BTS is currently the biggest band in the world right now. Move away Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa because it is now the BTS band that is ruling the roost. Although they made their debut in 2013, this K-pop boy band has experienced phenomenal success in their chosen field. They are among the first Korean groups to storm into the Billboard 200 charts list in the US.
And they now boast of being the fastest-selling group since the Beatles to earn the number one spot four times in two years. They have also been there at the famed Wembley’s, one of the first Asian and non-English speaking groups to do so. No wonder Time’s magazine has called them the ‘Next Generation Leaders.’ Here are five reasons that make them stand out from their competitors.
Far Away From Their Peers
They are not your typical boy band, who produce songs similar to that of their peers. Meaning they don’t dabble in boy-meets-girl and girl -meets boy kind of lyrics. Instead, their songs cover a wide range of emotions including, mental health, overcoming hurdles in life, and all about the angsty teenager life. Their songs touch upon things like literature, history, physics, and the works. Well, do you recall any such group that touches upon things like quantum physics? Well, we doubt that.
Musicians to the Core
The group initially started with being an average boy band and hip-hop group. However, they quickly graduated into evolved musicians as they began to explore different musical genres. We could also see other modern musicians’ influences in their work, including Queen, Drake, Eminem, Justin Bieber, ’90s Korean group Seo Taiji and Boys, Post Malone, Nas, Charlie Puth, Kanye West, and Danger.
Their music has included hip-hop and music influences like rock, R&B, EDM, neo-soul, Latin pop, gospel, orchestra, strings, world music, house, reggae, jazz, Afro-pop, funk, disco, and more. Just like any other musician, they can find inspiration right about anywhere. They also play many instruments such as piano, guitar, drums, saxophone, and ukelele.
Going Beyond Music
Music is an integral part of their lives. It’s what they do, but they also dabble in many philanthropic activities. Yes, the boy band uses their fame responsibly, and they have lent their name to social causes. BTS also has a loyal fan following an online army of fans from their Love Yourself campaign and other charitable efforts.
They provide rice to charity and partner with LISA, a nonprofit group that can fight against many degenerative retina diseases. They also came forward to help with the 2014 MV Sewol ferry disaster, in which around 300 people lost their lives. Each member of the group donated KRW 10,000,000 to the victim’s families who were suffering.
BTS was also part of the United Nations 73rd General Assembly to help launch the Youth 2030: The UN Youth Strategy initiative. They came up to the pedestal to speak about the Love Yourself campaign. And they spoke about issues such as self-acceptance, and the importance of mental health.
Most Commented YouTube Video
According to Forbes, the music video from the 2017 hit DNA boasts of about 5.07 million comments. And this makes it one of the most commented videos on YouTube. It was Gangnam Style a song by Psy, that held the record until BTS stole the place! Gangnam Style has over 5.04 million comments.
The Alternative Universe Theme
The universe, created by their Big Hit Entertainment, their management company, is often known as the BTS Universe or Bangtan Universe. The universe involves many music videos, short films, books, and even webtoons that follow characters based on most of the BTS‘s members. The song “I Need U” set off their universe and lasts till today!
They were also one of the most famous Korean accounts that reached 10 million followers on Twitter! As they are all still young and have a long career ahead of them, we are sure that many more laurels will come their way. Truly BTS is special, and with their kind of popularity, they will soon become one of the most popular boy bands ever. Don’t you agree?
So, tell us in the comments section if you are a fan of this band too. And don’t forget to mention your favorite song!