any other Haryun, Seok-ah?” Seokjin sassily replied as he turned to face the younger boy.

Hoseok fell into a rant of defending himself as Taehyung and Seokjin continued with their taunts and teases. Still, Namjoon was focused on something else--something far more important that could make or break their entire evening.

“Where’s Yoongi-hyung?”

The question seemed to quiet down the other three as they joined Namjoon in searching the club for their friend. Earlier that evening, as they had been getting ready for the party, Yoongi was hesitant to attend, using every possible excuse under the sun to not go.

"I feel a cough coming on. What if I get sick?"

"I don't plan on drinking anyway. I won't have any fun."

“But what if my Eomma calls? I can’t not answer her phone calls.”

It was futile and sad to watch, but as Seokjin explained to Yoongi that none of those possible scenarios mattered and that Yoongi was going to the party, whether it was by his free will or Seokjin physically dragging him, Yoongi ceased all of his complaints and begrudgingly got ready. The first few minutes of the party saw Yoongi being pessimistic and a grouch, his butt practically glued to the seat in the booth where the seven had initially been seated. But as they knocked back more shots and he had gotten out of his head, Yoongi scampered off into the depths of the party, and none of them had seen him since.

“He was at the billiards an hour ago-” Hoseok began with his voice trailing towards the end.

But Namjoon finished his statement for him. “With Yooa, right?”

Hoseok nodded shortly. “But that was an hour ago.”

“Saw hyung with her by the stairs in the back hall,” Taehyung said. “The ones near the bathroom.”

A loaded bout of silence set over the four as they all subconsciously understood where Yoongi was and what he was doing. The stairs in the back hall led to one place only; each had been acquainted with those spaces before.

“So, are we telling him that she is here, is the question?” Namjoon was the first to break the heavy silence.

“Unless you want to be the one to go into one of those rooms and run the risk of seeing Yoongi’s bare ass cheeks, then the answer is no,” Seokjin flatly said. “No, we are not.”

Hoseok looked as if he had something to say, but the excited cheers of Jungkook and Yebin as they walked over to the four of them killed whatever words were on his tongue.

“Why does everyone look so sad,” Yebin shouted once she joined them. “Looks like someone did something wrong.”

“Nah,” Taehyung answered offhandedly, being sure to keep his voice level. “Nothing happened.”

          With Haryun agreeing to dance with them just once, each of her friends hurried to gather their belongings before they made their way to the dance floor. It took a bit longer for Haryun and Moonhee to join the others, seeing as Moonhee had kept Haryun back as the others made their way down the stairs.

          “Yun,” Moonhee said, crowding close to Haryun’s side as she spoke. “Did you see my text?”

          Haryun furrowed her eyebrows in response. “What text?”

          Once she understood that Haryun did not see her text, Moonhee looked conflicted as her eyes darted back and forth avoiding all eye contact. She began to explain herself, a deep sigh leaving her lips as she did so, but a loud voice echoed around the building.

          “I've received a request from three special ladies as we turn the lights low and celebrate Park Jimin,” the DJ announced through the microphone, dragging the two girls' attention away from each other and to the stage on the lower level. “Let’s have fun, everybody!”

          Cheers rang through the air as the lights dimmed, engulfing the entire club in darkness, the familiar hues of color coming to life as the strobe lights activated. Haryun turned back to her best friend, expecting her to continue. Moonhee simply told her it was nothing before dragging her down the stairs and onto the dance floor to join their friends.

          In moments like these, Haryun understood why her friends like to party. Everyone was doing their own thing as they enjoyed themselves to the fullest, with immense joy and a sense of euphoria as you surrendered yourself to the music. Bodies pushed up against her own as Haryun giggled and danced, a few unfamiliar, while Moonhee made sure to stay close. The beat of the song picked up as the energy on the floor increased. Moonhee snatched Haryun's bucket hat from her head, placing it on her head as she belted out the lyrics to the song, causing a blanket of warm adoration to fall over Haryun's being.

          Further into the crowd were Luda and Namie. The two girls clutched onto one another tightly as they swayed to the beat and basked in the other's presence. A short distance from the two of them, Haryun spotted Yebin and Jungkook. The couple danced around Seyoung, looking like two excited puppies with their owner as they jostled the older girl between them with gigantic smiles on their faces. Seyoung's eyes were leveled as she let them toss her between them; she would do anything to make them happy. They knew that as they only elevated the ridiculous dance moves that they persuaded her to do as the music continued.

