BTS, otherwise known as “Bangtan Sonyeondan (방탄소년단),” or “Beyond the Scene,” has gone through name changes throughout the years. This boyband from Seoul, South Korea reached astronomical heights in the US with their first English hit song, “Dynamite.”
Fans from all over Asia have been stanning them since their album “Skool Luv Affair” placed third on the World Album Chart of Billboard. Many remember becoming an ARMY after hearing “Spring Day” or attempting to dance to “Blood Sweat & Tears” in 2016. There was a BTS song for every occasion, and the band seemed to be masters at transcending language barriers.
But BTS didn’t shoot to the top overnight, and this group of seven ragtag boys has been working hard for years. SUGA had to choose between food or transportation money in his earlier days as a musician. V was just a small-town boy with parents who worked as farmers. RM, despite being a good leader of BTS and a highly skilled rapper, was harshly bullied online for not looking like a “conventional” idol. Even Bang Si-hyuk, founder of HYBE, thought that the rise of BTS was caused by a lot of luck.
But he didn’t discount the consistency and hard work that led to the group’s success. These seven men changed the K-Pop industry by being vocal about social issues faced by the younger generation. BTS, despite occasional criticism, does not conform to what is expected of them by the K-Pop industry or their fans.
They do what they want, and that authenticity is part of what has kept BTS afloat since their debut on June 12th, 2013. The year 2023 marks a decade with BTS, and they’ve become successful to the point of affecting K-Pop sales during their ongoing hiatus. Many fans are waiting for the group’s return, and BTS members themselves swore to come back as a group to make more music after their mandatory military enlistment.
2023 isn’t the end of BTS, but the beginning of a new chapter in the band’s history.
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