The result of the online voting exceeded expectations. If you thought Michelle Obama or a Thai cave diver would be named Time magazine’s 2018 Person of the Year, think again. Planet Earth, which came in second place, was also unable to compete. The winner is BTS.
This is not a mere coincidence. The seven-piece Korean group is effectively breaking the traditional barriers to the Western music industry. They became the first K-pop group to reach number one on the US Billboard 200, a milestone that marked a significant shift in the dynamics of global pop culture.
K-Pop itself is a genre originating from South Korea that combines hip-hop, pop and electronic dance music. But BTS doesn’t just play with this genre. they won it. Come on, Backstreet Boys. The world clearly wants it.
Why BTS rules the Billboard charts
BTS (short for Bangtan Sonyeondan) has been around since 2012. They established a passionate and loyal following in Asia before expanding to the West. Their name originally meant “Bulletproof Boy Scouts”, indicating their tenacity. In 2017, they rebranded the acronym “Beyond the Scene”.
The lineup includes Jungkook, RM, Jimin, V, Suga, J-Hope and Jin. They are all in their early-to-mid-20s, they exude a timeless energy. Their discography includes six studio albums in just five years. They performed, toured and promoted constantly. Their music is a fusion of rap, dance and hip-hop, and is increasingly available in Korean, Japanese and even English.
But the real story is how BTS used social media for their breakthrough.
The Power of the ARMY
How BTS became global superstars would be impossible to talk about without their fans. The fan club is called “ARMY” which stands for “Adorable Elements M.C.” For young people. These fans just don’t listen. they organized.
They drove the vote for Time’s poll. They set the Guinness World Record for most Twitter interactions in 2017 and 2018 with over 330,000 retweets. They won Top Social Artist at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards, beating out social media giants like Justin Bieber and Demi Lovato. It is unusual for a non-English-speaking artist to win twice at this awards ceremony, which usually favors artists from English-speaking countries.
As of April 2019, the group has 19 million Twitter followers. They were also the most talked about celebrities on Twitter in 2017 and 2018. RM told Time that the group capitalized on social media even before it became standard practice for musicians. They treat their fans as partners, not just consumers.
Dealing with criticism and fan etiquette
Of course, with high visibility comes heat. The army has been criticized for online attacks on people who dislike the group. This behavior contradicts the positivity that BTS tries to project.
In response, fans created “ARMY Etiquette” guidelines. The rule? Kill them with kindness. When facing trolls, encourage fans to ignore Rude Tweets or simply share why they love the music. This was a strategic move to keep the narrative positive and focus on the art rather than the drama.
What’s next for BTS?
The pace hasn’t slowed down. In 2019, BTS was nominated in the Top Duo/Group category at the Billboard Music Awards. This is significant as it is the first time Billboard has recognized their musical performance as well as their social media presence. They were also nominated for the Top Social Artist.
The awards were set to be handed out in May 2019, but the real victory was already secured. They proved that language isn’t a barrier. They showed that seven young people from Seoul can outperform other young people in the industry in terms of organization, performance and voting.
The question now is not whether they can maintain their lead. how long the rest of the industry can catch up.
