#swan seokjin

[purpleyoonn]

Secret Story of the Swan

one shot (a shorter one)

summary: You were staring into the stream, contemplating life when someone decided to take matters into their own hands. 

genre: yandere, poly, mates au, bts au, hybrid au, mafia?au, 

pairing: hybrid mafia bts x human reader

main masterlist // one shot masterlist 

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You had spent mere minutes, hours even, trying to figure out how you had even managed to get into the position you were in.

It didn’t make sense.

One second you were dipping your toes into the water streaming down the bank, and the next you were pushed into the ground, lips nipping at your neck and tongue soothing the sting. You could hear thunder rolling in, the vibrations felt from within the ground as you laid against the underbrush.

“Jungkook! Did you find the –” Someone to the right ran up to you and the now-named man, his voice cutting off probably as soon as he caught sight of your…predicament. You couldn’t see anything past the riverbank to your left and the mane of fluffy, curly hair blocking the rest.

The man, Jungkook, kept licking at the part of your neck that connects to your shoulder, sometimes even dipping low enough to tongue at your collarbone. And for some reason, you didn’t mind, even relaxing into his touch. Like your body knew there was no danger present.

The large shirt you were wearing was now hanging off you shoulder, convenient enough for Jungkook but annoying for you as you could feel the twigs digging into the skin of your back. Your athletic shorts were clinging and digging into your thighs and butt as Jungkook pressed against you.

“Okay Jungkook, I think she’s been scented enough.” The same unseen man called out again, his voice much closer this time, probably only a few feet away as Jungkook mumbled something before slowly peeling himself off of you.

He didn’t leave your body entirely, his hands maneuvering you so you ended up in his lap, your legs hanging off his thighs so your feet were behind him, uncomfortably bent as your heels dug into the ground to give you some kind of grounding. His hands were splayed against your back, holding you to him and preventing you from leaving.

You were quiet as you turned your head to see the other man, the one who coaxed Jungkook off of you. He stood tall as he watched you, his eyes narrowing slightly before you noticed the slight uptick in his lip. Your attention went to his broad shoulders as he moved forward even more, now close enough where he could place his hand on Jungkook’s head, digging his fingers into the man’s hair.

A shudder ran through Jungkook’s body as Jin began to scratch at his ears, his leg wanting to shake from the pleasure alone. Jungkook and Jin had gone for a walk when Jungkook had caught the scent of another mate, the scent of soft lavender and crisp pine had called to him even from the other side of the small forest outside of Lake Cedar, the small town that became the nearest resting stop for visitors to the large mountain twenty-five miles ahead.

They lived at the base of the mountain, the two along with their pack had lived on the other side of the forest for years, not entirely good with human presence but accepting enough to help the random hiker every now and again.

You, however, were something different, something the swan hybrid couldn’t figure out. You scent smelt entirely too much of the forest, and your lack of material items meant you weren’t one of the normal hikers who ventured too far off the path.

Jin couldn’t help but watch as you tried to wipe Jungkook’s saliva off of your neck, the slightest bout of irritation moving up his spine. He would need to have you scented again, he thought. He couldn’t have you trying to leave without you smelling of nothing but his pack. Of him.

He was quick to put on a friendly face, smiling big as he crouched low to the ground, moving so he was face to face with you.

“I’m sorry ‘bout him. We couldn’t let a mate leave without meeting them first.” His words were vague enough to make you curious, but enough to create some rapport with you. He needed to build even the slightest amount of trust with you if he were to convince you to stay.

You had heard the word mate before, usually attributed to wolves who you know mate for life. Your brother had taught you enough to be wary of everything, including nice words coming from handsome men. Despite the less-than-ideal childhood you received, you couldn’t find anything within yourself that screamed ‘danger’ as you let Jungkook pick you up and begin to carry you.

Hybrids were not new to the world. They had existed almost as long as humans had, despite some people’s wishes to make you believe differently. Their animal like instincts and animalistic features separated them with a single glance. And despite growing up with them, going to school and having your best friend be a gazelle hybrid, there were some things that you as a human were not privy to know.

Mates were something to be held close to home. The only humans who knew of their existence were those who were mated to a hybrid. Jin knew this, as did the rest of his pack, and he had no problem telling you what was going on.

