7 Reasons Why BTS Is A Popular Music Band
The famous Kpop group BTS which consists of seven members: RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, has been dominating all over social media and music charts with ARMY as their very dedicated fanbase. Some may wonder what is it about this Kpop group that makes them so popular.
Here are seven reasons why BTS is one of the most popular music bands.
1. They have versatile music
There is a very good reason as to why the phrase, "My favorite genre of music is BTS", is common amongst fans. BTS makes no specific music genre and instead explores all avenues of genres. The versatility of their discography allows for more people to be able to enjoy their work as it's highly likely that new listeners will enjoy at least one song.
For example, they have songs that were inspired by Latin music such as Airplane Pt. 2 and Filter, which allows for people in Latin America to feel included and more likely to become a fan.
In addition, BTS is no stranger to making ballads that can suit the tastes of people who dislike pop music due to it being too mainstream. Some popular ballads include The Truth Untold, Spring Day, and House of Cards to name a few.
Some people like energetic music such as rap to which there are plenty of songs to choose from the rap line, consisting of RM, Suga, and J-Hope. Titles such as Ugh!, Cyphers Pt.1-4, and Ddaeng are great songs that allows for the rap line to be able to show their skills while criticizing those who dislike them.
2. Their lyrics are meaningful
Despite their songs mainly being in Korean, it doesn't take away that their lyrics hold a lot of meaning. The themes of their lyrics span from empowering women to exploring the hardships one goes through in life.
Butterfly, as the name mentions, compares someone to a butterfly as being fragile and being able to escape easily. The song implies that there is always uncertainty about how long a person you care about will stay in your life. The person can easily break away from you at any moment they wish to and unfortunately, there is nothing much you can do to stop it except hope they will always be by your side.
[Refrain: Jungkook]
Will you stay by my side
Will you promise me
If I let go of your hand, you’ll fly away and break
I’m scared scared scared of that
[Jimin]
Will you stop time
If this moment passes
As though it hadn’t happened
I’m scared scared scared I’ll lose you
Lyrics Translation: Genius.com
Some fans have interpreted the song as talking about loving someone who is suicidal which adds a lot more meaning to the song because it perfectly describes how scary it is that one day the person you care about is not there anymore.
In contrast to Butterfly, 21st Century Girl is more upbeat and talks about how women should hold themselves high and not care about what anyone thinks or says about them.
[Verse 2: J-Hope]
If anyone keeps insulting you, insulting you
Tell em you’re my lady
Go tell them, tell them
Whatever other people say
Whatever this world tells you
You’re the best to me just the way you are
Lyric Translation: Genius.com
What makes it important to note as to BTS making a women empowerment song, is that not many artists especially male artists, make songs uplifting women without reducing women to their bodies. BTS on the other hand encourages women to live their lives just the way they are and not change themselves to fit someone's concept of how a woman should be.
3. Their actions speak louder than words
It's no secret that popular artists usually have a lot of money. However, it is not commonly seen where artists donate a significant amount of money without publicizing it, which makes it seem it was done out of publicity rather than sincerity. BTS are no strangers when it comes to donating and have done so in secret.
NME has reported that Suga has donated around 100 million won to Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital which is located in Daegu, his hometown, to help children who are cancer patients. This is not the first time Suga has donated as he has also donated 100 million won to Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association to help those affected by the coronavirus.
What makes this important is that due to the pandemic, a lot of people have been put out of work due to either being laid off or because they need to care for their families. Suga donating in during these times is admirable because there have been a lot of other artists who don't use their platform to help others.
Soompi has also reported that Jin has been donating to UNICEF Korea, an organization that aims to help aid children, so often that he has become a member of their Honors Club. The UNICEF Korea Honors Club consists of people who donated over 100 million won which is roughly $88,500.
The fact that Jin has been donating regularly shows that his donations are genuine because some would only make a one-time donation and would never donate again.
The group's leader RM has also donated to charity as Cheatsheet.com, revealed that he had donated 100 million won to the Seoul Samsung School in order to provide music education for hearing impaired students. It is refreshing to see artists provide opportunities for others to pursue their passions because sometimes it takes a bit of funding for people to start their journey in achieving their dreams.
BTS as a whole donated $1 million to the Black Lives Matter movement after the wrongful murder of George Floyd as Variety.com reports, and in turn, had inspired fans to match, and together they raised $2 million for the organization.
Due to the rising tensions at the time of George Floyd's death, it was important that everyone especially celebrities, with a large platform, spoke up about the injustice black people faced. BTS made good use of its platform and showed what is possible by being good role models.
4. They have a good relationship with their fans
Despite having millions upon millions of fans, BTS still takes the time to interact with their fans either through Vlives, an app where you can see a live broadcast, or Weverse, an app where you can see their posts.
Taking the time to still answer fan questions even though there are probably over a million of them, shows how BTS genuinely appreciates their fans. This appreciation makes fans feel closer and are more inclined to support them in their careers.
5. They break gender norms
Being from Korea, BTS do things that are considered as "feminine" to those in the west such as wearing makeup and wearing stereotypically women's clothing. For their 2020 Festa, BTS took group pictures in pink outfits which is a color associated with women however, BTS proves that gender does not correlate to color.
Men wearing makeup is very common in Korea especially for Kpop groups and BTS not being afraid to wear makeup while being in America, shows that they are comfortable in their masculinity. A popular group consisting of men wearing makeup in the west helps break the stereotype that men risk losing their masculinity if they wear makeup. If anything, they highlight their masculinity by wearing makeup.
6. They are not afraid to write songs on topics that are taboo
Some topics in Korea are considered taboo such as talking about mental health or celebrities revealing personal parts of their lives and risk getting criticism if choosing to speak on said topics.
BTS does not shy away from talking about the darker side of having fame as evident in their songs, Black Swan, where they discuss how artists sometimes lose their passion in creating and how painful it can be when something you loved doing is no longer enjoyable.
7. The message they stand for is what makes people love them even more
One of the main messages BTS sends through their music or speeches is how important it is for one to love their self. How important it is for one to recognize how capable they can be and they can do whatever they can when they put their heart into it because that was how BTS started.
Being the first Kpop group to appear at the United Nations, the leader RM, gave a heartfelt speech that the only reason why he has achieved all that he has is because of the love and support of those around him. He too was an ordinary boy who dreamed big and through pushing through obstacles in life, he was able to make it to where he is.
In an industry where there are so many diverse artists, BTS has been able to capture the hearts of many by creating music that can be enjoyable to a lot of people no matter their tastes and aligning themselves with the message that it's important to support and love yourself, it's no wonder why they are so popular.