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The first time I heard "Too Much", when Namjoon uploaded it on the @BTS_twt Soundcloud in 2013, I felt heartbroken. The track still remains the rawest expression of his inner struggle between rapper and idol. Now he regrets writing it, but it's worth diving into it.+
#RMverse #RM
#RMverse #RM
"Too Much" is inspired by the same song by Drake, who Namjoon greatly admires. The beat and chorus are the same, but the verses written by Namjoon are his own personal story, and it is heart-wrenching and raw. It's here on the BTS soundcloud. +
#RM https://soundcloud.com/bangtan/rap-monster-too-much
#RM https://soundcloud.com/bangtan/rap-monster-too-much
The lyrics heavily feature both his feelings in 2013 after debuting in an idol group and leaving his past life as an underground rapper. Here's some backstory on that journey pre-BTS before we check out the lyrics +
#RMverse #RM https://twitter.com/MoonieJoonieee/status/1320845238517325832
#RMverse #RM https://twitter.com/MoonieJoonieee/status/1320845238517325832
The song starts with Namjoon describing his daily life as BTS. He is very frustrated because he feels like he's not being what "hiphop" expects him to be. In his mind, the idol stereotypes and freedom in the hiphop underground still live and he fights through it all. +
Namjoon was VERY popular in underground, so when he joined BigHit he got a lot of backlash from the hiphop community, including his "friends", about selling out, losing his integrity, becoming a puppet instead of the artist he could have been. In Too Much, Namjoon feels that. +
The first verse of Too Much ends with Namjoon proclaiming that he refuses to be judged for his decisions, that even if he chose this path, it's his choice to make, not anyone else's. He'll eat his porridge or gruel, because he made it himself. +
#RMverse #RM
#RMverse #RM
In the 2nd verse, Namjoon ponders about his place in the world, this path he's chosen and the difficulties ahead. In Too Much, he uses for the 1st time the sea/desert comparison, here it means near-sighted good and bad things. Now he has the whole world to explore as BTS. +
But the whole world is big, there are many difficulties ahead, some of which BTS was experiencing at the time, being from a small company, cut from broadcasts, feeling powerless, like a speck of dust. Namjoon, who was a king in the underground, is now humbled. +
#RMverse
#RMverse
The freedom of expression, the rawness, anger, he had in his teens as an underground rapper had to be tamed as an idol. As leader RM, he had to hide his true self, for the good of the group and their success in the idol world. But his duality led to receiving hate on both sides +
Namjoon doubts whether he really knows what the path forward is. He thinks about his message to ARMY, and how it applies to his own happiness and dreams. As BTS he is making the music he wants, says what he wants, and debuted to share it with the world. Now what? +
#RMverse
#RMverse
Namjoon finds himself unsure about what's next. He's deep in his thoughts, still trying to find his purpose. He doesn't know what it is, but he feels that there is something pushing him forward, something to reach. +
#RM #RMverse
#RM #RMverse
The chorus sung by Namjoon, from Drake's song, comes again. It feels like a calming lullaby to ease down Namjoon's tumultuous inner thoughts, bubbling and fighting inside his head. Whatever it is, there's no rush to find it, so don't think about it too much. +
#RMverse #RM
#RMverse #RM
The outro of the song is incredibly powerful. Drake ends his with "Don't give up on your hopes", after talking about his struggle with fame. After his outburst of his inner thoughts and struggles, Namjoon ends Too Much by telling himself to "let it go". +
#RM #RMverse
#RM #RMverse
In fact, later on we learn that Namjoon did go on a self-accepting journey in his #RMixtape, where he talks deeply about his rapper/idol identity, experiences, thoughts, and his catharsis that labels don't define him, only his music does. +
#RMverse #RM https://twitter.com/MoonieJoonieee/status/1320844955598917638
#RMverse #RM https://twitter.com/MoonieJoonieee/status/1320844955598917638
