Also referred to as the Bangtan Boys, BTS is a boy band from South Korea. It is made up of 7 members, namely, Jin, J-Hope, Suga, RM, V, Jimin, and Jungkook. The band began forming in 2010 and made its debut via Big Hit Entertainment in 2013. All the members participate equally in co-producing and co-writing most of the content that they offer.
The group was initially styled to be a hip hop band, but it evolved over the years and now features many different musical genres. The main focus of their lyrics is on social and personal commentary; it reminisces about themes such as problems of school-going youngsters, mental health, individualism, coming of age, voyage towards increased love for self, and loss in different aspects of life. Their work has sourced materials from psychological perceptions and literature and even features storylines of alternate universes. The band has launched many musical albums and performed on stage and tours throughout the world.
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BTS Members – Net Worth
As of 2021, the collective net worth of all the members of BTS is estimated to be $60 million. With the exception of J-Hope, each member is worth around $8 million. J-Hope’s net worth is about $12 million.
During their career, spanning nearly a decade, BTS has worked with many international singers such as Nicki Minaj, Charli XCX, Halsey, Steve Aoki, and Lauv, etc. As per reports in May 2021, it is rumored that the band will collaborate on a song with Justin Bieber.
Meaning of the Name BTS
The name BTS alludes to the South Korea phrase ‘Bangtan Sonyeondan’ which in literal terms means ‘Bulletproof Boy Scouts’. The name implies the band members’ wish to obstruct and obliterate criticisms, stereotypes, and expectations that are thrown like bullets at young teens. The group is known as “Bōdan Shōnendan” in Japan; it also has a similar translation.
BTS issued a statement in July 2017 that as a measure of their new brand personality, their name would also allude to ‘Beyond the Scene’. This new addition meant an extension of the meaning of their name, i.e., ‘adolescent young BTS who overcome the realities of their life and keep going forward’.
BTS: Success Story
When Bang Si-hyuk, the CEO of Big Hit Entertainment, met with band leader RM for the first time, he was impressed with his style of rapping. This resulted in the creation of the group BTS in 2010.
The debut of the band was supposed to occur in 2011. That debut contained many tracks by artists like Lee Seung-gi and 2AM. But the debut was put on hold to be able to restructure the group as a more conventional idol band. In 2012, the band members were finalized to include Jin, J-Hope, Suga, RM, Jimin, Jungkook, and V. Before they made their debut, their popularity started increasing via their presence on different social media websites and through their song covers they uploaded on SoundCloud and YouTube.
BTS launched its first single album titled ‘2 Cool 4 Skool’ in June 2013. It was the first release in the ‘school trilogy’ line. At the same time the lead single titled ‘No More Dream’ was also released. The lead single hit a peak of 124 in South Korea and then rapidly went into oblivion. The album hit a peak of number 5 in the country, but was not a major hit as just 24,000 copies were sold in the year. Eventually, the album did sell nearly 150,000 copies. The next single ‘We Are Bulletproof Pt. 2’ did not chart.
The second installment of the ‘school trilogy’ titled “O!RUL8,2?” was released by BTS in September 2013. The EP hit a peak of number 4 and sold 34,000 copies in the year, with the eventual sale being more than 160,000 copies. The EP also featured a single ‘N.O’ which hit a top position of 92 in the Korean charts. At the end of 2013, BTS won many ‘new artist of the year’ trophies, including 28th Golden Disc Awards, 5th Melon Music Awards, and the 23rd Seoul Music Awards, etc
The final part of the ‘school trilogy’ was the Extended Play named ‘Skool Luv Affair’. It was released in January 2014 and hit the top of the Gaon Album chart. It eventually sold 250,000 copies, with 100,000 copies in the launch year. The album also ensured that BTS finally appeared in Billboard’s World Albums Chart, with a peak position of number 3.
In August 2014, the band launched their first studio album in the Korean language. Titled ‘Dark & Wild’, the album sold more than 200,000 overall copies and hit number 2 in the country. The same year BTS also released a Japanese studio album named Wake Up.
The group then moved their image and sound away from a purely masculine, aggressive hip hop style to increased diversity of forms that allowed for expression of the anxiety and splendor of the youth. Subsequently, in march 2015, BTS released their 3rd EP titled ‘The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 1’. The EP delved into the emotional angst and growth of the youngsters, including the uplifting and playful aspects of adolescence. Till date, it has sold more than 416,000 copies. The lead single of the EP named ‘I need U’ was the first BTS single that breached the top 5 position in Korea. The second single ‘Dope’ did not do that well in Korea, but it reached number 3 on Billboard’s World Digital Songs Chart. It also turned out to be the first music video of the band to garner more than 100 million views on YouTube.
