Bangtan Boys

Bangtan Boys

Bangtan Boys at Seoul Plaza, Jung-gu, Seoul, in October 2013.
From left to right: V, Suga, Jin, Jungkook, Rap Monster, Jimin, J-hope
Background information
Also known as
  • BTS
  • Bulletproof Boy Scouts
  • Bangtan Sonyeondan
Origin Seoul, South Korea
Genres
Years active 2013 (2013)–present
Labels
Website bts.ibighit.com
Members
Bangtan Boys
Hangul 방탄소년단
Hanja 防彈少年團
Literal meaning Bulletproof Boy Scouts[1]
Revised Romanization Bangtan Sonyeondan
McCune–Reischauer Pangt'an Sonyǒndan

Bangtan Boys (Hangul: 방탄소년단; RR: Bangtan Sonyeondan), also known as BTS, is a seven-member South Korean boy group formed by Big Hit Entertainment. The name of the band, Bangtan Sonyeondan, is a combination of "방탄" which means bulletproof and "소년단" which means boy scouts.[2] They debuted on June 13, 2013 with the song "No More Dream" from their first album, 2 Cool 2 Skool.

BTS has won several "New Artist of the Year" awards, including those at the 2013 MelOn Music Awards and Golden Disk Awards, and the 2014 Seoul Music Awards. A year after their debut, they received major bonsang awards for Dark & Wild and The Most Beautiful Moment In Life, Part 1.

History

Pre-debut

Bangtan Boys' first members were recruited through Big Hit's "Hit it" auditions in 2010 and 2011. It was a nationwide audition where people were recruited from their local provinces, like Jimin and Jungkook from Busan and V and Suga from Daegu. Jungkook was casted by Big Hit after leaving the Superstar K3 auditions in 7th grade. He trained with Movement Lifestyle in LA during the summer of 2012. Jimin attended the Busan High School of Arts and studied in the modern dance department. He was recruited through a private audition. Before his audition, Jin had been a film arts student. Rap Monster was already performing as an underground rapper and had released several tracks informally, including a collaboration with Zico. He had previously used the stage name "Runch Randa." J-Hope was part of street dance team Neuron before he was a trainee and won prizes in dance festivals in Gwangju. He later enrolled in the Korea Arts School.[2][3] J-hope was also featured as a rapper for Jokwon's "Animal".[4] The group's personal Twitter account was created in 2011, which they used to keep in contact with their fans before debut.[5]

2013–2014: Debut with 2 Cool 4 Skool, Dark & Wild, and Wake Up

The first album of BTS's "school trilogy" series and their debut single album, 2 Cool 4 Skool, was released on June 12, 2013 with the lead single "No More Dream".[1][6] The music video was released the day before. On July 9, 2013, the group announced their official fanclub name: ARMY, which stands for Adorable Representative M.C for Youth.[7] Three months after their debut, BTS announced their comeback with a second part of the "school trilogy". On September 11, Bangtan Boys released their first mini-album, O!RUL8,2?. They promoted their song 'N.O', releasing its music video on September 10.[8]

On December 9, 2013, Suga was diagnosed with appendicitis while promoting with the group in Japan. He was flown back to Korea to receive surgery and was therefore unable to participate in the 2014 Idol Star Athletics Championships as well as SBS Gayo Daejun and MBC Gayo Daejejeun year-end performances with his fellow members.[9][10]

Bangtan Boys in 2014 performing at Mnet M! Countdown

The third part of the "school trilogy", their second mini-album Skool Luv Affair was released on February 12, 2014.[11][12] Bangtan Boys promoted the album's title track "Boy in Luv", releasing its music video on February 11.[13] BTS came back with "Just One Day" with its music video released on April 6.[14] The band's Japanese debut album, 2 Cool 4 Skool, was released on April 23; their first single was a Japanese version of "No More Dream".[15]

On June 14, BTS took part in the Bridge to Korea Festival in Russia, an event that aimed to promote tourism between the two countries. There, they became judges of a k-pop cover dance competition and later performed on stage in front of 10,000 spectators.[16] The group also attended KCON in Los Angeles alongside Girls' Generation and other artists on August 10, 2014.[17]

On August 19, BTS released their music video for their comeback single, "Danger" from their first full album, Dark & Wild which sold over 109,098 copies. They made a comeback with "War of Hormone", a track from Dark & Wild. Its music video was released on October 21, 2014.[18] BTS continued to promote in Japan, releasing their first Japanese studio album, Wake Up, on December 24. This album not only included Japanese versions of their songs, but also their first Japanese original tracks: "Wake Up" and "The Stars".[19]

