Thread by @MoonieJoonieee

Breaking down the genius storytelling of Intro Persona by #RM: Namjoon brilliantly uses his alter-egos to take us on his personal journey to the self, from pre-debut until present-day. ++
#방탄소년단RM #KimNamjoon #김남준 @BTS_twt
#RMverse

Namjoon presents us with 5 versions of himself throughout Intro Persona (for now let's call them 'personas', although not all of them are such). Both the lyrics and the visuals of the MV tell us Namjoon's story, how he started, overcame challenges and came to be who he is now. ++

Namjoon's clever interplay between Korean and English shines again in Intro Persona with the sound "na", which in Korean (나) means "me". The self "na" is within the persoNA.
The sound "na" comes 26 times in the song, coincidentally Namjoon's Korean age when it was released! ++

Intro Persona starts with the version I call "the human". Kim Namjoon as a trainee, student, pre-debut, just a regular kid trying to make music. Listen to him and keep an ear to his great end-of-line rhymes! ++
#RMverse #RM

In the lyrics Namjoon talks about feeling a bit uncomfortable because he's trying to figure out who he is but he's not sure he's worth what people say he is. Throughout his early life as a musician and rapper, he got a lot of attention for his skill. ++
#RMverse #RM

Namjoon started rapping in 2007 at 12 yo. He was popular both solo and in various groups, before he temporarily quit late 2009 after a bad audition. He met Bang PD shortly after and was scouted to be the first member of BTS. +

vid by @/zomgheysteph

After debuting and being held in high regard, Namjoon felt like people were putting a 'pearl necklace on him', or seeing more worth than he saw. This was his insecurity and anxiety speaking. The next version we meet is the "idol", listen to Namjoon deal with newfound fame. ++
#RM

As discussed in the RM mixtape, Namjoon wanted to debut because he wanted more people to hear his music, he felt limited in the underground. Now he's dealing with criticism from people pushing and pulling him in various directions.+
PS. note how smoothly he slides in "borahae" 💜

Namjoon was actually quite popular as an underground rapper in Seoul, before he joined BigHit. Many of his peers didn't understand why he gave up his popularity to become an 'idol', claiming that he would lose his artistic integrity. ++

The 'idol' names his shadow 'hesitation'. This shadow is personified as underground "rapper" Joon. The 'rapper' tries to take control over the 'idol' and ends up being the sole one dominating the track, internalizing the criticism he's received. Let's hear him out. ++
#RM

Once the shadow is named and appears, we see the idol begin to internalize and speak his own fears, as if the shadow was taking over. Namjoon's insecurities about his idol versus rapper duality led to internal turmoil he speaks about at length in the RM mixtape. ++
#RM #RMverse

The shadow repeats a lot of the criticism Namjoon has heard from both camps, from the idol fans and the hip hop fans, from his peers and the music industry. He feels lost, and not sure where to go from there. ++
#RM

However at the very end of the shadow's verse, we learn that there is one question, the first question, that helps Namjoon get up every time the shadow takes over: "but, who is Kim Namjoon?"
In fact the chorus answers that very question, he wants to be heard and hear you. ++

It is also the first time we get a glimpse of the version of Namjoon I call the "artist", but he doesn't speak, he only shows us his name. this question echoes back to the very start of Intro Persona. ++

This reminded me of the journey we went through in the RM mixtape, where Namjoon dealt through his internal turmoil and understood that his ultimate goal is for his voice to be heard, for his voice to resonate with as many people as possible, and he believes in himself. ++

The question of "who am I" is what drives him forward. The next version we meet is the "leader", or the "celebrity". This is Namjoon's public figure persona. He tried to answer the questions of the chorus, but the only thing he knows is the answer to "tell me all your names":
++

In the finale of Intro Persona, the 'leader' does not speak alone, he speaks with 2 other versions of Namjoon, the "rapper" and the "artist". Speaking through 3 versions of himself, Namjoon accepts and even enjoys creating and exploring many versions of himself. ++

The leader, with his celebrity robe, and podium, embodies Namjoon's current persona. He is the version that is giant (CGI) and represents RM as a public figure, something much larger than just him as a person. ++
#RMverse #RM

The rapper, dressed in typical underground hiphop clothes, embodies Namjoon's shadow. He is the version that brings out his anxiety and insecurities, but also drives him to understand himself better and to grow as a person and an artist as he explores what it means to be him. ++

The last version, the artist, is Namjoon's ego. He named himself halfway through Intro Persona as "Kim Namjoon". He is a more grown up version of the 'human' pre-debut Namjoon, but is still in uniform, still a student of music and of life. ++

Namjoon's visual journey, speaking alongside his Shadow and Persona, shows us who he is. He stands out of line, his uniform is not properly worn. As the lyrics say, he refuses to change for other people, he will continue to use his voice to inspire and lead and be heard. ++
#RM

From not knowing his worth and letting his insecurities get the better of him, he's learned to let criticism not define who he is but drive him to be better, learn more about himself, and use his voice to reach out to people and give them all the shoulders when they cry.
#RMverse

Now go stream this genius piece of storytelling.

since people enjoy them, here are my study notes!