Who is BTS, the K-Pop band everyone is talking about after the 2017 AMAs?

Who is BTS, the K-Pop band everyone is talking about after the 2017 AMAs?
Who is BTS, the K-Pop band everyone is talking about after the 2017 AMAs?

Awards season is in full swing, which means it’s time to familiarize yourself with the music industry’s of-the-moment acts. On today’s agenda? The K-pop band BTS. They delivered a show-stopping performance at the 2017 American Music Awards. You’re going to want to check them out — if you haven’t already, that is.

The band wowed AMAs audience members and at-home viewers on Sunday with a choreographed rendering of their their popular song “DNA.” These guys are ubertalented and they are also paving the way for other Korean artists in several respects. According to Billboard, BTS is “the first K-pop group to ever perform on a major American award show.” That is huge! In addition, these guys “[earned] the highest spot ever on the Billboard Hot 100 for a K-pop group,” according to Huffington Post. The band also won Top Social Artist at the Billboard Music Awards earlier in 2017.

BTS is unstoppable right now. Though many Americans may just now be discovering them thanks to the AMAs, they aren’t new on the scene.

The band released their first hit in 2013 and has only grown in popularity since (they currently boast 6.6 million Instagram followers). According to People, the name BTS comes from “the Korean term ‘Bangtan Sonyeondan,‘ or ‘bulletproof boy scouts.'” BTS has seven members and, People also reports that they write many of their songs.

“From takes on bullying, mental health, and the pursuit of happiness, the band’s music often stress the importance of rejecting society’s ideals,” the publication writes.

BTS has accomplished so much in just four years on the scene. If international superstardom is the next hurdle, they seem ready to clear it.