Whalien 52
How BTS’s Whale Song Speaks to the Isolated Artist—and All of Us
Whalien 52: How BTS’s Whale Song Speaks to the Isolated Artist – and All of Us
____
My dear friend and assistant Chinthi wrote to me today about a song called Whalien 52, by that quirky combination of pretty boy band and heartfelt lyricists that is the Korean supercombo BTS.
The song refers to the so-called 52-hertz whale, known as the world’s loneliest whale because it calls at an unusual 52-hertz frequency – no other whales respond, since they don’t hear its call.
The name Whalien 52’ is a combination of “whale” and “alien,” connoting the themes of isolation and alienation, particularly among young people who feel unheard or misunderstood by society.
Translated, the lyric reads:
In the middle of this vast ocean
One whale speaks softly and lonelily
No matter how loud it cries, it can't reach anyone
Piercing loneliness makes it shut its mouth in silence
But whatever, it doesn't matter anymore, I don't care
When only loneliness stays beside me
I'm completely alone, locking myself in with solitude
Some say, ''Bastard, you're a celebrity now''
Oh, fuck that, yeah, so what?
Nobody remains by my side and I'm fine on my own
These words that are easily said towards me quickly become a wall
Even my loneliness looks fake to your eyes
Don't know about you, but I find that damned impressive in terms of its emotional depth for a "boy band".
At first glance I saw it as a metaphor for the solitary artist. But that was just a solipsism.* Chinthi guided me to a broader vision: in fact there are many people out there who feel this way, and if a group like this can go some way towards remedying that, I will die a happy man.
But not for 700 days. At least...
___
Those who are new to this group will soon see that I have a love for arcane and recondite words like "arcane" and "recondite". Basically it's a love of language, and all it can do – particularly in English which has magpied so many words from so many languages...
And magpie is a verb. Since just now.