You were beginning to shake from the cold, the weather seemingly changing the second your small trio came upon the large cabin at the base of the mountain. You were in awe, your mouth open as your eyes scanned the property.

“You know, I should really be getting back home. I was only supposed to be on a quick jog.” You spoke up, getting a rumble from Jungkook, his mouth moving back to your shoulder and giving your skin a nip as he held you tighter. You narrowed your eyes at his actions, the shock wearing off as you tried to get out of the hybrid’s arms.

He wouldn’t relent as he carried you inside the large building, his hand staying on your waist despite your attempts to remove his arm, only receiving small growls in response.

“Please, why don’t you sit down? Is there anything we can get you? Water or a snack perhaps?” Jin spoke so sweetly, like his tongue was laced with crack as he floundered forward, gesturing to the large sofa that sat to your left. You couldn’t help but to just nod your head, moving to sit on the edge of the couch cushion.

You watched Jungkook leave the room, moving somewhere beyond your sight but you could still hear his footsteps. You looked back to Jin, his smile saccharine as he kept his eyes on you. 

He resembled princes of the past as he sat in the table on front of you, legs poise and back straight.

You wanted to decline every offer he threw your way, despite the comfortability you felt in his presence. Your mind was telling you to leave, eyes seeing red flag after red flag, horror movie-esque, but your body was relaxing into the cushions.

You could see his lips moving, the small smile to his lips as he spoke, but you couldn’t focus on anything other than how your body reacted to his presence. You couldn’t do anything about the calm feeling you felt, despite the horror moving throughout your brain. You couldn’t help but feel he was doing something unseen to you.

“What are you doing?” You asked him, a little concern lacing your own words as your body moved against you. He just quirked his eyebrow, a small uptick to his lip as he leaned forward.

“What are you talking about? I was just asking you whether you liked the couch? You seem to be relaxing into it?” If eyes were the window to the soul, you knew you were looking into the soul of something inhumane. You couldn’t explain it, but the unwavering glances and the inept smile had you wanting to pull back.

“Jin? What is that delicious smell—Oh, hello there.” You turned your head to see a man with a long, black tail coming around the corner, eyes locked on you as you sat further back into the cushion. Another hybrid. You wondered if this was a pack den you had just unknowingly been led to.

The panther had long-ish black hair, curly at the tips and fluffy in its entirety. You could just barely make out the black ears at the top of his head. He was lean and quiet on his feet, moving to sit right next to you.

“Yoongi, this is our dearest mate. Jungkook smelt her out as we were on our walk.” The look in Jin’s eyes as he talked to the new man had you second guessing his words. You knew when someone was lying, plain as day. You dealt with it every single day and you could tell just by the way he spoke; this man was up to no good.

“I see. Well, welcome home. The others are in the nest but should be out soon once they smell the sweet lavender.” Others? You had decided you had enough, not playing along anymore with their seemingly innocent act. You knew something was going on and you wanted to leave before you were stuck.

“I really do need to get—” You gasped out as you had fallen back onto the couch, your legs giving out from under you. You looked up again only for Jin to be standing in front of you, his hands on his hips as he coos.

It seemed his plan was working, so far.

They had known about you for weeks, had smelt your lavender and pine while out scoping the market. Namjoon had to hold Jimin and Jungkook back from jumping you then and there. You were human and this would take a little while for you to understand, no matter your own knowledge about hybrids.

However, Jin’s pack was different. Each of them had their own little…gift. Jin was the mastermind… who would ever think a graceful swan could cause such a ruckus? Jungkook was the brawn, getting them out of sticky situations and taking out “difficulties” whenever they saw fit. Yoongi was quiet on his feet, good for observing and bringing back information.

The others were not needed for this specific plan, given the sensitivity of this mission.

Jin’s own pheromones were enhanced to create body relaxing pheromones, and depending on the person, could cause full paralysis or simple weakness. He could change it at will which is why you went from being relaxed to paralyzed in seconds. He could see the fear in your eyes. Could see the cogs in your brain working overtime.

He knew you were observant, but he was surprised you were catching onto everything so quickly. You would be perfect in the business once they had you trained. Maybe Jimin would be the one to train you, he thought.

