“Hi, I’m Jacob and seven years old. I came to the airport to see BTS. My whole family are BTS fans. We got to know them through my sister. My favorite member is RM!”
Jacob is a seven-year-old fan who resides with his family in L.A. His role models are BTS, and his older sister is responsible for his convertion. Jacob’s favorite is RM while his sister’s is, V. They are such big fans that they in fact, were present at the Tom Bradley international airport on the 14th, last month to see the boys.
Jacob is now a part of the ARMY thanks to his sister’s influence. At first, the foreign language (Korean) was interesting. Then, he was in awe at their synchronized choreography.
Most fans react similarly to Jacob (see above). They hear rumors from friends or in the media, watch the boys on YouTube, watch in astonishment, analyze the lyrics, and finally, become addicted to the boys.
“BTS is a subculture. They have made Kpop, mainstream. They are the most popular boy band in the U.S. as of now.” (Forbes)
Mainstream culture
Kpop is undoubtedly popular but is still stuck at a point that many deem, difficult to overcome. However, BTS is the exception. They have finally shattered the stubborn international market and became a part of mainstream pop culture.
“Hi, my name is May and I’m twenty-two years old. I got to know the group through my friend. I remember the day I asked my friend ‘Who’s BTS?’, very clearly. But now, I only listen to BTS.”
May’s addiction story also starts with the word-of-mouth phenomenon.
However, this form of communication or marketing isn’t always successful. It won’t be successful if you hear it through one ear and let it fall out the other. That’s where skills come into play. The skills that one possesses are what ultimately makes or breaks the band.
Seeing Is Believing!
“Hi, I’m Katherine and I’m twenty years old. Why BTS? Among the many reasons, I have two clear points to make. Their performances are amazingly powerful but they’re sweet when they’re off camera. Are you aware of ‘BANGTAN BOMB?’ That’s my favorite show.”
The story to their success in the East and the West? It’s a different experience to watch them in action. To watch once is more impactful than listening over a hundred times. It goes as the saying: Seeing is believing.
International fans sought out BTS, as the group met waves of sudden interest. With intentions to understand the hype, they became hooked as they watched the group through various platforms.
“Unbelievable. All seven of them are moving as one, so in sync with each other. I doubted my very own eyes. They’re flashy in moderation but not in an obnoxious way. The amount of effort they invested in is evident through their performances. The choreography for ‘Fire’ is especially legendary.” (Katherine)
If you search “BTS” on YouTube, a total of 1,500 videos lay as options. Among those, “Fire”, “Boy In Luv”, “Blood, Sweat, & Tears”, “I NEED YOU”, and “DNA” all respectfully have a total of two hundred million views.
BIGHIT entertainment knows the needs and wants of their international fanbase. They personally created their own show and directed it themselves, allowing the boys to comfortably portray themselves without intervention. The channel, “Bangtan TV” allowed fans to get a glimpse of their raw interactions. The most popular in the channel is “Bangtan Bomb.” The show illustrated the daily life of BTS.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Samantha and seventeen years old. In order to know why I’m a fan, just take a look at the reaction videos. They have everything you need to see to convert into a fan.”
BTS aren’t just a part of Kpop anymore. They’re a genre and culture of their own.
International fans turned their liking for BTS and actively worked for the buildup of their career. Through reaction videos, fans were able to relate to one another and create the future they had dreamed, for their group.
The YouTube reaction videos managed to gather 4.6 million views. A video under the title “The reactions of youtubers who witnessed BTS’s glory” gained a total of 5.4 million views.
According to BIGHIT entertainment, BTS’s first exposure to the international market was through their song, “Danger.” A staff of the company claims that their powerful and enchanting choreography for the song brought interest in the group from curious, foreign onlookers.
The word-of-mouth phenomenon is what really brought BTS to the international table. They were first introduced through the broadcasting platform, YouTube. Besides their company uploading their videos, they caught the eyes of professional dancers worldwide. These dancers soon uploaded reaction videos, recommending this seven membered boy band to those who were unfamiliar with the group.
Youtubers “Salv & Family” described the boys’ distinctive attributes. “All seven members move as if they share one body. The synchronization in their light footsteps are intriguing.”
“Hi! My name is Angie. I’m seventeen years old and I’m from Pennsylvania. BTS isn’t your average boy band. They speak for ‘us.’ Their songs are our stories.”
BTS are universal. They are “international”, if we were to describe them with one word. We hear the stories of a lost child through their music. The lost child is like many of us. We are on a journey to move through pain and hardships and grow through life lessons.
Angie also had similar opinions. “I translate the Korean lyrics into English, dissect the meanings, and memorize them again in Korean.” She went on to say, “Although the language is different, the problems in the face of young people are universal.”
“You need to pay attention to the messages they convey through their music. They cover social issues and injustices and not just the typical love story. Most boy bands don’t speak out on problems through their music.” (Brooklyn & Bailey)
2017’s mega hits are BTS’s songs. There is no room for suspicion. People magazine had this to say about the group: “BTS are the world’s hottest boy band. They even made their American debut at the AMAs.”
How were they able to get this far? We only have their efforts, the blood, sweat, and tears they shed, to credit them for their success. The countless days they spent perfecting choreography, singing, or rapping had finally come to fruition.
Their efforts became the backbones of their skills, their skills had blossomed into international stardom. That’s how BTS came to be... all from scratch.
P.S. And as one father claims…
“Hello, my name is Frank. My daughter, Natasha, loves BTS. That’s why I’m here today. It’s a blessing I got to know who they are, even if I am late to the party. They are REAL!”
<Photos by=Min Gyeongbin·Yeongwoo Jung(Dispatch)>
<Translations by=Justina Kim(Dispatch)>
