Iglesia, Ariane Dale A.

Socio 243
2015-07127 Assignment #3
BRINGING THE SHOW: Analyzing BTS and its Global Popularity
Introduction
Bangtan Sonyeondan, directly translating to “Bulletproof Boy Scouts” and commonly abbreviated
as BTS, is a South Korean septet managed by the talent agency Big Hit Entertainment. Its members
are Kim Seok-jin (Jin), Min Yoon-gi (SUGA), Jung Ho-seok (J-hope), Kim Taehyung (V), Park Ji-min
(Jimin), Jeon Jung-kook (Jungkook), and leader Kim Nam-joon (RM). Initially formed in 2010, they
debuted as a boy band in 2013 with their album 2 Cool 4 Skool. While they started out to be a hip hop
group, they have explored an array of genres throughout their musical career.1 Their breakthrough
albums include the Love Yourself series (Her, Tear, and Answer) and the Map Of The Soul series
(PERSONA and the upcoming 7).
It is widely held that BTS, also known as Bangtan Boys, is currently the biggest boyband in
the world.2 They have reached milestones and have broken world records that no other Korean pop
music (K-pop) group has done. Moreover, they have penetrated markets outside of Asia as big as that
of Europe and especially of the United States of America – a feat not easily achieved by Asian
personalities.3 While one can partly attribute the worldwide success of BTS to Hallyu, “the idea that
South Korean popular culture has grown in prominence to become a major driver of global culture”4,
on their own they are an example of an Asian phenomenon that needs examining in itself in the
context of the growing prominence of South Korean
popular culture. As Kim Suk-young, Director for the
Center for Performance Studies at the University of
California, Los Angeles (UCLA), have said: “BTS and
K-pop should not be bundled up together.”5 As such,
this paper aims to explore the ways in which the
Bangtan Boys became globally popular and the
empirical measures – both qualitative and quantitative
– that testify to such.

Hallyu and the Global Rise of K-Pop

Before focusing on BTS, it would help to situate them in the context of Hallyu and with it, K-
pop’s general rise to worldwide popularity. Hallyu is a Chinese word which directly translates to
“Korean Wave.” It refers to the spread of Korean popular culture all over the world with exports
ranging from movies, dramas, music, online games, technology, cuisines, and more recently, skincare
regimens among others.6 It is particularly interesting to note that South Korea is one, if not the only
country that deliberately set themselves out to be exporters of popular culture. This is referred to by
Joseph Nye as the cultivation of ‘soft power’ wherein nation-states gain influence through image rather
than force.7
At the center of Hallyu is Korean pop music, commonly abbreviated as K-pop. In the past
five to ten years, it had made itself visible to global audiences with Wonder Girls’ top single ‘Nobody’
cracking the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2009, thus somehow paving the way for the entry of other K-
pop hits such as Psy’s phenomenal ‘Gangnam Style.’8 Other notable K-pop groups throughout the
last decade are Super Junior, Big Bang, Exo, 2NE1, and more recently, Red Velvet, BLACKPINK,
and Twice. According to Aja Romano (2018) of vox.com, there are three things that make K-pop
standout from the rest of the pop music genre: “(1) exceptionally high-quality performance (especially
dancing), (2) an extremely polished aesthetic, and (3) an “in-house” method of studio production that
churns out musical hits the way assembly lines churn out cars.”9 The brief analyses below will show
that BTS also exhibits these three factors that account for their unique showmanship. However, it will
also reveal that what makes them standout in particular is their willingness to go beyond this K-pop
formula to success.10