          Stress about school, life, and everything in between faded away as they danced, enjoyed each other’s presence, and just lived in the moment. The music slowed as the bridge came, and Haryun crowded closer to Moonhee. Their giggles grew soft, as did their touches, Moonhee turning to place her back to Haryun's front, and they playfully danced with one another. Moonhee's arms rose above her head as she leaned back to rest her head on Haryun's shoulder as they let the lyrics wash over them.

          Are you gonna be the one?

          I want you to be the one.

          Everything grew fast-paced as the beat returned and a surge of liveliness washed the crowd as a figure climbed on top of the bar with encouraging cheers. In a flash, another person joined the first, and a scream left Moonhee's mouth as she recognized the two people on the bartop.

          While Moonhee found it entertaining, Haryun was appalled and genuinely worried-- “What the fuck are they doing?!”

          Geummi, in her drunken glory, danced across the bar, her movements sloppy and encouraged by the liquor in her system. Luda hopped up there with her, dancing in sync with the music. She remained cautious as she made sure to steer Geummi away from the edge anytime she got too close or erratic. The cheers from the crowd were deafening, and they picked up once Geummi unbuttoned her loose, satin shirt button by button, one by one. Once she had taken it off, leaving her in a cropped tank top, she swung the thin piece of the garment around her head twice before it flew from her arm and was lost within the crowd.

          Having seen enough of her drunk friend put on a striptease for strangers, Haryun began to push her way through the crowd and towards the bar. It was hot and stuffy, and she was almost positive she got someone's sweat or saliva on her forearm as she shoved people to the side, but Haryun couldn't care at the moment. As she cleared most of the crowd, she caught sight of the top of Seyoung's head as she gestured fiercely at Luda and Geummi to get down once the song ended, and the lights slowly turned back on.

          The cheers faded as if the air hadn't been electrified a moment ago. The calm atmosphere returned as everyone dispersed. Geummi was sitting on the bartop now, a pout on her face as Seyoung scolded her with short words and a stern look on her face. Moonhee came up behind Haryun with a look of pure adrenaline in her eyes as she held Geummi's discarded shirt in her hands.

          "That was amazing," Moonhee gushed as she handed the shirt to Seyoung, who laid it across Geummi's shoulders. "Top ten, top ten."

          Luda was still standing atop the bar, her arms crossed, and gaze focused on her group of friends as they surrounded the bar section. "She's far too gone to remember any of this tomorrow."

          “Don’t worry,” Namie called out. “I got it all on video.” She helped Luda down from the bar as Seyoung concluded her scolding session with Geummi.

          "Okay, we're done," her voice was stern as she faced the group with her hands fisted by her sides. "No more drinking, no more dancing. We are leaving.”

          Seyoung had never been rude to any of them; it wasn't in her nature. But their entire friend group knew there was a tone she would use whenever she was at her limit, and that was the exact tone she had at the moment. There were no objections as everyone gathered close to make sure they were leaving with everything they came with. As they did so, Seyoung kept her grip on Geummi with one hand and Yebin with the other.

          “You two are not leaving my sight,” Seyoung instructed. “You too, Jungkookie, you’re leaving with us too.”

          Jungkook’s eyes went round as his lips pulled into an adorable pout. “But, Noona.”

          “Nuh uh, hold Yebi’s hand,” Seyoung left no room for negotiation as she gestured with her head for Jungkook to follow her command. “No one is letting go until we are home, okay?”

          Like they were preschoolers caught doing something wrong, the three nodded solemnly as Seyoung led them to the entrance, not letting any of them go as they walked. Namie followed close behind, having had an excellent time at the party but never being someone who could stay up too late in the evening. As the five of them made their way to the exit, Haryun turned to Moonhee, ready to leave.

“Wait, Noona! Haryun-noona," The voice was faint over the music, but Haryun turned to face the source--she turned to face Park Jimin.

          Elation was an understatement to Haryun's expression. She had indeed been conflicted about missing Jimin's party because she wouldn’t be seeing Jimin, but as he walked over to greet her, she felt her heart settle into her chest with happiness.

