“FINDING HOME”: UNDERSTANDING HOW MUSIC SUPPORTS

LISTENERS’ MENTAL HEALTH THROUGH A CASE STUDY OF BTS

Jin Ha Lee1, Arpita Bhattacharya2, Ria Antony3, Nicole Santero4, Anh Le5
University of Washington1,3,5; University of California, Irvine2; University of Nevada, Las Vegas4
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected]; [email protected]

ABSTRACT listening to music [8, 17]. In particular, the complex con-

text of being a music fan involves online communities and
The positive impact of music on people’s mental health
social media, as well as the fan’s perceived relationship
and wellbeing has been well researched in music psychol-
with the artists [18] which will inevitably influence the im-
ogy, but there is a dearth of research exploring the impli-
pact of music on listeners’ mental health. Yet, there is a
cations of these benefits for the design of commercial mu-
dearth of research exploring the holistic context of the lis-
sic services (CMS). In this paper, we investigate how pop-
tener, including external factors related to music such as
ular music can support the listener’s mental health through
the social relationship of listeners to artists and other fans.
a case study of fans of the music group BTS, with a goal
We aim to address this gap by investigating how popu-
of understanding how they perceive and describe the way
lar music can support music listeners’ mental health and
music is influencing their mental health. We aim to derive
wellbeing through a case study of the ARMY fandom. The
specific design implications for CMS to facilitate such
ARMY fandom supports BTS, a seven-person music
support for fans’ mental health and wellbeing. Through an
group from South Korea, and is one of the biggest music
online survey of 1190 responses, we identify and discuss
fandoms in 2021 [18]. There are several reasons for focus-
the patterns of seven different mood regulations along with
ing on music fans as a user group in this study, and specif-
major themes on fans’ lived experiences of how BTS’s
ically the fans of BTS. First, we wanted to explore the im-
music (1) provides comfort, (2) catalyzes self-growth, and
pact of not only the music itself but also the context in
(3) facilitates coping. We conclude the study with a dis-
which users engage with music on their mental health and
cussion of four specific suggestions for CMS features in-
wellbeing, including the context of music creation (e.g.,
corporating (1) visual elements, (2) non-music media, (3)
information about the artist) and other social context (e.g.,
user-generated content for collective sense-making, and
relationship with other fans). Of the possible fandoms to
(4) metadata related to mood and lyrical content that can
study, we chose the ARMY fandom due to (1) its size and
facilitate the mental health support provided by popular
diversity demonstrated by the recent census data of over
music.
400K responses from ARMYs [19], (2) fan’s active en-
gagement with each other demonstrated by the social me-
1. INTRODUCTION
dia activities [20-21], and (3) prior literature indicating the
The positive physiological and psychological effects of music of BTS being specifically helpful in supporting their
music on health and wellbeing are well researched in the fan’s mental health as they relate to the messages in the
field of music psychology [1-4]. Music can positively im- songs [22-23].
pact people’s mental health by supporting mood regulation We conducted an empirical study employing an online
[5-6], social relationships [7-8], and increasing positive survey to better understand the impact of BTS’s music on
emotions and self-esteem [9]. However, in the field of mu- their fans’ mental health. We aimed to answer the follow-
sic information retrieval (MIR), there is limited research ing research questions:
exploring the connections between music and the mental RQ1: How is BTS’s music helping to support fans’
health of the listener. While there is substantial research on mental health and well-being?
music mood in the MIR field [10], the primary focus is on RQ2: What are the implications for designing commer-
identifying the mood of the music with the goal of support- cial music services to facilitate such support for fans’ men-
ing better organization, browsing, or recommendation ra- tal health and wellbeing?
ther than influencing the emotions of the listeners to sup-
port their health and wellbeing (e.g., [11-16]). Researchers 2. RELATED WORK
have only recently started to investigate more deeply into
2.1 Music and Mental Health
the impact of music on mental health in the MIR field, es-
pecially on how such insights inform the design of music A significant body of literature in the field of music psy-
services and systems (e.g., [9]). Multiple recent MIR user chology examines different positive influences music can
studies also point out the importance of the social aspect in have on people’s mood, memory, learning, and identity as
well as the use of music in various forms of therapy [24].
© J. H. Lee, A. Bhattacharya, R. Antony, N., Santero, and A. Regout conducted a literature review to understand why
Le. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Li-
cense (CC BY 4.0). Attribution: J. H. Lee, A. Bhattacharya, R. Antony,
music has a positive influence on mental wellbeing and
N., Santero, and A. Le, “Finding Home”: Understanding how music sup- how music could be properly used in therapy, and showed
ports listeners’ mental health through a case study of BTS, in Proc. of the that music can have an effect on people’s emotion,
22nd Int. Society for Music Information Retrieval Conf., Online, 2021.