Measures of Popularity
According to United Kingdom based broadcast company, BBC, there are four reasons behind
the massive popularity of the Bangtan Boys.11 Each will be explored briefly below compounded by
additional insights and quantitative data.
Music
With K-pop establishing global fame, BTS is simply making music that people across the world
would gladly consume. Especially notable is their debuts at renowned US music chart, Billboard.
Below are the tabular summaries of BTS’ albums and singles that made it to the charts.
Table 1: BTS Billboard Chart History for Albums
BILLBOARD CHART HISTORY (ALBUM)
NAME HIGHEST POSITION
ATTAINED PEAK DATE
Love Yourself: Answer #1 September 18, 2018
Map Of The Soul: PERSONA #1 April 27, 2019
Love Yourself: Tear #1 June 2, 2018
Love Yourself: Her #7 October 7, 2017
Wings #26 October 29, 2016
Face Yourself #43 April 14, 2018
You Never Walk Alone #61 March 4, 2017
The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever #107 May 21, 2016
The Most Beautiful Moment In Life, Pt. 2 #171 December 19, 2015
source: https://www.billboard.com/music/bts/chart-history/billboard-200

Table 2: BTS Billboard Chart History for Single

BILLBOARD HOT 100 CHART HISTORY (SINGLE)
NAME HIGHEST POSITION PEAK DATE
ATTAINED
Boy With Luv featuring Halsey #8 April 27, 2019
FAKE LOVE #10 June 2, 2018
IDOL featuring Nicki Minaj #11 September 8, 2018
MIC Drop featuring Desiigner #28 December 16, 2017
Black Swan #57 February 1, 2020
DNA #67 October 14, 2017
 Make It Right featuring Lauv #76 November 2, 2019
Waste It On Me (Steve Aoki featuring BTS) #89 November 10, 2018
source: https://www.billboard.com/music/bts/chart-history

According to the data presented, BTS have racked up three #1 albums in the US in the span
of less than 12 months which makes them the first group since the Beatles to do so.12 Their album
‘Love Yourself: Tear’ also became the first and only Korean album to debut at no. 1 in Billboard 200.13
In South Korea, government-sponsored Gaon Music Chart named BTS the best-selling artist to debut
in the 2010s with sixteen million albums sold in domestic physical sales.14 Needless to say in this regard
that their music really sells to a multitude of audience. In addition, they recently achieved a feat in
digital sales wherein their singles ‘FAKE LOVE’, ‘IDOL’, their newest single ‘Black Swan’, ‘Boy With
Luv’, and ‘Mic Drop’ landed respectively the top 5 places of the Billboard Digital Song Sales chart.15
But to say that the popularity of their music is attributed to the abovementioned K-pop
formula to success is simplistic. Not only did they explore a variety of music genres, initially starting
with hip hop and R&B to venturing to different pop and ballad songs, but they also exhibit a range of
topics in their songs, not limiting their work to romantic themes which is the usual subject of K-pop
songs. Their songs revolve around unusual topics such as youth,
education, bullying, elitism, and mental health issues.16 For example,
six years ago in their debut music video, ‘No More Dream’, they
presented themselves as ‘bad boys’ who urged young people not to
be constrained by what their parents want for them.17 This was seen
as speaking up against the constricting familial expectations that is
common among Asian cultures. The hit song ‘IDOL’ tackles self-
love despite what others might think of you. In addition, they also
use themes from literature and philosophy. For instance, their
latest album, Map Of The Soul: PERSONA, references Carl Jung
and his work on psychiatry.18
BTS also co-writes and co-produces their songs along with the in-house production team of
Big Hit Entertainment. This is a key point in their development as a Korean boyband specifically
because most Korean artists do not have such privilege.19 It is known that the studio systems of South
Korean entertainment industry result to a highly controlled and regulated environment for their
celebrities.20 It goes as far as preventing the artists from talking about their romantic lives to make it
seem that they are available to the fans.21 BTS, however, tries to deviate from this manufactured aspect
and gives life to their own songs by adding a significant degree of personness to what they produce.

