It was on 13 June 2013 that seven Korean boys entered the music industry with big dreams. From struggling to make a mark in showbiz to becoming one of the greatest K-pop bands, BTS has had quite a journey. Read about their group’s transformational story here.
Five-time Grammy nominee, the K-pop supergroup was formed in 2010 as Bangtan Sonyeondan or Bulletproof Boy Scouts under the South Korean music label, Big Hit Entertainment.
After three years of being K-pop trainees, the septet — consisting of Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook — debuted with the EP, 2 Cool 4 Skool, which featured their first single, “No More Dream”. Thirty-four albums later, BTS’ musical prominence has been cemented today with hits like “DNA”, “Idol”, “Butter” and “Life Goes On”.
With uplifting lyrics that weave in topics of global social interest like women empowerment, mental health, LGBTQ+ rights and bullying, their songs are well known for conquering Billboard charts and hearts alike.
Such is their acclaim that the K-pop group was invited to join forces with UNICEF in 2017 for a global campaign called Love Myself. In 2021, BTS addressed world leaders at the annual United Nations General Assembly for the third time.
Not just that. The boy band discussed the surge in anti-Asian hate crimes with US President Joe Biden during a White House press conference in 2022.
Currently, the BTS members are gearing up to celebrate the group’s tenth debut anniversary. On 8 June 2023, the band unveiled a series of photos and a behind-the-scenes video for Apobangpo 10 — their anniversary project for this year’s BTS Festa.
While Apobangpo stands for “ARMY Forever, BTS Forever “, BTS Festa is a month-long online event held by the K-pop group to celebrate their debut anniversary annually with their fans — Adorable Representative M.C. For Youth aka ARMY.
Continuing the celebrations, the Seoul-based band also released a digital single titled “Take Two” on 9 June 2023.
With a 544-page memoir titled Beyond The Story: 10-Year Record of BTS set to hit the shelves on 9 July 2023, there is no better time to take a dekko at the stunning transformation of the BTS members.
(Hero and featured image: Courtesy BTS/Weverse)
A PhD research scholar, Sushmita is a full-time writer and a part time poet. Notepads are Sushmita's one true love -- the unbothered victims drowned in the ink of her pen. An avid fan of K-pop and K-dramas, she mostly writes about Korean culture and entertainment. When not writing, Sushmita is dancing, reading, collecting books, learning about fashion, art, motion pictures, and appreciating BTS.
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