Who Are The BTS and Why They’re Everywhere!

Bangtan Sonyeondan or BTS – They are always trending! #btsarmy, #btsmemes or #btspurple to name a few, if you’re into social media, you must’ve come across them. For newbies, BTS is a South Korean boy band consisting of 7 members – RM (The leader), Jin, J- Hope, Suga, V, Jimin and Jungkook. Bangtan Sonyeondan literally means “Bulletproof Boy Scouts”

BTS isn’t just your normal boy band. They’re currently the TOP and HIGHEST PAID boy band in the world with the world’s MOST powerful fandom, ARMY. They have taken over music charts worldwide and are considered to one of the most successful bands of all time! Well, now you know why they’re everywhere? Wait, save your regrets of missing out for later because they got the records to sweep you off!

Even if you’re not perfect, you’re a limited edition

– Kim Namjoon (RM)

How popular are they actually?

Despite the linguistic barrier and the inherent drawback of cultural difference, BTS is steadily taking over India! According to Spotify, BTS is the 5th most popular band in India, the only non-Indian among the top 5. Even top Indian celebrities like AR Rahman, Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhuvan Bam, Diljit Dosanjh, Disha Patani and Nargis Fakhri have unhesitantly shown their immense love for the South Korean band!

Worldwide, with a fan base of about 48 million, it isn’t a surprise that they keep breaking records. They broke the King of Pop’s 36 years old record, Celine Dion’s 24 years old record and surprisingly, one of The Beatles’ records too! In 2018, BTS boys became the first Kpop music group to address the United Nations and were impressive to the extent that the group leader’s speech is now used for academic purposes in countries like South Korea, the US, Vietnam and Singapore!

Among their countless popularity milestones, the latest ones are V (Vocalist) being the only artist in the world to achieve 108 #1’s on iTunes with his song ‘Sweet Night’ and Suga (Rapper) extending his record of having the most tweets with over 2M likes in the world. V or Kim Tae-Hyung is also the only Kpop singer to have a school in his name, thanks to his Chinese fans!

The band also holds the world record for most Twitter engagements for a music group. According to Nielsen’s mid-year report 2020, BTS is the second best-selling pop act in the US, ahead of Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Halsey! Remember, all these while singing in Korean!

Your presence can give happiness. I hope you remember that.

– Kim Seokjin (Jin)

What makes them so famous?

Of course, music is the most important attribute of a musician’s success. But this septet has so much more to offer. Along with their hooking music, comes beautiful lyrics that are sure to touch you. They cover subjects that other bands may not, like bullying, elitism and mental health. They are also known for their genuine love for ARMYs.

They reportedly practice for 12 to 15 hours a day to be able to give their best. Also, irrespective of their tiring schedule, they haven’t yet disappointed their fans in any concert because as mentioned by the group leader multiple times, they know the struggle of their fans and the fact that some can afford to see them only once. How touching is that!

They also interact a lot with their fans online through various shows and posts. To know more, I interacted with a few ARMYs and here are the reasons for their unconditional support for the band –
“They are the light in my life”;
“They always make me smile”;
“I feel loved and comforted by their music”;

“They have gifted not just fandom but a family”;
“They came exactly when I needed someone to feel grateful about my existence too”.
As is clear, they are much more than just an idol to their fans. They have also supported various social causes, the Black Lives Matter movement being the latest.

Don’t ever make decisions based on fear. Make decisions based on hope and possibility.

– Jung Ho-seok (J-Hope)

Awards

BTS has received a whopping 265 awards and 398 nominations since its debut!

You were born to be real, not to be perfect.

– Min Yoon-gi (Suga)

Feeling like an ARMY already? Here are some tracks to get you started!

• Blood Sweat & Tears
• DNA
• Magic Shop
• Black Swan
• Boy With Luv
• Fake Love
• Spring Day
• Waste It On Me
• We are Bulletproof: the Eternal
• Idol
• Mic Drop ( Feat Desiigner)
• Dope
• I Need You
• Save Me
• Not Today

Go on your path, even if you live for a day

– Park Ji-min (Jimin)

BTS never let ARMYs feel lonely, not even when there is an ongoing pandemic! You can catch up with them on Twitter, Vlive and Weverse (They even comment in fan posts!). They will also be appearing on Nippon Television’s Buzz Rhythm 02 and NHK TV’s SONGS on July 18th.

Don’t be trapped in someone else’s dream.

– Kim Tae-hyung (V)

I can’t just say ‘cheer up no matter what’, but in the midst of that difficulty, try to find that small happiness.

– Jeon Jung-kook (Jungkook)

Are you an ARMY? What do you feel about BTS? Let us know in the comments below!