Have the BTS boys turned arrogant? K-pop biggies acknowledging success doesn't mean it has gone to their heads
BTS has now successfully established itself as a household name. There isn't anyone who is unaware of the Korean boyband, which has managed to break cultural and musical barriers with their prolific work. BTS comprising RM, Jimin, Jin, J-Hope, Suga, V, and Jungkook came together under Big Hit (management label) in 2010 and debuted in 2013. Since then, their popularity has been nothing short of stratospheric.
They made their American debut at the Billboard Music Awards in 2017 and since then have been recurring guests and performers at various talk and award shows. In 2020, they set a new precedent for the Korean entertainment industry by being the first K-pop group to perform on the Grammy stage. Since their debut, however, the septet has only been rising to new heights, redefining the term 'pinnacle of success' for some years now.
The Bangtan Boys are well-known for their penchant for dabbling in various genres of pop music, and their fan-following or 'ARMIES' have dived head deep in their smashing discography. It's no secret that they've topped the Korean charts for years, but with their American debut, they've managed to win over Hollywood with their catchy and fresh music, sophisticated choreography and eye-catching visuals.
The boys are well-aware of their popularity, yet are the most humble artists one can ever come across. ARMIES can vouch for that as they credit every successful milestone in there musical journey to their fans.
That doesn't mean the 'Boy With Love' singers have had it easy. They had their fair share of setbacks and have had to work hard to get to where they are now, with a constant tour to support every album release and participating in various other activities for promotions. The hustle has been real and the fruits of their labor have been well earned.
But just as any incredibly affluent individual, BTS has also been subjected to hate from faceless people hiding behind their computer screens. Yet they seem to have emerged from it unscathed with the intention of spreading the message of self-love and positivity and entertaining the world with their music.
They do not condone hate, neither do they let it affect them. When the world accused them of becoming arrogant after their western debut their response was their song, 'Mic Drop' (Love Yourself: Her) and another hit single, 'Idol' (Love Yourself: Answer), where they talk about their accomplishments and drop the mic at their haters. It's as if to say, you can run your mouth all you want, but that doesn't change the fact that we've achieved so much in a span of a few years. Also, 'You can't stop me [from] loving myself'.
BTS has come a long way since 2013 with one chart-topping smash after another, but their American debut actually took them high up a few big notches. Their two immensely successful albums 'Love Yourself: Her' and 'Map of the Soul: Persona' sold 2,225,178 and 2,213,644 copies each, becoming the best-selling BTS albums in Korea of all time. The accompanying 'Love Yourself World Tour' that they embarked on soon after was a compilation of three of their albums from the 'Love Yourself' series - 'Her', 'Persona' and 'Answer'.
The tickets to all their shows sold out within seconds, and thanks to the overwhelming demand a second date was added to some venues, which also ultimately sold out. The Love Yourself World Tour went to rank number three on Billboards 2019 Year-End Top 40 Tours chart worldwide, garnering $196.4 million in sales from the last 42 dates of the tour alone. It was attended by 2,019,800 people and became their most successful tour to date. It was also the highest-grossing concert tour by a non-English act, reported Billboard.
When it comes to feeding their ARMY with fresh BTS content, they pull out all the stops. On April 19, 2020, The Bangtan Boys hosted a 24-hour live stream (a 2-day Bangtan extravaganza) called 'BANG BANG CON' on their YouTube channel BANGTAN TV.
The live stream is a sort of alternative to their worldwide stadium tour for 'Map of The Soul: 7' that was supposed to kick-off this month but was canceled because of the raging coronavirus pandemic. The day 1 live-stream garnered 1.5 million viewers when it just started and gradually escalated to 2 million in a matter of hours.
The boy group has been incredibly humble since they've come to the limelight. With a response like this, however, a dedicated fan-base and some really award-winning content, we'd say BTS is entitled to that tiny bit of arrogance that has come with their success.