          “Jimin-ah, happy birthday!” She cried out as she pulled him into a hug. “I’m so happy to see you.”

          “I’m glad you could make it, Noona. How come I didn’t see you earlier?” Jimin pulled back with a quizzical look.

          "Oh, I only just got here," Haryun rushed to explain. "And I'm actually leaving now, so-"

          “Did you get to see hyung?”

          Moonhee's eyes blew wide involuntarily; she hadn't meant to seem so surprised at the question. Had Jimin not been aware that Haryun and Yoongi hadn't spoken in two weeks? Unless Haryun hadn't told her that Yoongi had finally texted her, but that was impossible, Haryun told her everything. From each time she shaved her armpits to the tumultuous time she had with waiting for Yoongi's text. How had Jimin not known?

          “Do you mean Y-”

          "Seokjin-ah," Moonhee yelled as she caught sight of Seokjin standing a few feet behind Jimin. He looked caught off guard and his face filled with brief dread as he noticed Moonhee had called out his name and gestured for him to join them. "I didn't see you there-oh, and Hoseokie too!"

          It was a weak attempt at changing the topic, but it had worked, Moonhee gleamed. As Jimin's two friends walked over to greet them, Moonhee caught another pair of eyes a bit farther away, but she knew those dragon eyes anywhere.

          “Namjoonie,” she screamed again, her eyes narrowed. “You too, come on!”

          Everyone exchanged hugs belatedly once they saw Haryun. She seemed happy to see them all and had fallen into a short conversation with Hoseok when Jimin had interrupted.

          "Hyung, could you take a picture of us?" Jimin asked as he held up a polaroid camera. Lord knows where he got it from, but no one questioned it as Jimin wrapped his arms around Moonhee and Haryun and smiled into the camera lens. Hoseok counted down from three, and the camera flashed and produced the undeveloped photo. Jimin begged for a few more, each one with a different pose, as Hoseok happily clicked away each time the three of them changed their positions.

          "One more, one more," Haryun urged as she gestured for Moonhee to turn toward Jimin, and as Hoseok counted down, the two girls leaned in and pressed a kiss to each of his cheeks. Jimin's smile was gigantic as his eyes fell into endearing crests, just as they do whenever he is overly happy.

          “That was a good one,” Hoseok said as he took the undeveloped photo and fanned it to make it appear faster.

          "Wah, if this is what happens when it's your birthday, I'll make sure you two are at my party," Seokjin quipped as he patted Jimin on the back.

          "Where were you two when my birthday was last month," Namjoon cried while he held his hands towards the girls.

          "Next year, Namjoonie," Moonhee grasped Haryun's hand, signaling they needed to leave. "But we have to go."

          Namjoon hurriedly stepped forward. "Let's hang out soon. It's been a while since I've seen you, Haryun-ah."

          There was a level of discomfort on Haryun's face as she nodded curtly. Her smile was tight, but her eyes showed authentic emotion as she agreed. "Sure, Joonie, whenever you want."

          “I’ll text you,” Hoseok said with finality as he pulled her in for a short hug.

          The farewells were short before Moonhee pulled Haryun away and toward the exit.

          “That was fun.”

          Moonhee snorted smugly. “I told you.”

          The party didn't begin its decline until two hours later as people called it quits and slowly trickled from the building one by one. After their run-in with Haryun, Jimin, Hoseok, Namjoon, and Seokjin took refuge in a booth as they talked among themselves over pints of beer. The night was a success to Jimin's standards. He had spoken to all of his friends, felt love from all the birthday wishes, and honestly had a good time as everyone gathered to celebrate him.

          He never missed an opportunity to thank Hoseok and Namjoon for organizing the party each time he ran into them throughout the night. Hoseok assured him he loved every second of planning the party but that it felt easy doing it for someone like Jimin, someone he cared about a lot.

          Each of them had been leisurely sipping on their beers as they waited for the club to vacate. By the time they had moved onto their second serving, Taehyung had joined them, and by the third, Yoongi had made his appearance. Yoongi's blond hair was unruly, his eyes were low, and red smudges of what his friends could only assure was lipstick sat to the left of his mouth. His lips were bruised as they told the story of what Yoongi had been preoccupied with all night while he was absent from his friends.

