Bangtan Boys, or otherwise known as BTS, is a South Korean boy group that has been making waves internationally with their latest album, Wings. BTS is the first Korean artist to be ranked past the 80s in Billboard’s main chart, the Billboard 200. Specifically, the group was ranked at 26, and have stayed on the chart for over three weeks.
They debuted in 2013 with “No More Dream”, a song reminiscent of old-school hip hop that talks about school and societal pressure, which is unique in an industry oversaturated with love songs. Their fame has only been rising, and they especially saw a huge growth in their popularity with the release of their trilogy, The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, or otherwise known as HwaYangYeonHwa. Through this series, they were able to set numerous records for themselves, such as getting their first win on a music show and scoring an interview with Billboard. Additionally, their first album in the series, HYYH part 1, was labeled as one of the best albums of 2015 by Fuse, and was the only Korean album to do so.
What sets apart BTS from the other groups? They do not have the power of a big company, nor do they have fellow artists in their company, or sunbaes, who can promote them. However, what they do have is the fact that every single one of their members participates in the production of their music, whether it is writing lyrics, composing, or producing, or even a combination of all three. They also release tracks on their Soundcloud, whether it be a cover or an original track dedicated to the fans. They are also extremely active on social media, updating their fans on Twitter every day. Their activeness on a site in which their fans can interact with them along with their musicality plays a huge factor in their success.