The article we wish we’d written
Writing a “Check Yourself: Facts” segment is easier with an article that has a lot of questionable items to analyze. Articles that have a lot of problems provide a lot more low-hanging fruit to pluck for the purposes of critiquing the structure or content.
However, analyzing an article that doesn’t have as many problems is actually more rewarding. That might seem shocking, but there’s a good reason for it: well-written articles provide inspiration for us. It shows us that there are publications who want to do their due diligence and put forth the best articles possible. These articles are the ones that give us a goal to work towards with our own pieces.
Basically, what we’re saying is this: we wish we’d written this Paper Magazine article.
Many of the other articles we’ve analyzed are ones that we would not show to people new to BTS for one or more reasons: they either don’t have the facts straight or have a clear agenda. Occasionally, they have both. This article, on the other hand, would definitely be a good one to show someone who is just discovering BTS or who has finally asked you about them because they know you’re ARMY and they keep seeing BTS popping up on their timelines.
We aren’t giving this article such high praise just because it was complimentary to BTS, though it certainly is that, which we appreciate as ARMY. There’s a lot about this article that, even if it had been less of a glowing review, would still merit it high marks.
This article is full of information: charting data, awards, and historical facts are all packed in next to each other. This could have been overwhelming, but the article is crafted in such a way that the facts flow from one to the other at a brisk-but-acceptable pace. From this standpoint alone, the article is a good one; fact on fact on fact could easily have turned the piece from a decent story into a snoozefest, but Paper Mag cleverly dodged that trap.
However, the presence of the facts themselves is only part of the discussion. The facts always exist, of course - but facts can be and have been selectively chosen to suit an agenda.
As a recent example of this, see our breakdown of the CNN article and their decision to attribute ARMY’s frustration with an Australian program’s representation of BTS solely to the program’s introduction (and not the fact that the entire segment contained several questionable “jokes” and was, in general, in poor taste).
Paper Magazine does not do the same thing. They report the facts, baldly, as they are:
“But BTS’ groundbreaking success has sparked much debate about whether it’s even accurate anymore to define them as a by-the-books K-pop act, considering their steady, rarely-before-witnessed ascent to mega-fame as a globally dominant pop music act, period. But it doesn’t matter what you label them: At least in the West, their very existence is challenging outdated perceptions about non-white, non-English-speaking music acts.”
With this statement, Paper Mag acknowledges BTS’ place in the music industry. They present it as pure fact, not as a subject for debate. Facts are facts, and whether you like the group or not, there is no denying that they are a dominant, “omnipresent force” in the pop industry. Selling out 85k+ (on average) venues across multiple countries is a level of success for a non-Western act that cannot be ignored. The number of “firsts” BTS has achieved as a K-pop act is another type of success that cannot be dismissed, and Paper Mag does not attempt to write off BTS’ achievements.
The author of this piece may or may not be a BTS fan, but it doesn’t really matter - if they aren’t, you’d never know it because they adhere to the principle of objectivity. The facts are presented with no spin. “Even if you’ve never heard a single song from the superstar music group,” they state, “it’s impossible to ignore their ongoing impact on the music zeitgeist - and the overarching increased globalization of pop culture - in the 21st century.”
Unlike other articles that focus on more sensational aspects such as military enlistment or K-pop industry customs, thereby to distract from BTS’ cultural impact, Paper Magazine spends significant time focusing specifically on that cultural impact in its many facets.
They included statements from Becky G and Steve Aoki, both of whom demonstrate a part of that cultural impact via their collaborations and spend time discussing the messages in the group’s music and how that message has inspired the love of so many ARMYs. As opposed to focusing on ARMY’s voting and streaming efforts alone, Paper Magazine actually states the reason that ARMY is so dedicated: their message.
The multifaceted lyrics in almost all of BTS’ songs - both in their work as a group and as solo artists - have inspired devotion from ARMYs all over the world, and by so doing, helped to shape not only pop music but also pop music culture:
“But perhaps one of BTS’ most resonant victories is their incidental yet inherent transformation of the face of global superstardom, and their impact on the increased visibility for artists who are often excluded from white-ethnocentric Western music industry narratives...Sung primarily in Korean, their songs have been embraced in countless non-Korean speaking countries, from the U.S. to Brazil, transcending lingual and cultural boundaries.”
Paper Magazine doesn’t attempt to gloss over the impact the group has had over the past six years. By staying away from sensationalism and reporting the facts as they are - regardless of their own opinions on the group and their music - they do the group justice.
In one final way, they do the group justice: by asking them thoughtful questions during the interview portion of the article. Not all of them are necessarily “new” - for example, asking what music is exciting to them right now - but they do a great job of asking questions not typically asked, such as about the pressures of fame and the importance of having dreams in the current world climate. They treat them with respect, and as ARMY, we appreciate that.
Overall score:
💜💜💜💜💜
We’ve said before that a 5-heart rating is going to be hard to achieve, and we stand by that statement. But this article earned it.
If there is an agenda, we can’t find it. If the writer of this article isn’t a fan of BTS, we’d never be able to tell. They treated the group, their achievements, and their cultural impact with respect. Respect which, whether you like it or not, the group has earned. Paper Magazine accomplished what others have not: writing an article that was informative, respectful, and entertaining all at the same time.
In short, they have written the sort of article that we here hope that we one day may be able to write, interview and all. And we can offer no higher praise than that.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any audio & visual content in this video except for the editing. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THE RIGHTFUL OWNERS. No copyright infringement intended.
Written By: Anna Moon
Edit By: Mheer
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