Also while kpop isn’t a negative thing when people hear that word they usually have a certain idea of what they think it is or what BTS are, while it is small part of them BTS are different and are big because of their differences from kpop and what people think of K-pop is. Hopefully this makes sense. Also an analogy I would make is that “Kpop” is like BTS grandparents and BTS are the grandkids. While their grandparents is a small part of someone it isn’t who they are as a whole. Hopefully this makes sense.
oh, they didn't started with pop, they started with hiphop.. as a matter of fact, they were supposed to be a hiphop group.. they've been trained by a couple of hiphop legends too... they just explored other genres because they love music... they don't follow the usual kpop structure, tho they do some things that kpop do like weekly music shows and etc. that's why they're kpop but also not kpop.. it's hard to explain through a comment
i am ARMY since 2019 and nobody guided me. I stumbled on them by luck. I AM SO GLAD I DID! Even though they have multi top 10 in the 100BB, they rarely get any play on the radio (BTS is not part of the payola industry) little by little (if you are wiling) you will learn how hard they had to work to be where they are now. APOBANGPO!!! (BTSxARMYxFOREVER)
Taylor's guide would serve as a short introduction to songs rather than a spoiler. While going through the guide, you could also make a list of songs you would like to listen to more : )
The thing about the whole 'kpop label' is that it sometimes comes with a lot of negative connotations associated with that whole industry. Us as fans try to discourage new people getting to know BTS from grouping them into the kpop category because they have completely outgrown that label and it can not describe them as an artist in its entirety. Kpop in fact is a word used by people in the West and foreign media and people in korea refer to the music we call kpop as 'idol music'. There are very different kinds of korean musical artists who sing in korean which are not grouped into kpop- they can be trot singers or korean rock bands or even pop singers which are not grouped into the term 'Kpop'. That is not to say that BTS is not a Kpop group because share certain practices and structure of a normal kpop group like their ways of promotional methods and attending music shows, being grouped into the same award categories with other kpop groups. But one of the reason for their success is the fact they broke away from a lot of common kpop practices and set a lot of new precedents and standards- the fact that they produced, wrote and composed their own music (which was not very common in the kpop industry back in 2013), also they started out as a hip hop group which has now branched into a wide variety of genres, them having a lot more creative freedom in the kind of music they want to or the musical direction of their album and the overall group. They changed a lot of what was 'the norm' in kpop and challenged a lot of ideals and have now become the exception of the whole music industry both in Korea and the West. The whole Kpop vs BTS is a whole dicussion I can say a lot about but I am sure you would learn more about it as you go forward. There are whole video essays surrounding the discussion if you are interested but as of now you can just enjoy the rabbit hole💜
The thing with "k-pop" is that it's not really a genre, it's an industry. When someone say BTS isn't k-pop, it mostly means that they transcend that industry, because they not only got to the point they are now without much help from it, but they were also very international from the very beginning. They are Korean, so they're music would be considered "Korean music" of whatever genre they are doing (Korean pop, Korean rap, Korean r&b), whereas "k-pop", in Korea, is actually called "Idol music": it's a type of music made in that specific industry of Idols. That is the main reason for the debate on whether they are k-pop are not, because while BTS was created in the Idol system, there are lots of things that separate them from it as well.
I found BTS watching a reactor back in 2018. I then watched all BTS content from their debut forward on my own. No two songs sound the same, and they do many genres of music. They are involved in writing and producing their own music, which most K-pop dont do. I tried listening to other groups, but I couldn't get into them. I might like a song here and there, but that is it. Each member in BTS can be a superstar on their own, which they are proving to everyone right now with their solo albums. You put them together its magic.
I hope to get to the solo content at some point in the future, there is so much I have to absorb of them as a group I am not sure when that will be! Thanks!
@@chillbydesign It would be nice if you put these earliest BTS videos into your BTS PLAYLIST, instead of in K-pop. Most ARMY will say they are so far beyond K-pop, and some of us like to watch a RUclipsr's BTS discovery in order.
3:50 Okay, this is kind of a complicated question to answer and also it's a matter of perspective too. The conversation regarding why people say bts in particular isn't/is way beyond k-pop points to the fact that they're, in many ways, an exception to what has been considered "the norm" in kpop. because they've been innovators and game changers for the korean music industry and for what it meant to be an idol (that's the common term used to refer to the members of k-pop groups). I cannot properly express here all the history that has led to that because it goes pretty deep, but don't worry, you'll be able to learn it if you decide to go down this rabbit hole. Also, regarding kpop as whole, something that many people point out is that, rather than it being a single genre of music (since it takes a lot from different already existing genres), it can be more understood as an industry that englobes certain common characteristics in the way these groups work. And it's important to say that not ALL korean music is kpop too. This is a very nuanced conversation that generates a lot of controversy sometimes, but the truth is that, despite the fact that bts come from that industry and still share certain characteristics with it (and they're not ashamed to that aspect of them either), the kpop category /alone/ fails to properly describe what bts represents and has become to this day. So that's why you see many fans telling you that. This is the way i can personally explain it right now, but i hope you give them a chance and get to see it all by yourself! And if you decide to do so, i'd like to suggest for you to also watch "The Most Beautiful Life Goes on: The Story of BTS (2022 UPDATE)" by the Rice Squad. I personally think would be a great complement to what the Taylor Introduction Video says (since her focus is more so you can get to now the members as individuals and artists), and the one I mentioned is more if an overview of their group discography (without many major music spoilers) and things they've achieved together up until the first months of last year, which can help you understand on a general level their career and get a bit up to date with the basics haha. Thanks for your reaction!
2:40 my first encounter with BTS was through their participation in UN General Assembly back in 2018. Outstanding young men delivering important message of ‘Loving Yourself’ - their leader Kim Namjoon a.k.a RM’s speech was eloquent and impressive, which rivals the charisma of world leaders. I remember thinking, what business would a KPop band have in the UNGA? Why were they invited? I believed they must be special, and indeed they are - my precious 7 🥰
For me -- I was a hater at first. Simply because my sister was obsessed and I didn't understand what they were about. My references were western boy bands and the fluffiness that comes with that image. The harder she tried to get me to look and listen, the more I resisted. (It didn't help that the first thing she did was show me how attractive they are -- I've never been into pretty boys who pass into fame on their looks -- which her method made me think that was all this was). Now, I'm 44 damn years old (40 at the time of me finally giving them a shot). I've never been into boy bands. I've historically listened to everything and every genre except rap. The albums in my collection were from people who write their own stuff and had something to say, so a "boy band" certainly wasn't for me. Color me shocked to find out BTS write their own stuff and have something to say. And that I actually liked rap. Because it was them. Because they had something to say in a way that I could get behind. (I know there are other rappers out there who do, too, so don't come at me. I just hadn't come across those beyond the T&A, druggie ish when I was younger and I tuned it out back then without giving it any more attention). After resisting my sister (who is older than me, btw) and poking fun, I stumbled across BTS on a series of late night talk show appearances and saw how humble, funny, and engaging they were in the interviews. I was impressed to hear that they had spoken at the United Nations, and it made me re-evaluate what I had expected. And then they hit the stage and BLEW IT UP. I mean -- what the hell. And they were singing live while doing damn-near gymnastics choregraphy. Then they went back to being humble, goofy friends, hanging out again like it was nothing. Mind. Blown. Into the rabbit hole I went, exploring the BTS Universe storyline that connects several videos, films, books, and a webtoon. Mind more blown. A decade's worth of content came at me like a freight train, to include their variety shows, behind-the-scenes, vacation content, solo works..... Eventually, I checked out other kpop acts expecting similar stuff, but there wasn't anyone doing it like them. Others have come along since, following a similar set up or concept, but BTS are the originals who kicked open the door on the market, shattering the barriers that the Big Three kpop companies confined their groups to. (They came from a small "nobody" company). BTS truly are trailblazers who other acts have scrambled to keep up with or emulate. Many of their concepts and paths toward success have been replicated (with less authenticity, mind you) in an attempt to become "the next BTS". Which is silly, because they are legends who scrapped from the bottom. I'm about to write a tome. I'll stop now and leave it for you to hear in the Taylor video.
thank you for your personal take! I agree, the early 90's formed a preconceived notion of what idol groups are! It's fun to see music and culture evolve over time! I look forward to more evolving and learning!
to simply put it why we say that they are not really kpop is because, yes, they are technically kpop but they are the industry's outlier. i won't explain it further but once you personally understand how and what is kpop, you'll realize as well that bts doesn't really fit in that industry long before (they've passed that label already). one example i can give is that they were given a lot of artistic freedom by their agency since before they debuted, that is not very common in kpop before (even now actually). black swan and on was actually on the same album which is map of the soul 7 that is inspired by carl jung's theory of persona, shadow, and ego. that's why you're feeling a dark vibe on both songs. bts love to release conceptual albums so you'll get the whole story if you listen to the whole album.
When I first discover BTS: i had a set of songs I liked already because i listen them first in a concert (for me a two hours video) and my sister, who was already an ARMY, told me they also do this or that... But what I did was downloading the songs I liked from the concert, and listen to them, and searching for the translations and watching the videos, and very quick I knew they were the most special thing ever happened to me. OT7 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜
I first heard them in the Samsung phone commercial. They sang Butter and I liked it a lot. Then my 9 yr old son started playing it on his iPad. I asked, “who is this? They sound really good.” He said, “It’s BTS. Their songs are really cool. You should listen to them.” I started listening to more of their music… and loved them. That’s how I slowly became an ARMY 🥰 😊 after I watched the guide by Taylor I appreciated them more, not just for their music, but them as people. I love how humble, wholesome and down to earth they are.
I think you really got the spirit of the song, it's something like, "bring the pain, we can handle, even with pain we can still continue being and doing the best" hahaha
No one guided me 😄 I was in my 20’s when I first heard blood, sweat and tears.. I listened to it repeatedly without even knowing their names.. I slowly started listening to other songs, then their names, their vlogs, and fell in love😄🫶🏼💜 every member is precious and you’ll fall in love with each of them just for what they are as a person♥️
fun fact, my mom got me into bts. my sister got her into them. i had heard butter and dynamite on the radio, but i didn't really know them. my first dive into bts was when my mom let me watch one of the livestreams of the concert. my sister bought my mom a ticket to watch the concert live and mom let me watch it with her. that was april of last year. it's been a wild year for me, since it's chapter 2 of bts right now lol
Their lyrics are just as important as the music and performance. Because BTS is part of the music making process. They just don’t get things handed to them and say y’all have to sing this and play this and act like this. This is what makes BTS unique in the k pop industry
47 yr old ARMY here. They say BTS finds you when you need them. I found BTS on my own just before the concert pandemic, and I am thankful for that everyday. I have an immune disorder, and I didn’t leave my house for about a year and a half. BTS gave me so much comfort and support during the worst time of my life - through their music, they variety shows, their behind the scenes videos and their live stream pep talks. And yes, BTS is Kpop in that they are Koreans who make popular music. BTS uses this term themselves and are proud of being Kpop idols. I think some people argue that BTS is global and transcends Kpop, but I don’t think BTS see it that way. Also, BTS was an indie group who sort of skirted pass the traditional entertainment industry and did their own thing, achieving even higher success. For this reason, some people want to see them separated from Kpop as an industry.
I think watching Boracity magazines video of BTS vs K-pop is a good introduction to the argument. My understanding of the topic is that K-pop is not a genre, but an industry. Typically, in K-pop, labels have a bunch of young people that they put through training for years (in dancing, singing, rapping, etc). Then they put them in groups to test their chemistry. Then they finalize who works well with who, officially put them in a group, give them a concept and look, and give them usually upbeat, catchy, high production music, with generally basic lyrics, and tell them to sing the song and do the choreography. The labels (big3) have a lot of $$ and influence in the industry so even before debut, they can create lots of hype and promos for the groups so that they are in your face once they debut. BTS and their label started off that way in my opinion. They also put the boys through training, gave them a hip hop concept, etc. what set them apart from other labels/groups though is that BTSs label was small, poor, and not influential whatsoever. They didn’t have the power or money to put the boys on shows, radio, etc. they also didn’t have the funds to get them high production videos. To their brilliance or luck, RM was a poet, so he could write meaningful lyrics, Suga was a producer, so he could produce some of their work, Jhope was dance leader, so he could help with the choreography. And that made them more special versus factory made groups. That made them more authentic because the music they were coming out with were actually from themselves and held more meaning, and resonated with people. And that’s their brand. Their music (after you follow their journey) puts you through a journey. You feel the pain or happiness they were going through when the music was written On top of that, because BTS wasn’t part of the big3, they were shunned by the other labels and music industry, so they had to find their own path. They didn’t go through the regular channels and had to find their own way. So if k-pop is an industry, and they shunned BTS from it, do we let them claim BTS as K-pop now that they’re big? 🤔 I think that’s the debate Personally, I think BTS started off in K-pop but evolved into something beyond K-pop. I was introduced to bts by my cousin who was staying with me for a few months. She didn’t guide me, but she messed up my RUclips algorithms so I kept getting BTS related videos in my suggestions. So I ended up watching videos here and there, then more and more, and learned about their background and all the politics, and here I am today. I think I started in Feb 2022, but didn’t admit to becoming an army until Oct 2022 after the whole Busan concert thing and the enlistment power move. The Taylor guide you are about to watch is only up to date until May 2022 so you won’t know the reference. So much has happened since then it’s crazy. I’m happy you’re giving them a chance. They are truly special. Some other people might not agree with this but I think it’s important to check out some other groups too. How will you know BTS is the best or special if you don’t know what else is out there? Like many others, there’s a few songs here and there from other groups that I’ll listen to, but I don’t follow other groups this in depth, coz truthfully, they’re very surface level for me. Doesn’t offer much more then a pretty face or catchy song. I can think of a very popular group right now that I think is a great talking point. To me they are the epitome of K-pop. Factory made, fancy videos, meaningless lyrics, just catchy and pretty faces. I’m not going to name them, but let’s see where it goes from here. Rarely will you find other K-pop groups able to strip away all the fancy sets and outfits and just stand or sit there on stage and sing a song. But bts can, and they can also put other groups to shame with their live high energy performances. See for yourself. 💜
@@chillbydesign I think "the pain" that BTS is referring to is the difficult process of finding and accepting the Map Of The Soul SHADOW parts of one's self. The word "shadow" is in the first two verses. Bookish Theories has lots of BTS explanation videos, and goes into a lot of detail about the MOTS-connected songs and videos. ruclips.net/video/ycKToxBQIBs/видео.html For refence, and to understand a little more of why BTS has such a wide range of ages and education level ardent fans, various introduction videos (past and more recent), and some explanation channels such as the above, along with DKDKTV, XCeleste, SUGA and spice, etc, help understand the depth of meanings, references, and connections in their lyrics and videos that delight us so much more than most groups of any genre. Then there are things like Accident, Fall and Faint videos, that show what they endure to give us those OTT performances . BTS are wonderful, ALL-AROUND ENTERTAINERS, that help create and perform all sorts of entertainments, including the hilarious contest series, RUN BTS; the fascinating, enigmatic BANGTAN UNIVERSE fictional storyline that appears more or less throughout their works; the travel series, BON VOYAGE; webtoons, BT21; documentaries; behind the scenes, BANGTAN BOMBS; Vlogs; concerts; etc.