“Oh baby, don’t be scared. We will take care of you.” His pushed his calming pheromones out, the normal mate ones, as he moved forward to lift you in his arms. He could feel his wings scratching at his shirt, wanting to break free and wrap around you, keeping you hidden from the world.

You had tears in your eyes as you were lifted into Jin’s arms. You wanted to scream, demand for them to let you go, but you couldn’t walk and you felt yourself relaxing into his touch once again. You felt like you did when Jungkook had brought you to the ground. Like nothing was wrong.

“Oh baby,” Yoongi moved as well, kissing Jin sweetly on the lips before moving to place one on yours, his lips soft as they moved against yours, his hand cupping your cheek to turn your head to face him. “Maybe we should bring her to the nest, I think she could use some cuddling.”

Yeah, you thought. That sounded like a good idea. Cuddles were always nice. You didn’t even wonder why they were bringing you into their nest, something no one outside for a pack was to ever see, nor did you question it.

They did say you were their mate, you thought, so it would make sense as to why they would bring you to their nest. You hoped it was comfy, with lots of soft blankets. 

You blinked away a tear, confused on why you were crying in the first place. You could feel something in your mind trying to push its way to the front, but another breath in through your nose and it was gone.

“Do you wanna go to the nest, darling? Our other mates are in there. I’m sure they would love to give you some cuddles while Yoongi and I talk, hhmm?” Jin asked, knowing you were already under. He smiled bright at the small nod you gave him, a loopy smile on your lips as you move your head to nuzzle against his chest.

You opened your eyes next when you felt yourself being placed onto a soft cloud. Murmurs and whispers heard but ignored as you turned on your side to cuddle into the warmth on your right.

There were four people in this large bed, covered in blankets and pillows. No clothing was in sight and you briefly wondered why before the thought left your head. You felt safe and you felt happy. That was all that mattered.

“Alrighty, now I want you to help make our baby mate nice and warm. She was feeling a little cold earlier.” Jin spoke to his mates, seeing each one nod as they were already moving your way. His sharp tone was giving the real message: “keep her in the nest.” 

Jimin was the first to reach you, his lips already on yours. His kiss was soft and slow, trying to elicit response. He had been waiting for weeks to be able to have you in his arms. He knew his hyungs would bring you to him, that he had to be patient.

However, patience was not his strong suit.

He tugged you underneath him, hiding your clothed body with his own, bare skin brushing against cotton as he pressed himself against you. He held you to him, moving his cheek and chin along your neck and shoulders, scenting you.

They all agreed to wait a little bit before mating you, so this was the most he was allowed to let his instincts run. He felt your arms slowly move up to his neck, curling around so you were holding onto him.

“You like when we scent you, baby?” The man’s tone was sweet but held a teasing lilt as he pulled away a little. You whined at the distance, bringing him back down to you.

“I think she does, Jiminie.” You felt the bed move and warmth now enveloping you from all sides. “Don’t you, baby girl.” You can feel yourself nod, your vision was hazy at best and your body felt like it wasn’t yours. You felt that you didn’t have any control of your actions, but decided your body obviously knew what was best right now.

“Joonie, I think Jin might have pushed too much. She is so out of it right now.”

“It’s okay Taehyung. Jin already said that she was fighting it. She kept wanting to leave.” Namjoon had heard the small struggle you were having, wanting nothing more than to run to you and help calm you down, but he knew the plan. They were to wait in the nest, scent the blankets, and wait for Jin to bring you in.

They all knew how the outside world could be, the seven of them victims in more ways than one. They wanted nothing more than to keep you safe, and the humans you resided with were not that. Plus, who would know you better than your own mates?

You must have felt the same, in Namjoon’s mind, your eyes closed and your breathing soft and slow. You had fallen asleep under Jimin’s scenting, making the python hybrid extremely happy.

They knew you would be aware in the morning, once Jin’s pheromones wore off, but they would deal with that then. For now, they were content to scent you and hold you in their arms, in the safety of their nest.

