Despite early struggles and delayed popularity in South Korea,

BTS’s international breakthrough was near – in 2018 BTS became the

first non-English act in over a decade to top the Billboard 200. Over
time, they have won four Billboard Music Awards, four American
Music Awards, presented at the GRAMMY awards, and broken a
multitude of records, including those set by celebrated bands such as
The Beatles. Their achievements have not only defied the Western
industry’s expectations of non-English acts, but they have also helped
confront stereotypes associated with East Asian musicians. Along with
their global endeavors, BTS continues to thrive in the South Korean
music industry — the group has now won a record-breaking 37
Daesangs (grand prizes) and was the first act in history to win all of
the Daesangs at both the 2019 Melon Music Awards and 2019 Mnet
Asian Music Awards. In addition to these successes, the members of
BTS continue to embody their own ideas of inclusivity — they make
frequent donations to charities, participate in UNICEF campaigns to
end violence against children, and promote lesser-known artists on
social media. 
As expected, this incredible legacy has attracted millions of followers.
BTS’s diverse fan base, known as ARMY, strives to promote BTS’s
positive message of self-love and share the group’s artistic vision with
the world. The fan base is also a social justice force of its own, fighting
against the prejudice and xenophobia that surrounds non-English-
speaking, non-Western artists.

Such organic, fan-driven growth is indicative of BTS’s influence in

today’s era of popular culture — one that is diverse, global, and
participatory. Hence, scholars from all academic disciplines and
cultural backgrounds wish to study BTS, understand their artistry, and
partake in this unparalleled period of globalization.