@@chillbydesign Boracity magazine is a must. She knows a lot. And by the way, as for today (19.08) she has already published a video with the explanation of BTS discography. Check it out for yourself, it will guide you without giving too much spoilers.. Also for deeply explanation on their lyrics, I recommend you the channel Bookish theories. Have fun.
I'm almost 40 but discovered them in 2018. I head a song or two from them before but wasn't into the group till 2018. My kid was ARMY and wanted to see a concert so I thad taken them to it. Before the actual concert my kid introduced me to their music, and "DOPE" started to draw me in.... Then "Singularity" but mainly "Truth Untold" was what captivated me. Finally the concert came and even though I couldn't understand the lyrics I was moved by them. I actually remembering tearing up not understand why, later finding out what I felt was true to the songs intentions. So while I found them, ARMY is what made FALL for them. Never met a fandom so open and accepting and I felt like I finally found my people. At my age finding new music that resonates do deeply, music that affects you on sucha profound level is really rare. Never had music come into my life and had me question "am I happy?" "how do I see myself?". Lastly, the realization I wasn't being true to who I REALLY was and never did I TRULY love myself. Their music and ARMY became a catalyst for introspection and change within myself. Best accidentlal decision I ever made was to finding BTS and ARMY. I only hope more people find them and it impacts their lives in such a positive way as it did mine. 💜
did someone translate the meanings of the songs for you, or do you speak Korean fluently enough that you were able to understand it right away? Unofrtunately, I don't speak Korean, so I have to rely on others to help me understand~
@Chill By Design I later got the official translation for the songs from bighit. I was frantically searching after the post concert high. I've been to many concerts over the years (3days Grace, Disturbed, Lindsey Stirling, etc...) but can say most artists don't hold a candle to BTS concerts. I didn't know Korean but started to learn because I knew depth gets lost in translation. The lyrics led me to buy books to read like ones on Jungian Psychology.
I’m a 53 year-old ARMY, so as you can see there are many older fans which love BTS. They are not your typical “boyband”, since their music speaks to a much larger demographic than young girls. K-Pop is more considered an industry than a genre. BTS has multiple genres of music and it started out outside the norm of the top 3 K-Pop companies. Since they were from a small company, for the first few years since their debut, they were heavily outed by the competing companies which controlled the KPop industry in South Korea. This is why a lot of their fans do not like to associate them with the KPop industry. Their company gave them a lot more musical freedom than the other KPop companies do, so they write and produce most of their own stuff rather than just singing songs written for them to sing. Thank you for giving BTS another chance to show you more of their variety of songs. I hope you continue your journey down the BTS rabbit hole! They are amazing artists with a deep love for their fans. 💜
In 2018 my eldest daughter found them as she naturally explores different music from around the world. At thr time my preconceptions of KPop stopped me listening. My biggest regret I'd that I did not go with her to Wembley to see them. 2 years later during the pandemic my younger daughter listened to her older sister for once and started listening. She was washing dishes in the kitchen for me and i heard Vs voice in the song The Truth Untold ring out with passion and sorrow "I'm so afraid" that it captured me. Both daughters then guided me through a few songs to start. Then I discovered their personalities through Run BTS variety show and behind the scenes. They are good people, good role models, their lyrics have meaning and they know how they have responsibility for what they say to people listening, humble, adorable goof balls. Still here 2 and a half years later loving everything they do 💜
You know what else I did?? I downloaded and printed their choreography (the list of songs), because i was decided to get all the music, and mark which songs I liked the most.... And I am still behind, because they are so many!! (I started at the beginning of this year) Anyway, i have listened to old songs mixed with new... Maybe if I would have the chance to do it again, i would have started to listen to their songs in chronological order... So that I can notice the evolution... But i was so much in love from the beginning i wanted everything!!! 😂😂 My advice then: try to do it chronologically. Their debut song is: no more dream (2013) From that one on, i am sure you will have fun. And maybe you won't believe me, but there is no waste when it comes to BTS. All the songs are good. Some you will like more than others but ALL are good. They are just too talented. We don't deserve them😅😅
the way i found bts was through twitter cause some of my friends started liking them and told me to give them a chance. sadly most people wont find bts from radio besides a few songs mostly the ones in english that barely represent their music cause radio doesnt play non english songs. armys are very passionate because bts deserve it but also because theres so many misconceptions and just wrong information out there spread by mainstream media and influential people that we as fans have to get each new person to forget whatever they thought they knew about bts. thats why the guides and informational videos exist because while as you can tell from comments we do love explaining at some point its just better to drop the video link and then go into more details after the person absorbs the information from the guides.
I think people in the comments already talk about this mv enough so Idk what to say more XD I'm a 36 years old ARMY from Brazil, nobody guided me when I started to listen to them in 2021. I was seeing mvs and them I went to know more about them and let me tell you: they are the most kind and fun people. Not fake, not "I think", they really have so much behind videos and lives that you can FELL they are REAL. I grew up in the 90s, was a fan of Backstreet Boys, and later, fan of One Direction. No one hit me like BTS did and does. Changed my life. 2021 was a really difficult year in my life and if wasn't for BTS and my bff, I think I would fall for depression again. Thank you for reaction to them. I loved what you said in your intro, I was listen and think "what a smart and open mind person!". Really happy someone like you found BTS! As for other groups, I like Tomorrow x Together, same agency as BTS. Girl group I love New Jeans, they dont have 1 year yet but are so fun and innocent, I love it! Really like Stray Kids too (boy group). But for me, nobody is like BTS. They have a special place in my heart
I first listened to BTS in 2014 with their song N.O. It was about school hierarchy and it wasn’t something that interests me so I stopped there. I later was introduced again in 2016 with their song GOGO and it was something that I could get behind but it still wasn’t really resonating with me.. it wasn’t until I heard spring day that really got me into them because it spoke about losing a loved one which at the time I had just lost my father. It was then that I fell into this wonderful rabbit hole and since then have not came out of it and don’t want to. It was then that I understood that you don’t come to BTS, BTS comes to you. They came to me when I needed them the most and that’s when I learned to love myself. They are amazing group of boys. Thank you for giving them a chance. This journey is an amazing journey to walk on and ARMY will be here to guide you.
Great reaction! And good analysis of the lyrics. This song is from the same album/era as Black Swan. Also Fun Fact: the first woman they show at the beginning of the video is Sienna Lalau, the choreographer of this specific dance! Don’t worry about pausing to give your thoughts.
I guess ON can be considered a dark song. It was released as part of their album Map of the Soul:7 in 2020, an album designed in a way that says “this is who we are right now, we are 7 guys who have been in this journey for 7 years.” On is about them accepting that this is their status now, this is how people see them now. Their fame and reputation comes with pain, feels like a prison but a beautiful prison because it also comes with a lot of positives. The album was supposed to mark the end of the chapter 1 of their careers. They were supposed to have a world tour in 2020 and by the end of it, they will start serving the mandatory military service required for all South Korean men. They had just a nicely well-thought plan of how to go about their military service but the pandemic happened so all plans were derailed. So they wrapped up their chapter 1 mid last year instead and 2 of the members are serving the military now with the rest following in the next few months. They plan to be all back as 7 by 2025.
I first knew them in 2015 while watching some kpop youtube reactions. I had friends that liked bts and other kpop groups but tbh I wasn't really interested in music as I'm now, so I didn't stan them until 2020. I saw their carpool karaoke and I looked up the songs because they sounded really amazing and I spend that weekend watching more of the videos that youtube was recommending. I decided to join twitter so I could be more connected, i started to see more tweets with videos that seemed funny and I started to look for more of their content outside of music. As i decided to dive into their whole discography i was really surprised to discover more and more songs that i liked, i heard some popular kpop groups but tbh even if i enjoyed some songs they didn't attract me as much as bts.
I’m actually happy you asked the question how we came across our groups. I actually became an ARMY a couple of years ago and have been in this ever since. I was going through a rough patch in my life and actually stumbled across there live performance of ‘magic shop’ and it hit me hard. Ever since then I’ve dug deeper into BTS and realized they also have had a lot of hardships. They are so inspirational and the values they stand for is just refreshing. To know how a group as big as they are always remember they came from the bottom. As for the K-pop question is that the reason why we don’t really consider them kpop is because they received a lot of backlash from the kpop industry thus they have become their own genre. They aren’t idols or rappers but BTS. They have stepped outside the stereotypes and that’s the reason for most of us ARMY we don’t think of them as part of the kpop industry. I’d highly suggest watching the guide because it’ll give you more of an insight of what they came from and what they stand for. Hope you enjoy them as much as us ARMY does 💜💜
You mentioned 'Magic Shop' caught you. Did you understand the lyrics/translation while listening to it, or did you dig into the meaning after begin hooked on the song and hearing it a few times more? I feel that some people get offended when I don't catch the meaning on the first listen, which is interesting to me as a reactor, since I am trying to absorb lyrics, music, and visuals at the same time as watching choreography of pretty, pretty people and not associating it with some background lore I haven't learned yet. But thank you for your perspective, it has been a wild ride and I look forward to learning more!
@@chillbydesign I recommend reacting to the lyrics on their own as well as some breakdowns made by ARMYs or other channels(after getting their permission).
I first heard BTS on the radio in Sweden (where I live) in 2018 (Boy with Love with Halsey). I liked the song but I didn’t listen to it on my own. BTS was played now and then on the radio for the coming years but it was when I started watching Asian movies and series they started to show up as recommendations on YT. Eventually I considered checking them out more active and then I was hooked. This was 1,5 year ago. They are a daily thing in my life nowadays. 💜
In 2015, I searched on RUclips “K-pop” and watched a compilation video of various groups. DOPE showed up, and I was immediately drawn in. Then I saw Jungkook, and that started my journey down the BTS rabbit hole. Been ARMY since 2015.
Thankfully my country was kinder to foreign language music than US will ever be..heard of kpop since 2000s, heard of Bts since 2017 but never really paid attention..the just before the pandemic hits, early 2020, Black Swan came out and was blown away by the sheer artistry..thank goodness they kept me busy during the height of the pandemic diving deep into the Bts story, my mental health was spared 💜
personally I think yes, BTS is kpop. I watched a video some time ago when the guy talked about it and what he basically said is that they have trailers, teasers, comebacks, stages etc. they "operate" as a kpop group so they are kpop. I agree with this completely. them having all this international success or music that can often sound different to the "usual" kpop sound, doesn't change that. I discovered them around 2020. I completely randomly watched some documentary about a girl kpop group here on RUclips, so naturally yt recommended me a bunch of other kpop related videos. one of which was Dynamite dance practice. there was so much SWAG in that video that I got curious. it also happens that I work with two computer screens, so I had work stuff on one and I would literally watch all day random bts videos on the other. zero guidance 😂. I quite enjoyed your reaction and I also want to say that honest opinions are always welcomed (by reasonable people at least. some fans are crazy) so if you happen to not like something, always feel free to say it. see you in your next one
Hi! Thanks for the great reaction, looking forward to more! This is going to be a long comment, but please bare with me. I discovered BTS through their song Dynamite, which as you know was really big, although I had heard some of thier songs (like Fake Love) before. Is BTS Kpop? While many Armys like to say that BTS isn't really Kpop, I don't think it is wrong to say that BTS IS Kpop. Kpop usually refers to the industry in Korea that consists of popular music groups made up of young performers. Koreans refer to these groups as "idols", and they are basically "upgraded" or "improved" versions of western/Japanese boy bands and girl bands. "Idol" wannabes typically audition for different entertainment agencies to become trainees. Then the agencies select and put together these trainees into groups and train them. BTS does fall under this label because BTS is made up of seven young performers who were put together by then Big Hit Entertainment. Now here's why I think a lot of people like to say BTS aren't really Kpop: 1) BTS was originally intended to become a hip-hop group. Both RM and Suga were underground rappers before they joined BTS. They were the first two members to join BTS, and they very much intended to rap and produce hip-hop music. Although BTS ultimately debuted as a hip-hop "idol" group, this identity they started with still remains strongly present to this day. This is very different from most other Kpop groups because most other Kpop group members start off their journey wanting to become Kpop idols. They audition to become Kpop idols. 2) BTS has had significantly more creative freedom compared to other Kpop groups. Because of the nature of the Kpop industry, Kpop groups are usually solely the performers of what their labels put out. It is usually the labels that set the musical direction of the groups, and the groups simply perform what is given to them. BTS, however, has always put out music and content that are very much of their interests and intent, thanks to their producer Bang PD who insisted it be that way. Almost all of their songs are written or co-written by BTS members (especially the rapline), and thus, listeners often feel that their lyrics are real and sincere. A lot of their songs are also produced/co-produced by the members. 3) Although Kpop is more of an industry than a genre, it is important to note that certain genres ARE preferred over others in the Kpop industry. Labels typically seek music that 1) is catchy and appeals to the general public and 2) allows a large group to showcase dancing and other on-stage performances. Naturally, a lot of Kpop groups end up leaning towards dance music (upbeat, EDM-influenced). Now, that is not to say that other Kpop groups aren't diverse musically. But still, BTS has a discography that is much more diverse and versatile even compared to other Kpop groups. Their music often deviates from genres that are typically seen in the Kpop industry. Now, a little bit about the song: ON is the title track for their 4th studio album Map of the Soul: 7. Black Swan is also on the album, and that is why you may have spotted some overarching themes in the lyrics. Map of the Soul: 7 is based on the psychiatrist Carl Jung's psychological theories: hence the songs on the album Intro: Persona, Interlude: Shadow, and Outro: Ego. Black Swan is the song that is placed right after Interlude: Shadow and therefore explores the concept of Shadow more, while ON is placed towards the end of the album, closer to Outro: Ego.