[missbangtangirl]

DAMN JUNGKOOK 🔥🔥🔥🔥🥵🥵

[hopefulngold]

and i love you!

jungkook / hoseok / namjoon / jimin / taehyung / yoongi

[cordiallyfuturedwight]

black swan (making & mv)

[hobismorning]

hobismorning.com 

[lesbiansloveseokjin]

day 481/548 of seokjin’s military service

this selca was posted on 200301 with the caption:

It's boring doing our promotions without ARMYsㅠㅠ Nevertheless, we got 1st place thanks to ARMY. Thank you. Heart. This is the outfit I wore today!

(trans cr: Mary @ bts-trans)

Black Swan and ON performances from that day:

ON win & encore:

[loverhorror]

[lianawrites350]

Into the Shadows: An Analysis of BTS’s “Black Swan” Music Video

Read the full essay here or on The Medium! https://medium.com/@bethalal5813/into-the-shadows-an-analysis-of-btss-black-swan-music-video-c71c5008bbbe

What if I no longer love my art? Every artist has, at some point, asked themselves this question. It’s a question fraught with fear, shame, pressure and doubt, asked in the deepest, darkest moments where no one else can see. South Korean boy band BTS, and one of the biggest musical acts in the world, also asks this question except they confess this fear to their global audience. In their 2020 single “Black Swan” from their album Map of the Soul: 7, RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook examine their relationship with music and the fear of losing their passion for it. As American dancer Martha Graham said “a dancer dies twice — once when they stop dancing, and this first death is the more painful.” This struggle with their fears is like death to them, tearing at their certainty of who they are, and they must find a way to overcome their fears or risk losing themselves entirely.

“Black Swan” is a raw, vulnerable insight into the insecurities and pressures BTS face as musicians and artists. Whereas their previous track, “Dionysus” is a delirious high, showing an artist’s intoxicating passion for their art, “Black Swan” and its corresponding music video is the bleak hangover. This R&B trap ballad admits the pressure and fears they face and how that interferes with their love for music. The title’s allusion to both Tchaikovsky’s evil character in the Swan Lake ballet and the 2010 thriller Black Swan hints at this duality of passion and fear, perfection and insecurity. The title could also reference the term “black swan”, an event, in this instance falling out of love with music, that happens unexpectedly, has extreme impact, and is of human nature. The music video, shot at the Los Angeles Theatre and released on March 4, 2020, captures these dualities by incorporating motifs of shadow and light, on-stage and off-stage, and black and white to explore the lyrics’s themes of fear and overcoming fear.

“Do your thang with me now. What’s my thang? Tell me now” This intro directs BTS to keep doing their passion, except they’re struggling to remember what their passion is. This struggle is at the core of the first verse, which introduces the shadows that haunt them. Suga raps “The heart no longer races when hearing the music play”. As a rapper, idol, musician, and producer, music is deeply intertwined in Suga’s life. His love for it is detailed in his 2016 song “First Love” which described the piano as the first love in his life, there for him throughout his life whenever he needed it. In this verse, however, he fears losing this passion for music one day, confessing it would feel like death. RM raps similar sentiments, admitting a deep fear that what if this first death is happening right now.

The music video articulates shadows through its lighting. Reflecting his opening lyrics, Suga crouches by himself on an elegant, empty stage that is half-submerged in shadows. In the music video, the stage is a metaphor for their relationship with music, and currently Suga’s love for music is submerged in darkness. The camera is pulled back in a long-distance cut, making him appear even smaller on the stage. Projected onto the background behind him, a huge shadow awakens and flexes like a bird stretching its wings. The shadows are awakening and actively overtaking him. The next scene is RM standing alone in a hallway of the theater, staring at the camera. The hallway is more clearly lit than the stage, but a daunting shadow is projected on the ceiling, looming over him. This shows that they are still being followed by their fears even when they leave the actual stage. As he raps about his “first death”, he momentarily turns his back from the viewer, hesitates, before looking into the camera directly, rubbing his throat.