          “Enjoyed yourself there, bud,” Seokjin teased as Yoongi slid into the booth with the rest of them. “You look a mess.”

          Wordlessly, Hoseok slid a glass of whiskey neat over to Yoongi, who received it graciously as he downed the glass like water. “I did, hyung. It was a blast.”

          “You have a little,” Namjoon pointed to his own lips as a way to gesture to Yoongi that he had remnants of his hookup on his face. “All over.”

          Taehyung chuckled as he watched Yoongi attempt (and fail) to rid himself of the red smudges, too entertained to offer any help of his own. By that moment, the last few stragglers of the party had cleared out. At the same time, the DJ swapped his upbeat tracks for melancholy, slow ones, as he usually did once the party ended.

          Doing his routine headcount, Seokjin lifted a brow at the absence of their youngest and new member of the friend group. "Anyone seen Jungkookie?"

          “He left with Yebin-ah,” Taehyung answered as he polished off his pint of beer. “He texted me a few minutes ago.”

          “He made it home safe?”

          Taehyung shook his head. “He’s staying at Seyoung-Noona’s.”

          "Lucky bastard," Hoseok grumbled at the exact moment that Jimin gasped quite loudly.

          “They developed,” He excitedly shared, pushing the polaroids around the table.

          Namjoon tried his best to discreetly keep them from Yoongi. Seokjin and Hoseok attempted to help aid his efforts, but Yoongi's hands were fast as he snatched up one of the polaroids and let his eyes drink it in. It was unclear if it was because of how intoxicated he was or if he was just unprepared. A million emotions ran through his dark eyes in less than a minute. Rage, sadness, yearning, surprise--to use just one word would be a disgrace to describe his face at that very moment.

          "When-" Yoongi paused as his eyes danced over each of his friend's faces. "When was Haryun here?"

          The silence was almost comical as it only left the music from the DJ audible. At that moment, A Whole New World had just reached its crescendo as it poured over the six of them. Seokjin struggled to hold in his laughter while Hoseok let himself hum along, but Yoongi--Yoongi never let his eyes leave the polaroid in his hand.

          It was a picture of Jimin with Moonhee and Haryun. Haryun was on Jimin's left, his arm around her waist as she leaned into his side and pressed his cheek to hers. Her smile was bright and pure, and everything that set Yoongi's heart aflame and tore it apart simultaneously. No mundane person held the power to invoke such violent and intense emotions within another's heart, but Haryun could, and maybe she was celestial in her own sense.

          That was the only thing that made sense to Yoongi. That was why his heart sped up at the sight of her and the mere sound of her name.

          “Earlier, hyung,” Jimin answered once no one else did. “For a few moments.”

          Robotically, Yoongi shook his head in disbelief. “None of you told me?”

          “To be fair-”

          Seokjin finished Hoseok’s sentence. “-You were quite busy.”

          All of the colors drained from Yoongi's face as he realized what he had done that evening. He hadn't come to the party intending to hook up with anyone. He had simply wanted to enjoy Jimin's birthday, but that was hard to do when every ten minutes he was looking to the entrance for the arrival of a certain someone. His attempts at being inconspicuous were futile, as the third time he glanced to the doorway, Namjoon had handed him a shot of lousy alcohol and encouraged him to let loose.

          It had taken more than one shot, but eventually, Yoongi forgot all about his worries and took to a game of pool with Seungcheol, Mark, Minhyuk, and Jooheon. The game was silly and laidback with no real stakes, but it kept him preoccupied, which was the goal. Once Yoongi and Minhyuk secured their win, it was less than ten minutes between Yooa asking him to dance, them taking two shots, and her lips landing on his. Throughout the evening, Yoongi hardly remembered anything that wasn't Yooa's lips on his, his hands on her body, and their bodies pressed against one another.

          A year ago, Yoongi would have loved this. Hookup culture was something he endorsed, if not lived by. No strings, no attachments, no promises--it was perfect. But now, in that very moment, with the polaroid in his hand and a fresh reminder that he had been naked and deep inside of someone less than an hour ago, had bile sitting at the back of his throat.

