K-pop and K-dramas: Choosing a Bias

Hey! Hallie here!

I’m going to start this out by saying that this post is focused on BTS, but in general I hope this gives anyone deciding their bias in any K-Pop group something to help them out. Every member of BTS is extremely talented. Which is why it’s so incredibly difficult to decide which member is your bias. Since last year, when I joined ARMY, I’ve switched between two biases and three bias wreckers. If you’re new to the K-pop community, a bias is your favorite member of a group. A bias wrecker, on the other hand, is your second favorite member, or the member that makes you question whether or not your bias is really your bias. A lot of BTS fans have claimed OT7 as their bias, which is a way of saying they like all of the members too much to choose between them. And, in a way, I’m the same. But as someone who likes to pinpoint my favorite things so that I can write about them, I’ve found that I’m pretty passionate about deciding which members fit the bias and bias wrecker positions. So with the hope of making anyone struggling with the same problem feel a bit better, here’s how I’ve been dealing with this situation so far.

Bias:

I consider my bias to be the member that I have the deepest attachment to. I find all the members both attractive and talented, which doesn’t exactly help me decide which one is my bias. Instead of deciding my bias based on which members I think are better, I tend to look at three different things. Who inspires me most, who makes me happiest, and who I find myself listening to the most often. My first bias in BTS was Kim Namjoon. His wisdom and intelligence was the reason I got into BTS in the first place. He easily inspired me with his speeches about self love, as well as the work he’s put into writing lyrics for the group. I also sought out his work first and fell in love with his meaningful songs. However, I now consider Jung Hoseok to be my bias. J-Hope inspires me with his energy and happiness, but he also inspires me with his professionalism. He contributes to the songs BTS releases and takes responsibility for a lot of BTS’s choreography. His contagious smile, and determination to cheer on both ARMY and BTS, make me happy. His unique sound brings me back to his music frequently. He’s unapologetically himself, even about the pressure he faces, which makes me want to explore more of myself, too. J-Hope is the member of BTS I need most right now, but that might not always be the case. Often times life changes will make you feel like you need another member or that you relate to someone else more. That’s fine too. I see a lot of people boast about how long a member has been their bias, which isn’t an issue, but don’t let it make you feel like you aren’t a real fan if you change your bias. While I don’t think Hobi will be leaving the bias position for me anytime soon, I know that there will be moments where other members will say or create something that I connect with, as well.

Bias Wrecker:

Bias wreckers tend to have a bit of a different connotation. A lot of people describe bias wreckers as the member who looks so attractive, or has such a compelling stage presence, that they turn your head while you’re trying to pay attention to your bias. Once again, I’ve struggled a lot with this position because I find every member of BTS attractive and talented. J-Hope was my first bias wrecker, but he wasn’t my bias wrecker for very long. I quickly realized he was someone who I could relate to and look up to more than Namjoon. So Namjoon became my bias wrecker by default. Namjoon has been my bias wrecker for a while. Every interview I’ve watched with him in it has given me at least one new quote to think about or a new outlook to inspire me. But recently, Taehyung became my bias wrecker. For one, if we’re judging bias wreckers based off of stage presence, Taehyung is an incredible performer. I was chatting with my sister while watching BTS concert footage about a month ago, and I suddenly fell completely silent once Taehyung started performing “Singularity”. It was so mesmerizing that I hadn’t even noticed I had gone quiet. More recently Taehyung has just resonated with me more. His descriptions of his growth in recent years remind me a lot of myself. His humor and temperament are relatable to me. Match that with my long-time love of all of his music and my recent obsession with “Blue and Grey”, and he’s become my new bias wrecker. I don’t love Namjoon any less, but he doesn’t quite fit the same position as Taehyung does currently. And once again, that’s okay.

How Should You Decide Who to Pick?:

I’ve given you examples of what’s made me decide who my bias and bias wrecker is so far, but that doesn’t mean you have to decide who yours are based on my criteria. Recently a lot of people, especially in ARMY, have been saying that your bias is who you relate to and your bias wrecker is who you’re most attracted to. Obviously, I relate to both J-Hope and Taehyung and I find all the members of BTS to be pretty good looking guys. Pick the members who you connect to most, whether that’s because you like one of their aesthetics or because you can’t sleep without listening to one member’s song. Don’t feel bad for changing your bias, either. You won’t be betraying Jimin if you suddenly decide Jin is your bias, and no one should make you feel guilty for doing so either. Make your own criteria. And if you don’t want to decide, don’t. I openly admitted that I’m nearly an OT7 bias at the beginning of this post. The only thing you shouldn’t do when choosing a bias is hate on members who aren’t your bias. Every member deserves love and ARMY should be supporting all of them.

I hope this helped some new ARMY’s grasp the idea of choosing a bias a bit better. It’s really difficult, especially when every member is so loveable. I know to a lot of baby ARMY’s it seems like you can’t be part of the fandom until you choose your bias. To some there’s the assumption that ARMY’s will judge you based on who your bias is. But none of that is true. No matter who your bias is, BTS is all about loving each other, and ourselves, for our own personalities rather than which member we like best. As long as you spread that kindness, you’re an ARMY regardless of which bias you choose.

Don’t do anything fun until I get back!

Hallie