This gesture of suffocation and death and the fear being realized in the present is reflected in the music video’s costuming and choreography. For most of the music video, the members are in fully black outfits, signifying their descent into the shadows. Black-and-white costuming is featured, however, in the choreography scenes that are intercut throughout. These scenes take place on a blacked-out stage with a single spotlight, symbolizing the shadows they are facing. Two dances take place here: the group’s official choreographed dance and Jimin’s solo dance. The costumes are designed to look mid-transformation from white swans to black swans. Jin and RM are in white suits but have black undershirts and black jacket linings. Further along the transformation, Jungkook has black trailing up his coat sleeves while Suga and J-Hope have black color on their tailcoats. V wears a black undershirt with actual feathers on his collar, and Jimin, the primary character in this music video, has black feathers running down his white jacket. The black represents the shadows, and the gradual overtaking of black, particularly around the neck, suggests the shadows suffocating them. In the group choreography, as Suga raps, Jungkook dances around him as a representation of Suga’s struggle against the shadows before offering his hand which Suga accepts. In RM’s verse, Jimin and V mimic RM’s moves behind him, amplifying his fears. In his solo scenes, Jimin performs a modern dance with the shadows nearly completely obscuring him. A clear shot of his face is not seen until nearly the start of the chorus, suggesting intense private turmoil.

The chorus section drags them deeper into the fear itself. The pre-chorus lyrics describe a muffled silence, impenetrable by songs or their cries for help. The silence is filled with only their heartbeat. This cavernous emptiness represents their fears of falling out of love with music, most likely brought on by the intense pressure, expectations, and scrutiny they face as global superstars as well as possibly anxiety and burnout from constant musical output. In the music video, V looks down at the camera, like a human to an insect, as it circles around him. This reflects the lyrics of trying to escape from the maw, evoking the voraciousness of this fear and the danger of being eaten alive by it. In the pre-chorus line “Do you hear me”, Jimin is alone amongst the audience seats, the room completely dark except for a large spotlight on him. The camera is held at a long-distance and Jimin is crouched away from the camera, reinforcing the isolation and the disconnect BTS feels. Jimin slowly rises but never looks at the camera.

To understand the main chorus, we need the context of BTS’s discography. In 2017, BTS released a hidden track called “Sea” where they described their journey as a group like walking through a desert, which represented their struggles and failures, as they tried to reach the sea, which represented success. The same metaphor is used in “Black Swan” except now they have reached the sea, or the ocean in this case, but find themselves at the bottom of the ocean with no light or sound. The success they have achieved through their struggles has come now with new fears. Rather than swimming in the ocean of success they are drowning in its depths. Further, on the same album as “Black Swan” is “Interlude: Shadow” in which Suga discusses the pressures he feels from his immense success by using the metaphor of shadows to describe his fears of failure, self-doubt, anxiety, and loss of control. Though “Black Swan’’ focuses specifically on the fear of losing their love for music, all these fears and pressures and doubts manifest themselves in the shadows heard and seen in “Black Swan”. In the music video, Jimin dances solo, succumbing to the shadows. As he sings that he is crying out silently, he drops out of the frame, and the scene cuts to the group dance.

During the chorus, the music video contrasts the darkened stage and a brightly-lit lobby, signifying the song’s focus on the group’s internal struggle behind the scenes. In the lobby, Jimin slides across the floor while the others prostrate themselves, reaching out for help. The movements are large and expressive, showing how they are trying to escape and failing. They struggle to rise but their feet are held in a rut on the ocean floor, and it is “killin’ me now, killin me now.” At this line, the scene switches to the stage where the members wear their white-and-black outfits; they are trying to perform, but the shadows are overtaking them. The camera is at a long-distance, disassociating them from the stage. When V sings “Struggle but it’s all ocean floor” the scene returns to the lobby, their metaphorical ocean. It feels like eternity being trapped at the bottom of the ocean, and they direct the listener to “Film it now, film it now”. The scene cuts back to them on the stage to be filmed for the world as Jin drops his arm from head to belt like taking a snapshot. As global superstars, BTS have every move, word, and decision scrutinized by millions across the world. Through this song, they surrender even their darkest moment to these millions of eyes, knowing there is no escape from the pressures and fears. The irony of their journey they discover is that at the bottom of the ocean is more sand: they never escaped the desert.

To be free, BTS has to confront their shadows and, somehow, overcome them. The ending of the chorus shows close-up shots of the members on the stairs. Jimin stands slightly away from the others, and instead of a close-up shot for him, it cuts to him on the stage. The camera curls around him as black wings burst forth from his back, signifying him turning into the black swan but also alluding to a hidden meaning. BTS’s 2016 album Wings, explored the growth and struggles of the group as they became adults. Their song “Outro: Wings” spoke about how BTS’s fandom ARMY are the wings to BTS that enable them to have freedom and success. The motif of wings returning here foreshadows how grappling with this fear will allow them new freedom and new heights.

