Photo from Facebook @bangtan.official, Yasushi Akimoto's social media
BTS' fandom, ARMY, is requesting BigHit Entertainment to cancel BTS' collaboration with Yasushi Akimoto, a famous Japanese record producer. They are asserting that letting BTS collaborate with him will do no good to the group's future career.
Some are saying that 'Anything other than cancellation will not be accepted'.
On September 13, a Japanese news outlet reported that on November 7, BTS will release a new Japanese song entitled Bird and that the song's lyrics have been written by Yasushi Akimoto. The media also wrote that the collaboration has been first suggested by Bang Sihyuk, the CEO of BigHit Entertainment.
This news caused an uproar among BTS' Korean fans. Yasushi Akimoto is a famous Japanese record producer, who created the popular Japanese girl group AKB48, and who also exerted a great influence on the recent survival audition show, Mnet's Produce 48.
What caused ARMYs to revolt against BTS' collaboration with him, is the controversy that he is a rightist who actively supports the Japanese government's right-wing policies. Moreover, even among local Japanese, he has been criticized for creating the abnormal structure of Japan's idol industry, and for his misogynist attitude of depicting women as passive and powerless existence in his lyrics.
Due to these issues, ARMYs are expressing concerns that releasing a collaborated song with Akimoto will have a negative influence on BTS' future reputation and career.
Through various channels including BigHit Entertainment's social media and BTS' official fan cafe, fans are asking the agency to cancel the collaboration. They are declaring that 'Anything other than cancellation will not be accepted'.
By Bongbong and Soohyoun Nam voomvoomk@gmail.com