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memory, and the experience of pleasure [24]. For instance, meaning in life [32]. Previous analyses on sports fans have
Knight and Rickard [25] suggested that music can lessen shown that identification with sports teams have resulted
anxiety by measuring physiological signals such as heart- in fans developing greater self-esteem and feeling less
beat, cortisol level, blood glucose, etc. Thayer et al. [26] lonely [33] and many of these fans have noted that they
also identified listening to music as one of the most suc- identify strongly with their teams [34]. Though the posi-
cessful strategies for changing a bad mood, raising energy tive benefits of fan comradery are widely accepted in
and reduce tension. Using music in therapy helps reduce sports, the value of fans’ social and emotional experience
cortisol levels which can help decrease the perception of is often stigmatized and diminished for fans of boy bands,
anxiety and depression [28-29]. Nilsson [27] conducted a particularly female fans [18, 20-21].
systematic review on 42 randomized controlled trials of A sense of belonging has been strongly associated with
the effects of music interventions and found that music in- the in-group identification among different fan communi-
tervention can reduce pain and anxiety in patients. Woelfer ties [35]. In a study examining whether this type of social
and Lee [7] found that young people experiencing home- connection uniquely mediates the relationship between
lessness used music for mood regulation and coping as it fandom identification and wellbeing, Reysen et al. [36]
allowed them to “calm down or relieve tension”, “help get noted that some fandoms provide additional aid for its
through difficult times”, or “relieve boredom”. They also members in the form of social support, advice, and re-
discussed how participants listened to songs for a cathartic sources for coping, and showed how these social connec-
experience and for reducing the sense of isolation. tions can result in adequate wellbeing of both stigmatized
Several studies specifically researched how emotion in and non-stigmatized fan groups. All fans have the potential
music plays a role in mood regulation, “a process of satis- to benefit from social connection as these communities, re-
fying personal mood-related needs by musical activities” gardless of their particular interests, are similar with re-
[5]. To better understand and measure the emotional func- spect to such psychological processes [36]. Laffan [32] re-
tions of music, Saarikallio and Erkkilä [5] presented a ports similar findings regarding K-pop fans showing in-
model of mood regulation which provides a useful frame- creased happiness, self-esteem, and social connectedness.
work for studying how this regulatory process can be ap- With the rise of social media and fandoms growing in a
plied in various contexts of music listeners. In this model, digital environment, there is an opportunity for more re-
seven types of regulatory strategies are used for different search on how the wellbeing of fans are impacted online.
changes in mood: entertainment, revival, strong sensation, There are both positive and negative aspects of social me-
diversion, discharge, mental work, and solace [5]. We used dia, and research has shown that the effect of fandom ac-
this model to inform a part of our codebook under the cat- tivities and mental health can be different depending on the
egory of “Mood regulation”, and the mapping can be seen user characteristics, such as gender [37], warranting more
in the Findings section. research on different types of user groups. McInroy [38]
Some studies looked into the influence of popular music studied how online fan communities serve as a source of
in particular. For instance, Kresovich [30] investigated social support for sexual and gender minority youth and
how college students’ exposure to pop songs referencing found that participation in these communities can support
mental health difficulties affect them. The study found that the sense of connection, empowerment, and temporary es-
participants’ increased perceived personal connection with cape from stress, decrease isolation, and offer opportuni-
the songs and parasocial relationships with their perform- ties for mentorship. Our study will contribute to gaining
ing artists were associated with increased mental health additional insights on how being part of music fandoms
empathy [30]. A few researchers examined how BTS’s affects fans’ mental health.
music influences people’s mental health. Blady [22] ana-
lyzed the discography of BTS, identifying multiple themes 3. STUDY DESIGN AND METHOD
that support mental health by challenging stereotypes and
We conducted an online survey asking 38 questions about
social norms destructive to youth, encouraging self-love
fans’ engagement with BTS’s musical and non-musical
and empathy and showing the value of perseverance, vul-
content, BTS-related activities, overall experience in the
nerability, and compassion. Rubin [23], in her qualitative
fandom and their mental health. We asked six questions
study of 47 participants, studied how Strong Experiences
about how they became fans and seven demographic ques-
with Music (SEMs) experienced by ARMYs contributed
tions. The survey was released in early February 2021 and
to personal growth, resulting in perspective changes and
was open for two weeks. Participants were recruited
the ARMYs’ use of music for different purposes like im-
through a prominent research account in the fandom, re-
proving mood, soothing, and motivating themselves.
sulting in 10,300 engagements on Twitter. The study was
approved by the institutional review board at the Univer-
2.2 Support for Mental Health in Fandoms
sity of Washington. We obtained a total of 1,190 re-
While some have previously believed members of fandom sponses. The demographic information of participants is
communities are more prone to wellbeing issues, recent re- summarized in Table 1.
search has shown no significant difference between fans
and non-fans in terms of their psychological distress and Age Mean = 26, Min =13, Max = 71, StdDev =
wellbeing [31]. Furthermore, some research highlighted 10.02
the positive impact of fandoms on mental health. For in- Race Asian = 567, White = 317, Hispanic = 210,
stance, fans have reported that being a part of such com- Black = 43, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander =
7, American Indian/Alaska Native = 3,
munities has helped them find a sense of purpose and
Described in own words = 106

