It is no exaggeration to say that K-pop is divided into before and after BTS.
BTS is also called the 21st Century Beatles. Of course, the Beatles are the history of pop, but BTS, like the Beatles, has written a new history of K-pop idols in the music industry
The music of Korea, a small country in the East, has brought about a change with recognized skills in the global mainstream music market, while relieving the inferiority complex in Asia.
BTS History
BTS, who started out as a hip-hop idol
BTS mainly performed pop dance-style songs, but debuted on June 13, 2013 (the first single "Too Cool for School" and the first showcase day were June 12, 2013, but the debut date was June 13, 2013, when they performed their first performance)
The first identity of BTS was hip hop. In particular, leader RM belonged to the underground hip-hop crew "Daenamhyup" (Daenam Chosun Hip-hop Cooperative) before his debut as a BTS,
Bang Si-hyuk, chairman of HYBE, conceived a hip-hop group led by RM during his time at Big Hit Entertainment.
BTS began as a hip-hop boy group at the time of its debut because it was a time when hip-hop boy groups could receive more attention from the public than pop music in Korea at the time
BTS member Suga also worked under the stage name "Gloss" in his hometown of Daegu-based hip-hop crew "D Town."
Suga's solo name, August D, is an upside-down arrangement of "DT Sugar," which Suga previously wrote as lyrics.
Pidog (Kang Hyo-won), chief producer of Big Hit Music under Hive, who has been working steadily with BTSs, also helped BTS do hip-hop boy group music with a love for hip-hop..
It is said that the name of the activity, "Dogg," was created by combining producer (Producer) and American hip-hop magnate Snoop Dogg.
The song "Hip Hop Phile" from BTS's first full-length album "DARK&WILD" (2014), in which Pdogg, RM, Suga, and J-Hope participated in lyrics writing, is Jay-Z, Nas, etc
He burned his passion for music while traveling to BTS to learn mainland hip-hop in the U.S. in 2014, and related to Korean Mnet's reality program American Hustle Life has greatly helped to form a fandom there.
The beginning of change, the beginning of change
The turning point of the BTS was the series of "When My Love Blooms."
It topped the domestic terrestrial music program for the first time with the title song "I Need You" from its third mini album "Hwayang Yeonhwa" Part 1 released in April 2015.
With its fourth mini-album "Hwayangyeonhwa" Part 2 released in November of the same year, it ranked 171st on the U.S. Billboard main album chart "Billboard 200" and became the first K-pop team to enter the chart.
Hwayang Yeonhwa became a trigger point to challenge with Billboard, and after that, BTS's K-pop Billboard challenge finally begins.
BTS' music begins to work on Billboard.
BTS' music has six albums at the top of "Billboard 200" and six songs (7 songs including Jimin's solo song "Like Crazy") topped the U.S. Billboard's main single chart "Hot 100."
It topped both charts for the first time as a K-pop singer. Especially, "Hot 100" is the only K-pop team to win first place.
In particular, BTS topped the Billboard 200 for the first time with "Love Yourself All Tier" in 2018, and by November 2020, it had topped the list with "Love Yourself Answer," "Map of the Sol: Persona," "Map of the Sol: 7," and "BE."
It is the shortest time since the Beatles (2 years and 5 months) to reach the top of the Billboard 200 in two and a half years. That's why BTSs are called the Beatles in the 21st century.
BTS was nominated for the Grammy Awards, the largest pop music awards in the United States, for three consecutive years, and won the American Music Awards, a major local pop music awards, for five consecutive years.
BTS' music is not popular culture, but pure art
The reason why BTS is special is that it has raised popular culture to the level of pure art and led to collaboration with this field. BTS has its own world spirit and has created its own new culture.
A case in point is the music video for "Blood Sweat & Tears". Through short film-like music videos, the world of aesthetic growth narratives pursued was compressed, and accordingly, BTSs
It was an opportunity to build a different image as an idol.
The worldview aims to grasp the world that encompasses not only the intellectual aspect but also the practical and emotional aspects. Worldview, which was a philosophical term, has moved to games, movies, etc., pointing to the temporal, spatial, and ideological background that forms the basis of the scenario.