I would just add on the subject of whether BTS is K-pop...the band itself has stated that they prefer not to be pigeonholed into just the K-pop category. They simply transcend that category. They do some songs that resemble K-pop more, but they also do multiple other genres and are always challenging themselves in that way, whether as a group or as soloists. In addition, they did three songs fully in English and that were mostly (if not entirely) written/produced by Western songwriters/producers. The only thing that made those songs "K-pop" in the traditional sense of the word was that the people singing them were Korean. If they had done those songs with a country music twang, would you still call them K-pop? Not likely.
And we must remember that k-pop now take lot influense from BTS, so some part k-pop kind of keep tagging themself in BTS not actually kpop😅, if you understand what I'm try to say😂 sorry my english...
So kinetic manifesto was actually my first video. at the time i would check out the trending page on youtube. This was #1 so I checked it out. I must have watched it 7 times in a row, just in awe. I was just amazed, trying to understand what I was watching. If you haven't already, there is a behind the scenes doc about the making of this song(not talking about the video but the song itself), more about the US production side, its quite cool.
This video was set to be their final album and their last 2 videos ("ON" and "Black Swan"). They were set to each go into the military beginning in 2020. BTS wanted to let their fans know that they would not leave them behind. So they set up the album 7 and the songs "ON" and "Black Swan" as a way to let their audience know that they were going away but would be back after a short break so they could replenish themselves, do their duty as Koreans, work on personal albums that they had mostly written or were working on. That was at the beginning of 2020 I think both songs came out in FEB of 2020 and just as they started to promote the album COVID hit. They had to cancel all their world tours (there were alot) and they also canceled all their plans for the military, well they put them on hold. They started to do the things they had planned in 2020 in 2023. ON was really their goodbye song. As for me I have been watching BTS since 2013. A reactor for a group I watched back then had a special they said, it was another independent boy group and BTS came out with We Are Bulletproof, pt 2. I was hooked.
The first song I heard from BTS was micdrop and it was a recommendation that RUclips gave me and out of curiosity I saw it. I was very impressed and started to find out, watch their videos and those of other ARMYs with information.Without realizing it, I'm already his fan, although I only consider myself Baby ARMY. I have a lot left to learn. The truth is that I admire them a lot, they are very complete and excellent artists. Greetings
kpop isnt a genre its many genres however kpop is a thing the west created that term doesnt really exist in korea. bts didnt start in pop they started as a hip hop group they dont do pop music its a mixture of genres one being pop but theyre not a "pop" group therefore not kpop either. koreans call groups as idol groups but it you remove the idol groups theres a lot more to the korean music industry. there the underground and indie artists, there mainstream hip hop groups/solo artists. there ballad singers theres trot singers, theres rock groups and there even pop artists that arent considered idols. what you have to understand is every single country has complex histroy which includes music history its not just simply this is kpop. for example you have ariana grande, jay z and nirvana. you wouldnt put them all in one category right? you wouldnt say this is A pop (american pop) because two of these artists/group dont make pop music. that same logic is what should be applied to music from other countries. language isnt a genre. also it makes even less sense to call certain artists as kpop just for making music in korean for example a artist like jackson wang or lisa from blackpink or momo from twice. jackson is chinese, lisa is thai and momo is japanese yes they sing in korean but its weird how western people would lump all together as kpop. to me its better to say korean music. when it comes to bts specifically they do all genres starting as a hip hop group hip hop is their base genre meaning no matter the song you will find hints of hip hop in almost every song. and they surpassed any limitations of genre, region etc theyre not just a big "kpop" group theyre the biggest group in the world just as big as the biggest solo artists in the world and in some ways bigger than even them when you compare tour numbers stadium seats albums sold etc many american/western artists are huge in western countries but are hardly global and can barely pull numbers in asian or african countries or even south american countries. english media exaggerates american/western artists popularity and downplays artists like bts to keep people narrow minded into thinking english has superiority. when theres asian, african, latin etc artists who are much bigger and more global but have a hard time breaking into the american/western markets due to the corruption within radio and billboard. all this being said bts are very much korean artists but theyre not limited to kpop and have little in common with artists part of the kpop system. bts write and produce their own music and theyre one of the reasons the kpop system is changing and slowly getting better with things like artists having creative freedom and freedoms in general. since bts is helping the industry to become better thats why its difficult to see the difference between bts and other groups until you actually dig into the music. connection. authenticity etc theres a lot of concrete things that make bts different its not just based on opinion like "this group is the best cause i said so". bts is the reason why anyone knows what kpop is 95% of the time and this was done without help from any industry. youll learn more as you go and youll see how bts is different until then youll have to just take our word for it.
I heard their song “Run & I Need You” on the mainstream radio in my country of Australia in 2015 for the very first time and really enjoyed the vocals & music and became intrigued so went to find out who sung the songs when I found out it was BTS I had heard them being mentioned by many of the Korean, Japanese & Thai actors that I watched in BL’s, Lakorns & Kdramas already, so naturally binged watched all the older content available & found my fellow ARMYs & OG ARMYs YT channels such as Jose, XCeleste, Cameron Phillips that I was able to watch newer content and news/updates as it was released as it wasn’t available in my country.
There are actually 2 marching bands involved with this song. The recording is done with UCLA marching band, and the Concord Blue Blue Devils are in the actual video, you see them at the end
High five to marching band/drum corps experience!!! I marched before so I know how you feel!! I did not really listen to Kpop that time until 2 months ago (thanks to BTS). To be honest, when this song came out in 2020, I was excited to check this out because of the Blue devils. But I was disappointed because the sound was not what I expected. I was impressed by their choreography but I know Kpop groups were known for their crazy moves. I think I saw their car pool and crosswalk performances with James Corden and I really liked their personalities but did not dig in further at that time. However, just 2 months ago I rediscovered BTS and fell in love with them since then!!! I have enjoyed my journey with them so far! And because of them, I started to listen to Kpop!
I was just looking for instrumentals to use for a D&D game back in 2017. I came across some covers of BTS songs - really liked them, and then watched some of their videos - I think RUN and DOPE were some of the first ones I saw. It happened to be right around the time Spring Dy was released, and that's when I became ARMY. I didn't really join the community until a few months later. No one guided me, I just listened to all of their discography and watched Bangtan Bombs and Run BTS (series, not the song). I watched fan cams of the Wings tour and eventually was able to go to concerts myself. It's an amazing journey - I love the music, and BTS are truly good humans. I've learned so much about myself and life, and people in general because of them. I'm 30 BTW.
This song is on the same album as Black Swan and is still talking about the Shadow part of the personality, so not surprised you're still feeling like it's a touch dark.
Oooh, my BTS story is kinda not complicated. I got into Kdramas a few years back, I just love them. I was on a kdrama group on facebook and someone asked if I'd ever listened to BTS. I was like, nah. I'm not really into boybands. They said just try it, you'll be surprised. So I gave it a go. First MV was Blood Sweat and Tears and I was SO impressed. Then I found more songs, and then I saw some other content like Run BTS and so on and the more I get to know them and their music the more I appreciate them. I discovered them in May of 2020 and they REALLY helped me get through the worst of the pandemic when I was just isolated from everyone and everything. I had something to look forward to that made me smile and laugh and dance around when I was feeling low.
Taylor's guide wont be a big music spoiler. But dont worry that you might be bored, because you will be fascinated from start to end. Nobody led me into BTS, I got there under my own steam, as a 70 year old woman (68 at the time) I had never been the fan of any group or musician before.
im 63 years old, im in bts when i heard the song "Boy with Love",thru my granddaughter classmate who visited her,2019 then i searched in youtube the song, and i was captivated one of the member who standout among the 6 guys...its JIMIN 💜💜💜 on that day i been searching and following BTS...that i become a fan an Army. BTS songs,variety shows, become my stressed reliever taking care of my bedridden husband..
Jungkook the MAIN vocalist was doing the ad libs. He's well known for his ad libs and harmonising in BTS. He was the one that did the solo high register before the dance break.
Black Swan and On are both songs from the album: MAP OF THE SOUL:7. This album is heavily inspired by Jung´s psychoogy (together with the album Persona). While in the album Persona the main topic is ones persona - "the outer or assumed aspect of character", this album rather focuses on the other 2 components of ones self - "shadow" and "ego". So put in non scietific ways - the topic is - facing who you really are, the mask you put on - persona, your dark side (fears, weaknesses, bad traits) and your ego . In a way this series is a deep dive int ones self, a journey of self-discovery and acceptance.
Hii... To answer your question I'm in general a kpop fan (huge army). My k-pop journey didn't start with BTS. I slowly came for them after listening to 4-5 groups. Although I still love all of them equally, I won't deny why BTS holds the highest place...
I got to know BTS when a friend recommended the song dynamite when I was most depressed in my life. At the age of 23, I moved with my family from the city where I lived alone for 8 years. I had no interest in kpop before, even I had a prejudice, so I didn't listen to their korean songs (maybe for a week). The same friend suggested the variety show Run Bts and I loved it. So for me, their personalities came before their songs, I wondered how those songs were, and I dived into their archives. Glad I dived in, they made me a happier person. 💜
Where does 'Run BTS' fall under if I were to put a chronological list together of what to watch next? Should I watch it before some MVs or the Bangtan Universe videos? It sounds informative!
@@chillbydesign I think you should continue with their team songs first, at least the classics (like no more dream, fire, dna, blood sweat and tears, fake love) It's okay to watch run bts before or after. Since there are so many chapters, I suggest you start with the most loved ones.
@@chillbydesign There is no chronological. You can dive into both songs and "Run BTS" the variety shows together if you want. A lot of BTS music are deep and relatable in daily life and the variety show Run BTS will show you who they are and the dynamic of the group. Watching their personalities and their love towards each other will warm your heart.
During the beginning of Covid, I was stuck at home, not feeling well, and bored, so I was watching RUclips videos. After several days of seeing BTS videos recommended, I finally gave in and watched a video. I was immediately smitten and just explored everything I could find about them online. Now, 3 years later, I am ARMY through and through and will always be. K-pop stands for Korean popular music, yes, but it's actually an industry, not a genre. K-pop started in the 90s, so their "popular music" developed with TV, not radio. Because of that, visuals are every bit as important as the sound of the music. Unlike with America and Europe, whose music developed more for radio than TV. K-pop groups are put together by companies who specialize in this kind of entertainment. There used to be 3 main companies, although BTS' company is now considered a 4th major company, because of the success of BTS. Young men and women are recruited and become idol trainees, living together in dorms and going to classes to improve their skills as an upcoming idol. Kind of like a training camp, except it can last for years, until they're chosen for a group and debut or they are eliminated from training and sent home. K-pop music is traditionally targeted to teenagers, particularly girls, and the subjects of their music tend to reflect that. Before BTS, most teenagers stopped listening to K-pop as they got into their 20s. BTS, however, has always addressed socio-political topics unusual for K-pop groups and as they have aged and grown, so has their music. Because they address topics that are a lot more serious than bubble-gum pop, their music resonates with people of all ages and all walks of life. BTS loves ARMY every bit as much as ARMY loves BTS, and BTS has a habit of writing songs to and for ARMY. Not all, but most of their songs that could be talking about the relationship between two people are actually talking about the relationship between BTS and ARMY, especially the songs after their first couple of albums. RM has even said that BTS is dating ARMY, as a whole, rather than individual people. It's a very unique relationship, just like BTS is a very unique group.
You are correct they are from Korea You are incorrect that they started in pop. They were actually conceptualized and formed from day one to be a hip hop group. Since then by way of their growth as a group they have transitioned to include multiple genres including pop. Also K-pop does not refer to the genre of pop music it was begun as a generic Western term referring to Korean popular music, which has always been inclusive of many genres.
that's how I've grown used to using it, a generic term for Korean music. It seems a lot of people want to specify the term to idol music, which is a shame, because I will probably continue to call all Korean music 'Kpop' and be reprimanded for it!
