It should be seen as a moment of recognition when international celebrities like BTS use imagery associated with historically Black institutions like Howard University, which has been known as the representation of Black excellence, culture, and intellectual legacy.
However, I, as a current student at Howard, felt that BTS’ portrayal was lacking. In the short, most of the students were portrayed to be white despite the fact that Howard is a historically and predominantly Black institution. This situation highlights a bigger, more persistent problem: how Black people, culture, and institutions always support, influence, and inspire others, and yet we are frequently left out of the story.
The Roots of K-pop
Black American music genres—especially hip-hop, R&B, and soul—greatly affect the form of K-pop that we now know and appreciate today.
From vocals to choreography approaches, K-pop draws significantly from genres created and developed by Black artists. The South Korean entertainment businesses have long examined and changed these genres to produce internationally successful acts or the modern K-pop industry as we know it today.
Many K-pop groups such as BTS, have boldly cited hip-hop as their primary influence. Black musical traditions are so deeply embedded in their rap line, production choices, and storytelling, and that isn’t inherently bad as influence and cultural exchange can be a good thing. The problem shows up when recognition ends there and does not span to representation or credit.
Representation vs. Aesthetic Stealing
The problem is not that K-pop draws inspiration from Black culture; rather, it is in their presentation of that inspiration.
Black culture is sometimes regarded as an aesthetic: something that can be adopted, repackaged, and exported worldwide without credit from AAVE being labeled as TikTok brain rot to edges being referred to as “sticky bangs.” People cling to the aesthetic of Blackness while hating the people behind it.
This is why BTS’ portrayal of Howard struck a nerve. Howard is more than a symbol; it is a thriving institution with excellent students, heritage, and community. Using its likeness but reducing or deleting the true image of what the students and community that built that school looked like felt more insulting than an homage.
Moving Toward Accountability and Recognition
I want to be clear that my criticism isn’t about canceling BTS or dismissing K-pop as a genre entirely and the impact it has made on the industry. It’s about pushing for more thoughtful engagement with the cultures that shape global art.
Artists and entertainment companies have the opportunity and the responsibility to move beyond surface-level inspiration by crediting Black cultural influences explicitly and including Black creatives in production and visual storytelling.
As K-pop continues to expand globally, its relationship with Black culture must evolve as well. We must move toward real cultural appreciation, which comes with crediting those properly who have helped to make the industry what it is today.
