BTS aka Bangtan Sonyeondan aka Bulletproof Boy Scouts aka Beyond The Scene

The memes about how you fall into Kpop, or fall into stanning BTS specifically, are hilariously true. “I just want to learn their names.” Then you find the memes and the meme compilation videos. You fall in love with their personalities and their goofiness, in addition to their music. Then you’re following them on every single social media platform you can, you’re on WeVerse. You’re on VLive. You have all the notifications on. Your Instagram discover is filled with BTS.

I've been spending the past months catching up on 7 years of music and content, as well as just reading up on their success and struggles and experiences. My Twitter and Instagram are full of BTS fan content and memes and video clips. I'm still more or less a baby ARMY so I don't know every single detail of their entire lives and careers but these are some of the things I have been thinking about and some of the excellent memes and videos that turned me into an ARMY. I have such respect and admiration for these boys. They are so hard working and are just straight up humble kings and fashion icons.

Members from left to right: J-Hope aka Jung Hoseok (generally called Hobi by fans), Jungkook aka Jeon Jungkook (the maknae/baby of the group), Jin aka Kim Seokjin (oldest of the group, also known as "Worldwide Handsome" - watch almost any interview, it's great), V aka Kim Taehyung, RM aka Kim Namjoon (the leader, speaks English when they have American interviews etc), Jimin aka Park Jimin, SUGA aka Min Yoongi (aka Agust D in his solo work - which is FIREEE. Go check out "Daechwita").

---

It started with Dynamite and then more specifically “who is this one guy in this Dynamite video? He’s cute.” Turns out, it's Jungkook.

Then reading up on the fandom and all the inside jokes (LAJI-BOLALA), binge watching their old content to then be caught up on all the inside jokes. Being bias wrecked practically every single day because each member is beautiful and hilarious and talented as hell and it's hard to pick a favourite so you just decide it's all of them. Diving into their solo projects. The rap line’s mixtapes (RM's mono, J-Hope's Hope World, Agust D's Agust D and D-2). BOPS. The BTS SoundClound that has other solo songs (Jungkook's "Still With You", Jin's "Abyss", Jimin's "Promise", Taehyung's "Winter Bear" and "Scenery") and covers. And now I have a 15 hour BTS+ playlist on my phone. It’s basically all of the BTS music and their solo albums and collabs they’ve had with other artists (like Steve Aoki's "Waste It On Me", MAX's "Blueberry Eyes" ft SUGA, and IU's "eight" ft SUGA).

To my knowledge, BTS is somewhat of a Kpop anomaly, and one of the first groups to really discuss societal issues and pressures in their music. They have worked really hard for their success, and I think what makes them somewhat of an anomaly is that they have become so successful despite coming from a small company that was practically bankrupt when BTS started. They come across as very truthful and honest and humble, like reading letters to each other on Run BTS and Bon Voyage where they're sharing relatable and honest fears and feelings they have. It's incredibly refreshing.

They had their “dark years” (the early debut year with Namjoon’s hair was really not cute, sorry not sorry). But the music from their early years still bops. Kind of trying to be edgy but they were so young that now it's just kind of cute (@ "War of Hormone").

CONTENT. They have so much content. RUN BTS - which is their variety show where they play games and do goofy things, it's on VLive for free. There's seasons 1-4 of Bon Voyage where they take a trip somewhere new every season as somewhat of a vacation. There's BTS In The Soop - which is forest cabin vacation vibes and was filmed in 2020 during COVID times. There are a ton of livestreams and vlogs and dance practice videos. Tons of incredible performances. Not to mention, the BTS content editors are amazing. The subtitle comments and the music or baby sounds they put over the boys’ giggling faces in Run BTS and their vacation shows are perfect and hilarious. Or the ways they show clips of the boys saying "edit this out" and then showing the entire set up of what happened, like Jin and Yoongi fake catching fish in Malta in Bon Voyage 3. When filming some Run BTS and Bon Voyage, we see how they actually care about their production crew. They feed them or check in and make sure they’ve eaten. Even though I’m sure BTS are probably the babies of the whole thing.

HUMBLE KINGS. Articles about how they’re millionaires but then we see them get excited over the chance to win $500 gift cards in an episode of Run BTS or when they won a ramen cooker.

Some humble king highlights here:

Twitter thread: "bts forgetting that they are bts - a needed thread"

Because they are humble kings and really are just "7 normal boys from Korea" (as Namjoon has put it in interviews).

A highlight of them being humble kings is this video of them literally getting on their knees and bowing to the MC because he praised their beautiful voices spontaneously singing "Last Christmas" on the red carpet. This is from December 2020, so yes, already into peak BTS success.

An article where Namjoon is talking about being an artist and how he found nature to avoid going insane.

“That’s what I believe, and I want to keep my thoughts that way. It’s how I’m able to continue without going insane. I think I was able to keep going without creating some kind of public incident all because I didn’t go insane. I don’t want to make myself into a weak person, nor let fear consume me and swallow me whole. So when I go to the museum, grow plants, and ride my bike, it’s all part of a fight to keep myself from going insane.”

Relatable introvert moments with Jin saying “talking on the phone is scary” in a recent interview/This or That game.

They love what they do so much, and it shows. In Bon Voyage season 3 Jungkook and V wanted to busk and then they actually busked in the streets. They’re literally professional singers who perform in stadiums around the world and they were nervous to busk on the streets in Malta. They just love singing and performing but are also so critical of themselves and their work, which is hella relatable as an artist.

This Twitter thread entitled: "jungkook the most hardworking boy ever ; a thread to appreciate his work"

But especially this one tweet/video clip from this thread that is about appreciating the beautiful harmonies in the song "Magic Shop" (from DJ Swivel's In The Mix: BTS Magic Shop. Full video here: https://youtu.be/VHxYvbyb3YQ)

This Twitter thread of "bts going against their company - a thread"

Which includes Yoongi saying how he'll sue Big Hit Entertainment (their company) if he loses all his hair from the constant dyeing they have to do, drunk tweets from members, spoilers from members, and them cutting or dyeing their own hair.

This Twitter thread of "things jungkook said that seem like fake subs, a thread"

With hits like: "I'm not drunken, it's just that I'm buffering" and "I cried again today!" and "I am so full. Should I eat ramen?"

Of course there's the factor of wondering how much of it is planned or made for publicity or whatnot, and how much is authentic. But I do think that they’re very authentic.

So BTS. Bangtan Sonyeondan (which translates to "Bulletproof Boy Scouts" in English but have also branded themselves in English as "Beyond The Scene").

First, their music bops. The artistry and writing is incredible.

Second, DANCE, incredibly aesthetic and intricate music videos, incredible fashion icons.

Third, good messages and hilarious boys.

This post has been more of my own personal highlights and random thoughts, as opposed to being particularly informative but in the past months I have learned a lot about BTS. Suffice it to say, the memes and their personalities really turned me into a fan. This "discovery" and my own interest and learning about BTS has actually re-ignited my own artistry, between my love for dance, music, singing, and writing. Reading interviews or watching them talk about creating their music is also really beautiful and inspiring.

Here's a lovely diagram I found if you wanna try and get into some of their music.

There will likely be more BTS and Kpop content from me in the future... We'll see...