The group began their Red Bullet tour extension in Oceania, Asia, Latin America, and North America in June 2015. The tour was named ‘2015 Live Trilogy Episode II: The Red Bullet.
BTS released their second Korean language studio album in 2016. Titled ‘Wings’, it was the group’s first album to sell more than 1 million copies in the country!
By next year, the crossover of BTS into the world music market was complete. It led the Korean musical wave in the US and broke many sales records. Soon, they became:
- The first Korean band to be awarded an RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) certificate for their song ‘Mic Drop’, and
- The first Korean group to reach number 1 in the US Billboard 200 chart. They achieved this feat for their 2018 studio album ‘Love Yourself: Tear’.
Since The Beatles, the group has been the fastest act to receive 4 US number-1 albums. They did so in less than 2 years. The 2018 album ‘Love Yourself: Answer’ was the first album from Korea that received a platinum certification from the RIAA.
In the year 2020, BTS achieved the feat of becoming the first all-Korean band to top the US Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard Global 200 with the remixed version of ‘Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)’ and the single ‘Dynamite’. The latter was nominated for a Grammy. After the release of ‘Life Goes On’, BTS became the first band to feature 2 number one debut songs on the US Hot 100.
BTS – Music Records created and broken by the band
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- BTS has sold more than 20 million albums via the Gaon Music Chart. It is the best selling act in the history of South Korea. Their album ‘Map of the Soul: 7’ is the best selling album – ever – in the country.
- The band became the first non-English speaking and first Asian artist to sell out and headline the Wembley Stadium during BTS’ Love Yourself World Tour. They have also broken the accomplishment for the single highest-earning performance in the history of Rose Bowl stadium.
- They are the only and the first non-English and Asian band to be featured as the 2020 IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year as well as charting on Billboard’s Top Touring Artists of the 2010s. In the latter, they were placed at number forty five.
- As per the records of 2019, the band is alleged worth nearly $4.66 billion to the economy of South Korea per annum, or around 0.3 % of the GDP of the country. They were the reason for the arrival of 1 in every 13 overseas tourists into South Korea. In 2018, BTS was also cited as one of the main artists that helped boost the global musical sales to $19 billion.
- The band has been featured on the cover of Time International magazine as ‘Next Generation Leaders’. They have appeared in Time magazine’s ‘25 most influential people on the internet’ lists from 2017 to 2019. In 2019, they appeared on Time’s ‘100 most influential people in the world’ list with the title ‘Princes of Pop’.
- In 2018 and 2020, the band was named by Forbes Korea as the most influential celebrities in the country. In 2019, they were placed 43rd in the ‘world’s top-earning celebrities’ list by Forbes Celebrity 100.
Awards received by BTS
- BTS has won many awards for their musical works; till now, they have won 5 Billboard Music Awards, 6 American Music Awards, and 24 Golden Disk Awards. They have also been nominated for a Brit Award and a Grammy Award.
- The President of South Korea has conferred them with the Order of Cultural Merit for their work towards spreading Korean language and culture. They are the youngest receivers of this award.
- After they partnered with UNICEF to launch the “Love Myself” anti-violence movement, BTS addressed the 73rd and 75th General Assemblies of the UN.
BTS Band Members – Names, Age and Wiki
- Jin (Age, Full Name)
- Kim Seok-jin, better known by the name ‘Jin’, has been a member of BTS since June 2013. He was born on 4th December, 1992, in Gwacheon, located in Gyeonggi Province in South Korea. He has an older brother.
- He was scouted by SM Entertainment, a K-pop agency in Korea, when he was in junior high school. He did not accept that offer as he wanted to be an actor.
- After school, he went to Konkuk University and graduated from there in Feb 2017 with a degree in acting and art. He also enrolled at Hanyang Cyber University’s graduate school to study subjects not related to music.
- As a member of BTS, Jin has also co-written and launched 3 solo tracks with the band, all of which made the Gaon Digital Charts. In 2016, he and band member V appeared on the soundtrack of ‘Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth’. He released his first solo song ‘Tonight’ in 2019. It is a digital track.
- Between 2016 and 2018, he has hosted many musical shows in South Korea.
- As a singer, Jin has been acclaimed by critics for his emotional range and falsetto.
