BTS bounds onto the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart at No. 1 with its new single "Permission to Dance." With "Permission to Dance" replacing "Butter" atop the Hot 100, BTS is the first artist to dethrone itself since Drake, whose "In My Feelings" ended the eight-week reign of "Nice for What" on the July 21, 2018 chart. "South Korea has made two major achievements in the past 60 years, the first being democracy and economic development, and the second being the birth of BTS.," said Executive Director of UNICEF Korea, Lee Key-Cheol. In 1964, an English boy band called "The Beatles" made its television debut and changed the face of the music industry forever. More than 50 years later, another boy group is doing it again. BTS, a South Korean boy band, comprises seven members: RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook. They debuted in 2013 and have since become a global phenomenon. With millions of fans worldwide, the band has sold millions of albums and holds record-breaking YouTube and Billboard achievements. Not to mention, their stadium shows around the globe are always quickly sold out, proving BTS's global popularity. BTS is worth more than $3.6 billion yearly to the country's economy and more than $1 billion in consumer exports. BTS's success might produce $37 billion in economic value for South Korea over the next ten years if it maintains its popularity. So how did a group of young men from a previously unknown agency break the mold in South Korea and jump to the top of the charts in the U.S.? What is different about them? What does their success tell us? BTS did not achieve success overnight, nor was it planned by anyone. Their success is reflected in all the processes that they and their fans have made together since their debut.

Photograph: Twitter @BTS_official

All the BTS members were born outside of Seoul, including Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, Geochang, Gwacheon, and Ilsan, and eventually left school to spend their last adolescence in the underground practice room of the entertainment agency. Jungkook, the youngest, left home before graduating from middle school and started living with his older brothers. BTS members, who had operated a joint Twitter account before their debut in June 2013, communicated their anxiety of choosing this unusual path, and even after their debut, continued to express their uncertainties about being artists of a small company. SUGA also rapped out the frustration and depression he felt during his adolescence when he was in ridicule and criticism. BTS' lyrics often reflect the actual experiences they have spoken about in other documentaries, interviews, and vlogs. As a result, fans can strongly feel their sincerity. Their album contains personal thoughts and stories based on specific circumstances and experiences, unlike the band’s preceding works that were primarily comprised of love songs or universal concerns about the youth generation.

The answer to why BTS is the biggest boy band in the world is simple. It ultimately comes down to their music. BTS was managed by a small agency, so the group had a lot of room, creativity to be directly involved in their music. As witnessed by millions of K-pop listeners around the world, many K-pop songs are about petty relationships and love, whereas BTS discusses subjects that other bands did not try to take on, such as social issues like elitism and mental health. Their lyrics come from their own experiences and hardships during their pre-debut years. The fans feel sympathy when listening to BTS’s music. Additionally, each overarching concept of their albums has a specific goal. For example, the LOVE YOURSELF trilogy taught people to love themselves and how to speak up regardless of language, race, or gender. Consequently, BTS inspires its fans to be themselves by conveying a message of hope. Not to mention, despite their immense success, BTS never lets the fans forget that the glory is theirs. The Bangtan Boys show appreciation to the fans through their regular posts on Twitter, Weverse, and sometimes all seven members go live on V LIVE to thank the ARMY fans around the world. Their sincere attitude and active communication are reasons why the fans feel so connected to the septet.

김지완 강남포스트 학생기자  webmaster@ignnews.kr

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