(Big Hit Entertainment)

BTS, or Bangtan Boys, talked about the potential social impact of their work at a press interview Saturday.

The group recently released the new album “Wings: You Never Walk Alone” and its tracks “Spring Day” and “Not Today” soon became caught up in speculations that they might contain references to social issues.



Some fans speculated that the music video of “Spring Day” refers to the Sewol ferry incident in 2014, which left more than 300 dead or missing. They said scenes that showed Jin picking up a pair of shoes washed up on the shore could represent the student victims of the disaster. Yellow ribbons seen on a Ferris wheel in the video could also be related to the symbol used to remember the victims, who were mainly students.

BTS was cautious in their response toward such speculation, but they did not deny it outright.

“I have felt responsibility toward the incident as a Korean citizen,” Rap Monster said. “I want to leave space for different interpretations.”

A scene from BTS’ music video for “Not Today” (YouTube)

Another track on the album, “Not Today,” has a verse that says “smash the glass ceiling that shuts you in.”

The use of “glass ceiling” sparked a dispute on whether the group’s members -- who do not appear to be restricted by any glass ceiling -- used the word properly.

“I wrote the lyrics to say let us -- including BTS -- not stay silent on social problems or irregularities and bring these up (to society),” Rap Monster said.

(Big Hit Entertainment)

(Big Hit Entertainment)

By Kim So-yeon(syk19372@heraldcorp.com)