A Semiotics Approach to BTS English Music Video: A Verbal and Visual Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24114/3sr4aa03Abstract
This study investigates the signs in three BTS English music videos: "Dynamite," "Butter," and "Permission to Dance." Through the lens of Semiotic Analysis and how signs influence audience perceptions of information by the media, this research examines verbal and visual elements. Signs, grounded in social and cultural life, are objects or gestures that convey meaning and represent a message. Data was collected from screenshots of the music videos on YouTube and analyzed using the semiotic triangle by Peirce (2007) and the four dimensions of Audience engagement by Steesen, et al. (2020). The analysis focuses on how signs work together to convey messages and influence audience perceptions. The results reveal that signs interrelate to convey messages easily to the audience. Furthermore, the results highlight how audience comments reflect emotional feelings, the application of positive messages in music videos, and their use as standards and inspiration for everyday social and cultural life in the future.
Keywords: Audience Perception; BTS; English Music Video; Semiotics; Sign Language
References
A Semiotics Analysis Found on Music Video of YouBelong with Me by Taylor Swift. 2023. Pragmatica: Journal Linguistics and Literature, 1(1), 8.
Abdullah, H. K. 2024. Exploring the meaning in parametricism: a semiotic approach. Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/13467581.2024.2358207
Alfionita, T., 1*, Deannova, H., Nurfalah, F., Hermawan, A. J., & Universitas Swadaya Gunung Jati, Cirebon, West Java, Indonesia. n.d. Image of “Host” in infotainment broadcast “SILET” (Semiotic analysis of Roland Barthes). In Asian Journal of Engineering, Social and Health (pp. 1562–1574). https://ajesh.ph/index.php/gp
Busch, B. 2021. The body image: taking an evaluative stance towards semiotic resources. International Journal of Multilingualism, 18(2), 190–205. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2021.1898618
Dasovich-Wilson, J. N., Thompson, M., & Saarikallio, S. 2022. Exploring music video experiences and their influence on music perception. Music & Science, 1. https://doi.org/10.1177/20592043221117651
Furidha, B. W. 2024b. COMPREHENSION OF THE DESCRIPTIVE QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHOD: a CRITICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE LITERATURE. Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.56943/jmr.v2i4.443
Hakim, Harahap, & Pasaribu. 2024. The power of YouTube to improve listening skills. JELT: JOURNAL OF ENGLISH EDUCATION, TEACHING, AND LITERATURE. https://jurnal.rahiscendekiaindonesia.co.id/index.php/jetl
Hällgren, C., & Björk, Å. 2022. Young people’s identities in digital worlds. International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, 40(1), 49–6 https://doi.org/10.1108/ijilt-06-2022-0135
Isabel, H., Rooselinda, A. M. I., Harrianto, J., & Tolosa, M. H. 2022. The gender equality movement in South Korea: The Semiotic Analysis of BlackPink DDu-du DDu-du. Calathu Jurnal Ilmu Komunikasi, 4(1), 31–41. https://doi.org/10.37715/calathu.v4i1.2457
Kobyshcha, V. 2024. Gender dimension and semiotic ideology of tradition. Crafting the Russian folk. Gender Place & Culture, 31(8), 1140–1164. https://doi.org/10.1080/0966369x.2024.2354353
Lyu, P. 2024. The multifaceted impact of BTS: driving South Korea’s economy, soft power, and cultural exchange. Transactions on Social Science Education and Humanities Research, 11, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.62051/kky84t23
Palinoan, F. F., Suma, I. M. M., Tandiangga, P., & Dama, A. 2024. Charles Sanders Peirce’s Semiotic analysis of human values in the film Sound of Freedom. JPPI (Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan Indonesia), 10(3), 358. https://doi.org/10.29210/020243918
Peirce’s Theory of Signs T. L. Short. 2007. New York. Cambridge University Press
Senarathna, T., & Wijetunga, D. 2023. Examining some dynamics related to YouTube ad clutter in a high–clutter context. South Asian Journal of Marketing, 5(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1108/sajm-04-2023-0025
Shiddiq, L. T. H. A., Abdussamad, Z., & Miswaty, T. C. 2023. An analysis of moral message in movie “LUCA” using Semiotic Approach by Roland Barthes. Humanitatis Journal of Language and Literature, 10(1), 51–62. https://doi.org/10.30812/humanitatis.v10i1.3432
Short, T. L. 2007. Peirce’s Theory of signs. Cambridge University Press.
Steensen, S., Ferrer-Conill, R., & Peters, C. 2020. (Against a) Theory of Audience Engagement with News. Journalism Studies, 21(12), 1662–1680. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670x.2020.1788414
Williams, K. S. 2024. Understanding youth empowerment: a youth participatory action research approach. Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management an International Journal, 19(5), 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1108/qrom-07-2023-2561
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Rizqi Fadhilah Hidayah Simbolon
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
