South Korean pop band BTS has had an immense influence on young adults across the world. They talk of the inner turmoil, and dealing with those demons among other things, in their music. Recently, a member of BTS, Suga, spoke about the need to bring mental health to light via music.
Speaking to Esquire, the rapper confessed that lyrics about young people’s mental health was not a dominant force in Korean pop music. He stressed the need to challenge the culture of traditional masculinity along with other aspects of orthodox societal codes.
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He said, “There is this culture where masculinity is defined by certain emotions, characteristics. I’m not fond of these expressions.”
Suga, whose real name is Min Yoongi, added that as human beings have days when they are feeling physically top-notch and days when they are ill, the mental state is also similar. On some days, we feel good about ourselves and on other days we don’t. Mental wellbeing should not be treated differently than physical issues.
Urging society to be more understanding about mental illnesses, Suga said that many people pretend to be okay on days even when they are not only because they do not want to be seen as someone weak. “I don’t think that’s right. People won’t say you’re a weak person if your physical condition is not that good. It should be the same for the mental condition as well. Society should be more understanding.”
The 27-year-old artist, who actively takes part in producing songs for the world-renowned group, is currently focusing on his recovery after a shoulder surgery. He was also not able to promote BTS’s new album BE with his group.
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