You Never Walk Alone: BTS as a Symbol of Light for Youth

This essay examines how the South Korean music group, BTS, has utilized their platform to bring awareness to mental health in youth. I specifically analyze the use of their personal stories and experiences as a means of communication or outreach to their fans, also known as the ARMY. Exploring the theory of identification, or a direct sense of connectedness between a speaker and an audience, I argue that through their music and personalized rhetoric speech patterns, BTS seeks to allow their fans to view their experiences as the same. This has created a dynamic encompassing a sense of friendship and understanding rather than a typical artist-to-fandom phenomenon. Finally, I consider the implications of how this work has impacted the youth overall and inspired a change in systematic pressure for future generations, despite the group's language distinction.