Performance
BTS, along with many other K-pop groups, are known for their outstanding delivery of live
and recorded performances. This is primarily displayed in their music videos where they show their
beyond-polished choreographies for which every song has a specific one dedicated to it. More than
just being eye candy themselves with the colorful hair and the feminine aesthetic, their music videos
impress any viewer with their obscure concepts and superb editing.22 Below is a summary of BTS’
most viewed music videos on video streaming platform, Youtube.
 Table 3: Top 10 Most Viewed Music Videos in Youtube
TOP 10 MOST VIEWED MUSIC VIDEOS IN YOUTUBE VIEWS (as of DATE OF RELEASE
writing)
1. ‘DNA’ ~ 919m September 18, 2017
2. ‘Boy With Luv’ ~ 692m April 12, 2019
3. ‘FAKE LOVE’ ~ 649m May 18, 2018
4. ‘Fire’ ~ 640m May 1, 2016
5. ‘MIC DROP (Steve Aoki Remix)’ ~ 619m November 24, 2017
6. ‘IDOL’ ~ 615m August 24, 2018
7. ‘DOPE’ ~ 547m June 23, 2015
8. ‘Blood, Sweat, & Tears’ ~ 541m October 9, 2016
9. ‘Save ME’ ~ 469m May 15, 2016
10. ‘Not Today’ ~ 383m February 19, 2017
source: youtube.com
With a whopping 919 million views as of writing, the
music video of hit song ‘DNA’ made BTS the first K-Pop
group to surpass the 600 million view mark in a music video.23
Their hit song of 2019, ‘Boy With Luv’, also snatched the
Guinness World Record of Most Viewed Online Music
Video in 24 hours from Taylor Swift’s ‘Look What You Made
Me Do’ with 75 million views in just a day.24
Even in their live performances, they take it up a
notch compared to other K-pop groups. In the recently held
Melon Music Awards, one of the two biggest awarding bodies
for music in South Korea, BTS held a mini-concert with a 40-minute performance of selected songs
from their album ‘Map of the Soul: PERSONA.’ It became viral partly due to the fact that the group
incorporated live horses on stage for their delivery of the song ‘Dionysus.’ Moreover, the performance
also featured the individual acts from the members that featured their discography. In addition, the
song ‘Dionysus’ is an ode to the Greek god of the same name whose specialty is wine and drinking.
As such, one might say, in this regard, that BTS really knows how to take their musicality and artistry
to the next level.25
In terms of concert ticket sales, they are
undoubtedly a powerhouse. Their “Love Yourself”
World Tour from 2018-2019 in countries including
as the US, Belgium, Germany, France, Japan, and
South Korea proved to be a contender, landing at
number 3 on Billboard’s Year End Top 40 tours of
2019. Accordingly, their tour reached a gross
revenue of approximately $117 million dollars,
selling 976,283 tickets to fans across the included
countries. On average, they sell about 49000 tickets
26
per concert day. Their all-out performances is surely a reason why their recently held world tour was
an undisputed success with slick choreographies, breathtaking use of technological props, and
outstanding stage designs.

The Internet
Suga once told BBC Radio 1: “I think we're so lucky to be born at the right time. Without
social media, we wouldn't have been so successful.”27 This is a personal acknowledgement of how the
Internet, specifically social media, played a significant role in the band’s popularity. When they first
debuted six years ago, they did not make much impact to the South Korean audience with their single
‘No More Dream’ peaking only at #84 in the Gaon Music Chart. No one would have thought back
then that they would be the global stars they are at the moment.28
However, being in the sidelines of the three
major talent agencies – SM Entertainment, JYP
Entertainment and YG Entertainment – forced
their own label Big Hit Entertainment to approach
matters differently. They heavily used social media
as an avenue for promoting the Bangtan Boys.29
This set them apart from the big names of the
industry despite the lack of connections and
financial capability. With this, they were able to
maximize the use of social media to their advantage.
For example, they are allowed to personally use their social media accounts, a privilege not given to
most K-pop stars. As such, they get to interact with their fans and share the little things that go on in
their lives off-screen using their official twitter account, @BTS_twt.
With this, the internet became riddled with the mundane moments of the boys ranging from
sleeping, cooking, playing, and pulling pranks on each other. They even produced their own reality
TV-like web series called “Run BTS!” that primarily showcases how they interact with each other in
different scenarios. This added personal touch through the internet and social media is what lures fans
in to the charm of the Bangtan Boys. Moreover, it serves to humanize them with the members gaining
attributable personality traits. For instance, V is considered as the quirky one and Jungkook is known
the naturally talented youngest member, what they call the “Golden Maknae.”30 In turn, this contrasts
them to the general K-pop industry that appears to be so polished and manufactured. Another
platform in which they are active is in live broadcasting application VLIVE which serves as a live diary.
They also produce a travel series online called “Bon
Voyage” that features their adventures in different
countries such as Canada and Hawaii.31
Their collaboration with widely used South
Korean messaging application, Line, is also worth
noting. Launched in 2018, the boys were given the
opportunity to create their own line of personal,
custom-made animated characters that would in turn
be used as stickers inside the messaging software. It
would later on be named “BT21” with its corresponding backstories and narratives.32 It was eventually
produced into a variety of merchandise such as plush toys, clothing, tech accessories, and even
houseware that fans worldwide came to love. Because of its eye candy aesthetic, it became a clever
way of introducing BTS in a cute manner that attracts even the most clueless-about-K-pop passerby.
Even just in terms of followers and subscribers in major platforms such as Facebook and
Twitter, one will see how popular these boys are. Below is a summary of their likes, subscribers, and
followers in the different social media platforms.
Table 4: Number of Following in Different Social Media Platforms
SOCIAL MEDIA LIKES/FOLLOWERS/SUBSCRIBERS
FACEBOOK (@bangtan.official) ~ 10m page likes
TWITTER (@BTS_twt) ~ 24m followers
INSTAGRAM (@bts.bighitofficial) ~ 22.5m followers
YOUTUBE (BANGTANTV) ~ 25.3m subscribers / ~4b channel views
YOUTUBE (BIG HIT LABELS) ~ 32m subscribers / ~8b channel views