          There was guilt, disgust, and a feeling that he needed a scolding for everything he had just done. But the worst part was that he had no idea why he was feeling these emotions.

          Noticing how silent he had become, Jimin nudged Yoongi on his side and gained his attention. "Hyung, are you okay?"

          His friends watched with loaded anticipation as they awaited his response. Namjoon was sure rage would be the prominent emotion, but as Yoongi set the picture down on the table and his crestfallen face was visible to each of his friends, Namjoon wasn’t too sure.

          “She was here?” Yoongi resembled a kicked puppy, his eyes glossed over.

          “Yeah, but like we said, Hyung,” Hoseok gently reminded him. “It was for ten minutes, max. We were just lucky to run into her.”

          "Caught her on her way out, actually," Jimin added. "So don't beat yourself up. She probably didn't mean to ignore you."

          Yoongi wasn’t so sure about that.

          "Just text her," Seokjin pretended to be nonchalant as he spoke, as if his words didn't hold as much weight as they did in that situation. "I'm sure that'll go well."

          Coincidences were mean and cruel things like fate wanted to laugh at others' misery, which was no exception to Yoongi. Because the moment Seokjin laughed to himself, Yoongi's phone buzzed. A single message on the screen, and as he opened it, he read:

[ from unknown ]: hey yoongi, its yooa

[ from unknown ]: lets hang out tmrw, my treat. txt me if ur down

          Was it all a joke to fate, karma, and voodoo to make Yoongi's life a living hell? He wondered who he had pissed off in his past life to receive this kind of sardonic treatment as he simply locked his phone, glared at the polaroid that haunted his conscious, and threw his head back in frustration.

          So much for no deadlines, he thought. Because Yoongi had to make a choice soon and it would not be easy.

( masterlist / prev / next )

A/N: okay part twoooo. if you wanna be added to the taglist just send me an ask since i’m actively updating again. also, in a few chapters imma ask whose story you want next (either hobi or seokjin), so i can start planning. okay that’s it! see ya sunday :))

[gordo5617-blog]

English Influence in Korean Pop Music Culture

      The invasion of Korean pop music culture began around the early 1990s when Seo Taiji and Boys fused American pop music with Korean lyrics in their first album (Oak & Woong, 2013). The term Hallyu (Korean Wave) were given in the early 2000s to emphasise on the sudden increase in popularity of Korean pop music (Kim, 2016). Hallyu not only includes pop music but many various media like dramas, television shows, and movies (Kim, 2016). In addition, Hallyu helps the South Korean culture to spread across the world increasing its popularity and economy (Kim, 2016). At the start of K-pop movement in 1992 with Seo Taeji and Boys, they aim towards the young audiences within Korea. However, more recently with online social network and easy accessibility, Korean pop music has been spreading around globally (Brooks, 2011). Including English beyond the title of the songs and the artist’s name, Korean pop music now includes English lyrics in its main chorus.

Herman (2014) mentions that South Korean entertainment company like S.M. Entertainment makes use of Western producers in music producing (para. 1). She also brought up and example including trial versions of Girls’ Generation song called “Run Devil Run” recorded by Kesha (para. 1). By making this approach, South Korea is bringing Korean pop music onto the international stage under the influence of American pop music that emerged around the 1950s. However, due to its similarity towards Western pop music, many people are starting to question if K-pop is considered Korean pop music or just simply Western pop music from Korea. The influence of western culture appears within Korean pop music creates an opportunity for Korean to go against the social norms of South Korea. The representations of songs through music videos and the use of English lyrics creates a bridge between the western and Asian culture.

According to Lee (2004), English lyrics mixing in Korean pop music is the “fusion of local and global dialogues,” the use of English allows the youth in South Korea to express their ideas towards social norms and values (p. 2). The music videos TT by Twice, Blood Sweat and Tears by BTS, and Ah Yeah by EXID will be examined through the lens of discourse analysis and semiotics.