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Gender Female = 1105, Non-binary = 29, Male = 15, Code Description Freq
Described in own words = 26 Comfort Feeling understood, comforted, and re- 505

Mood Regulation
Country USA = 268, Philippines = 155, India = 123, assured
of Resi- Indonesia = 54, Malaysia = 47, Mexico = 45, Uplift Lifting up spirit and keeping a positive 356
dence (20 South Africa = 38, UK = 32, Germany = 29, mood
or more) Canada = 26 Release Being able to express the feelings and 201
release the negative emotions
Table 1. Demographic summary of survey respondents. Reflect Music promotes imagery, insights, in- 153
trospection
The scope of the survey was broader, but in this paper
Relax Feeling revived, relaxed, and energized 112
we focus on reporting the findings related to the research Distract Forgetting about current negative mood 63
questions stated above. This primarily includes the analy- and challenging situations
sis of responses to the open-ended question asking, “Can Excite Intense feeling of arousal, thrills 14
you describe how BTS’s music is helping to support your Lyrics Resonating with the message of the lyr- 544

Appeal
mental health and wellbeing?” along with other demo- (Message) ics and/or concept of the song
graphic information about the participants. Diversity A wide variety of music 107
The free-text responses were coded using a combination Authentic- Feeling that the artists realistically pre- 78
of inductive and deductive approaches [39]. To create the ity sent themselves
draft codebook, the research team distributed a portion of Difficult Ability to discuss difficult topics like 60
the responses to each member (approximately 200 re- Topics social injustice, mental health, chal-
sponses per person) to review. Using a Mural board (a col- lenges of youth, existential crisis, etc.
Sound Comments on liking how the song 49
laborative online tool), each team member captured and
(Melody) sounds and/or the melody of the song
recorded emerging ideas and themes on virtual sticky notes Coping Listeners being able to deal with chal- 492
as they reviewed their assigned responses. Afterwards, the
Outcome

lenges, music helping to “ground”

