GOT7’s JB Opened Up About Body Modifications and What They Mean to Him
If you’re a fan of body modifications, you’ll know how easily addictive piercings and co. are — and JB, the leader of K-pop group GOT7, seems to agree.
JB, whose real name is Lim Jae-beom, recently sat down with Allure to discuss his journey since debuting under JYP Entertainment and the expectations “to fit the image of an idol.” In doing so, he took the chance to discuss his own experience with body modifications.
Sharing how he’s grown into his own skin and how he came to find his personal aesthetic, JB spotlighted piercings as one of his preferred methods to “break out of the box.”
Last October, JB surprised fans when he debuted a stud in his nose but the nose piercing was nothing compared to his next move. Back in January, fans spotted the singer with an anti-eyebrow piercing (basically a surface piercing featuring a simple, straight barbell on his upper cheek, just under his eye).
Piercing and tattoos are the most common of body modifications but they are still somewhat taboo in South Korea. Though ear piercings have become commonplace among both idols and the general public, facial ones like JB’s aren’t all that common — which seems to be one of the reasons he got them in the first place.
"I wanted to show people that [piercings] aren’t a bad thing or good thing, but it’s a new cultural thing,” JB told Allure about his anti-eyebrow and nostril piercings, which he revealed came “on a whim.” “I wanted it, so I got it. It's my body and my life. So I just did it." JB also revealed that getting pierced means to him in terms of agency. “I get the feeling that I'm responsible for my life when I get piercings,” he said.
As far as other body modifications go, JB also admitted he’s attracted to the idea of a tattoo (though the stigma is certainly changing, tattoos are slightly more taboo than piercings still and idols are asked to cover theirs on broadcasts) but he’s too indecisive to get one just yet. “I want one, but I change my mind [too often.] I have thought about the design, but then I think, Would this be better than this? Because of that, I haven’t been able to get one.”
A tattoo might not be in the books any time soon, but JB has and will continue to be bold about piercings. If you liked his anti-tragus, we have sad news: JB has since taken it out (per Allure because he got bored of it) but his nostril is still going strong and who knows which placement he chooses next. Ultimately, what's next beauty-wise for JB is up to him and he's making sure of that.
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Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue
