The Bangtan Theory: Fake Love Analysis

Fake Love is one of the most popular songs of BTS at the moment. This was #1 of Top 200 Foreign Artists and Top 10 for the Billboard charts, neither of which have ever been achieved by any Korean artist ever. They debuted this song at the Billboard Music Awards and won Top Social Artist for the second year in the row with 20 million votes for 2018.

The theory that love is not over at death is challenged by this music video but it is not defeated. Rather, like in RM's words, "This album is going to be like if you're not true to yourself, [your love] won't last long" which presents the theory that the truth of about Jin and who he really is has come out of the darkness. His love for the boys isn't real, but rather is a mask to help himself gain something from each member. This could be their blood, sweat, and tears to other topics such as devotion or sacrifice. Love for him isn't over; it's just fake (and one sided) love and it wasn't worth coming to the other side.

The extended version of the song starts out with a close up of a flower in a glass box. Many fans theorize that is the flower represents the boys (not a new motif in the videos) and he covers the flowers because he wants to protect them. However, the reason why he wants to protect the flower changes in this song. The boys sing about pretending to be happy in order to preserve the relationship they have with someone. They also sing about being strong when they really didn't want to be but love is not what it seems.

One of the lyrics that sticks out the most is "I grew a flower that can't bloom in a dream that can't come true" which basically means they were trying to start this friendship or relationship with someone that isn't able to grow with them due to the person's personality or the environment/culture they established between them. This is them facing themselves and the reality of what the relationships actually mean to them.

They are "sick of this fake love" and confess that to Jin but he only sings back, "I'm so sorry but it's fake love" and doesn't explain why he never really showed them his true self; prideful. Jin then tries to save the flower (the source of his pride) from the storm that is crashing down upon him from the outside but it doesn't work. This storm is his reality; he is finally going to face himself and learn the truth of what it means to care about someone. The boys start to go one by one of how certain events in the story line changed them forever.

As mentioned previously in other articles, Demian is still a part of this song. If you haven't read the previous articles, I would suggest starting with I Need U.

In the novel aforementioned, the main character Sinclair meets a boy who is mature. Later on, Sinclair starts to act like a model child because of this boy. Much like Sinclair, RM changes himself because of Jin and even confesses this with his lyric of, "I wanna be a good man, (just for you) ...I changed everything... but I dunno me (who are you?)" and he is lost because he doesn't have anyone to guide him since he learns Jin's love is actually fake and he used the boys for his personal reasons. These are theories that the fans have stemming from old videos near their debut days but this blog does not focus on those videos.

Another member of the band that talks about being lost is JHope. JHope is known for losing his mother or being abandoned by his mother and there are other articles about this theory on the blog. However, his lyrics talk about things that connect to Jimin. Jimin is his partner in the beginning of the I Need U video and they are linked continuously throughout the story line. Although the two both have differences, there is no denying that these lyrics link to Jimin because they are specific. One example includes, "The forest just for us, you weren't there. The route I took, I forgot" which is a pretty strong allusion to the videos Lie and MaMa which are solo songs of Jimin and Jhope. Jimin's past includes getting lost in the forest and forgetting where to go. JHope rapping about this makes it clear that the relationship between Jimin and Jhope and their personalities aren't at all what it seems.

JHope mental disorder is also referenced in this music video when he talks about, "I even became quite unsure of who I was. Try babbling in the mirror, who the heck are you?" which is a constant symptom of Munchhausen syndrome. Learn more about that in this article. The fact that they were able to use this rap verse to connect two different (albeit similar) music videos from their previous albums proves that the boys try to present a theory to the fans and the words aren't just scribbles on a notebook; they all have a purpose. Other examples include JHope laying on a stack of Snickers bars (a candy bar his mom gave to him before she abandoned him) and JHope stuck in a room full of carnival accessories (the place where he was abandoned).

Jungkook is one of the most important characters in this music video (ALL MEMBERS ARE IMPORTANT) and this is shown through the imagery of the video. The visuals show that Jungkook is separated from all the other members. This is mostly shown through him glancing through the one sided mirror that RM looks into, the vent Jungkook sees V through, the keyhole he peeks to see JHope, the window he sees Jin through, and the cracks he glances through to see Suga. Many fans link this member to The Story of Omelas which talks about how in order to maintain peace in society, at least one child must be left in the darkness. Jungkook is constantly seen as left in the dark and he is considered the baby of the group. His selfish nature in the music video and his obliviousness to the pain of the group highlights this.

At the end of the video, Jungkook trades himself for the key to enter with the other boys. He was the boy locked up so that his members could be happy but he realizes it was all fake love. The other boys have given up on loving each other but now focus on loving themselves, together. Jungkook wants to be a part of this, gives up to get the key, and joins the other members in their cult-like group now.