@@chillbydesign Not necessarily K-pop is an accepted term for Korean music. As long as it's clear that you don't think K-pop is only the pop genre. I think you've made it clear that you don't. Idol groups themselves often refer to their music as K-pop.
im a little late but first of all, i discovered bts through a cousin who was into them back in 2018. i so clearly remember her singing "nOT TOday" with headphones in and i thought she was so goofy lol. from then, i would listen to some of their songs, without looking into the group itself (i think i was too young to care about that tbh) by 2019, my cousin had stopped listening to them but i just got even deeper into bts as well as the rest of kpop. also, the "is bts kpop" thing: imo, i think they are kpop since they play such a big part of it. i see kpop as a whole industry, not just a genre like american pop. since in kpop, there are SO MANY genres, ranging from rock to rnb to pop to hiphop and so on. ig for bts' case, theyre just an international kpop group, but still kpop. i mean thats what i think but some fans like to say theyre a whole other thing, or as yoongi put it: "im too big to fit in the kpop category" - agust d 2016 wow that was a big comment oops. have a nice day now
9:23 I dont remember the exate place but this was filmed in LA and black swan was also filmed in the US 4:50 For Bts one of the best site to look up translations is doolset, also i really would like to see you read the lyrics to if u want i think it will be cool to here ur comment on it since we can't really heare ur point of view on the lyrics during the reaction 7:14 On is in the same album as Black swan (BS was a pre-relise) 2:30 I randomly stunble on a funny edit of theme on yt and then listened to Dna and well i'm still here so yeah I juste found them randomly i dont even remember what video it was but i'm really happy about it
My teen age boy played Fornite and Watch a choreography of BTS in the game, so he looked up for the dance practices and showed it to me. And then, I looked more by myself. And Not just the way they dance, but the lyrics of their songs… lyrics of confort, Love yourself, Love others the way they are… great songs! And the music!! You’ll be amaze
3:40 As someone who has listened to k-pop since the 90s, there was always a distinction between k-pop and korean music, specifically in korea. To the US, k-pop just means korean music or korean pop/korean popular music. But in korea, k-pop is pretty much idol music. Idol music is a music industry where it's mostly fan service. Idols get trained to sing and dance and attract an audience, feeding people fantasies. They don't in general write their own music. They are not taken seriously by the public and musical artists. It has changed A LOT however since around the end of 2nd Generation and during 3rd Generation of kpop, especially with the coming of BTS and other kpop groups. Kpop idols are starting to get more involved in the artistry and the music. That all being said, yes, BTS debuted as kpop and in some ways they still are kpop. But they are also beyond kpop. It's hard to explain, but they are both. They are kpop and beyond hahahaha. The group started out as having more rappers because they were going to be more hip-hop and rap, but when the group's direction started to gear towards more kpop, a lot of the original members left before debut because kpop is looked down on. BTS did/does kpop music shows, lots of choreo, and a ton of other things synonymous with the world of kpop. But they have also gone beyond that, pushing genres, their uncommon lyric topics and messages, etc etc. You'll learn more the more you delve into them. It's been quite a ten year journey (and more if you count pre-debut) so far.
You had way more experience that I did when I first listened to BTS. I had never listened to any kpop before (besides PSY's Gangnam Style...which I didn't know was kpop until months after discovering BTS). So I hadn't heard any of their music and I had no other kpop songs in my mind to make any comparisons. I wasn't even that interested in them when I chose the song, I just wanted to hear Halsey's new music since I liked her stuff a lot. Then I was hooked and wanted to figure out their names and who they were and see if they had more stuff that was just as good. I didn't have anyone to guide me so I played it safe and (after some random exploring) I just spent a week binge listening to their albums from the first to the last. Then I discovered a compilations of their funny moments and found out that they had a bunch of shows and stuff. It's just a lot of content. I haven't had a BTS-less day since and I still have more than enough content to consume still. Especially since they're constantly coming out with more things.
I took a quiz today just to see if I could recognize the BTS members with the few videos I've seen. I failed miserably with a 30%. It will take a lot more videos to recognize all the members, for me!
I’m a 46 year old woman from London and none of my friends or family are into them. All my army family are people that I initially met through the internet. K-pop is definitely not a ‘bad term’ and technically it is what they are. It’s basically a blanket term for Korean music. I personally just think that bts have massively evolved into their own thing entirely. ✌️💜
You might be interested to know that the music was recorded in LA by the UCLA marching band and the concert band and the UCLA Blue Devils drum corps. The video was filmed in the LA River basin at the Sepulveda dam. The backup dancers are a well-known Dance troupe called The Lab.
I am very interested! I used to catch every DCI annual competition and lost my mind when the Blue Devils performed! I don't recognize the dam's name, but it looks advanced, like something out of a Star Trek movie! It makes a perfect backdrop
I am a newer ARMY, Jan. 2022, and a senior (70). To answer your question,, the location is Sepulveda Dam, in Los Angeles, near Dodger Stadium. I live about 40 miles south, in Orange County, near Disneyland.
For lyrics, Doolset Bangtan has some of the best translations and cultural contexts. I highly recommend it. No one turned me to BTS. I found them by accident through RUclips and their version of Savage Love. I had no preconceptions about their music but I realized I watch their Blood, Sweat, and Tears MV in college when it recently came out because I was curious about Kpop and it was the mostly highly recommended one online. BST was a little intimidating for the me at the time and couldn't quite get into it. That was fortunate so I could actually focus on my studies and unfortunate because I could have been a fan and supported them for longer and actually been to a concert. One of the first songs I listened to when I started getting to know them in 2021 and held as my favorite for awhile was Life Goes On. Curious, I delved a little deeper and fell into the famous BTS rabbit hole. I have not emerged since.
Hi there and welcome! I found BTS on my own initially. MIC Drop got me started, then of course I started getting more of their content and engaging with other fans. Then I watched Taylor's Guide to BTS and was drawn in even further, to their Variety show Run BTS for example. This MV is one of the best choreographed MV's I've ever seen and I'm Gen X, been around since MV's started 😁. Great honest reaction, appreciate your curiosity ✌💜
Hi. I really appreciate your energy its so nice to hear you talk over the group i love. I have no problem with pausing for me its part of reacting. But please dont talk while they sing/perform. You will miss important vocals and someones favorite part. Just pause and talk abaout it. Really dont mean it in a bad way. Love your work💜
I appreciate your candid suggestions! Since I don't speak Korean, I don't see how my talking over their singing would affect my understanding of them. I am simply not going to pause a song every 20 seconds to give my feedback of a line of lyrics, nor will I completely absorb every line and scene in a video. I appreciate your love for the artist, if you want to hear an unedited copy of the MV, I always provide a link to the original for everyone! Thank you!
I got into BTS back in 2020 at the start of the covid outbreak in my country and i found them by pure luck😁 i stumbled upon a tiktok of one of their live performances and got really interested in them😄 so i searched the comments for their bandname and looked them up on RUclips. Watched many compilations and MVs of them😄 I had nobody to guide me, except an army friend i made 3 months later into listening to BTS😄💜 Also the struggle with their names is quite common i think😁 i also struggled alot with their names at the start of my journey with them. 😄💜
Kpop is not really a genre, is rather how the world outside Korea call the music coming from Korea. Korean call it Idol music, which includes lots of different aspects like the clothes, the makeup, the dancing, the hairstyle, the strict societal expectation, the weight and even the way that every company do their business. BTS broke the scheme as in they use about taboo topics in their music. Like social and political pressure, mental health and self love . They take inspiration from not only every day life but also from artists and their art, books and their writers, science literature and their writers, photography, philosophy and so many other things. I want to recommend for you a video from BoraCity Magazine "why most ARMYs don't like kpop " she explains it much better than me. She also have lots of really good video explaining lots of other things about the up hill battle that BTS and ARMY have been having with several institutions. Borahae. Good video 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜🤟🇲🇽
I feel like what you're saying is absolutely true. For example, for countries outside my own, I refer to Chinese music as C-Pop, Thai music as T-Pop, Japanese music as J-Pop. It's a general term I find easy to refer to as an American, describing music to someone else who's not from that country. Unfortunately, unless I'm from Korea and just calling it 'music' I like to designate it in some way, and it seems people have taken it to the level of only describing Idol culture. Unfortunately, I will never see it from the same perspective as those who only refer to idols. I will have to agree to disagree with them. Thank you for helping me see their perspective!
Fans will say BTS aren't kpop because of a few things. To start, there is some history and drama at the hands of haters and antis. Waaaaaay back when BTS debuted they were treated terribly and when they started doing well, other fandoms came together and tried to "expel" them (and their fans) from kpop. So fine, we took our ball and went home. The fans even had a whole running joke about it for a while. Really, it was just apparent that BTS was successful despite the kpop fans, and even the tightly-controlled industry, trying to sabotage them. BTS became famous DESPITE the kpop industry, which was controlled by the Big Three companies that they were not part of. Those companies controlled Korean media and dictated who was going to get air time and any shot at success. Except...BTS found the backdoor through social media. So now fans find it hilarious that people talk about kpop's success starting in 2017, when it's really BTS's success that has earned so much attention on the genre and the country. Overall, BTS transformed the expectations of kpop and what it meant to be a kpop idol, which is why people say they aren't like the others. Several musicians in Korea are not considered kpop -- that is the title given to "idol" type music. BTS lies somewhere in between. BTS actually started as a hiphop group with three rappers. Unlike the vast majority of other groups -- to include a certain girl group from the Big Three that is constantly being tied to BTS -- these guys are heavily involved in writing their own music and steering the creative direction of their work.
I didn't really start paying attention to Kpop music until around 2020, and am unaware of the hate and anti culture surrounding it before then, but the focus of Kpop idols seemed to to have changed in the last few years that I have started paying attention. At least in a positive manner, the group I am a fan of has spoken openly about the way the idol industry treats trainees and groups and have received more positive than negative response for it. I am glad to know there is a movement for change, even if it took over10 years to do so!
Bts actually debuted as a hip hop group so they didn’t start as pop although they do pop now (whenever I am talking about them I due still use the work KPOP)
It's not that BTS ISN'T K-Pop... Kpop is an industry, not a specific type of music or genre. ARMY hesitates to call BTS K-pop because of the bias and stereotypes that come with it... same thing with referring to them as a "boy-band"; The Western mindset has a very distinct idea of what a boy-band is and sounds like and it tends to put-off a lot of people from even giving them a chance. It's also important to note that the K-pop Industry was particularly awful to BTS in their first few years and now that BTS made it WITHOUT the big corporation backing, they want to "claim them".
hi "most" BTS videos have lyrics ... if it says "autogenerated" i would recommend "doolsetbangtan" lyrics they reference the korean meaning that is often lost in genus lyric translation because they just translate it "literally" not the "meaning". (as far as i know when you keep the logo at the beginning with the sound in your video YT and Bighit let it upload") . i / We / army don't mind pausing .. we already know the music videos. (on mostly has a problem with possible strikes because of involvement with sia) i first saw mic drop (steve aoki) and then dna .. and when i saw black swan i was sold. army ever since. they have a LOT of music and content.. dance practice . behind the scenes of the shooting. variaty show . and lots and losts more. they stated in HIP HOP and then branched out to more and more genres. pop ballades edm latin rnb.. everything (some songs have a catchy rythm.. but a deep deep message. where you would need the "dkdktv - explained by a korean " video) ... have fun. 💜
You said in the beginning that they started in Pop .I think by now you know it's not true (they started as a Hip-hop group) . And K-Pop is not a genre, it's an industry.
Hello and thank you for reacting to Bts 💜 First of all, since you ‘re confused about the whole k-pop vs Bts thing, you should watch “why most armys don’t like kpop” by boracity magazine I’m once of those Armys who doesn’t enjoy kpop and I believe that video explains it really good. Also, I found bts in 2016 and enjoyed their music only, but when my friend became an Army I got to know them to a more personal level and from then I was hooked, I truly love them and appreciate them as people and as artists. For me they are just the best and the ones who literally saved me. I’m exited to see your bts journey, new suscriber here 😊
Doolsetbangtan: remember that name haha it will help you more them genius, it's curated by an amazing army and has all possible information on references and culture you might need to understand the song it's a web site, the search bar is on the right, but you can choose to search by albums thru the top menu
Army is protective of BTS coz they all know what the 7 boys went through,the hardships bts and army go through, it’s natural for some tộ comments and correct reactors as we all know a lot of reactors just use bts to get army’s to subscribe, but army will know who is genuinely doing it and just pretend because they have to do it for views .
I found BTS from a friend in the Entertainment industry I'm not going to say who as I don't like to name drop. He recommended a song called Mic Drop by a Korean group called BTS. That was my encounter with BTS.
Taylor's Guide really is comprehensive and the current go-to, but don't let that back you off of checking out others later. It is pretty impossible to cover all bits and bobs of who these guys have been over the last decade. Some older guides are considered "time capsules" of who they were at the time, focused on different aspects of the members.
2:23 no not really I just found them on my own. There MV DNA showed up on my RUclips algorithm and I was curious so I watched it.I had a liking towards them from the beginning, I had heard of them a couple times on the radio but never thought much of it.
![I wanted a deep dive into BTS, and I got one! Taylor's BTS Guide [1st Time Watching]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ouA57_ldHus/mqdefault.jpg)
![I wanted a deep dive into BTS, and I got one! Taylor's BTS Guide [1st Time Watching]](/img/tr.png)
![My first time reacting to BTS! "Black Swan" was a dark trip! | [Official MV Reaction]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/aSXLpyQerDw/mqdefault.jpg)
![[4K] Watch SpaceX Catch A Starship Rocket From Space!!! #IFT5](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/pIKI7y3DTXk/mqdefault.jpg)
We say "you dont find BTS, BTS finds you when you need them" 😊
Kpop is not a negative term, it's just not enough to describe BTS. Lol
Also while kpop isn’t a negative thing when people hear that word they usually have a certain idea of what they think it is or what BTS are, while it is small part of them BTS are different and are big because of their differences from kpop and what people think of K-pop is. Hopefully this makes sense.
Also an analogy I would make is that “Kpop” is like BTS grandparents and BTS are the grandkids. While their grandparents is a small part of someone it isn’t who they are as a whole. Hopefully this makes sense.
oh, they didn't started with pop, they started with hiphop.. as a matter of fact, they were supposed to be a hiphop group.. they've been trained by a couple of hiphop legends too... they just explored other genres because they love music...
they don't follow the usual kpop structure, tho they do some things that kpop do like weekly music shows and etc. that's why they're kpop but also not kpop.. it's hard to explain through a comment
i am ARMY since 2019 and nobody guided me. I stumbled on them by luck. I AM SO GLAD I DID!
Even though they have multi top 10 in the 100BB, they rarely get any play on the radio (BTS is not part of the payola industry)
little by little (if you are wiling) you will learn how hard they had to work to be where they are now.