With this worldview, BTS is said to have expanded the spectrum of world pop music beyond K-pop. "School Trilogy," "Youth Trilogy," "Love Yourself," and "Map of the Sol" series
Whenever an album was released, storytelling was formed in the form of a series, then a worldview was created and fans were attracted, and this consensus led to the solidarity of the global fandom "ARMY."
This world view is called the BTS Universe. Based on this BU, he collaborated with modern art and played a role in conveying his philosophy and message to the world through this unique encounter.
In addition, RM, an art lover, was the only Korean to be included in the 35 innovators in the art world selected by American art media late last year.
BTS' worldview of pure art did not stop here, but continued widely through continuous albums.
Through the pre-released song "Black Swan," the Slovenian modern dance team's fourth full-length album "MAP OF THE SOUL: 7" in 2020
In collaboration with MN Dance Company, he also introduced Art Film performed by MN Dance Company.
Dance company members, not members, appeared in art films and made a new attempt to reinterpret "Black Swan."
The movement of pure dance and the attitude of the BTS to capture the spirit were highly evaluated.
BTS started singing about the fear, life, love, and spirit of a teenage boy trapped in school,
"After that, the 'Hwa Yang Yeon-hwa' series, which contains a message of empathy for anxiety hidden by the light of youth, the 'Love Yourself' series, in which true reflection of happiness loved oneself and thought that you should find light in yourself,
Although they have already achieved success, they are now thinking about where to go again and going through the Map of the Sol series, which looks back on themselves, honestly recording their paths.
BTS' good influence through UN and White House speeches
The word that can't be left out when it comes to BTS is "good influence." In his UN speech, RM calmly told the story of his life and sent a message to "love yourself" beyond race and borders,
At the White House meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, he also voiced North American hate crimes against Asians.
Thanks to this, BTS is also nicknamed "K-pop diplomat" and "global leader."
However, it is true that such a move was too much for those in their 20s who were in the midst of enjoying music, and RM said in an interview with Rolling Stone late last year, a famous American music magazine
He also confessed that he was confused about whether they were responsible for their social movements. "I never imagined this would happen and I do it.
But we naturally became one of the representatives of the Asian community. I thought to myself, "Am I a good person?" I've got the question of whether I deserve all this responsibility."
Most importantly, the BTS members are even more amazing because they continue to move forward step by step under this pressure.
Especially, the so-called hope trilogy "Dynamite," "Butter," and "Permission to Dance," which were released to console many people during the pandemic that plagued the world for three years, are proof of this.
"BTS consoled the world with these songs and talked about our world being and being achieved because everyone is together, growing up in the pain of youth, temptation, and despair
After visiting themselves, they are now growing into beings who wish and convey the hope of the world.
New Chapter 2 After Military Service
The Republic of Korea is obligated to serve in the military. That's why idols are reluctant to serve in the military in their heyday. However, BTS had no hesitation in joining the army.
The BTS members enlisted sequentially, starting with Jin at the end of last year and J-Hope in April this year, and hope to resume their full activities in 2025 with a group activity gap of about three years.
Of course, even now that some members have joined the army, the members who have not joined the army are actively engaged in their individual activities.
When all the members finish their military service, they will establish a foothold for the longevity group. After taking on the duty of national defense, it will establish itself as a national group not only for fandom ARMY but also for men and women of all ages.
It has become a precedent that boy groups are not as popular as in previous years when they serve in the military, but BTS, which boasts a global status, can create a sufficiently different number of cases.
The BTS members promised to be with the fans for another 30, 40 years. He already accepted the gap caused by joining the military as a process of going through, and promised another future
He showed his affection for ARMY. Initially, a large number of fans were expected to gather at the scene of Jin and J-Hope's admission, but the members and their agency Big Hit Music for safety and other soldiers
When asked to refrain from visiting, he showed a "mature fan culture" that follows it.
It is no exaggeration to say that Korea's K-Pop culture has been newly created based on BTS, and they have made a new history and will continue to make new paths.
I look forward to BTS as a whole and I look forward to continuing to write a new history of K-pop.