More than just music: How BTS inspires Bay Area K-pop fans to learn Korean, find creativity

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TAMPA, Fla. - Madison Harrison, 19, a Spring Hill native, first visited South Korea for a K-pop concert a few years ago. She enjoys K-pop music and began learning Korean to understand the nuisances of the lyrics.

"My plan is to transfer to college to continue and have a major in Korean language," Harrison said. "I have a lot of Korean friends who love hip-hop, who love my culture, and I’m, like, I’d love to help them in analyzing hip-hop as well, and, like, a whole culture exchange."

Big picture view:

As a BTS fan, Harrison said their music helped her as she grew up, inspiring her to create art based on the group’s seven members. She also said the music of member J-Hope helped her to heal in 2022.

"I was in a really rough spot honestly, and it was a rough time for me mentally," Harrison said. "I was so scared. But watching him perform freely on that stage was like, wow, if he can perform so freely, you know, I can live my life freely. I don’t have to live in fear like that."

The music of BTS also left a lasting impression on Jennifer Brewer.

"I recall a time that we were in the mountains and the whole family was in the car listening to Dynamite, dancing," Brewer, of St. Petersburg, said. "That's probably my favorite, only because it has the best memory for my family. It's like right before my dad had passed from cancer."

Dig deeper:

While the notes create lasting memories, the music did not draw in Brewer at first. That honor goes to K-dramas. 

Brewer said she recognizes K-pop idols in K-drama shows, picking up a little of the Korean language. It inspired her to create her own version.

"I wrote a K-drama/American film, or my Ameri-K drama. And it's a feature film that's supposed to be filmed here in Tampa Bay and in Seoul, South Korea," Brewer said.

New sounds and cultures

BTS fan Patricia Papageorge decided to learn the Korean language to pick up the nuisances within the music.

"A lot of their newer albums are in English for everyone. But personally, I’m learning Korean so I can understand it. I’m in King Sejong Institute. I’m an intermediate student," Papageorge said.

Papageorge, a Hudson resident, said her music taste originates with hip-hop, and then K-pop opened her world view to other sounds and beats that make her feel happy.

"As I got a little bit older, I got into rock ‘n’ roll, Billy Squires, Sticks, Foreigner," Papageorge said.