Kim Namjoon Birthday 2023: Meet the lyrical mastermind behind BTS

Kim Namjoon stage name RM is most wellknown as the leader of the global music sensation BTS But thatrsquos not all he is As the grouprsquos main rapper producer and one of the septetrsquos primary songwriters and lyricists RM has cowritten nearly every BTS song with his fellow members The Korea Music Copyright Association credits him with over 200 songs making him the youngest Korean artist to achieve this milestone This portfolio includes not just his work for BTS but also solo projects like his debut mixtape lsquoRMrsquo in 2015 lsquomonorsquo in 2018 and most recently lsquoIndigorsquo in 2022Namjoon will be celebrating his 29th birthday on September 12 We are celebrating alongside him by tracing his journey as a songwriter lyricist and honouring his musicianrsquos legacy Letrsquos meet the creative genius and philosopher behind the stage persona who propelled BTSrsquos success storyThe smartest member of BTSRM has an IQ of 148 and was in the top percentile in South Korearsquos KSAT a nationallevel entrance exam for university applications Since a young age RM experienced the conflict of following the triedandtested path the path expected of him or choosing to pursue music and his early lyrics reflect his torn perspectives on the pressures of education and academic performance in South KoreaBigHit Entertainments CEO Bang Si Hyul recognized RMs potential early on making him the foundational member of BTS By the tender age of thirteen RM had already carved a name for himself within South Koreas underworld hip hop community His passion for writing blossomed at a young age RM has often talked about wanting to be an authorpoet early on by 5th grade he was already writing on the unification of KoreaAs a budding artist Namjoon often secretly scribbled lyrics on bits of paper tucked within his school books even if it meant facing reprimands In his solo track lsquoVoicersquo he reminisces about being a top student with a burning desire to take the stage and perform A similar sentiment is also expressed in the song lsquoBorn Singerrsquo where BTS were on the cusp of breaking through with their lsquoThe Most Beautiful Moment in Life Erarsquo In a soulwrenching verse he raps ldquoHey what is your dream Mine is a rapstar cant you feelrdquoldquoAnd let the haters hate on me its their day jobWhere you mock the keyboard I fulfill my dreamsSunglasses hair style I know why you insult meAnyway at 20 years old Irsquove come farther along than any of yourdquoHis other songs from BTSrsquos debut era like the hidden and extremely underrated track lsquoPathrsquo have Namjoon ruminating about the difficult path they had chosen to traverse and whether things would be different if they had not chosen to challenge the norm But perhaps the road they were meant to take was the road less travelled after allldquoIf I had chosen a different path would have I been any differentIf I stopped and looked back what will I see at the end of this roadrdquoMaking a statementSince the beginning Namjoonrsquos lyricism intimately engaged with his inner worlds and yet was extraordinarily politically attuned to the world BTSrsquos early vlogs predebut had 18yearold RM rapping about how voting matters Their debut EP lsquoNo More Dreamrsquo spoke about the incarceratory nature of the educational system that forced young minds into a school legitimate career burntout adult pipeline and did not encourage a safe space for ideas and dreams BTS might cringe looking back at their initial album but these songs were revolutionary for the timeIn lsquoStrangersquo a collaboration with bandmate Suga from his solo mixtape D2 RM delves into criticisms of capitalism and consumerism highlights societal polarization and points out how many are entrapped within the same system In lsquoChangersquo his joint track with American rapper Wale RM addresses issues like the flaws in the education system police brutality racism and lends his voice to the Black Lives Matter movementAnother enduring legacy of the leader is the song lsquoSpring Dayrsquo where BTS unhesitatingly returned to politically engage with the world and musically reflect on the Sewol Ferry Tragedy in Seoul ndash and the wounds of marginalized communitiesGreater awareness of oneself and the worldDiving into RMrsquos lyrics reveals depth and empathy the songwriter uses his lyrics to explore a greater awareness of oneself and the world which is also immensely inspiring for his fans His incredible wordplay a sharp command over both English and Korean and poetic allegories craft an unfiltered and singular portrayal of the human experience through equally as haunting melodies which is RMrsquos trademark styleOne instance of such wordplay can be witnessed in his solo song lsquoTrivia Loversquo The leader has a live stream following the release of every BTS album in which he delves into the composition songwriting inspiration and production behind each track During one such live he mentioned the genesis of this songldquoThe words for lsquolifersquo and lsquoloversquo in Korean are uncannily similar and I wanted to play with this emotion in my song The inspiration was a person lsquorsquo saaraam is softened by love lsquorsquo saaraang the square shape in the script becomes rounded Isnrsquot that what life is about tooRM has mentioned that the natural world is a deep and lasting source of inspiration in his words His lyricism mired in an incisive unflinching introspection when combined with the metaphors of nature and life have produced songs that will remain timeless in their resonanceIn the track lsquo134340rsquo RM crafts a poignant euphemism likening their feelings of isolation to the forsaken planet Pluto lsquoWhalien 52rsquo sees him drawing a philosophical analogy between rising yet increasingly isolated sensation BTS to the worlds loneliest whale reflecting solitude With the collaborative piece lsquoBoy With Luvrsquo featuring American artist Halsey RM eloquently conveys the adoration they receive from fans suggesting Instead of the suns scorch like Icarus let me soar towards youIn his solo track lsquoEverythingoesrsquo from lsquoMonorsquo RM employs the cyclical nature of seasons to portray the transience of pain poetically musing As day turns to night spring to summer from blossoming flowers to ripening fruits every existence knows painlsquoMoonchildrsquo serves as a lyrical tribute to those souls that find solace and can be themselves only when the moon rises While in lsquoForever Rainrsquo he personifies rain as a compassionate friend gently checking in on him through the window in a pulsing and busy cityRMrsquos growth and journey as a songwriter has also seen him increasingly write about his personal self and public persona and the complex merging and tussles between individual and artist Intro Persona captured RMs internal dilemmas between conforming to his public image and his authentic inner self are the two different Can they be differentldquoSomeone like me aint good enough for musicSomeone like me aint good enough for the truthSomeone like me aint good enough for a callingSomeone like me aint good enough to be a museThe flaws of mine that I knowMaybe thats all Ive got reallyTheres something that raised me up again every timeThe first questionThe three syllables of my name and the word but that should come before any of thoserdquoIn his most recent album lsquoIndigorsquo Namjoon really confronts these questions especially in the light of BTSrsquos hiatus as a groupWhat does it mean to be an artist and still have a private self Are you allowed to traverse different paths if your old dreams begin to shackle you What does it mean to preserve and nurture oneself when you are being constantly pigeonholed into a publicly curated lsquotitlersquoldquoWhen everything I blieved in grew distantWhen all this fame turned into shacklesPlease take my desire away from meNo matter what it takesOh let me be myselfrdquoPaused and turned out to be gloriously barefootedNothing was ever meant to be mineAnd dont tell me like you gotta be someoneBecause Ill never be like them Light a flowerYeah my start was poetryMy one and only strength and dream that protected me so far Light a flowerldquoIm still life but Im movinJust live now goin forward yeahA still life that does not stop keep my flower blooming againGimme no name cause Im untitledrdquoRM has been a cultural reset to this generation of poetry and music With every song he gives audiences a chance to get to know RM an acronym for lsquoreal mersquo a little bit more We wish Namjoon a very happy 29th birthday