team collectively engaged in a sorting activity to catego- them, helping them to get by every day
rize the main themes which resulted in the initial codebook Connect- Feeling connections to the artists, mu- 293
[40]. The codebook has three main categories of codes (1) ion sic, and other fans; comments on shared
Mood regulation, (2) Appeal, and (3) Outcome. The codes thoughts and experiences
related to Mood regulation were well-aligned with the reg- Accept- Feeling accepted by others/themselves 197
ulatory strategies from Saarikallio and Erkkilä [5], and the ance in terms of their identity and experience
descriptions shown in Table 2 are adopted from their Self- Learning something about oneself or 146
model. The rest of the thematic codes were derived induc- growth the world; being inspired to take on
tasks leading to self-improvement
tively from the data.
Empower- Feeling strength, courage, and confi- 54
Using this initial codebook, we had four coders code the ment dence
open-ended survey responses. The codebook was refined
through an iterative process. After coding part of the data, Table 2. Frequency of codes.
the team met to discuss any issues that emerged during the
coding process. A series of discussions led to a few 4.1 Feeling Comforted, Understood, and Not Alone
changes - Motivation was subsumed under Coping, and
Finding comfort through BTS’s music was the most fre-
Social Justice and Open Discussion were merged into Dif-
quently mentioned way of regulating mood. Participants
ficult Topics as the coded results showed conceptual over-
mentioned “feeling safe” and “understood” during situa-
lapping. Some definitions were rewritten for clarification.
tions that were challenging, frustrating or unfulfilling.
After the codebook was finalized, all four coders reviewed
When discussing comfort, participants often imagined the
and revised their initial coding using the codebook.
songs giving them a hug (e.g., “The lyrics are like a warm
Each survey response was coded by two independent
hug” (P475), “a pat on the back” (P91), or holding their
coders, to allow for checking the intercoder reliability. Us-
hands (e.g., “I feel like they hold my hand and say " hey it's
ing a formula in a spreadsheet, all the discrepancies in the
okay we can get through this together " rather than " oh
coded results were highlighted. We followed a consensus
your [sic] are sad here's a sad song.” (P313)).
model [41] where two coders reviewed and discussed all
the discrepancies in code application, aiming to reach a Their songs just made me feel safe. 2! 3! hugs me and holds my
consensus. When a consensus could not be reached, a third hand to hope for better days with me […] The first time I listen
researcher acted as a tie-breaker. to mono, I looked for a pen and wrote a poem - I haven't written
a poem in 2 years. Their songs make me feel alive. Their music
is always here to tell me that I'm not alone. Their voices soothes
4. FINDINGS [sic] my worries. (P55)
Table 2 shows how frequently each code was applied when Many participants noted that the position the artists take
coding responses to the question asking how BTS’s music when they convey a positive message does make a differ-
supports listeners’ mental health and wellbeing. In the fol- ence in how relatable they are, especially when partici-
lowing sections, we discuss the major themes that emerged pants can see the artists are “also experiencing such emo-
from analyzing these coded responses, summarizing the tions and pains” (P750). Thus, this feeling of comfort was
connections among the appeal of the music and how the strengthened through the authenticity of the artists and
music changed the listeners’ moods resulting in specific their message. P764 explains how BTS’s music does not
mental health related outcomes. try to “sugarcoat” the situation or give unrealistic hope.
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I think it’s especially important to note that while they give hope because I was sad. At that point of time I realised how important
through this, it’s not baseless hope or toxic positivity […] they was BTS for my life. After I actually cried and let out my feelings,
don’t give false hope that things will magically get better - in- I feel a lot better now. (P608)
stead the boys say that while things probably won’t change, to-
morrow is still a new day to start over with. This realistic view Participants also stated how the messages in the songs
can be found in many of BTS’ songs and it’s this that really help them think about and discuss difficult issues they have
supports my mental health […]” (P764) sometimes been avoiding or with social stigma.
This sense of being understood and comforted led to Their music has the power to invite me to reflect about subjects
many participants feeling intimately connected to the that I often avoid, like fears of failure, imperfectness, hopeless-
songs, artists, and others: ness, and loss. But those are things that I need to face to learn
about myself. Listening to their music feels like learning the
It feels like I just shared my deepest fears with someone and that journey of life together with them...sometimes painful, some-
person's telling me that it's okay, that they understand me, that times playful, another time full of anger, and there are joys and