BTS performed at the 2014 Mnet Asian Music Awards red carpet event and had a collaboration stage with Block B during the awards show.[20] BTS then held their first concert tour, 2014 BTS Live Trilogy – Episode II: The Red Bullet, throughout October, November, and December. They toured Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, and Malaysia.[21]

2015–present: The Most Beautiful Moment In Life Pt 1 & 2

From February 10 to 19, BTS kicked off their first Japan tour, Wake Up: Open Your Eyes. They toured Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka, and performed for 25,000 fans.[22] On March 20, member Rap Monster released his first mixtape: RM, releasing three music videos for tracks: "Awakening (각성) ", "Do You", and "Joke (농담)".[23] On March 28, BTS held their second solo concert in Korea, BTS Live Trilogy – Episode 1: BTS Begins.[24]

The group's third EP, The Most Beautiful Moment In Life, Part 1 (화양연화 pt.1), was released on April 29, 2015.[25] It was listed in June by Fuse as one of the "27 Best Albums of 2015 So Far" and was the only Korean album listed that year.[26] On May 5, 2015, their title track "I Need U" won first place on SBS MTV's The Show, which marked their first win since their debut.[27] Signal Entertainment announced that The Most Beautiful Moment In Life Pt.1 had sold over 180,000 copies since its release.[28]

On June 4, 2015, BTS released their fourth Japanese single, "For You", to celebrate their first anniversary of their Japanese debut,[29] with its music video released on the same day. The single climbed to the top on Oricon's daily chart, selling 42,611 copies within its first day.[30] On June 23, BTS released their music video for their follow up single, "Dope", receiving 1,000,000 views in less than 15 hours.[31] "Dope" rose to its peak at number 3 on Billboard's World Digital Chart despite being released two months earlier.[32]

The group's world tour, 2015 Live Trilogy Episode II: The Red Bullet, continued with stops in Malaysia, Latin America, Australia, the U.S., and ended in Hong Kong on August 29.[33] BTS was a part of the 2015 Summer Sonic Festival tour in Japan, performing on August 15 at Tokyo's QVC Marine Field and on the 16th in Osaka.[34][35]

On September 8, it was announced that BTS would have a comeback with the second part of The Most Beautiful Moment in Life album on November 30. They also held a three-day concert tour, The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: On Stage from November 27 to 29, where they showcased their title track, "Run".[36][37] On October 19, it was announced that BTS would be the new brand ambassador for sports brand Puma.[38][39][40] The group released the Japanese version of "I Need U" as their fifth Japanese single on December 8.[41]

In January 2016, Nexon announced that they will be releasing character avatars based on the members for their RPG game, Elsword.[42]

Artistry and musical influences

Image and musical style

The group has a versatile image ranging from a tougher, bad boy to a more youthful image. They focus mainly on the hip hop genre while appealing to youth also. MTV's Corynn Smith stated that BTS has incorporated hip hop beats as well as rock-inspired elements for their singles: "Danger" and "Boy in Luv".[43] BTS has been called the "K-pop's Social Conscious" by Jeff Benjamin from Fuse, who noted that the group has found "a way to speak honestly about topics they deem important, even in a conservative society".[44]

Lyrics

Through their many releases, BTS has tackled school bullying, the pursuit of happiness and rejecting society ideals in its lyrics.[44] During an interview with Cuvism Magazine, it is stated that their name, "Bangtan Boys", means "to block out the world's bullets", which reflects the group's desire to write music about society's oppression as well as lyrics that the youth may relate to. J-hope states: "I think we get a lot [of inspiration] from our daily lives. There are lots of things we could write about even here, and we get lots of inspiration while going to the practice room and while we're eating. We tend to write about small things. We have a song called "좋아요" (Like) and it's about someone checking their ex-girlfriend's SNS account and pretending to be cool about pressing the like button. Like this song, we write lyrics about small things."

