BTS: The Musical Phenomenon That Has Changed The K-pop Industry
Who hasn’t heard of BTS in today’s day and age? Every Internet user has been exposed to K-pop in some forms or the other and the major credit goes to boy group BTS. With hundreds of records and awards under their belt, it is safe to say that BTS will be remembered by generations every time the word K-pop is mentioned. But let’s rewind a little.
10 years back when BTS debuted they were hardly a known thing. They debuted under a new company BigHit Entertainment, which was unknown even in the K-pop communities. Their debut song No More Dream went unnoticed by the masses and the ones who noticed also deemed them to be failures. They were just 7 teenage boys with a dream, but no clear path to fulfill it.
Their initial few years after debut were a struggle. They were exploring genres and concepts to find something that worked. They tasted their first bit of success when their School trilogy topped the Gaon Album Chart and even made to Billboard’s World Albums. Their music always spoke to the youth. They talked about their hardships and fears, which was generally a neglected topic at the time.
Their mainstream breakout was with the song I Need U and Dope in 2015. Both these songs are of different genres but speak beautifully of the teenage days. I Need U is about love and longing for that one person whereas Dope is about the struggles we face in every sphere of life yet not giving up. I have always listened to Dope for that adrenaline rush when I want to achieve something. And probably this was the reason why people were gravitated towards this song.
After this there was no looking back for BTS. Their next album Wings was a huge success and their lead song Blood, Sweat and Tears is a classic even today. This album won them their first Daesang, which is the highest achievement a K-pop group can have for their album. Their emotional speech on getting this victory was testimony to the hard work they had put in over these years to actually reach this benchmark.
My favorite thing about BTS is that they are self-made. Everything in their group is their own heart and soul. Be it their music or lyrics, it’s all their own. They have shared what they were going through in life through all their songs and that I believe is what makes them special. Their songs are so meaningful because they are so relatable!
After the success of Wings album, they delivered hits after hits. Their next album Love Yourself trilogy charted very well. They even went on tour after this which was really successful. During this time, they were not just known in Korea anymore, they were a worldwide phenomena. People all across the world were humming these Korean tunes that they didn’t even understand but still loved.
Their next album Map of the Soul was again supper successful with its title track Boy With Luv being their 2nd song after DNA to reach 1 billion views on YouTube. This song was a nod to their previous song Boy In Luv and it showed how much their music has evolved since then. The song was a huge success and even today is loved by majority of BTS army.
The Map of the Soul tour couldn’t happen because of COVID however BTS didn’t stop here. They released their first English song Dynamite during the lockdown and it blew up. Dynamite went viral like no K-pop song had ever been before. It made BTS reach audiences who had never even heard of K-pop. And that was not all, they became the first Korean act to get a Grammy nomination.
After this they released two more English singles and one album during the lockdown. This reached a lot of new people because everyone at home was looking for new music. Especially in those dark times, there music gave a lot of hope and optimism to me and to many others. Even a lot of their old songs like Spring Day and Save Me became more meaningful during the lockdown.
Their last album before their military hiatus was Proof. It was an anthology album showcasing all of their old songs with some new additions. This album was such a precious gift to army before they went for military. Ever since their hiatus, they have been working on their solo projects and are still going strong as always.
On their 10th anniversary I am so excited to reminisce all the amazing work they have done and enjoy their music once more. It is very exciting to see how their solo careers will unfold and what will their comeback be like once they all return from military.
