The BTS story: how K-pop’s superstar boy band conquered the world
- It was clear from the group’s debut in 2013 that they had something different, helped by Suga and RM’s background in underground hip hop
- Fans often reference BTS’s first win on South Korean music programme The Show in 2015 as a huge turning point in their story
K-pop outfit BTS are without doubt the biggest boy band in the world, so it was no surprise that their four upcoming shows at Hong Kong’s AsiaWorld-Expo Arena next week immediately sold out.
Their popularity is not confined to one region – or even continent – as the seven-member act are global in every sense of the word. Their story is integral to understanding their remarkable popularity, so let’s take a look at the band’s origins, rise and major achievements over the past six years.
Origins
The seven musicians all shared one bedroom. Their label, Big Hit Entertainment, was a small company within an industry ruled by the “big three” K-pop oligopoly (SM, YG and JYP Entertainment). So despite the band’s meteoric rise, they made their debut as underdogs.
However, there were already hints of their future crossover success as their first single hit reached No 14 on Billboard’s World Digital Songs chart two weeks after it was released. At the same time, they received recognition in South Korea as the best new artist at the 2013 Melon Music Awards.