they got through it and therefore so can I. (P673) comfort too, but never alone. (P779)
These imagined connections can be powerful, espe- [...] Their overall message of normalizing mental and the con-
cially when used as mechanisms for processing difficult versation of mental health in society is so important for me. I
situations, releasing negative emotions, and grounding have OCD, Anxiety, and Depression, and BTS talking about men-
oneself to overcome those situations. P47 shares: tal health, writing about it, sharing their personal experiences
with mental health issues helped create an environment free of
[...] listening to the songs makes me feel like if I and they keep a judgment and doubts. (P260)
very nice secret together and understand each other completely.
As if they were my dear and closest friends who understand the This kind of reflection also led to opportunities for in-
bad things that happen in my life and always have the perfect trospection, self-acceptance, and self-growth. Participants
words to tell me [...] One month ago, my brother passed away shared how listening to certain songs led them to challenge
due covid-19. You can imagine how I felt. The moment I received their way of thinking, change their behavior, or take con-
the news he was being incinerated, the same exact minute, the crete actions to better their mental health:
preview for the winter package 2021 was released. With the im-
ages of them lighting matches, I felt as if they were honouring When I was afraid to go to counselling, yoongi’s interlude
my brother's memory. I felt so supported and shocked at the shadow motivated me because if he can share his fears with mil-
same time. It was incredible. (P47) lions, I can share it with at least one person. (P559)
Their music can make me feel emotions i didn't even know they
4.2 Self-growth through Understanding and Accept- existed...when i listen to their songs i feel like a [sic] learn some-
ing Oneself thing new about myself, them, the world, society etc. Through
their music I've learnt to love and appreciate myself and others
Many participants reported feeling cathartic after listening and they make me feel safe, comfortable like when i listen to
to BTS’s music, commenting on how it helped them un- them i feel like I'm home. (P561)
derstand and articulate their own emotions. Participants
who were considering suicide or had attempted suicide in P912 noted this change to positive moods sometimes led
the past said BTS’s song Magic Shop supported them when to a long-term impact beyond when they were actively lis-
they “found” it. tening to music.
I was in a dark place and they were and still are my light. i was I didn't noticed [sic] it first but after becoming army, I have be-
about to commit suicide, but then i came across their song magic come cheerful and confident (even though I'm [sic] typical in-
shop and never looked back. their lyrics is my therapy and my trovert). Now it's very hard to upset me for so long I quickly get
healing. At the end of a bad day, i can always look for them. Their over it because of their music. (P912)
songs are so comforting and it’s like they know exactly what to
say to you. i’m not someone that show my emotions or feelings 4.3 Intentional Coping through Various Music
easily but when i’m listening to their music, it feels like i can let
it all out. finding bts wasn’t finding just a boy band. it was find- The diversity of BTS’s music emerged as an appeal. Par-
ing a home, they are like a warm hug, a hot chocolate on a winter ticipants talked about accessing specific songs when they
day, the sun after rain. (P111) wanted to attain a certain mood such as energy for work,
BTS' music is very therapeutic for me. Their sound and lyrics relaxing after a tough day, or calming anxiety.
speak right to my heart and have awoken feelings that were On my daily life, BTS music gives me comfort and companionship.
long asleep. (P874) I curate my BTS music/MV playlists depending on my mood or
Numerous similar responses suggest that listeners per- activities, for example I choose cheerful and/or energetic songs
to make boring chores more palatable, comforting and beautiful
haps compartmentalize and hide from their feelings lead-
songs when I'm feeling anxious or unsettled, soft and chill songs
ing to “feeling numb” or being unable to verbalize their to help me focus when I'm reading or working. (P328)
emotions, and the music serves as a catalyst to unlock
those feelings. Participants shared how they found the re- In addition to feeling comforted or cathartic which was
lease of such thoughts and feelings helpful for their mental common for participants, the music also helped them
health, often accompanied by crying. P608 shared: sometimes forget about their troubles or worries.
I am the kind of person who generally doesn't cry unless I am Putting on my earphones and listening to BTS helps me escape,
really angry. Thus, I am not able to express well when I am sad disconnect from my real life, stop hearing the screams and neg-
or hopeless and keep my feelings bottled up inside me. But when ative words around me. Also the lyrics of songs like Paradise and
I listened to Zero o'clock, it was the first time that I cried just 00 o clock give me peace with myself, reduce my anxiety and self

