BTS Singer V Dons Durag During Live Stream, Sparks Debate On Cultural Appropriation

BTS' Kim Taehyung was wearing on his head, and claimed to have received it as a gift.

BTS' Kim Taehyung dropped his new solo album ‘Layover’ last month.

Source : Instagram (thv)

New Delhi: Kim Taehyung, aka V, went live on Weverse on October 8 after attending the Lil Uzi Vert afterparty in Seoul. After spending some time interacting with the fans, he showed up in a red durag.

The k-pop idol was wearing on his head, and claimed to have received it as a gift. However, the singer did not specify who had given him the durag. Due to the fact that BTS has a huge international fan base, many people from all over the world expressed their worries during the livestream, believing that V's actions could be seen as culturally offensive and offensive to black culture.

A durag is a type of headdress usually made from a soft, velvet-like material. It is mainly used for hair styling and protection, especially for people with long hair or braids. As soon as the livestream came to an end, many people started to criticise Taehyung for being so casual about wearing durag and not knowing that wearing it is considered an insult.

The clip of Teahyung wearing durag went viral, and his actions created a divide among the fans.

Why is anyone surprised that V is wearing a durag? Literally look at their past there was a reason they got so much hate. I'm starting to think they do it on purpose cause no way you've worked with so many black artists/ producers and you're still cultural appropriating? pic.twitter.com/9b1QV2T3N1

— Levy Redfox (@Fariesadventure) October 8, 2023

One fan wrote on X: “For people trying to downplay Taehyung wearing the durag, it’s part of black culture and used to protect our hair.” 

The fan said that durags and other aspects of black culture have been used to portray negative stereotypes. “He is not racist, but he is ignorant,” the fan said.

Another fan said, “I wake up, and the first thing I see is Tae wearing a durag. I’m crying so bad, what?”

However, many fans including members of the black community, emphasized that wearing the durag does not amount to racism because he does not discriminate against the culture, and in addition, he knew how to tie the durag correctly. Others argued that since he works with black artists on a regular basis, he must be cognizant of what he is doing and is only attempting to have a positive relationship with black culture.

On the work front, V dropped his new solo album ‘Layover’ last month, and it was accompanied by music videos for every song. He was also the first Korean artist to be featured on NPR's global Tiny Desk Korea series.