BTS: Suga criticises music labels for treating artists as ‘products’, says ‘it’s destroying the industry’

BTS member Suga has called out music labels who treat South Korean singers as ‘products’ in a new interview. The international rapper was sharing his thoughts about the K-pop industry when he said that he has heard about labels who ask artists to perform tasks without giving them any explanation.

Suga made his debut as a rapper with BTS in 2013. Over the years, while he and his fellow members RM, Jin, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook have delivered super hit songs, the rapper has also collaborated with a few artists on his own.

Speaking in an interview with Weverse magazine, Suga said, “The great thing about the label I’m with is they listen to the artists’ opinions. I think both we and the label know to a certain degree what kinds of activities would be best commercially speaking. But the question is whether the body can endure it or not. If the fatigue builds up as you continuously do those promotional activities, it’s hard to do them the way you did when you first debuted. In that case, I think the label ought to actively accommodate the artist’s views about what they can and cannot do.”

“An attitude that’s just like, Oh, we made you kids, and as long as you just do what we tell you to it’ll all work out, so just do it—I think that really doesn’t make any sense. Of course, there could still be situations where the label has to be pushy like that, obviously. But I heard there’s been times where a label will just say, Do it, without any explanation to the artist, or, Why are you talking so much? I think that’s the biggest issue and it’s destroying the industry. If you just see the artist as a product, how can they do anything creative? I really think it’s very contradictory to ask the people on stage to put on an enjoyable performance when they’re experiencing neither fun nor enjoyment,” he added. In the interview, Suga said that an artist’s work is difficult and there are a lot of improvements that need ‘to be made to the industry and its system.’

Also read: BTS leader RM says Drake inspired him to sing: ‘Wanted to do something just like him’

BTS has been keeping busy with its new music release. The members launched two new tracks, Butter and Permission to Dance, which are rank among the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. They have also performed both the tracks on a few shows, including The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, earlier this month.