BTS plays an active role producing their music, with all members participating in the composition and lyric-writing of their songs.[45]

Members

[2][46]

Discography

Tours and concerts

Korean/Asian Tour

Japan Tour

World Tour

Filmography

Year Channel Title Members Role Note
2013 SBS MTV Rookie King: Channel Bangtan All Regulars 8 Episodes
Arirang After School Club Guests Episode 24, Main Guests
2014 YinYueTai BTS China Job Regulars 3 episode documentary
MBC 2014 Idol Star Athletics Championships Contestants All present except Suga
Arirang After School Club Guests Episode 46
Rap Monster, Jimin Episode 56, After Show
Mnet Beatles Code 3D All Episode 15 with Park Ji-yoon
MBC Every1 Weekly Idol Episode 144
Mnet 4Things Episode 3 (Documentary about BTS' leader Rap Monster)
Arirang After School Club Rap Monster Episodes 63–64, After Show
Rap Monster, Jimin, Jung Kook Episodes 68 & 70, After Show
Mnet American Hustle Life All Regulars 8 episodes
Arirang After School Club Guests Episode 95, Main Guests
Mnet America GO! BTS Regulars The whole filming was held in L.A
KBS A Song for You Season 3 Guests Episode 12
MBC Show! Music Core V Special MC
MBC Every1 100's Choice Best Ramen J-Hope Guest Episode 6
2015 SBS MTV Best of the Best V Special MC 4 episode special with Lovelyz's Sujeong
YinYueTai Idol Show All Regulars 2 Episodes
Arirang After School Club Guests Episode 158, Main Guests
KBS World Hello Counselor V, Rap Monster Episode 223 with Jessi, Lim Yo-hwan, Kim Kayeon
SBS Star King Episode 413
KBS2 Crisis Escape No.1 All
MBC Every1 Weekly Idol Episode 203
Mnet Yaman TV Episode 23, 24
MBC 2015 Idol Star Athletics Championships Contestants Chuseok Special
SBS Running Man Rap Monster Guest Ep. 265 with John Park, Kyuhyun, and Park Ye-eun[47]
MBC Quiz to Change the World Episode 315
KBS Music Bank V Special MC Episode 814 with Park Bo-gum and B.A.P's Himchan
SBS Inkigayo Rap Monster Episode 841 with BtoB's Sungjae and Kim Yoo-jung
MBC Every1 Weekly Idol All Guests Episode 229
Arirang After School Club Episode 191, Main Guests
2016 SBS Star King J-Hope and V Guests
MBigTV Flower Boy Bromance V Regular Mobile reality show with Kim Min-jae[48]
SBS The Boss is Watching All Guests

Awards and nominations

On May 5, 2015, Bangtan Boys won their first number-one win on South Korean music program SBS The Show with their 3rd mini album The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 1. Throughout the following week they won 4 more awards from Music Bank, Mnet M! Countdown, and Show Champion.