Their unique use of the Internet and social media gave their career the edge they needed to differentiate
themselves from other budding K-pop groups back then such as Big Bang and Exo and it continues
to do so with BTS having been declared the most tweeted about artist for three straight years since
2017.33

The Fans
It is needless to say that BTS would not be the global phenomenon they are today if not for
their dedicated lot of fans from all over the world. By the numbers, it is estimated by users in online
discussion community, Quora, that there are about 136.4m BTS fans scattered in every part of the
planet.34 While this is a mere approximation, the data presented on table 3 and 4 would make sense of
such a number. Their top 10 music videos are all past the 300 million view mark and that would not
be possible without fans amounting to millions as well. In addition, BTS remains to be the most
followed Korean celebrity on Twitter with approximately 24 million followers.35 A more empirical
estimation was done by government-affiliated Korea Foundation. According to their year-end report
of 2018, the number of Hallyu fans reached 90 million from 73.12 million in 2017. While this extends
beyond K-pop, they attributed this blow in Hallyu fans to the Bangtan Boys.36
Officially known as ARMY (Adorable Representative MC for Youth),
the BTS fan base, ranging from mostly females across different age
groups37, are loyal and dedicated to say the least. With rigorous
coordination, they are able to make breakthroughs which catapulted
their idols to their status today. Becoming a fan is as easy as liking the
Bangtan Boys.38 There is, however, a more authoritative version that
comes in the form of paying $30 for the official membership. The
perks of subscribing to such include participation in concert ticket
raffles, early access to buying concert tickets, and a custom-made
package sent from South Korea that contains exclusive BTS memorabilia.
But being part of the ARMY is much more than just adoring the seven boys. Accordingly, it
takes work.39 An example of this is the orchestrated mass streaming of music releases, both new and
old, to keep BTS atop the music charts. One fan has claimed she has streamed BTS songs for over
20,000 times and treats such feat as a badge of loyalty to the boys and a medal of achievement as an
ARMY.40 It is safe to say that the rest of the fandom follows such practices. Other ARMY members
would go as far as join together to form groups dedicated to various social causes in the name of the
Bangtan Boys.41
BTS themselves does not fail to acknowledge the work put in by their fans. In every
opportunity they get, especially in their concerts or when they receive awards, they thank the fans for
the never-ending support they give to them.42 They also show their gratitude in the form of the song,
‘Magic Shop’, which incorporates the concept of the same name – a technique used in psychotherapy
that exchanges fear for positive attitudes.43 The hook of the song is made such that fans may sing the
unsung lines (“I’ll show you) in response to that of the members (“So show me”).44 An older song
named ‘2!3!’ was also a shout out to their hardworking fans.45
What makes them as dedicated is
exactly this reciprocity between BTS and
the ARMY. It would seem that they have a
symbiotic relationship. Having to rely on
social media to promote themselves, BTS
shares with the ARMY a sense of
achievement in every accomplishment that
the latter gladly takes up. For instance, the
ARMY’s organized power gained
recognition when BTS topped the 2017
Billboard’s Social Artist chart – besting the
likes of Hollywood artists such as Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez.46 Truly, the individuals who make
up the ARMY are not just casual fans but are hardcore believers in the talents and capabilities of the
group. Tahne Howard, an 18-year-old student from United Kingdom said: "It's like proud parents
watching their children grow up," said Howard. "We helped them to be who they are now, and
thankfully, the band is grateful for what we do."47