After Jimin’s wings spread, the music video cuts to J-Hope, wearing all-black, in a new foyer. The light in the room is almost completely extinguished except for a floodlight-like light on him, as if he is in the ‘belly of the whale’. J-Hope raps about sinking deeper into the shadows. This time, however, instead of being pushed there, he tells the darkness to let go and walks himself into the deepest depths to face his own shadows. Throughout their discography, BTS have emphasized the importance of facing your fears. To them, fears are not a weakness to hide or something to run from but an essential part of growth. Fears can be overcome if only we’re willing to acknowledge them and push through them. This fear of their music and passion may be their deepest, darkest moment. Nonetheless they face it head-on. J-Hope dances near a fountain, symbolizing the ocean he is trapped in, and the camera begins to move closer to him, closing the previous emotional distance.

The reward of confronting his fears is seen in J-Hope’s final words of his verse: “I saw myself”. Struggling past the insecurities, pressure, and doubt, BTS have remembered the true reasons why they love music. They don’t specify these reasons because it is private to them, but by remembering why they do this, they realize that music is an essential part of who they are. Their fears were not a negative thing trying to destroy them, but an opportunity to grow deeper into themselves. As J-Hope raps, the scene cuts to a large, window-lit practice room. This time, the behind the scenes don’t suggest inner turmoil but inner peace and familiarity, a place they use to prepare to go back on stage. We now get a close-up of J-Hope’s face, cutting out any emotional distance, as he grabs and faces Suga.

Suga’s verse signals the return journey from the ‘belly of the whale’. J-Hope mirrors Suga’s movements like a shadow as they circle around each other. When Suga raps that he’s found himself, J-Hope leaves, alluding to Suga finally escaping the darkness. As if from a dream, Suga says, he wakes up in his studio, and realizes that no matter how violently the waves throw him, he won’t get dragged away because his love of music is in himself. Similar to the stage, the studio has at times been a burden to them, as seen in their 2015 song ‘Dope’, where the studio is the place where their youth rots away while they work; here, however, it goes from being a place of work to a place of love. The music video returns Suga to the stage where he first started the song. The camera now closely circles around him as opposed to the long shots in the first verse, and the shadow projected behind him is much smaller than it was in the first verse. Their fears held them down on the ocean floor, but openly acknowledging these fears and finding the reasons they truly love music means that they could never lose their passion again. He reaches out to his shadow like a friend.

The second chorus section references their 2018 song “Fake Love”, which features musical motifs repeated in “Black Swan”. “Fake Love” describes a bad relationship where they are masking their true selves. The lyrics “a forest of just us…I forgot the route that I came along”, shows how they have lost themselves in an effort to save the relationship. “Black Swan” continues the themes by describing them being in a bad relationship with music where masking their insecurities causes the death of their passion. The second pre-chorus section finds them waking up from their ocean nightmare in a forest. In the music video, Jin is in a dressing room, perhaps the most well-lit set of the video, surrounded by mirrors. In a different scene, Jungkook stands in the balcony section, where the whole theater is in darkness except the stage. Doolsetbangtan.wordpress.com notes that in Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami the forest is a kind of labyrinth that represents “the understanding of the self”. RM is a known fan of Haruki Murakami and is a main songwriter on both songs, so this is likely the forest he is referring to. In “Fake Love” they’ve lost themselves in the forest, but in “Black Swan” they’ve woken up in the forest, knowing once again who they are. Jin chooses to look himself in the mirror, and thus his shadows, as the lyrics contrast being swallowed by the jaws of fear with “nothing can devour me”. Overcoming the silence around them, they “shout with ferocity”, and Jin turns to stare into the camera. Though millions of eyes are on him, he is just as free to stare back at them. The mirror images don’t move with him, a homage to the film Black Swan, but also symbolizing that by looking into his shadows, he is no longer controlled by them. From the balcony, Jungkook has metaphorically risen above the fears of the stage. BTS know who they are and thus know the route through the forest. Jungkook leans back far over the balcony. Arms spread wide, he has found his wings and is not afraid to fall.