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blaming. I have a special playlist I use when I need to sleep with- lyrics occurs when repressed emotions and thoughts which
out hearing my parents arguing or cry one [sic] in my room [...] are otherwise alienated and hated upon by the individual
(P21) and society are now heard, acknowledged, and given a
However, most participants did not simply dwell in es- healthy outlet (e.g., crying, writing, or singing). This re-
capism; listening to specific songs could also help them duces the conflict within self and helps participants accept
feel more focused, empowered, and persistent, helping and welcome a range of emotions (e.g., [44]). BTS’s lyri-
them deal with real-life challenges. P886 explains: cism addressing diverse life circumstances acknowledges
two kinds of hope (1) pursuing an ideal dream and (2) re-
The messages in the music keep me positively motivated to not ducing the conflict in accepting the authentic, imperfect
give up day to day. My husband died of cancer in December 2019
reality of change. The two types of hope helped partici-
after two years of treatments. […] Certain songs like Not Today
kept me focused on pushing through during my husband's pants to relate to and cope with the reality of mundane and
treatment and Spring Day is still my song for grief. Even Life negative experiences.
Goes On has made me feel seen and understood. I stay focused Developing routine coping practices such as reading,
on my personal value and persistence and on forgiving myself writing, or journaling about the lyrics demonstrated reflec-
for failures through the music […] (P886) tion and self-growth. Participants relied on subtitles in
some music videos and fan-translated lyrics to learn the
Participants also talked about having a rush of positive
message of the song. The importance of visual musical ex-
feelings from certain songs and they specifically sought
periences has also been noted in [45] as they discuss the
them out when they needed a “serotonin boost” (P679).
dominance of YouTube videos containing music/lyrics.
Some expressed their feelings by singing and dancing
Design implication: Providing visual cues for songs
along or studying and memorizing the lyrics. Through
can enhance the user experience by providing different
making strategic choices of music from the diverse discog-
metaphors for personification and connections. Real-time
raphy of BTS and having go-to songs for achieving differ-
translation of lyrics can support coping by reducing the
ent moods, fans were able to better cope with difficult sit-
burden of navigating multiple tools. Additionally, lyric
uations and have something to look forward to and enjoy.
videos allow listeners to not only process the text more ef-
Some expressed how essential listening to BTS has be-
fectively, but also visualize it as they hear the songs again.
come in their daily lives, such as P561:
[...] i don't think that i will ever stop listening to them because 5.2 Connections with Artists beyond Music
their music has helped me get through a lot so i can't just stop
they're a part of my lifestyle at this point...there isn't even a day Most participants experienced connections with artists be-
without listening to AT LEAST one song of theirs...i can't live yond music through the artists’ live conversations with
without music and above all without BTS music. (P561) fans, personal stories, struggles, behind the scenes stories
of the song/album, art, and imagery. These participants
5. DISCUSSION valued the authenticity of the artists in various types of
work, explaining how easy it was to relate to them on a
5.1 Connection of Listeners and Songs through Sup-
personal level.
port from Textual and Visual Elements
These connections with the fandom often break the
Many participants personified BTS’s songs and lyrics as a boundaries of how the artists portray themselves in the
“friend” or “companion”, often experiencing physical sen- public eye and their private lives. As fans perceived BTS’s
sations of comfort while listening to the songs. These im- music, performance, and actions to be congruent with their
agined connections provided real comfort to the partici- real-life personalities, they felt a deeper connection with
pants and helped them develop emotional resilience for the authenticity of the artists and their message. Often, fans
self-coping. Visualizing a place or person of comfort cited being better versions of themselves like BTS thus,
through associated imagery and externalizing thoughts that not only idolizing the artists but also taking actions in the
have been repressed by relating to lyrics are therapeutic real world inspired by the artists.
strategies which participants learned and experienced Design implication: There is value in integrating music
through these songs, akin to tapping into positive imagina- services with streaming of other media and stories to sup-
tion for recovering from trauma [42]. port fans in making and sustaining these connections and
Researchers have found that situations that are more dif- fostering open discussions on lifestyles and issues relevant
ficult to tackle than one has emotional, social, and physical to their real life. A good example is the Weverse app which
resources for, can lead to avoidant coping mechanisms integrates the performance video, vlogs and other non-mu-
such as denial or escapism [43]. BTS’s lyrical message sic video content, magazine articles, etc. This helps to col-
helped participants find comfort and cope by balancing es- lectively provide a better picture of the artist, allows fans
capism, distraction, and/or the permission to feel the real- to feel closer to and further relate to the artist, and reduces
ity of their experience. For a few fans, BTS’s music helped the burden of switching between multiple platforms.
them escape or forget their difficult reality momentarily
which they could not control (e.g., the pandemic or abusive 5.3 Connections with Other Fans through Discussion
household). For others, it helped them connect with reality, of Music
and provided space for articulating and normalizing nega-
tive experiences, feelings of loss, and emotions that are a Some participants spoke about feeling an abstract connec-
part of one’s lived experience but are hidden, stigmatized, tion with “others out there” who might be listening and re-
and/or feared in the society. The therapeutic value of such lating to the same music. This reduced their sense of

