BTS is the English name based on their Korean name, Bangtan Sonyeondan, which translates to “Bulletproof Boy Scouts”. It’s quite a high-flown title and reminded me of something like “Fullmetal Alchemist” at first. As they’ve explained in a few interviews, they chose this name because their music is meant to reflect the issues that teenagers and youth in their 20s in society, and use their songs as a shield against prejudice.
There are plenty of things to love about BTS, and it’s easy enough to fall for the group’s quality music, spectacular choreographies, and lovable members. But one of the reasons BTS has become so widely popular is that people connect with their music on a deeply personal level: their songs are about following dreams, challenging norms, and staying true to yourself in the face of uncertainty. Because the members themselves overcame adversity to achieve their dreams, they have an incredible gift for penning lyrics that inspire audiences around the world to do the same.
BTS debuted on June 13, 2013 with the song No More Dream. Writing credits for No More Dream include BTS rappers Rap Monster (Rapmon), Suga, and J-Hope.he Western media — and the world, for that matter — has only been able to gawk at the sheer scale of BTS’s dominance. They’ve posed on the covers of glossy magazines with headlines like “How BTS Is Taking Over the World,” “Music’s Billion Dollar Boy Band Takes the Next Step,” and “The K-Pop Megastars Get Candid About Representing a New Generation.” BTS is receiving star treatment, but skepticism and resistance to their status as the world’s biggest pop stars still persist on the grounds of their “boy band” label, the (wrongful) assumption that their fan base is fueled solely by teenage devotion, and xenophobia from an industry traditionally dominated by white Western stars.
Compared to other idols, BTS members have more creative and personal freedom, like the ability to write their own songs and lyrics and manage their own social media — aspects that BigHit aggressively marketed to audiences. The result is a massive international fan base nicknamed ARMY (an acronym for Adorable Representative MC for Youth), consisting of millions of people that span various ages and cultures.
These fans are well-organized and single-mindedly devoted to the Bangtan Boys. They constantly flood Twitter with hashtags to promote the band’s activities, organize to stream new music, and even create merch for other fans. Perhaps most importantly, fans see BTS as original, authentic, and socially conscious public figures who aren’t afraid to talk openly about the struggles and anxieties of their career path.
