They struggled with industry peers in their early days, and felt they weren’t welcomed or respected as artists. The band still felt like outliers before winning AMA’s artist of the year in 2021īTS had conflicting emotions when it came to awards shows. The K-pop superstars were shut out in two categories, including pop duo/group performance. Music BTS gets snubbed, again, at 2023 Grammys RM, who wrote the lyrics, told Kang that this early reckoning helped him recognize the problem in time to change his attitude and behavior.Īccording to Kang, gender sensitivity training is now obligatory for all all artists at Big Hit (now known as HYBE) before they can debut. In July 2016, Big Hit and BTS issued a statement responding to the complaints, saying, “We learned that music creation is not free from societal prejudice and fallacies,” and “Furthermore, we became aware that it may also not be desirable to define the value of women and their role in society from a male perspective.” But now that I think about it, you were never the best / I will stop calling you best and instead call you gonorrhea.” The 2014 song “War of Hormones” featured lyrics that translate to “Girls are like an equation / us guys just do them (yup) / Imma give it to you girl right now / A woman is the best present.” And the 2015 song “Joke” includes lyrics that translate to “”You’re the best woman, the best vagina. It wasn’t all adoration from there on out: The band came under fire for two songs that fans said perpetuated gender inequality and misogyny. For Suga, that means a bold new rap album and sold-out arena shows.īTS had to address complaints their lyrics were misogynistic With BTS currently on hiatus due to military conscription, its members are pursuing solo projects. Music BTS’ Suga on going solo, his love of hip-hop and the band’s future: ‘We’re real brothers, period’ According to the biography, no one in the industry would speak to them, they couldn’t approach anyone, and their nights consisted of little more than quick thank-you speeches at contest podiums before being shuttled back to the dorms. Every time I made a mistake, I went to the bathroom to cry.”ĭespite winning best new artist awards at many major Korean music awards shows in 2013, the group was shunned by peers and more established artists. “If I wanted to improve somehow, I had to practice my singing, but I didn’t know how to practice,” he said. For the first time they were forced to compare themselves vocally with other K-pop idols. Jimin said the group would avoid making eye contact with other groups in green rooms. Their first gig brought in only about a dozen fans. Even before they made their debut on a televised showcase, naysayers were already dragging the group in the comments sections of online forums. BTS members struggled at first with impostor syndrome, performance flubs and bullying from the public. During this time, Korean teens swarmed to dance hagwons (private academies) where they could study dance, and make important connections in Seoul’s entertainment industry.īreaking into the industry, BTS was not welcomed with open armsīecause the K-pop competition was so fierce, the odds of success as a group were incredibly slim. went wild over rapper Psy’s “Gangnam Style” in 2012, proving that K-pop could find a place in the Western market. In the aughts, Korean idol groups were having their big moment, and not just domestically. Fans might be surprised at the shaggy underdog tale contained therein. Written over three years, the book weaves in an oral history with group interviews by the biography’s author, Myeongseok Kang. “ Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS” is the first biography of the group, published in time for their 10-year anniversary. and it just feels very hopeful to me, in terms of thinking of the world as one family.” The band released “ My Universe” with Coldplay, whose frontman, Chris Martin, seemed to speak for billions when he said, “It’s very special to me that the most popular artist in the world speaks Korean. The group’s seven members - RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook - have performed at the Grammys and the American Music Awards, and most of their music videos have over 1 billion views on YouTube. The K-pop juggernaut known as BTS has dominated the American music scene in an unprecedented way. If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from, whose fees support independent bookstores. Translated by Anton Hur, Slin Jung and Clare Richards
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