APOBANGPO!!! (BTSxARMYxFOREVER)
Taylor's guide would serve as a short introduction to songs rather than a spoiler. While going through the guide, you could also make a list of songs you would like to listen to more : )
The thing about the whole 'kpop label' is that it sometimes comes with a lot of negative connotations associated with that whole industry. Us as fans try to discourage new people getting to know BTS from grouping them into the kpop category because they have completely outgrown that label and it can not describe them as an artist in its entirety. Kpop in fact is a word used by people in the West and foreign media and people in korea refer to the music we call kpop as 'idol music'. There are very different kinds of korean musical artists who sing in korean which are not grouped into kpop- they can be trot singers or korean rock bands or even pop singers which are not grouped into the term 'Kpop'.
That is not to say that BTS is not a Kpop group because share certain practices and structure of a normal kpop group like their ways of promotional methods and attending music shows, being grouped into the same award categories with other kpop groups. But one of the reason for their success is the fact they broke away from a lot of common kpop practices and set a lot of new precedents and standards- the fact that they produced, wrote and composed their own music (which was not very common in the kpop industry back in 2013), also they started out as a hip hop group which has now branched into a wide variety of genres, them having a lot more creative freedom in the kind of music they want to or the musical direction of their album and the overall group. They changed a lot of what was 'the norm' in kpop and challenged a lot of ideals and have now become the exception of the whole music industry both in Korea and the West.
The whole Kpop vs BTS is a whole dicussion I can say a lot about but I am sure you would learn more about it as you go forward. There are whole video essays surrounding the discussion if you are interested but as of now you can just enjoy the rabbit hole💜
The thing with "k-pop" is that it's not really a genre, it's an industry. When someone say BTS isn't k-pop, it mostly means that they transcend that industry, because they not only got to the point they are now without much help from it, but they were also very international from the very beginning. They are Korean, so they're music would be considered "Korean music" of whatever genre they are doing (Korean pop, Korean rap, Korean r&b), whereas "k-pop", in Korea, is actually called "Idol music": it's a type of music made in that specific industry of Idols. That is the main reason for the debate on whether they are k-pop are not, because while BTS was created in the Idol system, there are lots of things that separate them from it as well.
I found BTS watching a reactor back in 2018. I then watched all BTS content from their debut forward on my own. No two songs sound the same, and they do many genres of music. They are involved in writing and producing their own music, which most K-pop dont do. I tried listening to other groups, but I couldn't get into them. I might like a song here and there, but that is it. Each member in BTS can be a superstar on their own, which they are proving to everyone right now with their solo albums. You put them together its magic.
I hope to get to the solo content at some point in the future, there is so much I have to absorb of them as a group I am not sure when that will be! Thanks!
@@chillbydesign lol
Just wondering which reactor?
@@chillbydesign It would be nice if you put these earliest BTS videos into your BTS PLAYLIST, instead of in K-pop. Most ARMY will say they are so far beyond K-pop, and some of us like to watch a RUclipsr's BTS discovery in order.
3:50 Okay, this is kind of a complicated question to answer and also it's a matter of perspective too. The conversation regarding why people say bts in particular isn't/is way beyond k-pop points to the fact that they're, in many ways, an exception to what has been considered "the norm" in kpop. because they've been innovators and game changers for the korean music industry and for what it meant to be an idol (that's the common term used to refer to the members of k-pop groups). I cannot properly express here all the history that has led to that because it goes pretty deep, but don't worry, you'll be able to learn it if you decide to go down this rabbit hole. Also, regarding kpop as whole, something that many people point out is that, rather than it being a single genre of music (since it takes a lot from different already existing genres), it can be more understood as an industry that englobes certain common characteristics in the way these groups work. And it's important to say that not ALL korean music is kpop too.
This is a very nuanced conversation that generates a lot of controversy sometimes, but the truth is that, despite the fact that bts come from that industry and still share certain characteristics with it (and they're not ashamed to that aspect of them either), the kpop category /alone/ fails to properly describe what bts represents and has become to this day. So that's why you see many fans telling you that. This is the way i can personally explain it right now, but i hope you give them a chance and get to see it all by yourself!
And if you decide to do so, i'd like to suggest for you to also watch "The Most Beautiful Life Goes on: The Story of BTS (2022 UPDATE)" by the Rice Squad. I personally think would be a great complement to what the Taylor Introduction Video says (since her focus is more so you can get to now the members as individuals and artists), and the one I mentioned is more if an overview of their group discography (without many major music spoilers) and things they've achieved together up until the first months of last year, which can help you understand on a general level their career and get a bit up to date with the basics haha. Thanks for your reaction!
Yesss I was about to comment this 🙏🏼🙏🏼
Excelente comentario
2:40 my first encounter with BTS was through their participation in UN General Assembly back in 2018. Outstanding young men delivering important message of ‘Loving Yourself’ - their leader Kim Namjoon a.k.a RM’s speech was eloquent and impressive, which rivals the charisma of world leaders. I remember thinking, what business would a KPop band have in the UNGA? Why were they invited? I believed they must be special, and indeed they are - my precious 7 🥰
For me -- I was a hater at first. Simply because my sister was obsessed and I didn't understand what they were about. My references were western boy bands and the fluffiness that comes with that image.
The harder she tried to get me to look and listen, the more I resisted. (It didn't help that the first thing she did was show me how attractive they are -- I've never been into pretty boys who pass into fame on their looks -- which her method made me think that was all this was).
Now, I'm 44 damn years old (40 at the time of me finally giving them a shot). I've never been into boy bands. I've historically listened to everything and every genre except rap. The albums in my collection were from people who write their own stuff and had something to say, so a "boy band" certainly wasn't for me.
Color me shocked to find out BTS write their own stuff and have something to say.
And that I actually liked rap. Because it was them. Because they had something to say in a way that I could get behind. (I know there are other rappers out there who do, too, so don't come at me. I just hadn't come across those beyond the T&A, druggie ish when I was younger and I tuned it out back then without giving it any more attention).
After resisting my sister (who is older than me, btw) and poking fun, I stumbled across BTS on a series of late night talk show appearances and saw how humble, funny, and engaging they were in the interviews.
I was impressed to hear that they had spoken at the United Nations, and it made me re-evaluate what I had expected. And then they hit the stage and BLEW IT UP. I mean -- what the hell. And they were singing live while doing damn-near gymnastics choregraphy.
Then they went back to being humble, goofy friends, hanging out again like it was nothing.
Mind. Blown.
Into the rabbit hole I went, exploring the BTS Universe storyline that connects several videos, films, books, and a webtoon. Mind more blown.
A decade's worth of content came at me like a freight train, to include their variety shows, behind-the-scenes, vacation content, solo works.....
Eventually, I checked out other kpop acts expecting similar stuff, but there wasn't anyone doing it like them. Others have come along since, following a similar set up or concept, but BTS are the originals who kicked open the door on the market, shattering the barriers that the Big Three kpop companies confined their groups to. (They came from a small "nobody" company).
BTS truly are trailblazers who other acts have scrambled to keep up with or emulate. Many of their concepts and paths toward success have been replicated (with less authenticity, mind you) in an attempt to become "the next BTS". Which is silly, because they are legends who scrapped from the bottom.
I'm about to write a tome. I'll stop now and leave it for you to hear in the Taylor video.
thank you for your personal take! I agree, the early 90's formed a preconceived notion of what idol groups are! It's fun to see music and culture evolve over time! I look forward to more evolving and learning!
to simply put it why we say that they are not really kpop is because, yes, they are technically kpop but they are the industry's outlier. i won't explain it further but once you personally understand how and what is kpop, you'll realize as well that bts doesn't really fit in that industry long before (they've passed that label already). one example i can give is that they were given a lot of artistic freedom by their agency since before they debuted, that is not very common in kpop before (even now actually).
black swan and on was actually on the same album which is map of the soul 7 that is inspired by carl jung's theory of persona, shadow, and ego. that's why you're feeling a dark vibe on both songs. bts love to release conceptual albums so you'll get the whole story if you listen to the whole album.
When I first discover BTS: i had a set of songs I liked already because i listen them first in a concert (for me a two hours video) and my sister, who was already an ARMY, told me they also do this or that...
But what I did was downloading the songs I liked from the concert, and listen to them, and searching for the translations and watching the videos, and very quick I knew they were the most special thing ever happened to me.
OT7 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜
I first heard them in the Samsung phone commercial. They sang Butter and I liked it a lot. Then my 9 yr old son started playing it on his iPad. I asked, “who is this? They sound really good.” He said, “It’s BTS. Their songs are really cool. You should listen to them.” I started listening to more of their music… and loved them. That’s how I slowly became an ARMY 🥰 😊 after I watched the guide by Taylor I appreciated them more, not just for their music, but them as people. I love how humble, wholesome and down to earth they are.
I think you really got the spirit of the song, it's something like, "bring the pain, we can handle, even with pain we can still continue being and doing the best" hahaha
barbaracrisfm
My wife and step daughter pushed them on me, was hesitant until I seen them in concert 4 years ago
No one guided me 😄 I was in my 20’s when I first heard blood, sweat and tears.. I listened to it repeatedly without even knowing their names.. I slowly started listening to other songs, then their names, their vlogs, and fell in love😄🫶🏼💜 every member is precious and you’ll fall in love with each of them just for what they are as a person♥️
fun fact, my mom got me into bts. my sister got her into them. i had heard butter and dynamite on the radio, but i didn't really know them. my first dive into bts was when my mom let me watch one of the livestreams of the concert. my sister bought my mom a ticket to watch the concert live and mom let me watch it with her. that was april of last year. it's been a wild year for me, since it's chapter 2 of bts right now lol
Glad to know someone else started in shoes adjacent to mine. Butter and Dynamite don't make bad hooks to draw people in with, they are catchy!
Their lyrics are just as important as the music and performance. Because BTS is part of the music making process. They just don’t get things handed to them and say y’all have to sing this and play this and act like this. This is what makes BTS unique in the k pop industry
47 yr old ARMY here. They say BTS finds you when you need them. I found BTS on my own just before the concert pandemic, and I am thankful for that everyday. I have an immune disorder, and I didn’t leave my house for about a year and a half. BTS gave me so much comfort and support during the worst time of my life - through their music, they variety shows, their behind the scenes videos and their live stream pep talks.
And yes, BTS is Kpop in that they are Koreans who make popular music. BTS uses this term themselves and are proud of being Kpop idols. I think some people argue that BTS is global and transcends Kpop, but I don’t think BTS see it that way. Also, BTS was an indie group who sort of skirted pass the traditional entertainment industry and did their own thing, achieving even higher success. For this reason, some people want to see them separated from Kpop as an industry.
I think watching Boracity magazines video of BTS vs K-pop is a good introduction to the argument.
My understanding of the topic is that K-pop is not a genre, but an industry. Typically, in K-pop, labels have a bunch of young people that they put through training for years (in dancing, singing, rapping, etc). Then they put them in groups to test their chemistry. Then they finalize who works well with who, officially put them in a group, give them a concept and look, and give them usually upbeat, catchy, high production music, with generally basic lyrics, and tell them to sing the song and do the choreography. The labels (big3) have a lot of $$ and influence in the industry so even before debut, they can create lots of hype and promos for the groups so that they are in your face once they debut.
BTS and their label started off that way in my opinion. They also put the boys through training, gave them a hip hop concept, etc. what set them apart from other labels/groups though is that BTSs label was small, poor, and not influential whatsoever. They didn’t have the power or money to put the boys on shows, radio, etc. they also didn’t have the funds to get them high production videos. To their brilliance or luck, RM was a poet, so he could write meaningful lyrics, Suga was a producer, so he could produce some of their work, Jhope was dance leader, so he could help with the choreography. And that made them more special versus factory made groups. That made them more authentic because the music they were coming out with were actually from themselves and held more meaning, and resonated with people. And that’s their brand. Their music (after you follow their journey) puts you through a journey. You feel the pain or happiness they were going through when the music was written
On top of that, because BTS wasn’t part of the big3, they were shunned by the other labels and music industry, so they had to find their own path. They didn’t go through the regular channels and had to find their own way. So if k-pop is an industry, and they shunned BTS from it, do we let them claim BTS as K-pop now that they’re big? 🤔 I think that’s the debate
Personally, I think BTS started off in K-pop but evolved into something beyond K-pop.
I was introduced to bts by my cousin who was staying with me for a few months. She didn’t guide me, but she messed up my RUclips algorithms so I kept getting BTS related videos in my suggestions. So I ended up watching videos here and there, then more and more, and learned about their background and all the politics, and here I am today. I think I started in Feb 2022, but didn’t admit to becoming an army until Oct 2022 after the whole Busan concert thing and the enlistment power move. The Taylor guide you are about to watch is only up to date until May 2022 so you won’t know the reference. So much has happened since then it’s crazy. I’m happy you’re giving them a chance. They are truly special. Some other people might not agree with this but I think it’s important to check out some other groups too. How will you know BTS is the best or special if you don’t know what else is out there? Like many others, there’s a few songs here and there from other groups that I’ll listen to, but I don’t follow other groups this in depth, coz truthfully, they’re very surface level for me. Doesn’t offer much more then a pretty face or catchy song. I can think of a very popular group right now that I think is a great talking point. To me they are the epitome of K-pop. Factory made, fancy videos, meaningless lyrics, just catchy and pretty faces. I’m not going to name them, but let’s see where it goes from here. Rarely will you find other K-pop groups able to strip away all the fancy sets and outfits and just stand or sit there on stage and sing a song. But bts can, and they can also put other groups to shame with their live high energy performances. See for yourself. 💜
I added the channel to my list for future reference, thank you for your suggestion!
@@chillbydesign I think "the pain" that BTS is referring to is the difficult process of finding and accepting the Map Of The Soul SHADOW parts of one's self. The word "shadow" is in the first two verses.
Bookish Theories has lots of BTS explanation videos, and goes into a lot of detail about the MOTS-connected songs and videos.
ruclips.net/video/ycKToxBQIBs/видео.html
For refence, and to understand a little more of why BTS has such a wide range of ages and education level ardent fans, various introduction videos (past and more recent), and some explanation channels such as the above, along with DKDKTV, XCeleste, SUGA and spice, etc, help understand the depth of meanings, references, and connections in their lyrics and videos that delight us so much more than most groups of any genre.
