BTS triumphs at AMAs: How did the Korean band take over the world with their message of self-love?

its music it has crossed borders and has achieved success thanks to its followers. For the korean band Bts There are no limits and he has been building his career for more than 8 years. Along the way, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook have been joined by the ARMY, the name by which their fans go by, and have celebrated every step they have taken together.

SIGHT: K-pop, the Korean passion that thousands of young Peruvians carry within themselves | PHOTOS

Last Sunday, BTS made a trend around the world by taking home the Artist of the Year award at the 2021 American Music Awards; a fact that has marked his career after beating great artists such as Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa and The Weeknd; and that prompts them to continue with their dreams. But how did this successful Korean band start?

The beginning

The K-pop industry is considered South Korea’s most important export and refers to commercial music with western influences of hip hop, rap, rock and electronic in its style.

Formed in 2010 in Seoul (South Korea), k-pop boyband BTS just made their debut in 2013 under the name Bangtan Sonyeondan with the song “No more dream” on the M! Countdown. To get to that great day, it took years of hard work by the singers with the production company Big Hit Entertainment.

That single quickly became a crowd favorite and became a hit. But the challenge was staying within the highly competitive K-pop industry; but from the first moment they had support from their fans, and also from the critics. Even BTS showed off their dancing skills on “No More Dreams,” which captivated.

They released their first mini album “2 Cool 4 Skool” (2013) that inspired young people to question and follow their dreams. It was only in 2014 that they released their debut studio album “Dark & ​​Wild” (2014), where they included rap ballads. That was the beginning of the band that today surprises everyone.

The expected fame?

RM, Jin, Suga, Jimin, J-Hope, V, and Jungkook co-write and co-produce most of their songs. The band managed to expand their music beyond the Asian continent and has gained recognition in various countries. After 4 years making their musical career, BTS managed to establish themselves in 2017 as the first representative of K-pop to position themselves as number 1 on the Billboard 200 with their album “Love Yourself: Tear”.

In dialogue with Trade, Claudia Granados, fanclub representative BTS Peru, stressed that the main characteristic that makes the Korean band stand out is that their music transmits a social message and they are a voice for an entire generation. “You may be going through a difficult time and you identify with one of their songs, it doesn’t matter if you are 20 or 60 years old. I think that’s the magic of their music, what they represent and want to convey (…) They have always been very transparent with what they say and what they want to send to the fans. I believe that this transparency and perseverance has been reflected throughout his career and has borne fruit throughout its development.”.

This is also evidenced by the statements of Big Hit Entertainment’s producer Bang Si-hyuk, who said that he made sure that BTS is full of figures that one can identify with; unlike many K-pop ‘idols’ who undergo singing, language, dance and language training to create the prototype of a ‘near perfect’ artist.

Their songs usually touch on social issues with which the seven members of the boyband identify. This mixture of sincerity with music made them real idols. Pauli Gonzalez, representative of the Bangtan Army Argentina, who pointed out to this newspaper that “BTS comes with a story of self-improvement, self-love, and appreciation that conveys many feelings in one. That makes them stand out, show themselves as they are and fight for their dreams, defeat their fears and help others to achieve it ”.

Thanks to this, their followers trust them and give their full support in various ways: voting, concerts, trending topics, among others. In 2020 alone, K-pop became the most listened to music genre on YouTube. The South Korean band BTS was very involved with this increase, as their hit “Dynamite” reached an impressive 101.1 million views in 24 hours through said digital platform.

The triumph in awards

2020 was a year that changed the landscape for many areas; especially in the artistic world. Boyband BTS seized opportunities and became the first Korean group to perform at the 2020 Grammy Music Awards.

The great leap to fame also led them to become the first group to be nominated for a 2021 Grammy Award, the most important in music worldwide. This is thanks to the success of their song “Dynamite” that they wrote to encourage the ARMY during the social isolation by COVID-19. “It is very difficult to put into words (…) Even now we still don’t believe that we were nominated, and that we will be able to perform at the Grammys. So we are grateful, we are honored ”, Jimin stressed on that occasion.

That same single made them top Billboard’s Hot 100 chart after its release. Clearly, those aren’t the only awards BTS has taken over the course of their career. With about 600 nominations and around 400 won statuettes, the boyband has to its credit awards from the Billboard Music Awards highlighting the category of Best Social Artist; at the iHeartRadio Music Awards with Best Army of Fans (ARMY); MTV Video Music Awards as Best Group; Teen Choice Awards for Best International Artist; among others.

Starting to win international awards means a lot to the ARMY, because their favorite band became the first Asian group to achieve great achievements in the United States. Lu Barros, member of BTS Ecuador, he specified that “The feeling of that achievement is indescribable because they came from below. It is an emotion to the point of reaching tears because they won an international award. No matter what language you speak or where you are from, you feel part of them and you feel great pride. We are proud every time they win an award”.

Last Sunday, the South Korean band swept the prestigious American Music Awards by winning three categories in which they competed, including the most important of the night, the Artist of the Year statuette. “Seven boys from South Korea, united by the love of music, met with the love and support of all ARMY around the world. All this is a miracle and we will always value it “Namjoon expressed in his speech.

In this regard, the Peruvian BTS fanclub emphasizes that this is a new starting point for a new episode; just as Jungkook also said in his speech. “It is opening a new chapter in his musical career. That is not the highest peak because they aspire to more and that is what they want; always maintaining the humility that characterizes them. They don’t take anything for granted, despite their worldwide success, they always keep that simplicity towards fans and audiences.“Claudia Granados said.

Similar opinion is that of Pauli Gonzalez, who points out that this recognition is incredible; and still they would not have won it, “We were going to remain firm by their side and we knew we were going to achieve it sooner or later, and they did. We believe that from today BTS will be remembered as the greatest pop band of all time.”.

Finally, the representative of BTS Peru highlighted that “As fans we have to continue spreading their music and the values ​​that they transmit. Keep enjoying our favorite band that we admire, respect and love because they are great human beings who can definitely reach higher. And if they decide, they will continue to touch the sky in everything they do, and there will be ARMY, prepared to hold those records that point to walk by their side, and continue to reap many successes ”.

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