- He currently resides in Hannam-dong area of Seoul, South Korea. In 2018, he founded a Japanese-type eatery in Seoul with his brother. The name of the restaurant is ‘Ossu Seiromushi’.
Jin – pictures
- Min Yoon-gi, better known as Suga or Agust D, became a member of BTS in 2013. He is a songwriter, rapper, and record producer and is managed by the agency Big Hit Music.
- Suga was born on 9th March, 1993, in Daegu, South Korea. He has an older brother. He went to the Taejeon Elementary School, the Gwaneum Middle School, and the Apgujeong High School.
- He has stated that his interest in rap arose after he heard Stony Skunk ‘Ragga Muffin’; he had never heard anything like it ever. He chose to become a rapper after listening to Epik High.
- By the age of thirteen, he had started learning about MIDI and writing lyrics for music. By age 17 years, he had a part-time job at a recording studio. Since that time, he commenced arranging and composing music as well as performing and rapping.
- Before becoming a part of BTS, he was an active underground rapper with the name ‘Gloss’. In 2010, as a member of D-Town hip-hop crew, he produced the song ‘518-062’ which honored the Gwangju Uprising.
- As per the ‘Korea Music Copyright Association’ Suga has worked in more than 100 songs as a producer and songwriter. He has also been credited for Suran’s “Wine”; at the Melon Music Awards in 2017, it received the best Soul/R&B track of the year prize and reached number 2 on Gaon Music Chart.
- He released his first independent mixtape in 2016. Titled ‘Agust D’, he released it again 2 years later for digital streaming and purchase. The re-release peaked at number 3 on Billboard’s World Albums Chart.
- Suga launched the second solo mixtape titled D-2 in 2020. It reached number 7 on the UK Albums Chart, number eleven on US Billboard 200, and number 2 on the ARIA Album Chart in Australia.
- In 2019, he enrolled for an MBA course in Media and Advertising at Hanyang Cyber University, along with fellow BTS members J-Hope and RM.
- In 2018, he bought a luxurious apartment in South Korea for $3 million. He currently lives in Hannam-dong, Seoul, in S. Korea.
Suga – Pictures
- Jung Ho-seok, better known as J-Hope, is a South Korean dancer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. He became a part of BTS in 2013. He was born on 18th February, 1994 in Gwangju, South Korea. He has an older sister.
- For 6 years, in the period between his fourth grade and his first year in High School, he attended Gwangju Music Academy and took dance lessons. He was also a member of an underground dance group called Neuron.
- Before he signed with Big Hit Entertainment and became a BTS member, he was quite famous for his dancing skills. He had won many local dance competitions as well as the 2008 nation dance contest where he won the first prize. His dancing abilities triggered an interest for singing within him and so subsequently he auditioned as an idol assistant/trainee. He made an appearance in Jo Kwon’s 2012 song ‘Animal’ as a trainee.
- In March 2018, he released his first independent mixtape called Hope World. It peaked at number 38, and at the time of its release, it made J-Hope the highest-charting South Korean solo act on the US Billboard 200.
- He released the single ‘Chicken Noodle Soup’ featuring Becky G in September 2019. The song featured at number 81 on its debut on the Billboard Hot 100. This made him the first BTS member to have a solo Hot 100 charting song.
- In 2019, he enrolled for an MBA course in Media and Advertising at Hanyang Cyber University, along with fellow BTS members Suga and RM.
- He bought a palatial apartment for $1.6 million in South Korea in 2016. He currently resides in Hannam-dong, Seoul, South Korea.
J-Hope -pictures
- Kim Nam-joon, also known as RM, is the leader of the South Korean boy band BTS. He is a rapper, record producer, and songwriter.
- RM was born on 12th September, 1994 in Dongjak-gu, South Korea. His family moved to Ilsan-gu when he was 4 or 5 years old. He has a younger sister.
- When he was 11 years old, he heard the song “Fly” by Epik High which perked his interest in hip hop music.
- He used to watch the American sitcom Friends with his mom. This is how he learnt most of his English. He also wrote poems and won many prizes for them. He even posted his poems on poetry sites, where they were appreciated. Due to all these factors, he wanted to pursue a career in writing, but then opted against it.
- Later, his school teacher introduced him to US rapper Eminem, which made him curious about lyricism. He then printed lyrics which he thought were ‘cool’ and shared them with his pals. Later he switched to writing lyrics as he felt that poetry turned into lyrics when it was pooled with music.
