Everything You Need to Know About BTS
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Bangtan Sonyeondan, better known to the world as BTS, is a seven-member South Korean boy band featuring the following members: Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook. They have made history numerous times, breaking records for their genre as the first-ever K-pop band to be on SNL, the Grammys, the AMA's, Jimmy Fallon, and Jimmy Kimmel. They also have multiple collaborations with U.S. artists, including Halsey, Steve Aoki, Lil Nas X, Sia, and Nicki Minaj.
The rappers of the group, (J-Hope, RM, and Suga) write and produce a lot of the group's songs along with their solo work. They each have their own studios and have all released at least one mixtape with songs they produced. They also write for the other four members. Songs which were written by the rappers for BTS include: No More Dream, DOPE, Whalien 52, Pied Piper, Airplane Pt. 2, Boy With Luv, and Life Goes On. We don't know much about the process, but we do know that they release really good music.
Group History
BTS first debuted on June 13th, 2013 on Korean TV. When they started, their youngest member was seventeen. Now, their oldest member is almost thirty. Their debut EP is called 2 Kool 4 Skool. Following several other EPs, the boys released their first album a couple years later, called Dark & Wild. More EPs followed, during which they were not only releasing Japanese versions of the songs, but working hard to make their fanbase happy. BTS nearly broke up twice – once was a year after they started and the other was in 2018. They told us about the near 2018 breakup in their beautiful speech at the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) in 2018, when they won Artist of the Year. The award was very special to them because it shows how much their fans love them for who they are.
Merch
Every member of BTS has a corresponding BT21 creature as a result of a collaboration with Line FRIENDS. They are as follows: Tata the alien, Koya the koala, Chimmy the puppy, RJ the alpaca, Shooky the cookie, Mang the horse, and Cooky the bunny. The group also has a Barbie doll line based on signature outfits, as well as many versions of their lightstick, called the ARMY BOMB.
Names
The boys have many nicknames. Jin claims he is "Worldwide Handsome", which is among his names along with "the third guy from the left, "old man", and "the car door guy". Suga is called "Agust D" and "Lil' Meow Meow". He acts like a cat in many ways – he loves his sleep, acts cold-hearted, but is really sweet and lovable once you get to know him. "God of Destruction" is an appropriate name for RM, or "Rap Monster"; he breaks almost everything. "Hobi" is short for Hoseok, J-Hope's real name.
James Corden called Jimin, "Baby Mochi" on Carpool Karaoke, and fans dubbed him "Mochi" in 2014. V is called TaeTae, a shortening of his real name, Taehyung. "Kookie" is what Jungkook is called, because not only is Cooky his BT21, but because that's what his bandmates call him.
Fandom
Bangtan fans have a reputation for their dedication. Called ARMY (Adorable Representative MC of Youth), the global fandom has realized many of their dreams, including a Grammy nomination, #1 hits on the Billboard charts, and meeting some of their musical idols (John Legend and Drake). A popular saying is "whatever Suga wants, Suga gets." This is based in truth – Suga said he wanted to go to the Grammys, and BTS have been there twice.
ARMY has a chant, which consists of the seven member's full names: “Kim Namjoon, Kim Seokjin, Min Yoongi, Jung Hoseok, Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung, Jeon Jungkook, BTS!” Fans recite it once or twice (depending on the song) during concerts.
Bangtan's Impact On The World
BTS has been a powerful advocate for self-love. They gave a beautiful speech on loving yourself and released three albums that have some of their most popular songs from the Love Yourself series. They have helped many people going through dark times in their lives with their music and message of self-love. Bangtan has also made huge donations to meaningful causes like Black Lives Matter, Make a Wish, and UNICEF.
Not only has BTS gained global popularity, but it has also helped other k-pop groups rise to the stage. Lee Know of Stray Kids and Tomorrow X Together (TXT)ś Yeonjun are both idols that started as backup dancers for BTS. Lee Know was a backup dancer for the Bangtan Boys' 2016 Wings tour. In 2017, Yeonjun became a backup dancer when BTS was promoting their album Love Yourself: Tear. Both of these stars are really talented and their groups look up to BTS as fans and for inspiration. Both Stray Kids and TXT have covered BTS songs.
Fun Facts
While a guest on several shows like Ellen, Jimmy Fallon, and James Corden, RM has said that he became fluent in English by watching the sitcom FRIENDS. He translates for the other members a lot when they're in an English-speaking country.
V and Jin were both actors before joining BTS. Unsurprisingly, the boys are known for their incredible stage performance and their showmanship. BTS also has millions of followers on Twitter, Tik Tok, and Instagram.