Taylor Swift didn’t stand a chance when they smashed her 43 million views YouTube debut video record. Neither did Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, or Ariana Grande when they beat all three to scoop a prestigious Billboard Music Award.They’ve just sold out two nights at London stadium The O2 as part of a multi-million-pound world tour. Right now they’re the biggest boyband on the planet...Yet you’ve probably never heard of them nor, if you Google them, will you be able to understand a single word they’re singing unless you speak Korean.
They are South Korea’s babyfaced seven-piece answer to One Direction, who are currently taking the world by storm with their winning brand of bubblegum pop. The lads, aged 20-25, fall into the country’s kitsch K-Pop genre, popular across Asia - but since forming five years ago have shattered every glass ceiling to achieve superstar status worldwide. They’ve collaborated with Fall Out Boy and rapper Nicki Minaj, topped the US charts, and last month became the first K-pop group to enter the top 40 of the UK singles chart with their song Idol landing at number 21.
With more than 10 million followers on social media, last year they beat Bieber and co to scoop Billboard’s Top Social Artist award. And that YouTube record? Their video for hit Idol was viewed more than 45 million times in the first 24 hours, surpassing Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do”. It has now been watched by more than 200million people. With a name meaning Bangtan Sonyeondan, or Bulletproof Boy Scouts, bandmates Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook, have proved they certainly are...And according to them, it’s honesty that’s the secret to their success plus a little talent...Bandmate Suga said: “It seems like it started from the fact that we said the things that someone needed to say, but that no one did.”
While RM added: “I think that the secret to BTS’s success can be summed up with the keywords ‘sincerity and skills.’ I think the public can see sincerity.”The band’s lyrics have been praised for delivering worthy messages on politics, trolling, mental health and Korea’s class inequalities. They recently made boyband history by speaking at the United Nations to urge their legion of fans, dubbed A.R.M.Y, to “love themselves” as part of an anti-violence campaign. Those fans say it is their “personal connection” with the group forged through social media which makes them special.“We can tell you what outfits they were wearing at a particular shoot or which is their favourite Animoji,” said 19-year-old Angelica Bacani from the Philippines.
“Sometimes on my way to school, I scroll through my feeds and see messages from the boys which always cheer me up.“Other bands come across as being distant and untouchable but BTS is so relatable.”K-pop has long contributed billions of dollars annually to the South Korean economy, but it is slowly achieving global success, dubbed the ‘Korean wave’, with the climb of numerous music acts including Big Bang, EXO, Girls’ Generation and PSY, famous for hit Gangnam Style. But BTS is king.