BTS first K-pop group to debut in America

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BTS on the red carpet of the 2017 Billboard Music Awards. They won the Top Social Artist Award of the year.

Emily Hoffman, Ranger Review Reporter

In the US, k-pop is not a common music choice for most, but the band BTS, also known as Bangtan Boys, may have changed that.

BTS is a k-pop group that debuted in Korea in 2013 under the entertainment company, BigHit Entertainment. The group consists of seven members: RM, Jin, Suga, JHope, Jimin, V, and the youngest member, Jungkook.

While continuing their career as idols, not only did BTS gain popularity in their home country, but they also gained a huge amount of fans in the United States.

In 2017, BTS debuted in the United States and made their first televised American appearance on the 2017 Billboard Music Awards. Multiple entertainment news companies interviewed BTS while on the red carpet and the seven members met many American celebrities they dreamed of meeting. In an interview with E!News, member RM relayed his excitement for being at the award show.

“This is crazy. This is the first time we have ever come to an American awards show, it’s also Billboard, the name is really huge for us,” RM said. During the interview, BTS fans can be seen in the background cheering and holding signs with the member’s faces and names. Chainsmokers took a picture with BTS while on the red carpet and uploaded it to their Twitter account captioning it, “Love these dudes! See you guys this summer.” BTS also said they were especially excited to meet Nicki Minaj and Ed Sheeran.

Also at the Billboard Music Awards, BTS became the first k-pop group to win an award. They won Top Social Artist Award of 2017 for their record-breaking “Love Yourself: Her” album. BTS also returned to the Billboard Music Awards in 2018 and received Top Social Artist Award for the second year in a row.

Entertainment Tonight also interviewed BTS on the red carpet. Similar to other interviews, they were asked various questions about how it felt for them to be in America. Members Jin and V said it is “awesome” and “feels great.” They also mentioned that artist, Zed, wants to collaborate with BTS in the future.

BTS is also known for the enormous amount of love they provide for their fans. Multiple times, the singers thanked their fans for the support they have provided them and said they would not be as successful as they are today if it were not for the fans. In an interview with KTLA news station, Jimin said “It’s always so exciting to see our fans.” The band also gave away two free tickets to watch their performance at the 2017 American Music Awards. The day of BTS’ arrival at LAX airport, fans flooded the area in hope to sneak a peek of the seven-member band. “We never expected so many fans in the airport,” RM told Entertainment Tonight.

While in America, BTS made several appearances on popular talk shows. The singers appeared on The Late Late Show with James Corden. They played a game of “Flinch” followed by a performance of their song “Fake Love.” They were also guests on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. During the show, they surprised and greeted fans and held a concert for the LA area, performing their remix hit, Mic Drop.

The singers also appeared on The Ellen Degeneres Show in both 2017 and 2018, and in both years they were interviewed and performed for the audience. BTS also appeared on America’s Got Talent, Dick Clark’s Rockin New Year’s Eve, Good Morning America, and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

BTS made history by being the first k-pop group to speak at the United Nations for UNICEF’s “Generation Unlimited” launch. BTS member RM, who fluently speaks English, performed a seven minute speech promoting self-love. This speech was recently added to school study materials in some Asian countries.

In an interview with KTLA news station, BTS stated that they are proud of their success and hope that in five years they are still successfully making appearances in America.