'Skool Luv Affair' Track #8: 등골브레이커 (Spine Breaker)
This song has a deep meaning behind it wherein BTS discusses about the "padding craze" that has been around for almost 10 years. Around 2008-2009, it became increasingly popular among high school students to wear padded jackets, specifically the ones from the North Face, an outdoor clothing and gear brand. Due to their notoriously high prices, the jackets became to be called the “spine breakers” because students would “break their parents’ backs” to keep up with the expensive trends. Wearing the same or a similar jacket was a sign of conformity (or simply that of being trendy) in the beginning but quickly became a symbol of status and class division.
The brand was immensely popular among teenagers, to the point that it was referred to as the “second school uniform.” The jackets were nicknamed “spine breakers,” for squeezing money out of parents trying to appease nagging kids. The brand was so coveted by teens that it played a role in school bullying. The jackets signified hierarchy. The most expensive Himalayan down jackets starting at 700,000 won were owned by the most popular ― or the most powerful ― kids while the 250,000 won Nuptse 2 were worn by the “losers.” Wearing the cheapest jacket, however, was considered better than wearing another brand.
“The fine is not at all too much regarding how the brand, a.k.a. ‘spine breaker,’ brought out numerous social problems like school violence, money extortion, distorted sense of class distinction, household burdens and the long-term unfair businesses it practiced,” said Seoul YMCA through a statement. From Korea Herald (May 2012), after the North Face was charged a 5.2 billion won ($4.6 million) fine for compelling all 151 of its retailers here to charge 10 to 15 percent higher prices than for rival brands since 1997 to maintain the brand’s premium image.
SOURCE:
~ doolsetlyrics: [doolsetbangtan.wordpress.com/...]
~ 2011 Korea Joongang Daily article: [koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/...]
~ 2018 Business of Fashion article: [www.businessoffashion.com/art...]
- BTS wrote and discusses this matter in the song emphasizing how absurd the craze is when in fact, it was just a mere jacket after all. Therefore, the song is titled Spine Breaker which can be referred to as students or the jackets who/which "break their parents' backs" for the padding coat. Claps to BTS, songwriters and producers for making such a meaningful song!
The next upload will be Skool Luv Affair Track #9: Jump. Feel free to request BTS songs you would like to upload first ^^
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credits:
hangeul lyrics: melon
romanized: purplelyics
english lyrics: doolsetlyrics
picture used: Skool Luv Affair Concept Photo
line distribution: Kom26 Music: [ • BTS ~ Spine Breaker (등... ]
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