My thoughts on Change by #RM feat. Wale: a thread!
This song is social commentary for the state of the world. Namjoon and Wale address key social and political issues like violence, classism, bull*ng on social media etc in their respective countries ++
#RMverse

First a little bit of history: how did #RM come to collaborate with Wale? Turns out back in 2016 Wale saw a tweet from an ARMY showing Namjoon freestyling over his song "Illest Bitch" in 2012 and asked to collab! ++ https://twitter.com/darthvenn/status/791449481564811264

In this interview Namjoon describes the story of their collab! I should also praise that Namjoon did this collab entirely in English, and his songwriting in English is just incredible! ++
#RM #RMverse

Namjoon wasn't quite sure what he'd have in common with Wale, since the two make very different music for different markets. Then he had the idea to make a song about current affairs, issues that affect them both and many people around the world ++
#RM #RMverse

Let's look at the social commentary in Namjoon's verse. His first couple of lines remind me of his reference to Aesop's Fables in his Mic Drop verse: in those tales, good and right always prevail. Now Namjoon doubts if it's really true in reality.. ++

Namjoon seeks some certainty that things will get better, he's desperately clinging to hope that there is a brighter future and wonders if he's right to do so. However, the hope turns dim when he really starts to dig into current social, political and economic issues ++

These two lines are just incredibly powerful. Namjoon still clings to the hope that with patience, things will improve (we get the pearl) but the hope is not carried by the world, instead people teach you to just turn a blind eye (or curl) and focus only on yourself. WOW. ++

Namjoon comments on 2 social issues that heavily influenced BTS' journey so far:
1) their criticism of the strict Korean education system and rigid classism/hierarchy in Korean society in general, like in the School trilogy and songs like Silver Spoon ++
(the alliteration is )

2) the dangers of social media on mental health and the hurt of words, addressed most recently in the song UGH

Some people also think these lines refer to major threats on BTS performances in the past, but I think it's just a theme that heavily affects Namjoon in general ++

I gotta say, these next two are my favorite lines of the whole song. Namjoon refers here to the saying "no pain no gain", but the world isn't so fair. Namjoon is making the listener think for themselves what the answer to that question would be. ++

I'm not an expert at poker, but I believe Namjoon refers here to the act of "checking", which means pushing back your decision to a later time. Basically, how can you bet and get a fair shot if your turn is always pushed to later? ++

At the end of his verse, Namjoon connects his poker references to losing in the real world. Now, him and Wale are "the men", so they are the adults who can change the world, otherwise what will there be left for their legacy? ++

The pre-hook of the song is quite interesting. Namjoon says "if hope is a taste, what is yours?" This relates to us using the expression "acquired taste" for things only a few people enjoy or look for. But hope shouldn't be a taste, it should be sought by everyone. ++

I won't go through Wale's verse line by line, but I'd love to point out a few really great rhymes/references he makes! Wale's verse addresses key issues of race and violence still present in the USA today. I love here his use of the Mannequin Challenge with lack of voting ++

I'm sure you've heard BTS say this line tons of times to tease Namjoon, but did you know it's a Korean pun? Namjoon's name in Korean is 남준, the first part 남 "nam" is the base for "man": the word "man" in Korean is 남자 "namja" ++

Here Wale references Namjoon's 148 IQ, and also uses wordplay for the word "song", both as the musical kind and as a common last name in Korea, particularly here the last name of famous actress Song Hye Kyo, which he's rhymed with 'haiku', 'high IQ' and 'hey cutie', clever! ++

This line is pretty self-explanatory, Folarin is a mixtape from Wale dating back to 2012. I wonder if he chose it because in 2012 was when Namjoon freestyled over Wale's song, which eventually led to this collab! ++

The end of Wale's verse is the most impactful, he addresses the oppression of African Americans by various groups. The "12" is the drug enforcement police, who historically targeted Black people and minorities. "Make them kids really freeze" is a reference to police violence ++

The last verse, jointly by RM and Wale, is stark, bleak, and is just raw honesty to the listener. The world is cold but there is hope, they keep praying. "grass growing in winter's eyes" reminds me of Spring Day, good things will come if we're willing to go to them. ++

Namjoon and Wale are telling us that change can come, but it's not real until we decide for ourselves to change it. Change the world by first changing how you act in it. ++

Change by #RM feat Wale is social commentary on various issues that affect them both personally, issues they've either held dear or that have caused them/or continue to cause them hardships. The song remains relevant as ever, give it some love! ++

I'll end this thread with this clip of Wale praising Namjoon, ARMY and his whole experience working on Change
#RM #RMverse