In 1986, a Korean folk duo 시인과 촌장 (Villager & Village Chief) released a song, 풍경 (scenery), consisting of just two lines: 세상 풍경 중에서...

Translation of Every Song in Jack in the Box Album Where’s my safe zone?Let me know if you knowWhere’s my safe zone?DamnSacrificing my 20s,I’m living...

MORE “MORE” may not be everyone’s cup of tea (but as someone who loves rock songs, it is my cup of tea, runneth over), especially...

Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting ARMYs who’ve come to see me while visiting Korea. Some even traveled all the way to...

After an extremely busy week of grading finals, followed by a Friday evening with ARMY friends from Scotland, the U.S., and Switzerland, and then a...

It’s Friday once again here in Korea. After several days of high heat and humidity, the weather has finally cooled, and as I made my...

People (Korean title: 사람 (sah-lahm) (A Human) Though the verses, layered with tight rhymes about the volatility of human relationships, carry a pessimistic mood, SUGA’s...

Moonlight (Korean title: 저 달 (juh dahl) (That Moon)) “Moonlight,” the opening track on SUGA’s magnificent “Agust D D-2” mixtape, finds him in a reflective...

Strange SUGA, whose exterior exudes insouciance while his interior burns with a furnace, uses this song to lay bare, with raw honesty, the need to...

Interlude: Set Me Free One day, he’s so depressed that he’s “바닥에서 (bah-dahk-eh-suh) (on the floor) 기고 (gih-goh) (crawling),” and the next, he’s “창공에서 (chahng-gong-eh-suh)...

So Far Away I have often reflected on why SUGA chose Job’s story as the inspiration for his song, even quoting directly from the Book...

It’s Friday night here in Korea, closing another week where work took precedence over everything else. After finishing up in the late afternoon, I took...

Rebirth, Slow Dance, and Be Mine from Jimin’s MUSE album MUSE’s diverse genres—ranging from Taylor Swift-esque pop to instrumental, big band pop, R&B, Latin pop,...

Smeraldo Garden Marching Band In contrast to RM’s somber lyrics in “The Truth Untold,”, where the Smeraldo Garden blooms only solitude and thorns of despair,...

One of my students left Korea last year to attend law school in Boston. When she visited me one afternoon to say goodbye, I borrowed...

Closer Than This This is an irresistibly catch song with smooth beats and flowing melodies. But more than anything, it stands as a comforting gift...

Nothing Without Your Love While “Moon” is Jin’s heartfelt promise to remain ever near—to circle, to stay, to be a constant light—“Nothing Without Your Love”...

Background This song has grown on me throughout the week, as I kept returning to the Echo album. From the very first notes, this ballad—the...

To Me, Today The lyrics capture a message of self-encouragement and embracing the present. Through imagery of sunlight, flight, and letting go of worries, the...

With the Clouds In essence, the song masterfully expresses emotional fragility, hope, and human connection through skillful natural imagery, sensitive metaphor, and poetic language. It...

Echo The songs on this album aren’t particularly groundbreaking or emotionally seismic. But Jin’s music moves along a different axis. His artistry isn’t driven by...

JK blocking Jin from blowing his signature kiss will never not be funny. Jin’s natural, spontaneous laughing face washes away whatever bad mood or heavy...

My Time This song is JK’s reflective, sincere letter to himself, about the disjunction between his thoughts and his reality, the unsettled feelings and emotions,...

The Astronaut With Coldplay’s involvement in the composition, the song features a rich blend of rock, synthesizer, and acoustic elements. However, it’s the tonal color...

In honor of Jin’s new album, “Echo,” releasing this Friday, I’d like to share a letter RM wrote exactly one year ago, in May of...

Moon The theme of Jin’s “Moon” is a heartfelt reflection of his love for ARMY, highlighting the symbiotic bond in which BTS and ARMY draw...

Epiphany Ever since this song first graced my ears, its poignant lines about self-love continue to offer me an invaluable comfort. (translated in 2018)  ...

Ddaeng An artist is nothing without creativity, and BTS’s ability to conjure it at will is what makes them formidable, one that will endure long...

Fly to My Room Blending neo-soul with vocal brilliance, BTS showcases V’s husky baritone and Jimin’s high tenor, capturing the ache of pandemic solitude in...

(translated in 2021)   During the dog days of summer, the Korean peninsula enters its monsoon season, accompanied by weeks of often intense, unyielding rain...

(originally translated in 2018; revised in 2021)    Alain de Botton’s “On Love” might be the best book ever written about love, or perhaps anti-love....

(translated in 2018)   The Truth Untold fascinates me ad infinitum. First of all, for this song, the creative team that works with BTS had...

(translated in 2019)   My initial attraction to Dionysus was due to its references to Greek mythology and the vibrant blend of trap and rock sounds....

Some of you may already know him, but there’s this Korean guy named Sung Joon who does busking concerts on the streets of England. His...

Two bards have crossed paths to share their sorrow, lamenting a world that relentlessly pours down rain upon them, even as they leap skyward, to...

Among my middle-aged peers, I stand out as somewhat unique: I stay closely attuned to youth culture, from music and fashion to their evolving slang....

(translated in 2018)   The term ‘singularity’ originates from a mathematical concept, indicating a point where properties cannot be precisely deciphered, with all equations going...