BTS – 방탄소년단

Who is Bangtan Sonyeondan – BTS?

From a small Korean boyband to worldwide fame and influence; no other modern band represents the road to success as well as BTS. Even though they aren’t the first K-Pop boyband, it definitely is the one that brought what once was a niche genre into the mainstream, skyrocketing it into a worldwide phenomenon. Their road to success was definitely not an overnight rise to popularity but a manifestation of years of hard work, teamwork, talent, and dedication.

The seven-member group is called Bangtan Sonyeondan or Bangtan Boys. Korean-born members, RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook make a much-needed impact through their music, and influence with their treasured fandom, ARMY, around the world.

Bangtan Sonyeondan in Korean means Bulletproof Boy scouts. They are popularly known as BTS (Behind The Scene) while their fandom name ARMY stands for “Adorable Representative MC (Master of Ceremonies) for Youth“, the largest fandom in the world.

What makes BTS such an influential band?

Is it their looks and costumes, that constantly push gender boundaries? Is it their songs and lyrics, that spread messages of self-love and accepting your uniqueness? It is all that, and way more.

Nothing speaks to the fans of BTS more than their amazingly written songs. Since the beginning of their careers, the members of the band have written most of their own songs and used their lyrics to spread positive messages or increase awareness of social issues, present in both South Korea and the rest of the world. Not only that, but they also incorporate their own life stories into songs, pouring themselves into the lyrics and making them relatable for many people of various age groups.

“Maybe I made a mistake yesterday, but yesterday’s me is still me. I am who I am today, with all my faults. Tomorrow I might be a tiny bit wiser, and that’s me, too. These faults and mistakes are what I am, making up the brightest stars in the constellation of my life. I have come to love myself for who I was, who I am, and who I hope to become.”

KIM NAMJOON (RM), BTS

What is BTS’s Message?

Among many things, BTS talks about self-acceptance and self-love, equality no matter your race, gender or sexual orientation, or skin color. BTS partnered up with UNICEF with their Love Myself, anti-violence campaign. Their songs are all about expressing your true authentic self and many other positive concepts that we need to hear more and more often. But it is more than spreading a heartfelt, optimistic message about life. In all their concerts and music videos, the members of Bangtan Sonyeondan are always full of light, energy, and positive vibes, and show us that there is a lot more to life than our day-to-day worries.

A legacy for many generations to come!

There isn’t just one recipe for success, but BTS surely paved the way to greatness and created a legacy that will last for a long time. Each of the members is incredibly talented, and through a lot of hard work and effort, they mastered their craft and reached a level of fame one can only dream of. Their journey to success was certainly not an easy one. But they succeeded with the unwavering support of their fans and the amazingly strong and close bond the boys have among them. Their loyal A.R.M.Y (as the fandom identifies themselves) comes from many parts of the world, and it has truly built a tight-knit sense of community among the fanbase.

Influence around the world

Through their art, BTS showed us that music is a universal art and language. Also, talent and hard work can come from anywhere in this world. Because of them, certain language and culture barriers have also been broken all around the globe. Many people have started learning Korean because of BTS. They opened the door for more people to learn more about South Korea and Asia, which increases cultural awareness at a global level.

The septet of BTS is not just your average pop artist: they are singers, rappers, dancers, songwriters, and producers. Going to a BTS concert means watching the show of your life. Their concerts are full of energy, entertainment, good music, and a lovely community of people. BTS no longer considers themselves just a K-Pop band. But they popularized the genre and opened the door for many other K-Pop bands to reach international fame.

Awards and Achievements

Throughout the years, BTS has won numerous awards including AMA, MAMA, and Billboard Music Awards. They won Billboards including the Top Social Artist award for five consecutive years until the award was discontinued. They also hit the top of the Billboard Top 100 not once, not twice but four-time in 9 months with their songs Savage Love, Life Goes On, Dynamite, and the latest release Butter.

They are the first Asians to win Artist of the Year at the American Music Awards and they are two times Grammy nominees. BTS also holds the record for most Deasang awards winners. They hold multiple Guinness World records and various other awards.

BTS are among the artists with the highest awards in the world.

Bangtan Sonyeondan have achieved many great things over the years and influenced millions of people around the world. We can only expect them to achieve even more in the years to come.