We’ve all been there. Stuck in the day-to-day routine, with a constant barrage things you have to do, things you have to be… The real world is stressful, and often underwhelming. Fortunately for us, there are those out there who devote their lives to whipping up utopian realms, which we, in turn populate with our own fantasies.
Everyone has their own poison; movies, reality TV, anime… or, in my case, a phenomenon that has unlocked the perfect ratio of sugar, spice, and everything nice in life. It’s a wave that has crashed leaving our world shaken to its core. If you live on planet Earth, I guarantee you have come across it in some capacity. I speak of none other, of course, than the glorious black hole that is K-pop.
Many who have fallen down that hole have decided that there is no better name to refer to it by. Why? Well maybe you hear it blasting through the headphones of that friend that everyone thinks is a bit too weird. Maybe you hear it while perusing the isles of H-mart, or see it on an episode of the REACT channel (where a YouTuber was quoted as referring to a K-pop group as “boy band, Macklemore, and Limp Bizkit all in one”). If that one doesn’t ring any bells, perhaps a more recent interview with Buzzfeed (and PUPPIES!) – will.
Granted, references to the “boy band” in question, BTS (otherwise known as Bangtan Sonyeondan or the Bulletproof Boy Scouts), was only the cusp of a revolution far bigger than YouTube or the rest of the western world had anticipated. The point is, if you hear of K-pop, glimpse the edge of a colorful bowl-cut, or taste any one of the multifaceted layers to their awesome, you will inevitably fall into a hole deeper than a Google deep-dive. Sure, first it’s their fire dancing and hip thrusts, but next, its Jimin’s shoulder, then Jin’s squeaky wind-shield-wiper laugh, RM still not knowing how to cut a freakin’ onion, J-HOOOOOOPE, then little meow meow Suga wanting to reincarnate as a rock.
Okay… you’re probably thinking to yourself one of two things right now; first of all, “what are you talking about?” And second – “what the hell even is K-POP?” Let’s start off with the latter.
K-pop is definitely not a new phenomenon, it has existed for quite some time – since 1885 actually. Thanks to the delayed capabilities of globalization, the rest of the world was slow to take it on as an art form, and missed out on some pretty top tier entertainment. It is not just a genre, in fact, it is every genre – it is more like a universe, a culture, a community, a whole meal, with dessert. They have perfected the recipe to the catchiest songs you will ever hear, and a system of recruiting and training young talent, that is greatly unique to the K-pop industry. Their methods and regimes can be harsh, but have proven to be successful in featuring some amazingly talented individuals. It’s like a jacked School of Rock – a boot-camp for greatness.
The industry starts with a few giant monopolizing companies, or rather “agencies” – the biggest being SM, YG, JYP… With the rise of some millennial movements of empowerment and change, however, a once small and insignificant agency called Big Hit has since become a true behemoth, representing some of the biggest acts on the planet.
I suspect that the reason the ‘experience’ of K-pop has become so illustrious and far-reaching is the fact that if one gets sucked in deep enough by an undeniably catchy song, if not the impeccable more-than-human good looks, or the ridiculously meticulous and hypnotizing group dances, one gets absolutely smitten with the members’ individual personalities and their dynamics as a family – so endearing are they that I challenge anyone to be immune to such *aegyo* (cute) charms.
So, let’s do it: let us talk about BTS. To those few stragglers that haven’t already heard, it’s a group of seven members; Kim Seokjin/Jin (26), Min Yoongi/Suga (25), Jeon Hoseok/J-hope (24), Kim Namjoon/RM (leader) (24) Park Jimin/Jimin (23) Kim Taehyung/V (23) and Jeon Jungkook/Jungkook (21). They each hail from ridiculously diverse backgrounds and humble beginnings, coming together at Big Hit from around Korea to form this united beacon of art and heart.
They debuted on June 13th, 2013, making a bit of a splash with their track “No More Dream” from their first album Dark and Wild. Over the years, however, their undying dedication towards their fans (who are called the “Army”), and their adamance to be themselves against any industry-imposed label (and all that that entails) has culminated in an absolute machine of solidarity and pride. The most unique aspects of their talent as individuals are brought together to create a collective experience that is even greater than the (already pretty rad) sum of its parts.
The impact and level of influence BTS has amassed could never be distilled down to this one page. One of their greatest achievements, however, was their participation as judges for a K-pop cover dance competition in a festival held in Russia back in 2015. This was a concerted effort to bridge Korea and Russia relations, as well as promote tourism between the two nations. In June of 2017, they were the first K-pop band to ever be featured on Time Magazine (they made the cover, no less), and were named as one of the 25 most influential ‘people’ on the internet. Particularly fitting because in March 2016, BTS was listed by Forbes as the most retweeted artist on Twitter.
In the spirit of “firsts” and amazing achievements, one could say the true mark of BTS‘ impact on the world, especially on the international stage, was in 2016. They were the first K-pop band to have been placed on the Billboard Social 50 chart, and they topped it! In May 2017, they were titled Top Social Artist, squeezing that award on their endless rack of awards. They also made the Guinness World Records – yeah I know.
A huge part of what makes BTS feel like a group of real, genuine human beings is their fortitude to spread a particularly important and relevant message around the world; utilizing their influential power and their vast platform, they intricately compose a story through the songs of their recent albums: Love Yourself and Love Yourself: Tear, depicting the various facets of love, which ultimately culminated with the message of self-love.
In 2018, BTS was the first on the Forbes Korea Power Celebrity list, and in September of the same year, BTS gave a speech at the United Nations as ambassadors for UNICEF, spreading just that message. It’s no surprise why so many people have truly invested in these charming and talented young individuals.
Above all else, the “Army” look up to them, eyes full of respect, pride, and admiration. They have followed BTS and rooted for them in their journey of growth, hard-work, and finally, recognition. Every day the members give us their absolute heart and soul. And I’m not just referring to the 12+ hours a day of work, practice, and training, but their dedication to their true message, the sharing of their genuine feelings… being trusting enough to be vulnerable, and exposing us to their endearing and genuine personalities.
BTS speaks to their fans as if they were the closest entity to them… with mutual respect and appreciation. I grew up with BTS, sharing a birthday with the leader RM, and sharing their collective passions for making music and sharing influential positive messages. We see them at such a young age, unlocking true potential, then flying straight past it… And they inspire us to think – hey, maybe we can too.
gifs hosted via GIPHY, courtesy of Spotify and SK telecom