The final group dance takes place on the stage; however, unlike earlier, the camera moves from the audience’s perspective to BTS’s perspective. BTS are silhouetted against the spotlight, and their backs are to the audience, removing the control that the world has on them. They dance and sing for the love of it alone, and here, wearing all black, we see the transformation of the black swan completed. The black swan side of themselves at first appeared dangerous; like in Tchaikovsky’s ballet, it seemed evil, seductive, deceptive, as opposed to the white swans in them who were good, pure, but vulnerable. In truth, though, the appearance of the black swan as the sudden appearance of fear, is a good thing. Like in the 2010 film, the black swan side of themselves is raw, emotional, and in touch with the art, as opposed to the white swan character who is obsessed with perfection, technicality, and therefore afraid. The black swan is good because it is in touch with the deepest part of their souls and who they are as people and artists. Jimin’s solo, from the same stage and perspective, is a silhouette against the bright spotlight. He dances freely, expressing being broken by the pressure and rising once more again with faith in himself.

The difficulty of creating art, however, is that the insecurities, doubts, and pressures never quite fully leave. The outro of “Black Swan” shows the cyclical nature of these fears in BTS’s lives. BTS’s songs are typically structured as 3-verse, 3-chorus with a thesis-antithesis-synthesis approach showing their problem, revelation and growth through the progression of the song. “Black Swan”, however, is condensed into a 2-verse, 2-chorus structure, and the lyrics repeat for the second chorus and the outro. This repetition and break from their three-part structure indicates that their fears are not entirely gone. Producer and Youtuber Joey Nato noted that the synth of the outro sound follows the “What’s my thang” melody of the intro, and the music sounds submerged as if underwater. This suggests the ever-presence of their fears lurking at the edge. On the stage, they dance in a line behind Jimin, who reaches out for help and drags his feet across the floor as they sing about the sound being shut off and their feet held in a rut. Joey Nato points out, though, the “Do you hear me” is more aggressive in the outro. They have gained the ability to confront these fears.

In a solo shot, J-Hope is again surrounded by shadows. He stares into the camera before descending into the darkness. As he does so, Jimin, in his solo dance, collapses, and the camera pulls away, leaving him to the darkness. Though we don’t see the conclusion, we see a post scene of Jungkook in the balcony section. A large shadow has overtaken the stage. As he watches, the shadow shrinks and disappears. Satisfied, he walks off. It’s interesting to note here that a behind the scenes clip revealed that the looming shadows were performed by Jimin and J-Hope, adding a deeper layer of intimacy and familiarity to the shadows plaguing them. In the group dance on the stage, as they block the light, their shadows loom large in front of them. In the final formation, however, their silhouettes become interlaced with their shadows. They have confronted and overcome their fears and recognized that these fears are a natural, ever-present, and vital part of who they are as humans and artists.

BTS’s discography openly talks about their personal challenges, including growing up, mental health, and contending with injustices in society. Throughout these struggles, music remains a vital source of strength carrying them through it. “Black Swan”, however, rocks this security as they question their love for music. The song is spectacularly raw and its intense vulnerability makes it a definitive entry to BTS’s discography and the music industry as whole. But this struggle is not theirs alone. “Black Swan’s” various performance concepts reimagine the song in different contexts of art and shadows. In the premiere performance on The Late Late Show with James Corden, BTS danced barefoot and dressed in black on a stage designed like a fairytale forest at night. This performance paid homage to Tchaikovsky’s Black Swan and the ballet’s theme of good vs. evil. The Korean music show performances had them dancing in both black and white costumes amongst ruined classical architecture. These performances evoked imagery of grandeur decaying, of the art itself being broken because of their shadows. On The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’s “BTS Week”, they introduced a new spin on this struggle and performed on a stage designed like an abandoned church, alluding to the disillusionment of belief, in institutions but also in themselves, as their core identity is being called into question. Their Japanese promotions on NHK Songs modernized the theme. BTS performed in flowy, loose modern clothes on a simple stage, evoking an image of a performance student dancing alone in an abandoned auditorium as they struggle with their inner demons. No matter the interpretation, these performances and the song itself speak to the struggle of the soul decaying under pressure, shadows overcoming the light, and an artist fighting against all odds to keep the love of their art alive.

