On May 21st, for the first time ever, a K-pop group won an award at the Billboard Music
Awards in the U.S.
The honorees were the Bangtan Boys, or BTS.
"We still cannot believe that we are standing here on this stage at the Billboard Music
Awards, oh my gosh.
"
Despite stiff competition from global pop stars like Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez and
Ariana Grande, they took home the trophy for “Top Social Artist.”
"BTS is worth noting because the group was successful in targeting the U.S. market, the
world’s largest.
This confirmed K-pop presence in the U.S. market to a degree.
"
BTS are experiencing worldwide popularity.
What’s the secret to their success?
In 2013, a new idol group took to the stage for the After School Club, one of the top
programs on Arirang TV.
The resonant message of their song and the powerful performances of the seven members
drew an immediate response from fans around the world.
"Generally BTS has a lot of energy...all the members are very energetic, so when they first
came to ASC...they were about three months into their debut.
And even though it's a live show...some groups, they get really nervous...because it's done
in English and you have to interact with the international fans 1 to 1...but with BTS,
based on their good chemistry with the hosts...they are very lively...and they are very good with
answering the fans' questions...that ultimately let the fans to really enjoy the show.
"
They were an idol group with a clear goal of targeting the global stage.
"BTS was successful in the global stage, because of a different strategy.
Most idol groups secured some recognition and market share domestically before going
abroad.
But BTS aimed to go overseas right from the group’s 2013 debut."
The group immediately focused on overseas activities.
Through a World Tour spanning North America, Europe and South America, and face-to-face
meetings with fans, they expanded their fan base.
“We had concerts and a tour of Japan.
We were really busy working on the new album.”
“We had a long overseas tour.
We visited Thailand twice.”
BTS soon began to appear regularly on After School, a program which is viewed by K-pop
fans around the world.
This led to a number of interesting episodes.
"There was one time where there were too many tweets coming in during the live show...and
our twitter account was frozen for few minutes...so we had to skip that segment.
There are always thousands of people participating even before the show...so I could say everytime
BTS came to ASC was always the explosive episode.
"
Now in their 4th year since their debut, BTS were included on the Billboard Charts 4 times
in just the last two years.
What was the major driving force that made them such global stars?
It starts with their music, which they wrote and composed themselves.
With a hip-hop foundation, the group has presented socially relevant messages.
They became even mature in early 2017 with the lyrics and music video for ‘Spring Day,’
which brought to mind the Sewol Ferry tragedy.
Another factor in the success of BTS is the group’s explosive performances.
"What those who have seen BTS on stage can’t forget is the group’s incredible performances.
The energy is so powerful, it seems to explode the stage.
The members’ chemistry also shows on stage.
The seven members perform very organically.
"
Of the 7 members, only 2, Jimin and J-hope, were given dance positions.
And yet, the group have been able to perform perfectly choreographed dance routines thanks
to over 12 hours of practice each day.
The final secret to the immense popularity of BTS is the group’s communication with
fans.
"One of the biggest things that makes them stand out is how they utilize their social
media that work to communicate with the fans all over the world...they are very active...and
uploading videos, photos, other contents.
They share their moments with the fans online...
"
In March of 2016, U.S. economic publication Forbes cited BTS as the most frequently retweeted
musicians on social media for the month.
Following the success of PSY, BTS are creating a second renaissance for
K-pop.
With their latest release, a cover of the 90s K-pop hit , they are raising
anticipation among global fans even further.