Why Would BTS Perform in Such a Violent Game Like Fortnite?
How many young BTS fans will become Fortnite fanatics after their concert? | Credit: JStone / Shutterstock.com
- BTS is hitting the news cycle hard this week.
- They just released their NPR Tiny Desk Concert, and now they’re releasing a music video in the shoot-em-up game Fortnite.
- Why would the innocent boy band choose such a violent background?
BTS is coming to Fortnite.
Travis Scott was the trailblazer, and now the biggest boy band on the planet is following in his footsteps. But why would they promote themselves on such an ill-fitting platform? The answer might be more disturbing than you think.
BTS Has Some Announcements
BTS is pulling out all of the stops to build a buzz around them. They just released their Tiny Desk Concert on NPR, which you can see below:
And it’s adorable.
They’re all color-coordinated, from their hair to their jeans, singing delightful tunes like their new single, “Dynamite.”
So it’s slightly shocking that this band will be releasing the music video for that single on Fortnite, the battle royale shooter than involves players murdering each other to victory.
Granted, this ‘concert’ will take place on a “violence-free” space within the game called “party royale.” People can watch movies there, or concerts like the Travis Scott blowout earlier this year.
But it begs the questions, is BTS going for a ‘harder’ image, is Fortnite getting soft, or worse, is Fortnite using BTS to reach a younger audience?
Fortnite Is Using this Boy Band to Gain a Younger Audience
While it might seem like more innocent fun, the BTS concert within Fortnite raises some ethical questions. This K-pop supergroup will undoubtedly expand their audience by performing in front of legions of gun-toting Fortnite fans who might not usually be interested in their music.
But Fortnite is also doing this for a reason. They know that BTS has a massive, loyal following that will create new accounts on their game just so they don’t miss this virtual concert.
And while BTS has a diverse array of fans, we know that many are young people. And a large portion is young women.
It seems like Fornite might be using BTS the same way Camel used a cartoon camel to advertise cigarettes to young people.
They’re bringing them in with the K-Pop and hoping they’ll stay for the violence.
Either way, these fans will be exposed to the incessant trash talk and disrespect found in games like Fortnite. Some people are already asking for everyone to be nice:
While it may seem like more innocent fun on the surface, there are darker implications from this partnership. The boys in the band may just be along for the ride, but the label behind them, as well as Fortnite, will be cashing on the innocence of the youth.
BTS won’t be the only ones playing with dynamite.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.
