Music is a worldwide thing that connects all different types of people. Music is made in dozens of languages and produced all throughout the world. One group that has taken part in spreading its message through music is South Korean boy band BTS. The seven-member group has recently become very popular in the United States, as well as in more places outside of South Korea, due to their appearances on multiple award shows and talk shows in America. So if you haven’t heard of them before, you certainly will now.

In 2017, BTS was featured on two award shows and three talk shows, all in America. In May, they were at the Billboard Music Awards, where they were given the Top Social Artist award. It was their very first time at an American award show. In November, they became very busy in America. One of the few things they did was perform at the American Music Awards. According to Harper’s Bazaar, “It finally happened: International supergroup BTS performed at the AMAs, marking their first-ever U.S. awards show appearance. The K-pop stars took the stage in ripped jeans, slick bomber jackets, and the highest amount of energy to perform their song, ‘DNA.’” They were also special guests on Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Late Show with James Corden and The Ellen Degeneres Show. On Jimmy Kimmel Live, they did an outdoor concert, where they performed some of their top songs including “Fire,” “Save Me,” “MIC Drop.” and more. On The Late Late Show, they performed their newest hit song, “DNA,” and played the ‘Flinch’ game with James Corden. Lastly, on Ellen, they performed two songs and did an interview with Ellen, where they were asked questions about their life, music, and fans. There’s no doubt that their appearances on these shows were nothing but successful.

BTS has been a group for four and a half years now, so they definitely aren’t a brand new thing in South Korea. In America, on the other hand, their popularity is increasing rapidly. BTS has been breaking records, performing concerts, and attending shows that have gotten them noticed more and more by people all around the world. According to Rolling Stone, “BTS has become increasingly popular in the United States. The band sold out arena shows in Newark and Chicago and took home the Top Social Artist honor at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards. In October, their single ‘DNA’ peaked at Number 67 on the Hot 100, making BTS the most successful K-pop group in Hot 100 history.” Being on Billboard Hot 100 is a huge success for American artists, and a goal that’s almost unimaginable for Korean artists. Yet, BTS has made it on the Hot 100 not just once, but twice in the span of two months. According to Billboard, “BTS breaks its own record for the highest-charting entry on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart for a K-pop group, as ‘MIC Drop,’ featuring Desiigner (and remixed by Steve Aoki), debuts at No. 28. It marks the K-pop kings’ first top 40 Hot 100 entry and the first for any K-pop group.” There’s no doubt that BTS is at the peak of its career right now, and with the group getting more popular by the day, the future has high hopes for the performers.

A lot of people are hesitate to learn about or listen to this group, because they’re Korean and so their music is in that language too, but that shouldn’t be a reason to not want to be interested in them. They have powerful music with a strong message that comes with it. They write, produce, and compose their own music, and a lot of their lyrics are about social issues, including mental health, politics, bullying, adolescent experiences, and the pursuit of happiness, which is one of the many reasons why they have such a large audience. They take their large platform and make music that everyone can feel something from. This group is definitely worth listening to, so if you’re interested, watch a few of their music videos on Youtube to see for yourself who and what they’re about. Without a doubt, BTS will be seen a lot more in America, and in more places around the world in the near future.

* photo via Google Images under the Creative Commons license