Then there are things like Accident, Fall and Faint videos, that show what they endure to give us those OTT performances .
BTS are wonderful, ALL-AROUND ENTERTAINERS, that help create and perform all sorts of entertainments, including
the hilarious contest series, RUN BTS;
the fascinating, enigmatic BANGTAN UNIVERSE fictional storyline that appears more or less throughout their works;
the travel series, BON VOYAGE;
webtoons, BT21;
documentaries;
behind the scenes, BANGTAN BOMBS;
Vlogs;
concerts; etc.
@@chillbydesign Boracity magazine is a must. She knows a lot. And by the way, as for today (19.08) she has already published a video with the explanation of BTS discography. Check it out for yourself, it will guide you without giving too much spoilers..
Also for deeply explanation on their lyrics, I recommend you the channel Bookish theories.
Have fun.
I'm almost 40 but discovered them in 2018. I head a song or two from them before but wasn't into the group till 2018. My kid was ARMY and wanted to see a concert so I thad taken them to it. Before the actual concert my kid introduced me to their music, and "DOPE" started to draw me in.... Then "Singularity" but mainly "Truth Untold" was what captivated me. Finally the concert came and even though I couldn't understand the lyrics I was moved by them. I actually remembering tearing up not understand why, later finding out what I felt was true to the songs intentions. So while I found them, ARMY is what made FALL for them. Never met a fandom so open and accepting and I felt like I finally found my people. At my age finding new music that resonates do deeply, music that affects you on sucha profound level is really rare. Never had music come into my life and had me question "am I happy?" "how do I see myself?". Lastly, the realization I wasn't being true to who I REALLY was and never did I TRULY love myself. Their music and ARMY became a catalyst for introspection and change within myself. Best accidentlal decision I ever made was to finding BTS and ARMY. I only hope more people find them and it impacts their lives in such a positive way as it did mine. 💜
did someone translate the meanings of the songs for you, or do you speak Korean fluently enough that you were able to understand it right away? Unofrtunately, I don't speak Korean, so I have to rely on others to help me understand~
@Chill By Design I later got the official translation for the songs from bighit. I was frantically searching after the post concert high. I've been to many concerts over the years (3days Grace, Disturbed, Lindsey Stirling, etc...) but can say most artists don't hold a candle to BTS concerts. I didn't know Korean but started to learn because I knew depth gets lost in translation. The lyrics led me to buy books to read like ones on Jungian Psychology.
I’m a 53 year-old ARMY, so as you can see there are many older fans which love BTS. They are not your typical “boyband”, since their music speaks to a much larger demographic than young girls.
K-Pop is more considered an industry than a genre. BTS has multiple genres of music and it started out outside the norm of the top 3 K-Pop companies. Since they were from a small company, for the first few years since their debut, they were heavily outed by the competing companies which controlled the KPop industry in South Korea. This is why a lot of their fans do not like to associate them with the KPop industry. Their company gave them a lot more musical freedom than the other KPop companies do, so they write and produce most of their own stuff rather than just singing songs written for them to sing.
Thank you for giving BTS another chance to show you more of their variety of songs. I hope you continue your journey down the BTS rabbit hole! They are amazing artists with a deep love for their fans. 💜
In 2018 my eldest daughter found them as she naturally explores different music from around the world. At thr time my preconceptions of KPop stopped me listening. My biggest regret I'd that I did not go with her to Wembley to see them. 2 years later during the pandemic my younger daughter listened to her older sister for once and started listening. She was washing dishes in the kitchen for me and i heard Vs voice in the song The Truth Untold ring out with passion and sorrow "I'm so afraid" that it captured me. Both daughters then guided me through a few songs to start. Then I discovered their personalities through Run BTS variety show and behind the scenes. They are good people, good role models, their lyrics have meaning and they know how they have responsibility for what they say to people listening, humble, adorable goof balls. Still here 2 and a half years later loving everything they do 💜
You know what else I did?? I downloaded and printed their choreography (the list of songs), because i was decided to get all the music, and mark which songs I liked the most.... And I am still behind, because they are so many!! (I started at the beginning of this year)
Anyway, i have listened to old songs mixed with new... Maybe if I would have the chance to do it again, i would have started to listen to their songs in chronological order... So that I can notice the evolution...
But i was so much in love from the beginning i wanted everything!!! 😂😂
My advice then: try to do it chronologically.
Their debut song is: no more dream (2013)
From that one on, i am sure you will have fun.
And maybe you won't believe me, but there is no waste when it comes to BTS. All the songs are good. Some you will like more than others but ALL are good. They are just too talented.
We don't deserve them😅😅
the way i found bts was through twitter cause some of my friends started liking them and told me to give them a chance. sadly most people wont find bts from radio besides a few songs mostly the ones in english that barely represent their music cause radio doesnt play non english songs.
armys are very passionate because bts deserve it but also because theres so many misconceptions and just wrong information out there spread by mainstream media and influential people that we as fans have to get each new person to forget whatever they thought they knew about bts.
thats why the guides and informational videos exist because while as you can tell from comments we do love explaining at some point its just better to drop the video link and then go into more details after the person absorbs the information from the guides.
I think people in the comments already talk about this mv enough so Idk what to say more XD
I'm a 36 years old ARMY from Brazil, nobody guided me when I started to listen to them in 2021. I was seeing mvs and them I went to know more about them and let me tell you: they are the most kind and fun people. Not fake, not "I think", they really have so much behind videos and lives that you can FELL they are REAL. I grew up in the 90s, was a fan of Backstreet Boys, and later, fan of One Direction. No one hit me like BTS did and does. Changed my life. 2021 was a really difficult year in my life and if wasn't for BTS and my bff, I think I would fall for depression again.
Thank you for reaction to them. I loved what you said in your intro, I was listen and think "what a smart and open mind person!". Really happy someone like you found BTS!
As for other groups, I like Tomorrow x Together, same agency as BTS.
Girl group I love New Jeans, they dont have 1 year yet but are so fun and innocent, I love it!
Really like Stray Kids too (boy group).
But for me, nobody is like BTS. They have a special place in my heart
I found these guys as they debuted in 2013 and fell in love ever since.
you saw their potential and dived in, I commend that. I came into Korean music late!
I first listened to BTS in 2014 with their song N.O. It was about school hierarchy and it wasn’t something that interests me so I stopped there. I later was introduced again in 2016 with their song GOGO and it was something that I could get behind but it still wasn’t really resonating with me.. it wasn’t until I heard spring day that really got me into them because it spoke about losing a loved one which at the time I had just lost my father. It was then that I fell into this wonderful rabbit hole and since then have not came out of it and don’t want to. It was then that I understood that you don’t come to BTS, BTS comes to you. They came to me when I needed them the most and that’s when I learned to love myself. They are amazing group of boys. Thank you for giving them a chance. This journey is an amazing journey to walk on and ARMY will be here to guide you.
Great reaction! And good analysis of the lyrics. This song is from the same album/era as Black Swan. Also Fun Fact: the first woman they show at the beginning of the video is Sienna Lalau, the choreographer of this specific dance! Don’t worry about pausing to give your thoughts.
I guess ON can be considered a dark song. It was released as part of their album Map of the Soul:7 in 2020, an album designed in a way that says “this is who we are right now, we are 7 guys who have been in this journey for 7 years.” On is about them accepting that this is their status now, this is how people see them now. Their fame and reputation comes with pain, feels like a prison but a beautiful prison because it also comes with a lot of positives. The album was supposed to mark the end of the chapter 1 of their careers. They were supposed to have a world tour in 2020 and by the end of it, they will start serving the mandatory military service required for all South Korean men. They had just a nicely well-thought plan of how to go about their military service but the pandemic happened so all plans were derailed. So they wrapped up their chapter 1 mid last year instead and 2 of the members are serving the military now with the rest following in the next few months. They plan to be all back as 7 by 2025.
I first knew them in 2015 while watching some kpop youtube reactions. I had friends that liked bts and other kpop groups but tbh I wasn't really interested in music as I'm now, so I didn't stan them until 2020. I saw their carpool karaoke and I looked up the songs because they sounded really amazing and I spend that weekend watching more of the videos that youtube was recommending. I decided to join twitter so I could be more connected, i started to see more tweets with videos that seemed funny and I started to look for more of their content outside of music.
As i decided to dive into their whole discography i was really surprised to discover more and more songs that i liked, i heard some popular kpop groups but tbh even if i enjoyed some songs they didn't attract me as much as bts.
I probably saw that same carpool karaoke you did! May have been my first time seeing them IRL.
I’m actually happy you asked the question how we came across our groups.
I actually became an ARMY a couple of years ago and have been in this ever since. I was going through a rough patch in my life and actually stumbled across there live performance of ‘magic shop’ and it hit me hard. Ever since then I’ve dug deeper into BTS and realized they also have had a lot of hardships. They are so inspirational and the values they stand for is just refreshing. To know how a group as big as they are always remember they came from the bottom.
As for the K-pop question is that the reason why we don’t really consider them kpop is because they received a lot of backlash from the kpop industry thus they have become their own genre. They aren’t idols or rappers but BTS. They have stepped outside the stereotypes and that’s the reason for most of us ARMY we don’t think of them as part of the kpop industry.
I’d highly suggest watching the guide because it’ll give you more of an insight of what they came from and what they stand for.
Hope you enjoy them as much as us ARMY does 💜💜
You mentioned 'Magic Shop' caught you. Did you understand the lyrics/translation while listening to it, or did you dig into the meaning after begin hooked on the song and hearing it a few times more? I feel that some people get offended when I don't catch the meaning on the first listen, which is interesting to me as a reactor, since I am trying to absorb lyrics, music, and visuals at the same time as watching choreography of pretty, pretty people and not associating it with some background lore I haven't learned yet.
But thank you for your perspective, it has been a wild ride and I look forward to learning more!
@@chillbydesign I recommend reacting to the lyrics on their own as well as some breakdowns made by ARMYs or other channels(after getting their permission).
I first heard BTS on the radio in Sweden (where I live) in 2018 (Boy with Love with Halsey). I liked the song but I didn’t listen to it on my own. BTS was played now and then on the radio for the coming years but it was when I started watching Asian movies and series they started to show up as recommendations on YT. Eventually I considered checking them out more active and then I was hooked. This was 1,5 year ago. They are a daily thing in my life nowadays. 💜
In 2015, I searched on RUclips “K-pop” and watched a compilation video of various groups. DOPE showed up, and I was immediately drawn in. Then I saw Jungkook, and that started my journey down the BTS rabbit hole. Been ARMY since 2015.
Thank you for being so honest and calm despite any negative comments :) Just know that ARMY is so happy to introduce you to the boys.
Borahae!
Thankfully my country was kinder to foreign language music than US will ever be..heard of kpop since 2000s, heard of Bts since 2017 but never really paid attention..the just before the pandemic hits, early 2020, Black Swan came out and was blown away by the sheer artistry..thank goodness they kept me busy during the height of the pandemic diving deep into the Bts story, my mental health was spared 💜
personally I think yes, BTS is kpop. I watched a video some time ago when the guy talked about it and what he basically said is that they have trailers, teasers, comebacks, stages etc. they "operate" as a kpop group so they are kpop. I agree with this completely. them having all this international success or music that can often sound different to the "usual" kpop sound, doesn't change that.
I discovered them around 2020. I completely randomly watched some documentary about a girl kpop group here on RUclips, so naturally yt recommended me a bunch of other kpop related videos. one of which was Dynamite dance practice. there was so much SWAG in that video that I got curious. it also happens that I work with two computer screens, so I had work stuff on one and I would literally watch all day random bts videos on the other. zero guidance 😂.
I quite enjoyed your reaction and I also want to say that honest opinions are always welcomed (by reasonable people at least. some fans are crazy) so if you happen to not like something, always feel free to say it.
see you in your next one
Hi! Thanks for the great reaction, looking forward to more!
This is going to be a long comment, but please bare with me.
I discovered BTS through their song Dynamite, which as you know was really big, although I had heard some of thier songs (like Fake Love) before.
Is BTS Kpop?
While many Armys like to say that BTS isn't really Kpop, I don't think it is wrong to say that BTS IS Kpop. Kpop usually refers to the industry in Korea that consists of popular music groups made up of young performers. Koreans refer to these groups as "idols", and they are basically "upgraded" or "improved" versions of western/Japanese boy bands and girl bands. "Idol" wannabes typically audition for different entertainment agencies to become trainees. Then the agencies select and put together these trainees into groups and train them. BTS does fall under this label because BTS is made up of seven young performers who were put together by then Big Hit Entertainment.
Now here's why I think a lot of people like to say BTS aren't really Kpop:
1) BTS was originally intended to become a hip-hop group. Both RM and Suga were underground rappers before they joined BTS. They were the first two members to join BTS, and they very much intended to rap and produce hip-hop music. Although BTS ultimately debuted as a hip-hop "idol" group, this identity they started with still remains strongly present to this day. This is very different from most other Kpop groups because most other Kpop group members start off their journey wanting to become Kpop idols. They audition to become Kpop idols.
2) BTS has had significantly more creative freedom compared to other Kpop groups. Because of the nature of the Kpop industry, Kpop groups are usually solely the performers of what their labels put out. It is usually the labels that set the musical direction of the groups, and the groups simply perform what is given to them. BTS, however, has always put out music and content that are very much of their interests and intent, thanks to their producer Bang PD who insisted it be that way. Almost all of their songs are written or co-written by BTS members (especially the rapline), and thus, listeners often feel that their lyrics are real and sincere. A lot of their songs are also produced/co-produced by the members.
3) Although Kpop is more of an industry than a genre, it is important to note that certain genres ARE preferred over others in the Kpop industry. Labels typically seek music that 1) is catchy and appeals to the general public and 2) allows a large group to showcase dancing and other on-stage performances. Naturally, a lot of Kpop groups end up leaning towards dance music (upbeat, EDM-influenced). Now, that is not to say that other Kpop groups aren't diverse musically. But still, BTS has a discography that is much more diverse and versatile even compared to other Kpop groups. Their music often deviates from genres that are typically seen in the Kpop industry.