Conclusions
As previously mentioned, while BTS is still a product of an industry that produces polished
and seemingly perfect artists restricted in what they can show to the world, they slowly break the mold
by introducing individuality and humanness in their work. They are primarily able to do this through
the intensive use of social media and through their personal involvement in the songs they release.
This, in turn, has resulted to one, if not the strongest fan base out there for a global celebrity.
In fact, being a member of the ARMY is somewhat alike to participating in a religion. The way
one lives his or her life is significantly affected by the practices that come with being an ARMY such
as participating in coordinated movements of massive streaming, online voting, tweeting, liking, and
commenting whenever BTS drops new content or performs somewhere. A cousin of mine who is an
avid supporter of the boys once told me that fans from different time zones would take shifts in
streaming a song or a music video so as to reach the most numbers of views in just 24 hours.
Accordingly, they are just told instructions by a group twitter account to organize such activity.
Unsurprisingly, they follow these instructions and become successful in their particular goal – for
instance, obtaining the Guinness World Record for Most View Online Music Video in 24 hours. It is
worth mentioning as well that for some fans, the boys become perfect, infallible beings equating them
with gods of other religions. For others, however, they appreciate more the idea that their idols are as
human as they are too, able to be criticized.48
The numbers BTS rake in in terms of sales, music video views, social media followers and
subscribers, and worldwide fans among others are a testament to their global popularity. However,
their impact does not stop there. Back in 2018, they became the first K-pop group to speak at the
United Nations. Leader RM spoke on behalf of the boys and encouraged young people stand up for
themselves and find their voice, a general theme of their ‘Love Yourself’ album series.49 Indeed, their
exploration of unique themes in their songs prove to be an edge against other K-pop and to an extent,
even Hollywood artists.
BTS also does their home country, South Korea, good by further promoting the consumption
of Korean popular culture which in turn boosts their tourism. Accordingly, BTS makes up for 0.03%
of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) or roughly $4.65 million.50 They are treated so
significantly that talks about exempting the boys to South Korea’s mandated two-year military
program arose recently as eldest member, Jin, is nearing the cutoff age of 29.51 While the South Korean
government declared no such exemptions, this speaks volume to how much of a cultural pride BTS
is to their country. With their catchy music, over-the-top performances, and army of fans, the Bangtan
Boys has established themselves as a worldwide phenomenon and has greatly contributed to the spread
of K-pop in particular and Hallyu in general. How their career will pan out in the near future as the
biggest boyband in the world will surely be worth anticipating given the degree of their impact and
influence to millions of audiences around the globe.
 End Notes
1. “How BTS became the world’s biggest boyband”, The Guardian, last modified October 11,
2018, accessed February 12, 2020,
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/oct/11/how-bts-became-the-worlds-biggest-
boyband.
2. Ibid.
3. Julia Hollingsworth, “How a boy band from South Korea became the biggest in the world”,
CNN, last modified June 9, 2019, accessed February 11, 2020,
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/06/01/asia/bts-kpop-us-intl/index.html.
4. Aja Romano, “How K-pop became a global phenomenon”, Vox, last modified February 26,
2018, accessed February 12, 2020,
