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putri salju's avatar

I loved this piece so much! Loved what you wrote about dreaming in English, it’s something i think about all the time and everytime i admit it feel like im betraying myself and my ancestors so i totally get it. Funnily enough, this piece is making me reflect on a white american friend i had who refused to watch non-english films because they didn’t want to read subtitles and i remember how much it angered me. Not enough (english speaking) people are branching out from and existing outside the western-centered media they consume. Again, great piece and i really enjoyed reading it <3

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ayan artan's avatar

i hate that you have to carry that guilt but it's comforting to know i'm not the only one. thank you so much for reading. also, there I'd absolutely a stubbornness with us english speakers to not think beyond ourselves and it's jarring lol. they're missing out x

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megs's avatar

this piece encapsulates everything i’ve ever wanted to say to anyone that hates on kpop, and bts specifically. i myself am a multilingual speaker, so when i found bts and began to engage with their music, it didn’t seem weird or outlandish for me to enjoy music that was in a different language. but to everyone around me, it was unfathomable that i would “waste my time” consuming media that “wasn’t meant for me” simply because it wasn’t in a language i spoke or understood. i personally found it so refreshing to put work into connecting their message, because it meant that i was learning about an entirely new worldview that i never knew existed. and not only did i learn about a new culture and language, i finally began to understand and accept pieces of myself that i never had the courage to before. thank you so so much for penning your thoughts down in such an eloquent and beautiful way, i had a wonderful time reading 💜

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ayan artan's avatar

this means everything to me ❤️ i was so nervous writing it because i didn't want to encroach on a community as often misunderstood as ARMY has been but i'm so glad i made you and what you love feel seen. i feel exactly the same about having to figure out the translations etc; it was so gratifying to me. thank you for reading; i'm so glad u liked it 💜💜

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DSMM's avatar

Is spanish the native language of anyone here? I'd like to recommend you some music in spanish: Mägo de Oz, Los prisioneros, LosPetitFellas... From Spain, Argentina and Colombia, there you've got a huge cultural spectrum. I'd like to know if you like them or if you want more spanish recs :) I loved reading this! ✨

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ayan artan's avatar

ur an angel for these recs!! thank you so much for reading 💜💜💜

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Dan's avatar

“los tres” también son muy buenosssss, o Gustavo Cerati (o Soda Stereo)

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Dan's avatar

Hi, just to clarify, "los prisioneros" are Chileans. :D

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Aastha's avatar

I loved this so much! I'm not really into K-Pop but I have started stanning Stray Kids for the past two - three weeks and I highly recommend them. They are also incredibly talented with a lot of variety and dexterity.

Also you should absolutely check out the world of sufi music. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is unbelievably good: there is a crazy amount of vocal dexterity and skill in his music and I absolutely love it. "yeh jo halka halka suroor hai", "Mast Qalandar", "Sochta Hoon Ke Woh Kitne Masoom" and "Mere Rashke Kamar" (full version) are fantastic. Ooooh also - "Kun Faya Kun" by A.R Rahman is gold! I would suggest starting with that. A lot of current Bollywood borrows from sufi tradition and melodies. I have a lot more Hindi/sufi music recommendations if you want. :D

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ayan artan's avatar

omg thank you for the recs; checking them out immediately!! also, i've sort of dipped my toe into the stray kids pool and am having a lot of fun lol. love that they're a little grungier. thank you for reading!!!

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Aastha's avatar

do tell me how you like it! Omg I completely forgot to recommend you an absolute desi headbanger. "Chaiyya Chaiyya" is one of the coolest songs ever shot (in my humble opinion) -- definitely watch the music video for this song because they literally danced on top of a moving train. The song is also by A.R Rahman (who is a legendary Oscar-winning composer) and is inspired by very classical sufi tunes.

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ayan artan's avatar

omg also going on the playlist 🙏🏿💗

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Tami's avatar

I started listening to Stray Kids because my little cousin loves them and yeah they’re really good! Thanks for the reccs I haven’t listened to any Sufi music (that I’m aware of) but I’m excited to start

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Dee's avatar

dark and wild is my absolute favorite album by BTS … didn’t expect a purple essay from my Substack subscription, but I’m here for it!