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loneliness. Some discussed songs and lyrics with other provided an external voice for their thoughts. Additionally,
ARMYs and bonded with them, even learning to share coping with repeated lyrics of the song as a “mantra” can
openly (e.g., “It helped me open up to the friends I met help reduce intrusive thoughts and calm anxiety [52].
through their music and ultimately helped me to go get BTS’s diverse discography was cited by many partici-
professional help.”(P171)). pants as an aspect that helped them relate to every mood
As interpretation of art is abstract and variable, fandoms that they experienced. Catharsis without comfort can be
are known to theorize and make meaning of music videos difficult to process alone if an individual is unable to get
and songs together, especially in the context of transmedia out of their negative state of mind. Therefore, supporting
storytelling [18, 20]. Online platforms such as “songmean- diversity in general when recommending music to facili-
ings.com” is an example of such fan engagement. There is tate mood regulation (e.g., mixing up comforting songs
also appeal in the comments left for songs on platforms with songs that may talk about potentially triggering emo-
like Soundcloud which show comments with the tions and experiences such as suicide) may be important.
timestamp of the song, potentially providing an oppor- Design implication: This strong association of mood
tunity for ‘singing along’ in comments, externalizing emo- with music implies that CMS should expand their taxon-
tions felt, and/or reflecting on the music or lyrics while lis- omy to include mood and lyrics for recommendations.
tening in real time [46]. Live streaming and live chats on Platforms should recommend broader mood-based
music streaming platforms also allow for the experience of playlists that support a range of emotions using metadata
real time connections [47]. User interactions are often ob- from the lyrical content of the song and the community’s
served in the comments section for live BTS performances responses instead of just basing playlists on the current
on YouTube. Stronger connections between social media mood of the listener or the dominant mood of the songs.
and CMS may be beneficial with more social features in The outcome or change in mood that fans experience
music streaming services such as a post discussing lyrics, should also be considered and tagged.
theories, or reflections connected to the art and message
[48]. As communities centered around music continue to 6. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK
cross boundaries of language and culture, it is important to
celebrate such diversity on CMS by supporting translation Our study shows how BTS’s music supports fans’ mental
and interpretation of lyrics in different cultural contexts. health and wellbeing through a variety of mood regula-
Design implication: Fans often curate social media tions, allowing them to cope, reflect, and grow by listening
posts to add lyrics and streaming links, sometimes going to their music, and even fundamentally impacting their be-
above and beyond to edit video clips and/or add lyrical havior or outlook in some cases.
translations of parts of the song they want to share or dis- Studying one particular fandom from an emic approach
cuss. Adding a feature in streaming services which allows allows us to gain a deeper understanding of the context and
users to take snippets of the song, add a translation or their culture of the community and the discography of the artist
own interpretation of the lyrics, and share and discuss them to better understand the user data, resulting in rich discus-
in-context, would make such experiences more accessible sion. However, such a study design also has limitations.