https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/2/16/16915672/what-is-kpop-history-explained.
5. Hollingsworth, CNN.
6. Romano, Vox.
7. Ibid.
8. Ibid.
9. Ibid.
10. Collette Bennett, “How BTS is changing K-pop for the better”, The Daily Dot, last modified
February 24, 2017, accessed February 12, 2020, https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/bts-
kpop-korean-boy-band/.
11. “BTS: Who are they and how did they become so successful?”, BBC, last modified October
11, 2018, accessed February 11, 2020, https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/45721656.
12. Hollingsworth, CNN.
13. Hugh McIntyre, “BTS Debut New Album ‘Love Yourself: Tear’ at No. 1, Becoming First
K-Pop Act To Do So”, Forbes, last modified May 27, 2018, accessed February 13, 2020,
https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2018/05/27/bts-debut-new-album-love-
yourself-tear-at-no-1-becoming-the-first-k-pop-act-to-do-so/#4cf2e604f63e.
14. “GAON′s 관찰노트(The Million Sellers - ″Physical Album Sales”)”, Gaon Chart, last
modified August 27, 2019, accessed February 12, 2020,
http://www.gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/article/view.gaon?idx=15713&sgenre=opinion.
15. Hugh McIntyre, “BTS Now Claims All 5 Of The Highest-Charting K-Pop Songs In The
History Of The Sales Chart”, Forbes, last modified February 5, 2020, accessed February 13,
2020, https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2020/02/05/bts-now-claims-all-5-of-
the-highest-charting-k-pop-songs-in-the-history-of-the-sales-chart/#7a404acd7644.
16. “BTS: Who are they and how did they become so successful?”, BBC.
17. Hollingsworth, CNN.
18. Mark Savage, “Jung lovers: BTS delve into psychology on their album, Map Of The Soul”,
last modified April 19, 2019, accessed February 14, 2020,
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-47965524.
19. Aja Romano, “BTS, the band that changed K-pop, explained”, Vox, last modified April 17,
2019, accessed February 12, 2020,
https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/6/13/17426350/bts-history-members-explained.
20. Bennett, The Daily Dot.
21. James Griffiths, “Can K-Pop stars have personal lives? Their labels aren't so sure”, CNN,
last modified September 22, 2018, accessed February 14, 2020,
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/09/21/entertainment/kpop-dating-hyuna-edawn-music-
celebrity-intl/index.html.
22. “BTS: Who are they and how did they become so successful?”, BBC.
23. “BTS’s “DNA” Becomes 1st Korean Group MV To Hit 600 Million Views”, Soompi, last
modified January 9, 2019, accessed February 14, 2020,
https://www.soompi.com/article/1290057wpp/btss-dna-becomes-1st-korean-group-mv-
ever-hit-600-million-views.
24. Dan Thorne, “BTS add TikTok record to their growing list of social media achievements”,
last modified October 23, 2019, accessed February 14, 2020,
https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2019/10/bts-add-tiktok-record-to-their-
growing-list-of-social-media-achievements-596136.
25. “BTS: Who are they and how did they become so successful?”, BBC.
26. Eric Frankenberg, “BTS Finish Love Yourself: Speak Yourself Tour With $117 Million”,
Billboard, last modified November 14, 2019, accessed February 14, 2020,
https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/8543647/bts-love-yourself-speak-
tour-earnings.
27. “BTS: Who are they and how did they become so successful?”, BBC.
28. Hollingsworth, CNN.
29. Ibid.
30. Ibid.
31. “BTS: Bon Voyage”, BTS Wiki, accessed February 14, 2020,
https://bts.fandom.com/wiki/BTS:_Bon_Voyage.
32. Donna Shefield, “Part of the BTS ARMY? Time to fall in love with BT2”, Metro, last
modified October 17, 2018, accessed February 13, 2020,
https://metro.co.uk/2018/10/17/part-of-the-bts-army-time-to-fall-in-love-with-bt21-
7995310/?ito=cbshare
33. “BTS most tweeted-about musical artist; tweet by BTS member is most retweeted tweet of