Now, a little bit about the song:
ON is the title track for their 4th studio album Map of the Soul: 7. Black Swan is also on the album, and that is why you may have spotted some overarching themes in the lyrics.
Map of the Soul: 7 is based on the psychiatrist Carl Jung's psychological theories: hence the songs on the album Intro: Persona, Interlude: Shadow, and Outro: Ego.
Black Swan is the song that is placed right after Interlude: Shadow and therefore explores the concept of Shadow more, while ON is placed towards the end of the album, closer to Outro: Ego.
Great explanation! Well done
I would just add on the subject of whether BTS is K-pop...the band itself has stated that they prefer not to be pigeonholed into just the K-pop category. They simply transcend that category. They do some songs that resemble K-pop more, but they also do multiple other genres and are always challenging themselves in that way, whether as a group or as soloists. In addition, they did three songs fully in English and that were mostly (if not entirely) written/produced by Western songwriters/producers. The only thing that made those songs "K-pop" in the traditional sense of the word was that the people singing them were Korean. If they had done those songs with a country music twang, would you still call them K-pop? Not likely.
And we must remember that k-pop now take lot influense from BTS, so some part k-pop kind of keep tagging themself in BTS not actually kpop😅, if you understand what I'm try to say😂 sorry my english...
So kinetic manifesto was actually my first video. at the time i would check out the trending page on youtube. This was #1 so I checked it out. I must have watched it 7 times in a row, just in awe. I was just amazed, trying to understand what I was watching. If you haven't already, there is a behind the scenes doc about the making of this song(not talking about the video but the song itself), more about the US production side, its quite cool.
This video was set to be their final album and their last 2 videos ("ON" and "Black Swan"). They were set to each go into the military beginning in 2020. BTS wanted to let their fans know that they would not leave them behind. So they set up the album 7 and the songs "ON" and "Black Swan" as a way to let their audience know that they were going away but would be back after a short break so they could replenish themselves, do their duty as Koreans, work on personal albums that they had mostly written or were working on.
That was at the beginning of 2020 I think both songs came out in FEB of 2020 and just as they started to promote the album COVID hit. They had to cancel all their world tours (there were alot) and they also canceled all their plans for the military, well they put them on hold. They started to do the things they had planned in 2020 in 2023. ON was really their goodbye song.
As for me I have been watching BTS since 2013. A reactor for a group I watched back then had a special they said, it was another independent boy group and BTS came out with We Are Bulletproof, pt 2. I was hooked.
I like you! So I'm subscribing :D But I'm gonna be here for BTS and BTS alone. Thank you for being open to them and their music! 💜
I may have to edit this more and re-upload later, RUclips wasn't happy I didn't pause enough!
and the same youtuber also made BTS vs K POP/Radio/award show/spotify/boy band all worth to react!!!
The first song I heard from BTS was micdrop and it was a recommendation that RUclips gave me and out of curiosity I saw it. I was very impressed and started to find out, watch their videos and those of other ARMYs with information.Without realizing it, I'm already his fan, although I only consider myself Baby ARMY. I have a lot left to learn. The truth is that I admire them a lot, they are very complete and excellent artists. Greetings
kpop isnt a genre its many genres however kpop is a thing the west created that term doesnt really exist in korea. bts didnt start in pop they started as a hip hop group they dont do pop music its a mixture of genres one being pop but theyre not a "pop" group therefore not kpop either.
koreans call groups as idol groups but it you remove the idol groups theres a lot more to the korean music industry. there the underground and indie artists, there mainstream hip hop groups/solo artists. there ballad singers theres trot singers, theres rock groups and there even pop artists that arent considered idols. what you have to understand is every single country has complex histroy which includes music history its not just simply this is kpop.
for example you have ariana grande, jay z and nirvana. you wouldnt put them all in one category right? you wouldnt say this is A pop (american pop) because two of these artists/group dont make pop music. that same logic is what should be applied to music from other countries. language isnt a genre. also it makes even less sense to call certain artists as kpop just for making music in korean for example a artist like jackson wang or lisa from blackpink or momo from twice. jackson is chinese, lisa is thai and momo is japanese yes they sing in korean but its weird how western people would lump all together as kpop. to me its better to say korean music.
when it comes to bts specifically they do all genres starting as a hip hop group hip hop is their base genre meaning no matter the song you will find hints of hip hop in almost every song. and they surpassed any limitations of genre, region etc theyre not just a big "kpop" group theyre the biggest group in the world just as big as the biggest solo artists in the world and in some ways bigger than even them when you compare tour numbers stadium seats albums sold etc many american/western artists are huge in western countries but are hardly global and can barely pull numbers in asian or african countries or even south american countries. english media exaggerates american/western artists popularity and downplays artists like bts to keep people narrow minded into thinking english has superiority. when theres asian, african, latin etc artists who are much bigger and more global but have a hard time breaking into the american/western markets due to the corruption within radio and billboard.
all this being said bts are very much korean artists but theyre not limited to kpop and have little in common with artists part of the kpop system. bts write and produce their own music and theyre one of the reasons the kpop system is changing and slowly getting better with things like artists having creative freedom and freedoms in general. since bts is helping the industry to become better thats why its difficult to see the difference between bts and other groups until you actually dig into the music. connection. authenticity etc theres a lot of concrete things that make bts different its not just based on opinion like "this group is the best cause i said so". bts is the reason why anyone knows what kpop is 95% of the time and this was done without help from any industry. youll learn more as you go and youll see how bts is different until then youll have to just take our word for it.
I heard their song “Run & I Need You” on the mainstream radio in my country of Australia in 2015 for the very first time and really enjoyed the vocals & music and became intrigued so went to find out who sung the songs when I found out it was BTS I had heard them being mentioned by many of the Korean, Japanese & Thai actors that I watched in BL’s, Lakorns & Kdramas already, so naturally binged watched all the older content available & found my fellow ARMYs & OG ARMYs YT channels such as Jose, XCeleste, Cameron Phillips that I was able to watch newer content and news/updates as it was released as it wasn’t available in my country.
Hello Friend, I was introduced to BTS by my younger daughter the year they debut, and I've been a stan ever since. BTW I'm 62 years old.
There are actually 2 marching bands involved with this song. The recording is done with UCLA marching band, and the Concord Blue Blue Devils are in the actual video, you see them at the end
High five to marching band/drum corps experience!!! I marched before so I know how you feel!!
I did not really listen to Kpop that time until 2 months ago (thanks to BTS). To be honest, when this song came out in 2020, I was excited to check this out because of the Blue devils. But I was disappointed because the sound was not what I expected. I was impressed by their choreography but I know Kpop groups were known for their crazy moves. I think I saw their car pool and crosswalk performances with James Corden and I really liked their personalities but did not dig in further at that time. However, just 2 months ago I rediscovered BTS and fell in love with them since then!!!
I have enjoyed my journey with them so far! And because of them, I started to listen to Kpop!
I was just looking for instrumentals to use for a D&D game back in 2017. I came across some covers of BTS songs - really liked them, and then watched some of their videos - I think RUN and DOPE were some of the first ones I saw. It happened to be right around the time Spring Dy was released, and that's when I became ARMY. I didn't really join the community until a few months later. No one guided me, I just listened to all of their discography and watched Bangtan Bombs and Run BTS (series, not the song). I watched fan cams of the Wings tour and eventually was able to go to concerts myself. It's an amazing journey - I love the music, and BTS are truly good humans. I've learned so much about myself and life, and people in general because of them. I'm 30 BTW.
This song is on the same album as Black Swan and is still talking about the Shadow part of the personality, so not surprised you're still feeling like it's a touch dark.
Oooh, my BTS story is kinda not complicated. I got into Kdramas a few years back, I just love them. I was on a kdrama group on facebook and someone asked if I'd ever listened to BTS. I was like, nah. I'm not really into boybands. They said just try it, you'll be surprised. So I gave it a go. First MV was Blood Sweat and Tears and I was SO impressed. Then I found more songs, and then I saw some other content like Run BTS and so on and the more I get to know them and their music the more I appreciate them. I discovered them in May of 2020 and they REALLY helped me get through the worst of the pandemic when I was just isolated from everyone and everything. I had something to look forward to that made me smile and laugh and dance around when I was feeling low.
Taylor's guide wont be a big music spoiler. But dont worry that you might be bored, because you will be fascinated from start to end.
Nobody led me into BTS, I got there under my own steam, as a 70 year old woman (68 at the time) I had never been the fan of any group or musician before.
im 63 years old, im in bts when i heard the song "Boy with Love",thru my granddaughter classmate who visited her,2019 then i searched in youtube the song, and i was captivated one of the member who standout among the 6 guys...its JIMIN 💜💜💜 on that day i been searching and following BTS...that i become a fan an Army.
BTS songs,variety shows, become my stressed reliever taking care of my bedridden husband..
Jungkook the MAIN vocalist was doing the ad libs. He's well known for his ad libs and harmonising in BTS. He was the one that did the solo high register before the dance break.
jimin was doing ad-libs in the end too
High note at the end was Jimin
@@myhopeisjhope8315 Jimin did like one adlib. Jungkook did 90% of them.
Thank you for this. Your reaction and analysis are great ❤
Black Swan and On are both songs from the album: MAP OF THE SOUL:7. This album is heavily inspired by Jung´s psychoogy (together with the album Persona). While in the album Persona the main topic is ones persona - "the outer or assumed aspect of character", this album rather focuses on the other 2 components of ones self - "shadow" and "ego". So put in non scietific ways - the topic is - facing who you really are, the mask you put on - persona, your dark side (fears, weaknesses, bad traits) and your ego . In a way this series is a deep dive int ones self, a journey of self-discovery and acceptance.
I knew about BTS through dynamite but never paid much attention to them. I started seeing edits on tiktok so looked into them and got hooked
Hii... To answer your question I'm in general a kpop fan (huge army).
My k-pop journey didn't start with BTS. I slowly came for them after listening to 4-5 groups. Although I still love all of them equally, I won't deny why BTS holds the highest place...
I think that you should react to that actual music video for this song ! It's really amazing!!
I got to know BTS when a friend recommended the song dynamite when I was most depressed in my life. At the age of 23, I moved with my family from the city where I lived alone for 8 years. I had no interest in kpop before, even I had a prejudice, so I didn't listen to their korean songs (maybe for a week). The same friend suggested the variety show Run Bts and I loved it. So for me, their personalities came before their songs, I wondered how those songs were, and I dived into their archives. Glad I dived in, they made me a happier person. 💜
Btw I am not even a native english speaker 😂 that was stupid
Where does 'Run BTS' fall under if I were to put a chronological list together of what to watch next? Should I watch it before some MVs or the Bangtan Universe videos? It sounds informative!
@@chillbydesign I think you should continue with their team songs first, at least the classics (like no more dream, fire, dna, blood sweat and tears, fake love) It's okay to watch run bts before or after. Since there are so many chapters, I suggest you start with the most loved ones.
@@chillbydesign There is no chronological. You can dive into both songs and "Run BTS" the variety shows together if you want. A lot of BTS music are deep and relatable in daily life and the variety show Run BTS will show you who they are and the dynamic of the group. Watching their personalities and their love towards each other will warm your heart.
Love you're reaction
RUclips guided me on my BTS journey 😂
During the beginning of Covid, I was stuck at home, not feeling well, and bored, so I was watching RUclips videos. After several days of seeing BTS videos recommended, I finally gave in and watched a video. I was immediately smitten and just explored everything I could find about them online. Now, 3 years later, I am ARMY through and through and will always be. K-pop stands for Korean popular music, yes, but it's actually an industry, not a genre. K-pop started in the 90s, so their "popular music" developed with TV, not radio. Because of that, visuals are every bit as important as the sound of the music. Unlike with America and Europe, whose music developed more for radio than TV.
K-pop groups are put together by companies who specialize in this kind of entertainment. There used to be 3 main companies, although BTS' company is now considered a 4th major company, because of the success of BTS. Young men and women are recruited and become idol trainees, living together in dorms and going to classes to improve their skills as an upcoming idol. Kind of like a training camp, except it can last for years, until they're chosen for a group and debut or they are eliminated from training and sent home.
K-pop music is traditionally targeted to teenagers, particularly girls, and the subjects of their music tend to reflect that. Before BTS, most teenagers stopped listening to K-pop as they got into their 20s. BTS, however, has always addressed socio-political topics unusual for K-pop groups and as they have aged and grown, so has their music. Because they address topics that are a lot more serious than bubble-gum pop, their music resonates with people of all ages and all walks of life. BTS loves ARMY every bit as much as ARMY loves BTS, and BTS has a habit of writing songs to and for ARMY. Not all, but most of their songs that could be talking about the relationship between two people are actually talking about the relationship between BTS and ARMY, especially the songs after their first couple of albums. RM has even said that BTS is dating ARMY, as a whole, rather than individual people. It's a very unique relationship, just like BTS is a very unique group.
You are correct they are from Korea You are incorrect that they started in pop. They were actually conceptualized and formed from day one to be a hip hop group. Since then by way of their growth as a group they have transitioned to include multiple genres including pop.
Also K-pop does not refer to the genre of pop music it was begun as a generic Western term referring to Korean popular music, which has always been inclusive of many genres.
that's how I've grown used to using it, a generic term for Korean music. It seems a lot of people want to specify the term to idol music, which is a shame, because I will probably continue to call all Korean music 'Kpop' and be reprimanded for it!