to those without sophisticated video editing skills. First, the study focuses specifically on the fans of BTS and
thus the findings and design implications are more relevant
to popular music with lyrics. Future research with fans of
5.4 Playlists and Metadata Supporting Different Mood
artists with vastly different kinds of music will help expand
Regulations
our knowledge on how music can support the listeners’
In our data, we saw that BTS’s music helped participants mental health. Second, despite the large number of re-
both maintain and achieve diverse emotional states such as spondents, the sample does not represent the whole fan-
positive moods, relaxation, release of negative moods, and dom given its size and global nature, especially due to the
comfort. Digital mental health interventions can be a sys- fact that the survey was administered in English. Further
tem-driven “push” wherein the system recognizes appro- research is needed to better understand fans in different
priate time to intervene (just-in-time adaptive interven- languages and cultural contexts. An investigation of male-
tions (e.g., [49])) or a user-driven “pull” wherein the par- dominated music fandoms could also offer additional in-
ticipant actively seeks out the intervention and personal- sights. In our future work, we plan to explore the impact
izes it to their own context [50]. In the context of music of individual songs on listeners to understand whether the
and mental health, we draw parallels to these actions as impact can be long-lasting, resulting in more substantial
recommendations of songs that were pushed to partici- changes to listener’s behavior or outlook.
pants allowed them to discover helpful songs serendipi- While the findings discussed in this paper are specific
tously. Some participants also spoke about actively search- to BTS’s music, the ways in which fans interact with, look
ing or browsing helpful songs and curating playlists for up to, and imagine and feel connections with the songs and
when they wanted to be in a certain mental state. artists are not unique to just BTS or K-pop. Numerous
Explaining a serendipitous discovery, many partici- Western artists such as Halsey, Lady Gaga, Coldplay,
pants talked about finding the right song at the moment Demi Lovato, and Logic, to name a few, openly discuss
when they needed it. As discussed above, in some cases, and make songs about mental health issues, and their fans
the song and its message led to the participant realizing use music to manage and discuss their own mental health.
how they were feeling, leading to catharsis of intense emo- The design implications derived from our findings can also
tions they were bottling up inside such as grief or loss dur- support fans of other artists and in general, help people use
ing the COVID-19 pandemic [51]. The songs and lyrics music for supporting their mental wellbeing.

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Proceedings of the 22nd ISMIR Conference, Online, November 7-12, 2021

7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS emotion,” in Proc. of the Intl. Conf. on Music Infor-

mation Retrieval, Philadelphia, PA, USA, 2008.
We sincerely thank all the BTS ARMYs for their partici-
pation in this study, and their thoughtful and detailed re- [14] K. Bischoff, C. S. Firan, R. Paiu, W. Nejdl, C. Lau-
sponses. We also thank BTS for inspiring this research, rier, and M. Sordo, “Music mood and theme classifi-
and their positive influences on ARMYs’ mental health cation-a hybrid approach,” in Proc. of the Intl. Soci-
and wellbeing, especially during this challenging time of ety for Music Information Retrieval Conf., Kobe, Ja-
the global pandemic. pan, 2009.
[15] Y. Hu, X. Chen, and D. Yang, “Lyric-based song
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