South Korean artists, BTS, have been taking the world by storm. They have garnered the attention of millions of people from all over the globe and have been breaking records which were previously deemed impossible. Backed by the undying support of their fans, who claim themselves as the BTS ARMY, BTS have become the best-selling artists in the world today.

However, their success was not handed to them by anyone. Their growth has been gradual and steady due to the hard work and dedication that reflects through their music and messages. Their group name BTS stands for Bangtan Sonyeondan, which translates to Bulletproof Boy scouts in English, which signifies their stance against prejudice, stereotypes, criticism and expectations from the youth. Like the name signifies, BTS’ lyrics are often focused on personal and social commentary. It touches various themes of mental health, women empowerment, societal pressures, youth, self-love, perseverance and loss. Due to this, their fans can connect with BTS on a deeper level which garners a very meaningful connection with the artist. The loyalty of the BTS ARMY is immeasurable and cannot be replicated. They are a large, diverse and outspoken group of people with an undying love for BTS. It’s millions of people from all over the world who have come together to support 7 boys from South Korea because their connection with them is profound.

In 2018, after the release of their studio album, Love Yourself: Answer, BTS were honored with the title of ‘Next Generation Leaders’ by Time’s Magazine and appeared in the magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world list, due to the amount of influence that they have on people from all walks of life; especially the youths, to which BTS said, “We started to tell stories that people wanted to hear and were ready to hear”. They also ranked first on the list of ‘Top Rank Global Sustainable Future Leaders’ while their fan club BTS ARMY were noted as ‘Top Rank Sustainable Global Group’. BTS also partnered with UNICEF to launch Generation Unlimited campaign and spoke at the United Nations General Assembly, calling on leaders of the world to listen to the voices of 1.8 million young people from all around the world. The group’s leader RM then encouraged the youth by saying, “No matter who you are, where you are from, your skin color, your gender identity, just speak yourself”. Following the influence of their speech at the United Nations, BTS has also shown support toward various other causes. The most remarkable support was towards the Black Lives Matter movement where BTS made a generous donation of 1 million dollars, which was then matched by the BTS ARMY within 24 hours. 

Besides making phenomenal music, BTS are leading the Youth of the world through pop-culture. They are fighting racism, xenophobia, ignorance and toxic masculinity in the world with the support of their loyal fans. These 7 boys from South Korea, singing and mostly speaking only Korean have broken down walls that were put up around them and continue to do wonders while still being 7 normal people who spread love and are passionate about the work that they do. Their story is inspiring and it seems like they have genuinely earned every bit of respect that is given to them by the world.