In case you have been living under a rock, let me clarify. BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) does not mean “behind the scenes”, rather it refers to the seven singing angels who brought revolution to the whole K-pop industry or, in simpler words, one of the biggest Korean boy bands in the world today. For those of you who still have any lingering doubts, let us establish the fact that I am a big “army” – the name for BTS fans – and I can undoubtedly state that they have one of the best discographies in pop culture today with themes like self-love and confidence.
Instead of the ridiculous Tik Tok songs that go viral where people dance to the same four steps without understanding the already meaningless lyrics. There is a reason why BTS have one of the biggest fan bases in the entire world, they do not cater to only a singular type of audience, that is, the western or Korean ones, rather, everyone vibes to their songs because they artistically exhibit the sort of experiences we come across everyday.
The boy band formed when seven tremendously talented young boys who individually excelled in rapping, singing and dancing were scouted by a Korean entertainment company called HYBE labels and then bought together under a group called ‘BTS’.
They debuted with their very first album back in 2013. They continued to do so till 2015. at which point they were about to disband because none of their songs or albums had gotten any sort of attention from any audience, which was pretty disappointing for the army. Thankfully this changed indefinitely with the release of ‘I Need U’, the song that topped the charts and finally put some spotlight on BTS, saving them from disbanding and disappointing army! After this hit, there was no stopping and they released several more amazing songs like ‘DNA’, ‘Not Today’, ‘Mic Drop’, all of which were adored by the fans. Their singles topped the billboard charts one after the other and that paved the way for their international popularity.
The uniqueness of BTS comes from the very fact that they have captured the emotions an individual experiences from pre-teens to their youth, starting with their very first album “2 Cool 4 Skool” to their latest release “BE” which melodiously expresses the emotional turmoil we all experienced during the pandemic. Their first album “2 Cool 4 Skool” had an edgy style and a darker theme than the albums that followed. It had more of a hip hop basis where the band members portrayed the image of bad boys with all black clothes and a tough attitude in the music videos.
However, following this kind of theme with a couple more singles did not help them score any hits and made them understand that they needed to make a change. Basically, this led to drastic changes and eventually led to the development of their current image which is more on the positive side where they exhibit a soft boy kind of attitude with more colorful and upbeat singles on self-love and acceptance as the main theme.
One of the first songs where they used this theme was ‘Spring Day’ released in 2015 which beautifully describes the emotional dilemma and angst felt after a betrayal from someone beloved but still missing them because of how much you love them. BTS had a way of showcasing your emotions beautifully in their songs. They make their music with a variety of themes like heartbreak, inspiration, happiness, achievement. They write songs and perform them in such a way that you feel like you are experiencing them in the moment even if you are not lucky enough to listen live.
For instance, the sudden burst of dopamine when you achieve something or that feeling of actual physical pain when hurt psychologically is how they create masterpieces in their songs and keep the audience hooked. This also increases their reach, and the relatability of their songs to the general audience. For instance, someone heartbroken might prefer to listen to ‘Fake Love’, which is a melodious song based on an electric genre with powerful raps, describing how a lover masks their own pain and emotions to keep the other happy but eventually finds out about how it was all fake.
Another person in need of happy music for motivation may want to listen to ‘Dynamite’, an English single based on a disco genre fused with K-pop, making it very energizing and upbeat with its vibrant visuals along with fun choreography. It was actually written and produced by BTS during the pandemic to spread some much needed positivity with its happy beats.
Even after all this, one might think, what makes them so different from all of the other K-pop groups? Well, the answer can easily be found by watching one of their live performances online. At first glance, it is the skillful coordination that catches the eye. Being a band consisting of seven members, it is quite difficult to effortlessly put together a whole 4 minute performance where all members are given equal spotlight, and just the right part where they can magnificently demonstrate their skills the most.
For instance, while Jungkook being the main vocalist may sing the main chorus (which is a blessing to the ears), J-Hope gets his own dance break during the performance to flaunt his marvelous dancing skills as the main dancer, and that is how the eyes remain glued to the screen for the entirety of their performance. The point being that the whole group is very well organized, from well written, meaningful lyrics to their inspiring dances to even their public presence.
Thanks to the HYBE label, the band is well distributed and popular, which easily makes the army of addicted audience members binge watch BTS performances as we just cannot seem to get enough. All in all, I feel (if it is still unclear to some) that one should for sure, check out BTS songs and performances at least once, if not for the music then to understand what the hype is all about. With their breathtaking singing and dancing skills, effortless coordination and exceptional way of expressing emotion through music, it is a treat to the senses.
BTS nurses your mental health, more than watching the other fakers on social media dancing to their senseless songs. So, do yourself a favor and get some free BTS music therapy.