[friendlynbhddevil]

Black Swan will forever remain THE song.

[adrlx613]

if this can no longer make me cry

if this can no longer make my heart flutter

perhaps, this will be how I die once

but what if that moment’s right now?

[cherrystar12]

Quando eu falo que sou eclética:

[imthepurplesloth]

WITH WORDS I SING TO THE WORLD [collection]

[0] Black Swan: Fear Of Dissatisfaction 

An aspiring artist that is yet to learn the ways of animation listens to a song (Black Swan - Orchestra ver. Instrumental) that tries to ignite the Sparks Of Colors her mind wants to create. Her art is underdeveloped, and cannot clearly visualize what she is feeling as she hears the music playing from her earbuds. She could feel, hear and somewhat see the movements of characters dancing in her mind, though not clearly, little by little she starts seeing swirls of colors, clashing into one another, creating sparks. She went to school and learned everything she could to execute what she felt when hearing that music. The sparks she once felt. Yet there was no clear visual, a background of pure black and blurry swirls of very few dimly lit colors, was all she could see. She tried sketching the emotions, but it was unsatisfying to see. She tried painting it, and again, it was unsatisfying to look at. Charcoal, watercolors, pastels, pen, markers, pottery, sculpture, any form of art, she tried, and somehow it was always so unsatisfying to look at. She wanted to give up and just forget about it, but she felt as if something was missing, maybe there was a method of art she had looked over. Something she skipped. The woman looked around her apartment, trying her best to make her brain acknowledge the thing she missed. She looked and looked, only to find her eyes trained on an object, a vase. An Abstract Glass Vase, that had dimly lit colors, the main color: black. There were exactly seven dulled flowers that needed watering, but the dullness of them gave it beauty, life. Looking at it…it was satisfying. She felt all those emotions again. Many minutes passed and her mind felt in a trance, not wanting to look away. Afraid that she might lose the feeling of looking at the vase and flowers, she ran to collect her materials needed to paint, whilst she continued to hear that one music on repeat nonstop. Running back and forth, setting down brown paper onto the floor, her largest canvas she had available and grabbed all her paints and brushes. The music started and the satisfying excitement goosebump she felt in her veins allowed her to start painting. 

Maybe the people living across the street in the other building looked at her as if she was crazy, dancing, contorting her body, twisting it to the music that played in her ears. If people were to ask if she was crazy or weird, she would answer “ Yes, I am both and more.”  

The woman felt herself smiling, enjoying the process of making whatever she was doing. She danced and twirled, twisted and twirled, running her brush along the canvas, leaped and splashed paint onto the canvas. The ecstasy she was feeling was amazing. She felt more alive than ever. 

The dancing and the music went on, never stopping, not even taking a small break, although her cheeks hurt, she continued to smile. This went on into the night. Once the last minute of the day striked 12:00 am she dropped her brushes and palette, beginning to cry. Crying in joy and happiness, kneeling down to the ground and crying hysterically, laughing and crying. 

For once in her lifetime, in her art career, she was able to execute something that she did with all her efforts, her time, her sweat, her love, her (I think some blood, even), her passion, all of her to create a masterpiece of her own. 

Colorful colors were mixed and turned to dark dimly-lit dull colors, the main color being black, depicting a lake that’s color reflected the sliver of the moonlight that shined on it. But its main focus point was the seven dark clothed men that danced under the moon, in the formation of a swan. A Black Swan. Their stilled movements, elegant and graceful, conveying emotions of fear. The fear of falling out of love for her art. Without even knowing, She was the black swan. The artist that was falling out of love for her art. She was unsatisfied before and now after fulfilling that hole with executing what the artist wanted, she once again felt unsatisfied. What next? She thought to herself. 

-IMTHEPURPLESLOTH [6.27.23-3:36 am]

Collection Available on Wattpad as well.

[missbangtangirl]

My Seven Always and Forever 💜🫡

[raplinesmoon]

In the deepest depths, I saw myself ✨

[thisiskritidutta]

[shinedream-smile]

Only me thought of "Black Swan" of BTS just seeing this?

Like this exhibition at the tonight show in 2020

One of the most interesting abandoned places - Church in St. Etienne, France

via reddit