BTS's past controversies have resurfaced as the group reunited after four years of hiatus. This goes back to the time when they were at the receiving end of criticism for purportedly misogynistic lyrics in some of their earlier work. When the septet (RM, Jin, Suga, JHope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook) released the song War of Hormone back in 2014, listeners and critics pointed out lines that were thought to objectify women. The problem gained momentum on the internet, igniting discussions as well as putting the group under pressure at a pivotal point in their growing international fame.
BTS' production label, BigHit Music, publicly apologised at the time, acknowledging that the lyrics might be seen as offensive and did not represent the group's objectives. Additionally, they pledged to be more considerate in following releases, which was a first step toward BTS taking responsibility for their social and artistic development.
For instance, the lyrics of BTS leader RM's song Joke were - "Yes, you’re the best woman, being bossy, so you do f***ing well, being bossy, so good luck, being bossy, now that I think about it, you were never the boss. Instead of calling you boss, I'll call you gonorrhea." Furthermore, a phrase in the group's song Hormone War reads - "A woman is the best gift."
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BigHit issued a statement admitting their mistakes and apologising to the public for causing discomfort following multiple protests from supporters. "Big Entertainment and BTS acknowledge that since the end of 2015, there's been a controversy regarding the misogyny in BTS's lyrics, and after reviewing the lyrics once again, we found out that a portion of the substance could be misunderstood to criticise women, which was not intended when it was being written, and made people uncomfortable."
BTS' production label went on to say that they acknowledge that there has been an issue with their lyrics and that, as a business with the ability to shape society, they will consider their actions going forward as artists. "Big Hit Entertainment and all of BTS are extremely apologetic toward all of the fans as well as the people who felt uncomfortable because of BTS's lyrics...and we will continually refer back to such comments and problems in the future during the writing process."