- During his first year in middle school, he started rapping in amateur hip-hop joints in his locality. During this period, he also composed his own recording. Then in 2008, he took part in his first rap concert.
- Eventually, he became increasing active in the underground hip-hop circles in the country. He released many tracks under the name ‘Runch Randa’. He also collaborated with Zico and other underground rap artists.
- RM had an IQ of 148 in school. He ranked in the top 1 percent of the country in the university entrance exams for math, language, social studies, and foreign language. Due to such academic accomplishments, his parents did not want him to pursue a career in music. So he thought of focusing on academics and set aside his music. But then he convinced his mother about a career in music by asking he a very poignant question ‘Do you want an average university student for a son or a world-class rapper?’
- RM released his first independent mixtape titled RM in 2015. He released his second solo mixtape in October 2018. Titled Mono, it reached number 26 on the US Billboard 200, thus making it the highest peaking album released by a Korean solo artist.
- He has also worked with numerous artists like Younha, Wale, Warren G, Lil Nas X, Krizz Kaliko, Gaeko, MFBTY, Primary, and Fall Out Boy.
- In 2019, he enrolled for an MBA course in Media and Advertising at Hanyang Cyber University, along with fellow BTS members Suga and J-Hope.
RM-pictures
- Park Ji-min, also known as Jimin, is a South Korean dancer, singer, and songwriter. He became a member of BTS in 2013.
- Jimin was born on 13th October 1995 in Geumjeong District, in Busan, South Korea. He has a younger brother.
- He went to Hodong Elementary School and then to Yonsan Middle School. During his middle schooling days, he also went to Just Dance Academy where he learnt popping and locking style of dancing.
- He then enrolled at Busan High School of Arts to study contemporary dancing. There, he was top of the class in the department of modern dance. He went to give an audition at Big Hit Entertainment when his teacher asked him to audition with a dance company. He cleared the auditions in 2012 and so moved to Korean Arts High School. He graduated from there in 2014.
- In 2020, he graduated with a major in entertainment and broadcasting from Global Cyber University. In 2021, he began attending Hanyang Cyber University for an MBA in Media and advertising.
- The vocals of Jimin have been described to be sweet and delicate. He is also considered to be an exceptional dancer.
- He has stated that the inspiration behind his desire to become a performer as well as a singer was singer/performer Rain.
Jimin – pictures
- Kim Tae-hyung, better known as V, is a South Korean singer, actor, and songwriter. He joined the boy band BTS as a vocalist in 2013.
- He was born on 30th December 1995 in Seo District, in Daegu, South Korea. He was raised in Geochang County. He has a younger sister and brother.
- When in elementary school, V wanted to be a professional singer. His father supported his aspirations. So when in early middle school, he started taking saxophone classes so as to be able to realize his singing career in the future. Later, he auditioned with Big Hit Entertainment and became a BTS trainee.
- In 2014, V graduated from Korean Arts High School. He then went to Global Cyber University, graduating from there with a major in entertainment and broadcasting in August 2020.
- In 2021, he began attending Hanyang Cyber University for an MBA in Media and advertising.
V-pictures
- Jeon Jung-kook, better famous as Jungkook, is a South Korean singer, vocalist, and songwriter. He became a member of BTS in 2013 and is its youngest member.
- He was born on 1st September, 1997 in Busan, South Korea. He has an elder brother. He studied at the Baekyang Elementary and Middle School locate din Busan. After getting selected as BTS trainee, he moved to Seoul’s Singu Middle School.
- As a young boy, he wanted to become a badminton player. However, he later decided to become a singer after watching the performance of G-Dragon in Heartbreaker on TV and getting influenced by it.
- He had auditioned for Superstar K, the Korean talent show, in 2011. He did not get selected, but began receiving offers from other music companies. Eventually, after watching RM perform, he chose to become a BTS trainee with Big Hit Entertainment.
- In the summer of 2012, he went to LA in the US to hone his dancing skills. He then got his training in dance from Movement Lifestyle. Before his BTS debut, he was featured in the music video “I’m Da One” by Jo Kwon. He also appeared as a backup dancer for Glam.
- In 2017, he graduated from the arts high school ‘School of Performing Arts’ located in Seoul. He chose against taking the CSAT’s in November 2016. CSAT’s are the countrywide university entrance examinations in South Korea.
- In 2020, he enrolled at the Global Cyber University, for a major in entertainment and broadcasting.
Jungkook pictures