Semiotics is a study of signification and sign. A sign is anything that refers to something other than itself. However, a simple word could refer to a symbol or object in one’s mind but unique to others. Signs are usually built into larger systems called codes. Code switching describes the use of two or more languages within a single sentence. Lee (2004) mentioned the use of code switching in K-pop songwriters and artist’ mind to achieve a specific goal such as rhyming effect (p. 6). However, this paper will use semiotics to examine the visual elements such as objects, colours, settings, and movements in the music videos. On the other hand, discourse analysis will be used as a strategy to examine the traditional communication of South Korea and the history of Korea relating to the lyrics and the pronunciation of words relating to its culture. These relate to the culture similarities between Western and Asian cultures. Discourse analysis and semiotics help make reasonable connections towards Korean culture and the current situations across the globe.

        South Korea has been considered as a monolingual nation, meaning that most of her population only use the Korean language in their daily communication (Song, 2011, p. 1). However, this had changed during the recent years. According to Song (2011), South Koreans spent fifteen billion dollars in 2005 on private English sessions (p. 2). A term hybridization is coined to argue by combining local cultures with foreign and global influences to create unique combinations (Jin & Ryoo, 2012, p. 4). This has been seen in the rise of hybrid K-pop with the use of English in lyrics (Jin & Ryoo, 2012, p. 8). “TT”, a song released in 2016 by a girl group named Twice incorporated English lyrics into the song. However, the meaning of these two letters is unclear. Discourse analysis will be used to look deeper into the meaning beyond just the two letters but the syntax, pronunciation and the purpose behind it. Although, Twice pronounces the two letters individually in the song, “TT” are incorporated into two sentences. “I’m like TT, just like TT,” the purpose behind the pronunciation is to express a feeling towards the South Korean society standards of beauty. “TT” refers to an expression of sadness of a person. Twice has an impression of innocent within the K-pop industry. Therefore, Twice represents the young teenage girls in South Korea and their struggles of beauty expectations.

When looking at other lyrics that are pronounced in Korean, a connection between the song and the society’s beauty standard becomes more clear. Momo, a member of Twice sings the part, “눈물 날 것 같애 아닌 것 같애 내가 아닌 것 같애” meaning “I feel like crying, I don’t feel like myself, this isn’t like me at all.” After Momo, Nayeon sings “이미 난 다 컸다고 생각하는데 어쩌면 내 맘인데 왜 내 맘대로 할 수 없는 건데” meaning “I am all grown up now, I’m free to make my own choices, but why can’t I have it my way.” Body image, a term used to define the mental image each individual hold of her body (Jung & Lee, 2006, p. 1). If body image is being evaluated at a higher level, it can affect a person’s self-esteem. The ideal standard body shape for women are thin with reasonable chest size. Therefore, women need to consistently control their body weight to achieve the ideal body standards (Jung & Lee, 2006, p. 3). According to Jung and Lee (2006), South Korea is the most “diet-conscious” country out of the 13 Asian countries in Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (p. 3). In another word, South Korea has one of the highest beauty standards among Asia. Females in South Korea are often on a diet in order to meet the society standards, losing their self-identity and self-esteem. The underlying message behind the song TT creates an opportunity for Korean to realise the unfair beauty standards within the South Korean society.

        The rise of the internet and mobile communication creates an opportunity to raise a new set of language that is different from the traditional linguistic communication (Alshenqeeti, 2016, p. 1). Emojis and emoticons are the icons shown in text or online messages as the representation and symbolism of expression and emotions. The use of emojis and emoticons replace the old text messages with a more creativity expression in language, allowing mobile device users to express emotions in a digital format (Alshenqeeti, 2016, p. 1 - 2). In the music video of “TT” by Twice, the choreographer incorporated the expression of emojis in the dance. When the chorus of the song comes in, Twice members would bring their hands up to their cheeks and on both hands point their index fingers down and thumbs in a horizontal format like a “T” shape indicating a cry face expression. Using this hand gesture as a symbol to represent the title of the song and the lyrics. However, by bringing their hands to their cheeks, they are pointing down right at their chests indicating a significant part of their bodies. This heavily emphasises towards the meaning of the two letters or the word “TT”.

In addition, through the lens of semiotics, objects such as clothes, props, and the overall settings of the music video will be examined. The overall concept of the music video involves around Halloween. This can be interpreted as the song came out during the time of Halloween. However, from the cultural perspective Koreans do not celebrate Halloween (NIC, 2012, para. 3). By bringing Halloween as a theme in TT’s music video not only attract foreigners but also allows the characters presented in the music video to dress up in a “costume”.

