So who is BTS? Why did they reach the Billboard 200, Top 100 and Artist 100 Charts? And how have they sold out concerts in the U.S., Thailand, Australia, and even Chile?
BTS, a South Korean boy band, amassed the world’s attention when they beat Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Shawn Mendes and Ariana Grande for Top Social Artist at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards.
This seven member group has become an international phenomenon. They have sold concerts across continents, won Choice International Artist at the Teen Choice Awards 2017, gained over a 100 million views on multiple music videos, and topped the K-Pop record for most viewed music video in 24 hours this year.
On Sep. 18, BTS blew up the charts with the release of their long awaited EP, “Love Yourself: Her” with their title track, “DNA” surpassing 70 million views on Youtube. A song about “the expression of a young, passionate love”, as said by band member, Kim Namjoon to Billboard, the track offers a dynamic fusion of electronic and pop music that you won’t be able to not listen to on repeat.
The third track of BTS’ EP, “Best Of Me” is a collaboration featuring The Chainsmokers. The K-pop band performed the track with the Chainsmokers crew during their concert in Seoul. Despite it being a collaboration, BTS managed to blend their unique energy into the song.
However electronic pop isn’t the only thing BTS has to offer. “Intro: Serendipity” and “Outro: Her” are your go-to tracks for a major rest and relax session filled with inspiration.
“Intro: Serendipity” delves into appreciating the small beauties in life that carry “extraordinary meanings”, band member, Kim Namjoon said during the Billboard interview. The EP closes with “Outro: Her” which discusses how love doesn’t always have a happily ever after, and doesn’t need to in the first place.
Social commentary is another key aspect of BTS’ work. Track, “Go Go” may have an upbeat and catchy tune but it’s riddled with meaning. The song uses satire to mock the South Korean youth who squander money and lack interest in everything else life has to offer.
In another track, “Pied Piper”, the members allude to the famous tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin who lured children away from the town with his melodic pipe. In this case, BTS is Pied Piper, distracting all their fans, also called the BTS Army, from far more important things. Essentially, it’s a criticism of the all-consuming, committed and fiery fans that have helped BTS get to where they are.
BTS also preaches self-love in songs like “Dimple”. “Dimple” encourages its listeners to be content with their unique beauty and appreciate themselves without feeling the constant pressure to be someone else.
Often times, the international sensation also includes tracks presented as skits. “Skit: Billboard Music Awards Speech” is the speech band member, Kim Namjoon delivered when the group accepted the award. The speech demonstrated their humility, gratefulness and love for their fans, and reminded them (fans) to love themselves.
The skit is followed by “MIC Drop”, an energetic track where the group recounts their story of hardship before success. At the time of their debut in 2013, the BTS’ management company, Big Hit Entertainment was bankrupt. The company didn’t have the same resources as the entertainment giants behind other major K-pop groups so BTS struggled when they started. They put in hours and hours of vocal, rap and dance practices seven days a week and years later, they are now worldwide idols.
The South Korean group’s triumphant success is very telling of the wide reaching effects of globalization. Individuals and societies are now more open, accepting and appreciative of cultures different to their own. Music now transcends language, culture and traditions, further uniting populations across the globe. BTS allows fans in Chile to have an undeniable connection with those in the Philippines.
Despite such popularity and prominence in pop culture, BTS is still subject to racism. Immediately after their Billboard win, Twitter exposed society’s close-minded attitude towards the Asian community. Some tweets questioned BTS’ presence in an American awards show, claiming that American artists wouldn’t be attending Korean shows, and others mocked band member, Kim Namjoon’s speech although he delivered it in English. The Chainsmokers, who collaborated with BTS, even joked during an interview that they wouldn’t bring their dog to China despite performing a show there. It’s ironic that The Chainsmokers were so eager to work with BTS yet displayed such disrespect towards the Asian community.
All of this proves that we still have a long way to go. There needs to be more Asian representation in Western media, because that’s the only form of true representation. BTS has made remarkable strides in Western pop culture, and shown that Asians possess more capabilities than just falling into the stereotypical careers of medicine, law and engineering. BTS has proved that Asians are capable of doing anything they want.
Stream “Love Yourself: Her” on Spotify.