DESPITE being nominated for five awards, BTS did not attend the 2022 MTV VMAs to focus on solo projects.
The seven members will, however, perform in Busan, South Korea on October 15.
Who is BTS and where are they from?
BTS is a k-pop boy band from South Korea – the name is an acronym for the Korean phrase Bangtan Sonyeondan which translates to “Bulletproof Boy Scouts.”
However, they are also known as Bangtan Boys and have adapted their BTS name to also stand for “Beyond The Scene”.
The group formed in 2010 before signing with Big Hit Entertainment in 2013. While releasing music through Universal Music, they have released eight studio albums throughout their career, the most recent being “Be,” which was released back in 2020.
Their first English-language single, “Dynamite,” was released that same year and broke the YouTube record for the most viewed premiere.
Who’s in BTS?
Like pop bands before them, the group has stage names that differ from their real names.
The BTS members include:
RM
Born Kim Nam-Joon, RM is the main rapper and leader of the band. The 27-year-old studied in New Zealand when he was 12 and is fluent in English.
He’s also released a self-titled solo album.
Caring for the environment is a social cause he’s come to be known for among fans.
Jin
Born Kim Seok-Jin, Jin, 29, is the oldest member of the group.
Jin is known as a vocalist and has a degree in art and acting from Konkuk University.
While studying at university, he was scouted for the group.
Suga
Born Min Yoon-Gi, Suga, 29 is also a rapper in the band.
Despite being a successful rapper, Suga initially wanted to be a producer and had no interest in rapping.
Throughout his career, he has spoken out about mental health and is known to be charitable.
J-Hope
Born Jung Ho-Seok, J-Hope, 28, is one of the songwriters of the group and has over 77 songs accredited to his name.
In 2018 he also released a solo tape.
He told TeenVogue in 2020 that his all-time favourite film is If Only.
V
Born Kim Tae-Hyung, V is 26 and along with being a singer, is also an actor.
On August 28, 2021, V’s stage cam become the most viewed fancam of the year with over over 12 million views.
BTS’s Jungkook holds the second highest viewed video with over 10million views.
Jungkook
Born Jeon Jung-Kook, Jungkook, 25, is the youngest member of the band.
With his birthday being on August 29, Jungkook started trending as their “ARMY” prepare for his big day.
As of September 2022, his Spotify playlist, “Jungkook’s Favorite Tracks,” has over a 1.57million likes.
Jimin
Born Park Ji-Min, Jimin, 26, is the lead vocalist and was the last member to join the band.
He studied contemporary dance and was known for being one of the best in his class.
Is BTS taking a hiatus?
After successful years, BTS will be taking some time to focus on solo projects.
“BTS are not taking a hiatus. Members will be focusing more on solo projects at this time,” stated Hybe back in June.
In June, fans were shocked to hear that BTS was up for a break.
Some thought the group was taking a break or disbanding.
Fortunately, that is not the case.
“We have to accept that we’ve changed,” shared RM.
“For me, it was like the group BTS was within my grasp until ‘On’ and ‘Dynamite,’ but after ‘Butter’ and ‘Permission to Dance,’ I didn’t know what kind of group we were anymore,” shared BTS leader RM.
With their solo projects, the members assured the fans that they will be a better version of themselves, per USA Today.
Why is BTS so popular?
BTS has become a global phenomenon over the past couple of years and is considered the biggest boyband in the world, with a net worth of $50million, per Lifestyle Asia.
The South Korean band is the best-selling artist in the country’s history and also became the fastest group since The Beatles to earn four US number one albums, doing so in less than two years.
The popular boyband broke the record of the most Youtube views in 24 hours back in August 2020, with their “Dynamite” video reaching 101.1million views in just a day.
“Dynamite” music video has over a billion views on YouTube as of September 2022.
In the same month, the group made their MTV Video Music Awards debut with the first live performance of “Dynamite” and won four awards: best group, best choreography, best pop video, and best K-pop.
Earlier this year it was revealed that BTS was named the top Global Recording Artist of the Year for 2020 by the IFPI.
On March 4, 2021, it was also revealed that BTS became the first non-English act to be named the top Global Recording Artist of the Year of 2020.
