Apple kicked off its highly anticipated WWDC event today, with a keynote live-streamed from its Cupertino, Calif., headquarters — and, among the flurry of software announcements, one stood out to me as especially relevant for music lovers, particularly fans of non-English groups like BTS.
What’s coming: Pronunciation guides for translated lyrics in Apple Music. “In Apple Music,” the company explains in a release, “Lyrics Translation helps users understand the words to their favorite songs, while Lyrics Pronunciation allows everyone to sing along, regardless of language.”
When: The feature will be included in new versions of Apple’s operating software for devices like phones and tablets this fall.
The details: If you’ve ever found yourself grooving to BTS tunes like Telepathy or Fake Love, but struggle to figure out the correct pronunciation of the Korean words, then this new Apple Music feature is about to make your life a whole lot easier (check our post here to see if your device will be compatible with the upcoming software release).
Korean being a character-based language can certainly make lyrics a bit tricky to decipher for a non-native speaker. Apple’s pronunciation guide for lyrics, meanwhile, means that you won’t just see (in the case of BTS fans) the Korean-to-English words; you’ll also see how to pronounce them, phonetically. In other words, no more awkwardly guessing how to belt out a phrase like “bogo sipda” (“I miss you”) in Spring Day – Apple Music will have you covered with a proper guide.
That’s something for the fandom to keep in mind as it prepares to celebrate BTS Festa 2025 at the end of this week, Festa being the annual event that marks the debut date of what’s now arguably the biggest pop group in the world (the remaining five members of which will come out of their mandatory Korean military service in a matter of days). And while BTS fans will no doubt appreciate the Apple Music update, it’s worth adding that the feature is also a boon for fans of any global act that sings in a language other than their own — whether K-pop groups like NewJeans and Stray Kids, or Latin pop stars, J-pop idols, and more.
It’s just too bad this feature won’t be live in time for the Jin solo concert I’m attending later this summer, so that I can sing along to more of Super Tuna than just the infectious chant “cham-CHI!”