the year”, WIFC, last modified December 9, 2019, accessed February 12, 2020,
https://wifc.com/news/articles/2019/dec/09/bts-most-tweeted-about-musical-artist-tweet-
by-bts-member-is-most-retweeted-tweet-of-the-year/965096/.
34. “How many fans does BTS have?”, Quora, accessed February 13, 2020,
https://www.quora.com/How-many-fans-does-BTS-have.
35. Hollingsworth, CNN.
36. Caitlin Kelley, “BTS Lead The Growth Of Hallyu To Nearly 90 Million Fans Worldwide In
2018”, Forbes, last modified January 11, 2019, accessed February 12, 2020,
https://www.forbes.com/sites/caitlinkelley/2019/01/11/bts-lead-growth-of-hallyu-90-
million-fans-2018/#5d63adfc70bc.
37. “Data Shows BTS Is Gaining More Diverse Fans And Growing In Numbers”, KpopMap, last
modified February 27, 2019, accessed February 12, 2020, https://www.kpopmap.com/data-
shows-bts-is-gaining-more-diverse-fans-and-growing-in-numbers/.
38. Yoonjung Seo and Julia Hollingsworth, “BTS' army of admirers: Inside one of the world's
most powerful fandoms”, CNN, last modified October 21, 2019, accessed February 13,
2020, https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/12/asia/bts-fandom-army-intl-hnk/index.html.
39. Ibid.
40. Ibid.
41. Ibid.
42. Ibid.
43. “Book That Inspired BTS’s “Magic Shop” Becomes Best Seller In Korea”, Soompi, last
modified June 5, 2018, accessed February 14, 2020,
https://www.soompi.com/article/1180447wpp/book-inspired-btss-magic-shop-becomes-
best-seller-korea.
44. Ibid.
45. “2!3!”, BTS Wiki, accessed February 13, 2020,
https://bts.fandom.com/wiki/2!_3!#Translation.
46. Jason Lipshutz, “BTS Thanks Fans For Top Social Artist Win at Billboard Music Awards
2017: Watch”, Billboard, last modified May 21, 2017, accessed February 14, 2020,
https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/bbma/7801216/bts-video-top-social-artist-win-
billboard-music-awards-2017.
47. Seo and Hollingsworth, CNN.
48. Ibid.
49. “"We have learned to love ourselves, so now I urge you to 'speak yourself.'””, UNICEF, last
modified September 24, 2018, accessed February 14, 2020, https://www.unicef.org/press-
releases/we-have-learned-love-ourselves-so-now-i-urge-you-speak-yourself.
50. “BTS accounts for $4.65 billion of South Korea’s GDP—and other jaw-dropping stats
about the supergroup”, FastCompany, last modified February 2, 2019, accessed February 14,
2020, https://www.fastcompany.com/90412360/bts-accounts-for-4-65-billion-of-south-
koreas-gdp-and-other-jaw-dropping-stats-about-the-supergroup.
51. Sangmi Cha, “Attention! South Korean boyband BTS have to do military service”, Reuters,
last modified November 22, 2019, accessed February 14, 2020,
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-southkorea-kpop-military/attention-south-korean-
boyband-bts-have-to-do-military-service-idUSKBN1XW0SD.
 Appendix 1: Links to Top 10 Music Videos
TOP 10 MOST VIEWED MUSIC VIDEOS IN LINK
YOUTUBE
1. ‘DNA’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBdVXkSdhwU

2. ‘Boy With Luv’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsX3ATc3FbA

3. ‘FAKE LOVE’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C2z4GqqS5E

4. ‘Fire’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALj5MKjy2BU

5. ‘MIC DROP (Steve Aoki Remix)’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTlv5_Bs8aw

6. ‘IDOL’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBuZEGYXA6E

7. ‘DOPE’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVwAVbKYYeM

8. ‘Blood, Sweat, & Tears’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmE9f-TEutc

9. ‘Save ME’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZjt_sA2eso

10. ‘Not Today’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DwzBICPhdM

Appendix 2: Links to Run BTS! and Bon Voyage

Run BTS!: Ep. 1 [OPEN] https://www.vlive.tv/video/1037/playlist/27764

Bon Voyage Season 1 Preview https://www.vlive.tv/video/9805