@@chillbydesign Not necessarily K-pop is an accepted term for Korean music. As long as it's clear that you don't think K-pop is only the pop genre. I think you've made it clear that you don't. Idol groups themselves often refer to their music as K-pop.
im a little late but first of all, i discovered bts through a cousin who was into them back in 2018. i so clearly remember her singing "nOT TOday" with headphones in and i thought she was so goofy lol. from then, i would listen to some of their songs, without looking into the group itself (i think i was too young to care about that tbh) by 2019, my cousin had stopped listening to them but i just got even deeper into bts as well as the rest of kpop.
also, the "is bts kpop" thing: imo, i think they are kpop since they play such a big part of it. i see kpop as a whole industry, not just a genre like american pop. since in kpop, there are SO MANY genres, ranging from rock to rnb to pop to hiphop and so on. ig for bts' case, theyre just an international kpop group, but still kpop. i mean thats what i think but some fans like to say theyre a whole other thing, or as yoongi put it: "im too big to fit in the kpop category" - agust d 2016
wow that was a big comment oops. have a nice day now
9:23 I dont remember the exate place but this was filmed in LA and black swan was also filmed in the US
4:50 For Bts one of the best site to look up translations is doolset, also i really would like to see you read the lyrics to if u want i think it will be cool to here ur comment on it since we can't really heare ur point of view on the lyrics during the reaction
7:14 On is in the same album as Black swan (BS was a pre-relise)
2:30 I randomly stunble on a funny edit of theme on yt and then listened to Dna and well i'm still here so yeah I juste found them randomly i dont even remember what video it was but i'm really happy about it
My teen age boy played Fornite and Watch a choreography of BTS in the game, so he looked up for the dance practices and showed it to me. And then, I looked more by myself. And Not just the way they dance, but the lyrics of their songs… lyrics of confort, Love yourself, Love others the way they are… great songs! And the music!! You’ll be amaze
3:40 As someone who has listened to k-pop since the 90s, there was always a distinction between k-pop and korean music, specifically in korea. To the US, k-pop just means korean music or korean pop/korean popular music. But in korea, k-pop is pretty much idol music. Idol music is a music industry where it's mostly fan service. Idols get trained to sing and dance and attract an audience, feeding people fantasies. They don't in general write their own music. They are not taken seriously by the public and musical artists. It has changed A LOT however since around the end of 2nd Generation and during 3rd Generation of kpop, especially with the coming of BTS and other kpop groups. Kpop idols are starting to get more involved in the artistry and the music.
That all being said, yes, BTS debuted as kpop and in some ways they still are kpop. But they are also beyond kpop. It's hard to explain, but they are both. They are kpop and beyond hahahaha. The group started out as having more rappers because they were going to be more hip-hop and rap, but when the group's direction started to gear towards more kpop, a lot of the original members left before debut because kpop is looked down on. BTS did/does kpop music shows, lots of choreo, and a ton of other things synonymous with the world of kpop. But they have also gone beyond that, pushing genres, their uncommon lyric topics and messages, etc etc. You'll learn more the more you delve into them. It's been quite a ten year journey (and more if you count pre-debut) so far.
thank you for your complete take on teh differences/similarities. It helps understand the industry in general!
You had way more experience that I did when I first listened to BTS. I had never listened to any kpop before (besides PSY's Gangnam Style...which I didn't know was kpop until months after discovering BTS). So I hadn't heard any of their music and I had no other kpop songs in my mind to make any comparisons. I wasn't even that interested in them when I chose the song, I just wanted to hear Halsey's new music since I liked her stuff a lot. Then I was hooked and wanted to figure out their names and who they were and see if they had more stuff that was just as good. I didn't have anyone to guide me so I played it safe and (after some random exploring) I just spent a week binge listening to their albums from the first to the last. Then I discovered a compilations of their funny moments and found out that they had a bunch of shows and stuff. It's just a lot of content. I haven't had a BTS-less day since and I still have more than enough content to consume still. Especially since they're constantly coming out with more things.
I took a quiz today just to see if I could recognize the BTS members with the few videos I've seen. I failed miserably with a 30%. It will take a lot more videos to recognize all the members, for me!
I’m a 46 year old woman from London and none of my friends or family are into them. All my army family are people that I initially met through the internet. K-pop is definitely not a ‘bad term’ and technically it is what they are. It’s basically a blanket term for Korean music. I personally just think that bts have massively evolved into their own thing entirely. ✌️💜
You might be interested to know that the music was recorded in LA by the UCLA marching band and the concert band and the UCLA Blue Devils drum corps.
The video was filmed in the LA River basin at the Sepulveda dam. The backup dancers are a well-known Dance troupe called The Lab.
I am very interested! I used to catch every DCI annual competition and lost my mind when the Blue Devils performed! I don't recognize the dam's name, but it looks advanced, like something out of a Star Trek movie! It makes a perfect backdrop
They performed this live at Grand Central Terminal you have to check it out because it is more amazing live
On the topic of bts vs. Kpop, there's actually a really good video essay on this , with the same title by bby gang mag
I am a newer ARMY, Jan. 2022, and a senior (70). To answer your question,, the location is Sepulveda Dam, in Los Angeles, near Dodger Stadium. I live about 40 miles south, in Orange County, near Disneyland.
For lyrics, Doolset Bangtan has some of the best translations and cultural contexts. I highly recommend it.
No one turned me to BTS. I found them by accident through RUclips and their version of Savage Love. I had no preconceptions about their music but I realized I watch their Blood, Sweat, and Tears MV in college when it recently came out because I was curious about Kpop and it was the mostly highly recommended one online. BST was a little intimidating for the me at the time and couldn't quite get into it. That was fortunate so I could actually focus on my studies and unfortunate because I could have been a fan and supported them for longer and actually been to a concert. One of the first songs I listened to when I started getting to know them in 2021 and held as my favorite for awhile was Life Goes On. Curious, I delved a little deeper and fell into the famous BTS rabbit hole. I have not emerged since.
I'm glad you mentioned the translator again, although others mentioned it I re-read the lyrics for the song on there with the annotations! Thank you!
Hi there and welcome! I found BTS on my own initially. MIC Drop got me started, then of course I started getting more of their content and engaging with other fans. Then I watched Taylor's Guide to BTS and was drawn in even further, to their Variety show Run BTS for example. This MV is one of the best choreographed MV's I've ever seen and I'm Gen X, been around since MV's started 😁. Great honest reaction, appreciate your curiosity ✌💜
Hi. I really appreciate your energy its so nice to hear you talk over the group i love.
I have no problem with pausing for me its part of reacting. But please dont talk while they sing/perform. You will miss important vocals and someones favorite part. Just pause and talk abaout it. Really dont mean it in a bad way. Love your work💜
I appreciate your candid suggestions! Since I don't speak Korean, I don't see how my talking over their singing would affect my understanding of them. I am simply not going to pause a song every 20 seconds to give my feedback of a line of lyrics, nor will I completely absorb every line and scene in a video. I appreciate your love for the artist, if you want to hear an unedited copy of the MV, I always provide a link to the original for everyone! Thank you!
The bts army come in forces for sure.💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜
Need more BTS💜💜💜💜💜
I got into BTS back in 2020 at the start of the covid outbreak in my country and i found them by pure luck😁 i stumbled upon a tiktok of one of their live performances and got really interested in them😄 so i searched the comments for their bandname and looked them up on RUclips. Watched many compilations and MVs of them😄 I had nobody to guide me, except an army friend i made 3 months later into listening to BTS😄💜 Also the struggle with their names is quite common i think😁 i also struggled alot with their names at the start of my journey with them. 😄💜
Kpop is not really a genre, is rather how the world outside Korea call the music coming from Korea. Korean call it Idol music, which includes lots of different aspects like the clothes, the makeup, the dancing, the hairstyle, the strict societal expectation, the weight and even the way that every company do their business. BTS broke the scheme as in they use about taboo topics in their music. Like social and political pressure, mental health and self love . They take inspiration from not only every day life but also from artists and their art, books and their writers, science literature and their writers, photography, philosophy and so many other things.
I want to recommend for you a video from BoraCity Magazine "why most ARMYs don't like kpop " she explains it much better than me. She also have lots of really good video explaining lots of other things about the up hill battle that BTS and ARMY have been having with several institutions.
Borahae. Good video 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜🤟🇲🇽
I feel like what you're saying is absolutely true. For example, for countries outside my own, I refer to Chinese music as C-Pop, Thai music as T-Pop, Japanese music as J-Pop. It's a general term I find easy to refer to as an American, describing music to someone else who's not from that country. Unfortunately, unless I'm from Korea and just calling it 'music' I like to designate it in some way, and it seems people have taken it to the level of only describing Idol culture. Unfortunately, I will never see it from the same perspective as those who only refer to idols. I will have to agree to disagree with them. Thank you for helping me see their perspective!
Fans will say BTS aren't kpop because of a few things. To start, there is some history and drama at the hands of haters and antis.
Waaaaaay back when BTS debuted they were treated terribly and when they started doing well, other fandoms came together and tried to "expel" them (and their fans) from kpop. So fine, we took our ball and went home. The fans even had a whole running joke about it for a while. Really, it was just apparent that BTS was successful despite the kpop fans, and even the tightly-controlled industry, trying to sabotage them.
BTS became famous DESPITE the kpop industry, which was controlled by the Big Three companies that they were not part of. Those companies controlled Korean media and dictated who was going to get air time and any shot at success. Except...BTS found the backdoor through social media.
So now fans find it hilarious that people talk about kpop's success starting in 2017, when it's really BTS's success that has earned so much attention on the genre and the country.
Overall, BTS transformed the expectations of kpop and what it meant to be a kpop idol, which is why people say they aren't like the others. Several musicians in Korea are not considered kpop -- that is the title given to "idol" type music. BTS lies somewhere in between.
BTS actually started as a hiphop group with three rappers. Unlike the vast majority of other groups -- to include a certain girl group from the Big Three that is constantly being tied to BTS -- these guys are heavily involved in writing their own music and steering the creative direction of their work.
I didn't really start paying attention to Kpop music until around 2020, and am unaware of the hate and anti culture surrounding it before then, but the focus of Kpop idols seemed to to have changed in the last few years that I have started paying attention. At least in a positive manner, the group I am a fan of has spoken openly about the way the idol industry treats trainees and groups and have received more positive than negative response for it. I am glad to know there is a movement for change, even if it took over10 years to do so!
no one guided me lol.. I just let myself be surprised with the discography.. 😂
Bts actually debuted as a hip hop group so they didn’t start as pop although they do pop now (whenever I am talking about them I due still use the work KPOP)
No, this is also a music video for this song and there’s another an actual choreography/dance practice video.
It's not that BTS ISN'T K-Pop... Kpop is an industry, not a specific type of music or genre. ARMY hesitates to call BTS K-pop because of the bias and stereotypes that come with it... same thing with referring to them as a "boy-band"; The Western mindset has a very distinct idea of what a boy-band is and sounds like and it tends to put-off a lot of people from even giving them a chance. It's also important to note that the K-pop Industry was particularly awful to BTS in their first few years and now that BTS made it WITHOUT the big corporation backing, they want to "claim them".
I'm 51 and found them at the end of last year after running across Carpool Karaoke and just wanting to learn their names.
doolset has the best lyrics, with explainations for Korean references
hi "most" BTS videos have lyrics ... if it says "autogenerated" i would recommend "doolsetbangtan" lyrics they reference the korean meaning that is often lost in genus lyric translation because they just translate it "literally" not the "meaning". (as far as i know when you keep the logo at the beginning with the sound in your video YT and Bighit let it upload") . i / We / army don't mind pausing .. we already know the music videos. (on mostly has a problem with possible strikes because of involvement with sia) i first saw mic drop (steve aoki) and then dna .. and when i saw black swan i was sold. army ever since. they have a LOT of music and content.. dance practice . behind the scenes of the shooting. variaty show . and lots and losts more. they stated in HIP HOP and then branched out to more and more genres. pop ballades edm latin rnb.. everything (some songs have a catchy rythm.. but a deep deep message. where you would need the "dkdktv - explained by a korean " video) ... have fun. 💜
You said in the beginning that they started in Pop .I think by now you know it's not true (they started as a Hip-hop group) .
And K-Pop is not a genre, it's an industry.
Hello and thank you for reacting to Bts 💜
First of all, since you ‘re confused about the whole k-pop vs Bts thing, you should watch “why most armys don’t like kpop” by boracity magazine
I’m once of those Armys who doesn’t enjoy kpop and I believe that video explains it really good.
Also, I found bts in 2016 and enjoyed their music only, but when my friend became an Army I got to know them to a more personal level and from then I was hooked, I truly love them and appreciate them as people and as artists.
For me they are just the best and the ones who literally saved me.
I’m exited to see your bts journey, new suscriber here 😊
The backup dancers are from am L.A. dance troup called "The Lab".
And that appearing out of nowhere thing is a thing they do in many MVs.
Doolsetbangtan: remember that name haha
it will help you more them genius, it's curated by an amazing army and has all possible information on references and culture you might need to understand the song
it's a web site, the search bar is on the right, but you can choose to search by albums thru the top menu
Army is protective of BTS coz they all know what the 7 boys went through,the hardships bts and army go through, it’s natural for some tộ comments and correct reactors as we all know a lot of reactors just use bts to get army’s to subscribe, but army will know who is genuinely doing it and just pretend because they have to do it for views .
The guide by taylor is amazing it's okay if it a long video Army love it for sure. Army is super protective of bts as well.💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜
I have noticed!
I found BTS from a friend in the Entertainment industry I'm not going to say who as I don't like to name drop. He recommended a song called Mic Drop by a Korean group called BTS. That was my encounter with BTS.
Taylor's Guide really is comprehensive and the current go-to, but don't let that back you off of checking out others later.
It is pretty impossible to cover all bits and bobs of who these guys have been over the last decade. Some older guides are considered "time capsules" of who they were at the time, focused on different aspects of the members.
The did this live at Jimmy Fallon at New York Central Station
Bts started as a hip hop group back in the 2013 days.
For lyrics, use doolset, not Genius. Doolset will give you proper lyrics for BTS songs.
that's useful! I am just used to Genius having most songs in it's library. Thanks!
@@chillbydesign Doolset has the advantage of being able to explain the context of the lyrics specific to Korean culture, history, language, etc.
2:23 no not really I just found them on my own. There MV DNA showed up on my RUclips algorithm and I was curious so I watched it.I had a liking towards them from the beginning, I had heard of them a couple times on the radio but never thought much of it.