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ayan artan's avatar

it might be my favourite of theirs too! thank you for reading 💜

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Paige Elson's avatar

Okay, you’ve now convinced me to check them out! I also love listening to Japanese funk and funk pop. I keep Plastic Love by Mariya Takeuchi on repeat. Have also recently discovered New Jeans and am enjoying them, and I love Park Hye Jin’s “how can I” EP, going to listen to more!

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ayan artan's avatar

thanks for these recs and tell me what you think of their stuff!!

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Elif Nisa's avatar

please check out RM's first mixtape if you haven't!! it's self-titled and available on soundcloud. it's so so so good especially considering how young and rather inexperienced he was.

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Menna Ahmed's avatar

I remember when I got out of the fandom in the "butter" era because I started to feel like the band is getting... I don't know how to say it... Americanised? With BTS and almost most K-pop groups the obsession with making music that appeals to westerns had taken over and they kind of lost their authenticity. They weaved a brilliant story which was never continued because of that shift- chick their short films and MV'S analysis. I will forever be thankful that I discovered them before that shift tho, the stories and their analysis

and actually getting exited to read the book that inspired the band's concept (reading demian and chacter in the rye was so interesting and werid at thirteen) made me discover a lot of things that change me in a way. Still hate that people don't see how talented they are- even tho a disagree a lot their company's politics.

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Santhwana's avatar

Thank you thank you for writing this! Also here to shout out my one-pick BTS song 봄날 (Spring day)🫶🏽💐

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ayan artan's avatar

no spring day is SUCH an underrated gem (alongside autumn leaves and tear) 🙂‍↕️

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mafe's avatar

reading this for the second time and i can’t help but tear up a little bit, not only because i’ve been a army for a while and your words about them are beautiful, but because lately i’ve been questioning myself a lot about language and culture, specifically about how sometimes we tent to crave success outside of our own culture and language. i felt super seem by your words thank you for sharing 💜💓

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ayan artan's avatar

my absolute pleasure 🥹 thank you for reading 💜💜

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stellanovella's avatar

I understand, to an extent, your frustration with the English language and how it has shaped you. Being African American and born an English speaker is a trip in that sense, there’s so much to unpack there. On another note, I’ve been holding myself back from getting into BTS bc I know I’d go off the rails. My younger sister was into them for a while, but I’m almost scared to do a deep dive because I know how i am. But I’m taking this as a sign, my time has come!

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ayan artan's avatar

i was the same but as far as rabbitholes go, this has been one of the funnest!! i wish you bon voyage. may your heart return bleeding purple 🙂‍↕️💜

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Andrielle The Oracle's avatar

what’s wild is i just went to the grammy museum in LA last month & they have a whole BTS/kpop floor dedicated to their fits. 😭😭 but no wins? wow.🤯

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ayan artan's avatar

very VERY weird lol. i feel like a lot of institutions and cultural gatekeepers recognise their power (and ARMYs power) and so want to play into all the buzz, but they're still trying to exclude them.

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solaire's avatar

I haven’t read this piece yet but having followed you on twt recently and subscribed recently and having been an army for 10+ years i think it’s so cute that you just put your purple hat on yet you’re already writing pieces about them

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ayan artan's avatar

LOL so you watched me fall down the rabbit hole in real time. they're incredible and i feel like there are so many cultural issues their existence brings to the fore; about fandom, race, misogyny etc. i might be a baby ARMY but i'm here to stay 🙂‍↕️💜💜

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Erizo's avatar

Omg, you said EVERYTHING that had to be said. Congrats on this post 🩷

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Teresa Song's avatar

Wow. Absolutely incredible, I salute you 🫡 I’m Korean and this was the teach-in that I didn’t know I needed. I totally relate to your dreaming in English. My identity confusion starts with the language and is still very much present and a source of ongoing guilt. I am very much looking forward to more of your content, the honesty and authenticity you write with it fabulous 💫👏

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Muhammad Mukhtar's avatar

I don't know anything about bts(nor am i that interested), but I can feel the vigor in the article, and that's something I must commend.

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