References

  1. 1 2 Yun, Chloe (June 13, 2013). "New boy group Bulletproof Boy Scouts to hold a debut showcase on June 12". BNT News. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "[INTERVIEW] Bangtan Boys". Cuvism Magazine (in Korean). July 22, 2013. Archived from the original on 5 July 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  3. ↑ "Jimin, Jungkook's Story". Ize Magazine (in Korean). Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  4. ↑ Jo Kwon - Animal(feat.Jung Ho-suk of Bulletproof Boy Scouts), 조권 - 애니멀(feat.정호석) Music Core 20120630. YouTube. 2 July 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  5. ↑ "방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) | Twitter". twitter.com. Retrieved 2015-07-31.
  6. ↑ Hong, Grace Danbi (June 12, 2013). "[Video] BTS Asks about Your Dreams in 'No More Dream' MV". enewsWorld. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Bangtan Boys reveal their official fanclub name". HelloKpop. Retrieved 2015-07-31.
  8. ↑ [MV] BTS(방탄소년단) _ N.O(엔.오). YouTube. 10 September 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  9. ↑ "BTS's Suga is recovering from an emergency appendectomy". Allkpop. December 2013. Retrieved 2015-07-31.
  10. ↑ "BTS' Suga Reveals Details About His Emergency Surgery Experience". Soompi. June 23, 2015. Retrieved 2015-07-31.
  11. ↑ "BTS Releases 'Skool Luv Affair' Album Preview Video Online". KpopStarz. February 7, 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  12. ↑ "[Magazine/Trans] BTS │ ① "This is just the beginning for us" [140501]│btsdiary". May 7, 2014. Retrieved 2015-07-31.
  13. ↑ [MV] BTS(방탄소년단) _ Boy In Luv(상남자). YouTube. 11 February 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  14. ↑ "[Video] BTS Wishes for 'Just One Day' with You in New MV". mwave.interest.me. Retrieved 2015-10-25.
  15. ↑ "W Korea pre-releases photos from BTS photoshoot". DramaFever News. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  16. ↑ (KOCIS), Korean Culture and Information Service. "All-out effort in the heart of Russia to promote Korea". www.korea.net. Retrieved 2015-09-02.
  17. ↑ "K-Pop stars Girls' Generation, Bangtan Boys headline KCON 2014". LA Times. May 22, 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  18. ↑ "[Video] BTS Rages in the 'War of Hormone' MV". mwave.interest.me. Retrieved 2015-10-25.
  19. ↑ "[Album] BTS – WAKE UP [1st Japanese Album] (MP3)". www.4Kpoperz.com. January 2015. Retrieved 2015-09-02.
  20. ↑ "[2014 MAMAPhoto] BTS and Block B Battle It Out in Fierce Collaboration at 2014 MAMA". mwave.interest.me. Retrieved 2015-10-25.
  21. ↑ "BTS will embark on their debut Asian tour this Fall". Koreaboo. Retrieved 2015-09-02.
  22. ↑ "BTS Wraps Up Concert Tour in Japan Gathering 25,000 Fans". mwave.interest.me. Retrieved 2015-10-25.
  23. ↑ "Rap Monster postpones release of his first mixtape". Koreaboo. Retrieved 2015-09-02.
  24. ↑ "[Video] BTS to Hold Second Exclusive Concert in Seoul". mwave.interest.me. Retrieved 2015-10-25.
  25. ↑ "The Most Beautiful Moment In Life, Pt. 1 by BTS". iTunes. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
  26. ↑ "27 Best Albums We've Heard in 2015 ... So Far #24". Fuse.tv. June 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  27. ↑ "BTS grabs their first win for "I NEED U" on SBS MTV's "The Show"". Koreaboo. Retrieved 2015-09-02.
  28. ↑ "BTS take the K-pop world by storm with high album sales". Allkpop. June 2015. Retrieved 2015-09-02.
  29. ↑ "防弾少年団 JAPAN OFFICIAL SITE". finn-neo.com. Retrieved 2015-07-31.
  30. ↑ "BTS take 1st place on Oricon daily chart with 'For You'!". Allkpop. June 2015. Retrieved 2015-09-02.
  31. ↑ "BTS reaches 1 million views for "Dope" in less than 15 hours". Koreaboo. Retrieved 2015-09-02.
  32. ↑ "BTS' "Dope" Charges to 3rd Place on Billboard's World Digital Songs Chart". Soompi. July 9, 2015. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  33. ↑ "BTS confirms last stop of "Episode II: The Red Bullet" world tour". Koreaboo. Retrieved 2015-09-02.
  34. ↑ "Epik High, BTS Join Lineup For 2015 Summer Sonic Music Festival In Japan". KpopStarz. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  35. ↑ "BTS Fan Meeting in Japan a Roaring Success". mwave.interest.me. Retrieved 2015-10-17.
  36. ↑ "방탄소년단, 콘서트서 신곡 첫 공개…11월 30일 본격 컴백". www.mydaily.co.kr. Retrieved 2015-10-29.
  37. ↑ "Updated: BTS Drops Amazing Music Video Teaser for "Run"". Soompi. November 22, 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-24.
  38. ↑ "[HD포토] 방탄소년단(BTS) 정국, '왜 그렇게 숨어있어?' (푸마X카시나)". TopStarNews. October 19, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  39. ↑ "방탄소년단, 푸마 새 모델 발탁…시크한 겨울 화보 공개텐아시아 | 텐아시아". 텐아시아. Retrieved 2015-10-20.
  40. ↑ "BTS transforms into charismatic models for "Puma"". Koreaboo. Retrieved 2015-10-20.
  41. ↑ "日本5thシングル「I NEED U (Japanese Ver.)」発売決定!". 防弾少年団 JAPAN OFFICIAL SITE. October 15, 2015. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
  42. ↑ "넥슨, ‘엘소드’에 인기 그룹 ‘방탄소년단’ 신규 아바타 추가". news.naver.com. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
  43. ↑ "BTS Starts a 'Skool Luv Affair' with New MV". MtvIggy. February 11, 2014. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  44. 1 2 Benjamin, Jeff (December 4, 2015). "BTS: K-Pop's Social Conscience". Fuse. Retrieved 2015-12-04.
  45. ↑ "[INTERVIEW] Bangtan Boys". Cuvism Magazine (in Korean). July 22, 2013. Archived from the original on 5 July 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  46. ↑ "BTS Profile". BTS Official Website. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
  47. ↑ "'런닝맨' 원걸 예은-존박-규현-랩몬스터 무인도 특집 예고". www.newson.com. Retrieved 2015-09-18.
  48. ↑ an0ya (February 1, 2016). "Kim Min Jae and BTS’ V to Show Off Their Bromance in New MBC Show". Soompi. Retrieved 2016-02-02.

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