The music video represents each member in a mature and sexy outfit. Chaeyoung a member of Twice is presented as a mermaid in the music video when she sings, “맴매매매 아무 죄도 없는 인형만 때찌” meaning “slap, slap, slap the innocent doll”. Mermaids not only represents mystery but also another form of beauty with her beautiful long hair and voluptuous curves (Love, n.d., para. 11). By combining the visual representations of Chaeyoung and the lyrics she sings, it is connected towards sexual relationships. Doll, the word that Chaeyoung refers herself towards has a strong connection towards the society standards on young girls. A nearly impossible beauty standards to achieve naturally by any female. Sierra (2015) states that Barbie doll’s unrealistic body ratio create a negative influence towards young girls affecting their self-esteem and their own appearances (para. 7).

Furthermore, there is a scene in the music video where Mina is dressed as a pirate similarly to the pirates in the western movie called “Pirates of the Caribbean”. A graphic sexual reference occurs when Mina hold the front of the gun barrel with her right hand while moving the gun down. Her actions and the gun barrel can be linked towards a sexual act on the private body part of a male. Through the representation of dance moves and the visual communication of TT’s music video, Twice and the producers are using this opportunity to go against the beauty standards in South Korea.

        The ancient and modern Korean culture are heavily influenced by Confucianism (Kim & Hahn, 2006, p. 3). Confucianism is a belief towards education, ceremony, and social norms (Kim & Hahn, 2006, p. 3). Therefore, heterosexual marriage is to be considered a duty of filial piety (Kim & Hahn, 2006, p. 3). On the other hand, homosexuality is often to be interoperated as a form of disease and mental disorder (Kim & Hahn, 2006, p. 5). The music Blood Sweat and Tears by BTS takes another approach against the social norms of South Korea. 

At the beginning of the music video, all the members of BTS walk into a museum. Jin a member of BTS, stares at a painting known as The Fall of the Rebel Angels. The painting is about a war that broke out between the corrupted angels and god in heaven (Lubbock, 2008, para. 5). The music video presents the painting to define the angels as the innocents and the corrupted angels as the devils.

Furthermore, Jungkook, a member of BTS is presented with a lollipop in his mouth in the second scene. Lollipop is a symbol of immediate desires (Klein, 2013, para. 1).  According to Klein (2013), the desire is something that a person’s subconscious has. At the same time, Jungkook is dangling from a swing, acting as if he was falling from the sky. This action is related to the painting behind him. The painting that is presented in the same scene is a famous painting called The Lament of Icarus by Herbert James Draper. The Lament of Icarus is about an innocent boy who ignored his father’s advice about flying too close to the sun. Thus, his wings were melted by the sun and he fell to his death.

Nam-joon a member of BTS sings “Peaches and cream, sweeter than sweet, chocolate cheeks and chocolate wings”, once again referring to the innocent appearance and mindset of a person. However, the next line “but 너의 날개는 악마의 것” meaning “But your wings are wings of the devil” indicating that the person is a corrupted angel from the painting that was presenting at the beginning of the music video.

Near the end of the music video, when six of the other members of BTS leave the museum. Jin who represents the innocent boy kissed the male statue revealing his identity. However, this also turns him into the corrupted angel as this kind of behaviour is not accepted in the South Korean society. The surface of the statue and Jin’s face starts to crack. The symbolism of a person’s face cracking indicates that he has being exposed can no longer hide the secret inside him. In addition, the blood coming out of the statue’s body and the statue’s eyes not only is significant towards the title of the song but also a symbolism towards punishment. Due to the Korean society standards towards homosexuality, people that are homosexuals are afraid to admit or speak up for themselves.

        In South Korean society, gender roles inequality is not only shown towards jobs but also towards the duties that each gender holds. According to Maynes (2012), South Korean woman’s self-worth and honour are measured by how she treats her man (p. 2). Maynes (2012) states, “females have consistently been expected to be obedient, fertile, impalpable, and sexually abstinent” (p. 2). The song “Ah Yeah” by EXID demonstrates varieties of inequality towards women within South Korean society. The two words “Ah Yeah” are being sung in the chorus in English. The pronunciation and the tone of voice make these two words sound sexual. However, the meaning of “Ah Yeah” in Korean is a way to show dismissive and unnecessary attention. At the beginning of the song, a man in a creepy tone says “Where do you live? Do you live alone?”. Right after that LE, a member of EXID sings the chorus of the song “Ah yeah ah yeah ...” demonstrating that they are annoyed by the male. Following LE, Hani sings “왜 이렇게 감을 못 잡는거야 왜 이 말을 하는지 모르겠어 뭐야” meaning “why can’t you get it? I don’t know why I’m telling you this”. The lyrics of the song demonstrate the empowerment of women with the ability to reject any unwanted attention, as opposed to the South Korean’s social norms and the expectation of woman.

