You might have heard of the K-pop boy band sensation, BTS. If not, they have gained much success the past few years and have gained a large following. BTS, or translated from Korean Bangtan Soyeondan as “Bulletproof Boyscouts,” consists of seven men aging from the oldest being 26 to the youngest being 21.
They all come from humble beginnings, conjoining from several walks of life ranging from Kim Seokjin, or stage name Jin, being the son of a CEO, to Kim Taehyung, or V, living with his grandparents on a farm. From being a street performer like Jung Hoseok, also known as J-hope, to an underground rapper like Kim Namjoon, who goes by RM. There is also Min Yoongi, who goes by SUGA, to being a dance prodigy such as Park Jimin or just his first name Jimin, or just a prodigy in several things as the youngest, Jeon Jungkook, who goes by just Jungkook.
Regardless of their background, they all work equally as hard to produce, dance, perform, sing, act and update their fans who they named their “A.R.M.Y,” which stands for the Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth.
Fame wasn’t just handed to them. Being a new group under a relatively new company, they had no credibility, little profit and little success at the beginning. Initially being a hip-hop group, their style and sound from their debut in 2013 to now is like night and day. For several years, they were ignored and completely underrated. They had to work hard and venture out, try different styles, write meaningful and thought-provoking lyrics and persevere through all the hardships and against all odds. It took several years for them to even win their first music show award, shows Korean groups compete on to promote their new songs.
Eventually, winning one music show award after another lead to the BTS we see today, successful multi-millionaires with several hits such as “Blood, Sweat, and Tears”, “Idol”, “Spring Day” and “Fake Love”, along with appearances on Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Ellen, the Billboard Music Awards, the American Music Awards, and now, the Grammys! The exciting thing is that this is just the beginning.
They are already breaking boundaries, gaining fans and gaining recognition globally of the K-pop genre, paving the way for other groups and solo acts from not only Korea, but other Asian countries to also be successful in Western Hemisphere. They also are the first K-pop group to do a lot of stuff, but what’s definitely impressive is that they are the first to even be nominated for a Grammy, and are also the first K-pop group to present for the Grammys! Maybe next year they will win their first one, out of hopefully many others.
Throughout all the success and fame and recognition these seven men get, they never forget to thank their fans for giving them these opportunities, and their endless support and love. Being a huge fan myself, I always watch their livestreams and like their Twitter posts. I can also testify that they haven’t changed in personality, but have matured and stayed humble and grateful no matter what they do, what they have and where they go. They even donate generous amounts of their proftis towards their UNICEF “Love Yourself” campaign, which was made to eliminate violence against children and teens.
It’s just such a refreshing change of norm to see a boy band who write songs in a foreign language, speak in a foreign language and live halfway across the world from most superstars, gain so much support and fame by just doing what they love. That’s what music is about and that’s why it’s universal and so powerful by joining several people together.