by Kimaya Rana
Bangtan Sonyeondan which means Bulletproof Boy Scouts is better known to people as BTS. It is a globally known sensational South Korean boy band of 7 members. Their music is different from other K-Pop bands. Their music has a meaning to it that I feel is something that music rarely has nowadays. BTS has covered multiple genres and have managed to show their versatility.
Their latest music video, ‘Permission To Dance’ ranked #1 on the Global YouTube Music Videos and Songs chart. With 72.3 million views in 24 hours of its release, it scored one of the 10 Largest Debuts in YouTube History.
The band also topped the Billboard Top 100 songs list with Permission To Dance. It might be because it was not just a regular music video. It was quite a special one. Their moves were choreographed with special sign language for their deaf ARMIES around the globe (the sign language asked them to have fun and dance). Breaking the stereotype that music is only for those who can hear. I feel like this was a great way for them to connect with their deaf fans. So thoughtful aren’t they!?
There were purple coloured balloons that are observed in the video multiple times and we could see Yoongi in the teaser reading a newspaper that read “Harbingers of hope: purple balloons signify the end of COVID-19” and “2022 the beginning of a new era” people taking off their masks were also observed towards the end of the music video.
I’m pretty sure by now you’d be curious to know who they are, so behold- OUR 7 LEGENDS
1. Kim Nam-Joon known popularly as RM on stage (formerly Rap Monster) is a charming man- 26 years of age and the leader of the group.
2. Kim Taehyung (stage name- V) is 25 years old and is the vocalist. He is the member that made up the popular phrase “I Purple You”. Purple is the last colour in a rainbow and he wanted to say to the crowd- Let’s cherish, trust, depend on, love and like each other until the end of the rainbow that life is- so folks if someone says it to you- SAY IT BACK!
3. Jeon Jung-Kook mononymously known as Jungkook is the youngest of the group (23 years) and is a vocalist. He is also commonly called ‘The Golden Maknae’ by ARMIES- the term means ‘youngest person’ in Korean.
4. Park Ji-min who is 25 years old holds the position of the vocalist and dancer in BTS, he earned the nickname “mochi” from ARMIES as they stated that his face looks squishy, quite like the famous dessert.
5. Min Yoon-gi (stage name- Suga) is the 28-year-old lead-rapper and songwriter of the group. His solo name is AGUST D which are the initials of his birthplace and his stage name spelled backwards.
6. Jung Ho-Seok (stage name- J-Hope) is 27 years old and the rapper, songwriter and dancer of the group. He has multiple nicknames but the most famous one is Hobi which is actually Hope-ie but sounds like Hobi if you say it fast enough.
7. Kim Seok-Jin is the oldest member of the group being 28 years of age (Suga is 28 too but unlike Seok-Jin he already had his birthday this year) his stage name is Jin. World Wide Handsome is a popular nickname that Jin gave to himself.
Fame did not come easily to them, unlike many other k-pop groups. They debuted in 2013 with their album “2 Cool 4 Skool”. However, at the time their company HYBE entertainment (at the time BigHit) was not one of the famous companies so it was hard to get support. Both, the company and the boys themselves were struggling financially so much so that they had to share a single dorm room and sometimes go with only one meal per day.
They even received many false accusations of plagiarism, they received disrespect from other k-pop idols for wearing makeup and their broadcasts and performances were cut short. There was even an instance where they were on tour in July of 2015 and a performance that they were supposed to deliver in New York was cut short and the fan meet was cancelled due to alleged death threats.
Their song “Boy in Luv” (2014) under the album “Skool Luv Affair” was quite a hit and they got some spotlight but it wasn’t until their single “I NEED U” that they went hit.
Looking at them now, they have come so far, without losing hope and letting go. To me, they are the epitome of “keep going no matter what and success shall come to you.” They received so much hate and went through so many career problems along with struggling with their personal problems and their mental health was also affected. By far they’re the strongest people that I know. As cheesy as this may sound, their story and music give me a reason to keep going and become productive when I’m having a bad day.
This is article is so good. I loved it.