BTS, Bangtan Sonyeodan which translates to Bulletproof Boy Scouts, the K-Pop group has taken the world by storm. They have broken a number of records and won various accolades. With an evergrowing fandom and fame, the band has been called the greatest boy band of the world right now. Many have even gone to compare the group to The Beatles.
Though the two bands are very different but BTS’s popularity and hype is similar to the Beatlemania, it was a name given to the fan frenzy created by the band back in the 60s. Now, the ARMY wave, the name of the BTS fandom, is similar. So is BTS the Beatles of our time?
BTS – The Biggest Boy Band in the World
Bangtan Boys, formed in 2013, rose to fame by 2017 when they became a world sensation breaking a number of sales records. This is what lead to the Korean wave taking over the world, especially the United States. They even partnered with UNICEF in the same year to establish the Love Myself anti-violence campaign.
As of 2022, the seven member band had achieved a lot and gotten way bigger than anyone could’ve ever thought. Love them, hate them, but you surely know about them. (They made me like purple!) They sold over 30 million albums via the Circle Chart. Map of the Soul: 7, that came out in 2020, is the bet-selling album of all time in South Korea. They have various accolades like The Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards, and Golden Disc Awards. They have even got nominated for Grammys twice, only to be snubbed.
BTS has even become the first band since the Beatles to have three Billboard No. 1 albums in a single year, with their album – Map of the Soul: Persona.
Titles awarded and charts topped
As of now, BTS has become the first non-English speaking artist to sell out Wembley Stadium and Rose Bowl. They have been named the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry’s (IFPI) Global Recording Artist of the Year for both 2020 and 2021. Along with the Love Myself campaign, they have addressed the United Nations General Assembly three times.
BTS has featured on the Time’s cover as “Next Generation Leaders” and were even called the Princes of Pop. They were even on the list of 25 most influential people on the internet (2017–2019) and the 100 most influential people in the world (2019) by the Time’s Magazine. Many of their music videos have broken the records of most viewed videos on YouTube.
Looking at these records, the only thing between BTS matching The Beatles is Grammys. They have been nominated twice and even performed but failed to win, or snubbed.
BTS appreciated the comparison to The Beatles
When the band appeared at the Good Morning America in 2019, the hosts Michael Strahan and Robin Roberts told the seven members, RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, about the comparison. To which RM replied,
“I mean, we’re all fanboys of [the] Beatles, of course — who is not? We feel so honored to be with the greatest names in the music industry.”
This shows how the band acknowledges the comparison and feels honored to be compared to the English band, that brought a revolution to the music industry. The same can be said for BTS as well, as they brought K-Pop and Korean culture to the mainstream.
BTS Enlistment for Mandatory Military Service
On October 17, 2022, HYBE Labels answered the long lingering question of whether and when the Boy Group would serve the mandatory military service. The announcement was shared on Weverse, an app for K-Pop fans, that the band’s will soon fulfill the service, after they had announced their hiatus earlier this year.
The notice came after the very successful Busan concert – Yet to Come in Busan. The notice also followed that the band will resume group activities in 2025.