In the music video, all the members of EXID are being presented under the sign that says “good enough” when singing the chorus. The sign represents a protest of their previous song that was censored and blurred out due to inappropriate choreography that connects towards sexual activity. This is significant towards the gender inequality in South Korea and K-pop industry because dance censorships are seen way more often towards girl groups as opposed to boy groups. The music video incorporated the term remediation by using the interface of YouTube within the video. The interface is presented when Solji demonstrates her vocals near the end of the video. YouTube helps the music video to achieve the purpose of demonstrating the girl’s talent and the rise of popularity when the views and the likes of the video rise with her voice.

Furthermore, the mannequins that are presented in the music video represents women in South Korea. When the mannequins are naked, their faces and bodies are blurred out as they should not be seemed because that is against the social norms of South Korea. However, when the mannequins’ bodies are covered up with the word “No” the blurred disappears. In addition, the censorship blurs are not only shown on the mannequins but on multiple posters and objects throughout the music video. Some posters that are on the walls were censored as well as the advertisements that were displayed within the YouTube interface. Near the end of the video, all the censorship blurs are clarified and revealed. The posters are mostly cute animals faces and emojis that are not related to anything sexual. EXID uses this as a demonstration towards women’s abilities and talents within the K-pop industry without relating female towards sexuality.

        The rise of Korean pop music culture has greatly influenced the music industry around the globe. In addition, with the used of western cultures such as language, signs, and arts, K-pop creates an opportunity to go against the social norms of South Korea.  Although South Korea is moving towards the equality for both genders, the differences between male and female expectation are still clearly shown. From the influence of Confucianism, women in South Korea are evaluated on a higher scale than men. The beauty standard and the expectation of body image on women are forcing them to control their weight and look through unnatural and unhealthy ways. In addition, female celebrities are often put to comparison with each other. Through the comparison, one might feel the lost in confident and self-esteem.

The music video and lyrics of “TT” by Twice delivers a strong message towards the unfair and unreasonable South Korean society standards of beauty among females. The lyrics and the choreography show the female’s feelings and expressions towards the beauty standards. From the unique combination of western tradition and communication with the Korean language, the music video “TT” examines the problem through the perspective of females in South Korea.

In addition, censorship blurs have recently raised a discussion about gender inequality in the K-pop industry. Most K-pop music censorship blurs and bans have only occurred within the female groups. This brings up a concern of whether the girl groups need sexual appearance and choreography to help raise in popularity and fame. However, the music “Ah Yeah” by EXID is created to remove the doubt among Korean female celebrities. The concept of “Ah Yeah” is to use as a protest towards EXID’s previous song “Up and Down” which one part of the choreography was banned because it was too sexual. Throughout the music video of “Ah Yeah” the girls demonstrated their abilities to sing and dance and with the use of blur effects on the background, it allows the audiences to focus on their talents. EXID has proved that within the K-pop industry, male and female have equal talents.

In Confucianism, it is to be believed that filial piety can only be seen in heterosexual marriage because only heterosexual marriage can produce the next generations for the family. Therefore, homosexuality is not well accepted within South Korean society. In South Korea, homosexuality is viewed as a form of disease and mental disorder. The music video “Blood Sweat and Tears” by BTS embedded the meaning and perceptions of how homosexuality is being treated in South Korea with the use of western art, objects, and lyrics.

Korean pop music industry took the chance of including western culture and traditions to help South Koreans to examine their own social norms and society standards. Through the analysis of “TT,” “Blood Sweat and Tears,” and “Ah Yeah” gender inequality is still a major issue in South Korea. However, by getting the message across, more people can start to understand the problem and work towards improving it.