If you're wondering who the boyband are and what their music is like, this will answer all your questions
If you're a regular reader of music news sites, blogs and even magazines, you'll no doubt have seen mention of BTS.
The problem is that a large degree of the Irish population have absolutely no idea who they are.
While this could usually be attributed to the fact that none of us are getting any younger, on this occasion the Korean boyband's geographical location may have been a barrier.
So below, you'll find a handy guide to BTS that'll explain who they are and exactly what they do.
WHO ARE THEY? They're a boyband from Seoul, South Korea. They formed as teenagers in 2010 and were originally a hip-hop band put together by Korean music bigwig Bang Si-hyuk of Big Hit Entertainment. As time went on, they've become more mainstream pop (or K-Pop, more specifically – the eclectic pop-based genre reserved for Korean acts) – although they still incorporate rap and r&b into their sound. Three of the band members are rappers. Oh, and they can dance, too.
WHAT DOES 'BTS' STAND FOR? It's not strictly 'Behind the Scenes', as many have assumed – although they adopted that acronym in 2017 when they rebranded for the western market. In fact, the Korean translation of their name is 'Bangtan Sonyeondan', meaning 'Bulletproot Boy Scouts'. They're also known as Bangtan Boys by some.
HOW MANY OF THEM ARE THERE? Seven, which must make it fun to organise tours. The unofficial band leader is rapper RM (aka Rap Monster); Suga and J-Hope are also rappers. Then there's V, Jimin, Jungkook and Jin. They range in age from 22 to 27.
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WHO'S THE MOST POPULAR ONE? Our sources tell us that's Jungkook (the baby of the group and lead vocalist - that's him above). Jimin gives him a run for his money, though.
WHAT ARE THEIR FANBASE CALLED? They're the BTS Army. Apparently Army stands for 'Adorable Representative MC for Youth'. This fandom likes their acronyms.
DO ALL OF THEM SPEAK ENGLISH? They can all understand and speak bits of English - but if you've seen their recent Carpool Karaoke, you'll be aware that RM is the only one who's fluent. Most of their songs are in Korean, with some in English.
HOW MANY ALBUMS HAVE THEY HAD? Their new album 'Map of the Soul: 7' is, as the title suggests, their 7th. It's headed for the number 1 spot in both the UK and the US this week.
SO THEY'RE POPULAR, THEN? You could say that, yeah. Time magazine listed them in their 'Most Influential People in the World' list in 2019. They bring in a reported $4.65 billion to South Korea's economy each year, which is insane. They've addressed the UN General Assembly and one music industry mogul compared them to The Beatles or The Monkees, in terms of influence and reach. They're pretty much the biggest Asian music group of all time, in terms of their global pull. Imagine a group of 7 Justin Biebers, basically.
SO WHY ARE WE ONLY HEARING ABOUT THEM NOW? As mentioned above, it's only over the last two to three years that we've really been hearing more about BTS – primarily because it seems that's when they/their management decided to start focusing on the European and US territories. It's working, too: they were the first non-English-speaking band to sell out London's Wembley Stadium last year, and in January 2020, they became the first K-Pop band to ever perform at the Grammys.
SO WHERE DO I START? Try 'Boy With Luv'. Their 2019 collaboration with Halsey is their most-streamed song on Spotify.
2016's 'Save Me' is pretty popular, too:
While the self-empowering 'Love Myself' has been one of their biggest hits: