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BTS #1 spot on US Billboard Charts

Kasumi · 3438

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Offline Kasumi

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on: May 30, 2018, 09:42:24 AM
I just stumbled across this on my newsfeed.

Anyone of you into K-Pop? You've probably already heard then, but for everyone else: the korean Boygroup BTS has recently debuted on the #1 spot on the US Billboard Charts with their new album. See Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Yourself:_Tear

I'll admit it right away. I have never listened to them. I'm not into K-Pop, but I am impressed with their international success. To me this clearly shows that nowadays an asian music act can top the charts in the western world. I doubt that the new X Album will be this successful on the charts, but it does give me as a listener of asian music hope to see more things like that happen.

So thx for your hard work BTS. You are doing an excellent job at showing the world that there is a music industry other than the american one.

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Teemeah

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Reply #1 on: May 30, 2018, 10:21:15 AM
I'm a big fan of K-pop, and I love BTS. They are awesome by the way. :) heir music is really well composed (self composed!) and their MVs are incredibly visually well done, well edited, super high quality (Yoshiki please take notes. Please please please)

Check out: Blood, Sweat & Tears: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmE9f-TEutc It's a piece of art, with multiple layers of symbolism and literary references. Korean directors actually know how to engage viewers. They are incredible dancers on top of all that, and very humble and nice guys. They deserve this success so much and it is actually quite surprising that a boy band could take over the US charts because we always suspected Korean female singers like CL would have higher chances than male idols because of the Western stigma attached to "feminine" looking Korean boys. But here they are slaying. :)  8) PLUS they achieved all of this WITHOUT singing entirely in English.

of course pop is always more wide-spread and popular so I don't think X Japan would ever top the Billboard 200. Still, this could really help Asian acts a bit, yes.

Bonus: my faveourite BTS song, Save me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZjt_sA2eso



Offline Sander

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Reply #2 on: June 11, 2018, 04:04:35 PM
I was really surprised when I heard a k-pop song on my local radio while driving. Turns out BTS has somehow pierced this bubble that previously one man has been able to - Psy :P

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Offline Kasumi

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Reply #3 on: June 11, 2018, 07:05:49 PM
I was really surprised when I heard a k-pop song on my local radio while driving. Turns out BTS has somehow pierced this bubble that previously one man has been able to - Psy :P
Oh yeah I still remember when Psy was suddenly played on the radio. That was weird. But it was only one song (and a really cool video) that broke into the music world like this. But somehow BTS managed to launch a whole f***ing album on the No. 1 Spot in several countries. This is crazy... and I still haven't heard a single song of them. ^.^°

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Teemeah

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Reply #4 on: June 11, 2018, 09:13:56 PM
no, their popularity in America got them on Ellen ;) They got there because they became nominated at the Billboard awards.

Psy's viral success was entirely by sheer chance. It was goofy and you could laugh at the "idiot asian" stereotype, that's why it became popular. But BTS doesn't do parodies and their music and videos are not goofy/funny stuff. They did the breakthrough with music, that's why it is so much more important than Psy's success in the west.



Offline lakeisle

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Reply #5 on: June 12, 2018, 07:13:36 AM

The main fandom of this kind of idol group are teenagers. Until recently, most of 20s and 30s in Korea were like "Who are they?", "Why are they popular in foreign countries?"(40s are more aware of BTS because of their children). But now, 20's and 30's are desperate to memorize member's names and songs because if they say they don't know who BTS are, they are treated as people who are behind the times. I also memorized the names of the members to keep up with the times. ;D ;D

I am not sure if they breakthrough with music though. Even their fans seem to talk more about dance than music.  Anyway this is my favorite song and is the most famous BTS song in Korea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuSZ-BC6BWc

But the songs that are popular overseas seems to be different. Maybe because the lyrics are not delivered despite they are beautiful? Or is this a typical Kimchi style song? Haha!



Offline nb

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Reply #6 on: June 12, 2018, 07:52:39 AM
I think it is also because the 90s was the big time in the west for boygroups. And it seems that they are missed. I mean as a teenager maybe you need those bands. "Oh, we all like the SAME band but we can also have different taste in boys." In every boygroup there were alsways the soft, the punk, the rapper, ...

Maybe we just miss that in the West at the moment. And just because BTS are so many really has something for everyone.


I am not sure if they breakthrough with music though. Even their fans seem to talk more about dance than music.  Anyway this is my favorite song and is the most famous BTS song in Korea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuSZ-BC6BWc

But the songs that are popular overseas seems to be different. Maybe because the lyrics are not delivered despite they are beautiful? Or is this a typical Kimchi style song? Haha!


I think that has more to do with the music industry. Actually, in the West, a radio song can not be longer than 3.30 minutes. This is almost a law. Sure, there are exceptions, but mostly only for established artists.

This song lasts 4.38 minutes. Maybe it's simply why it's less known. It is not played on the radio.


positively unsure。


Teemeah

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Reply #7 on: June 12, 2018, 10:45:56 AM
They play the same songs in the US, nb :) BTS didn't make US-specific songs  ;) That's exactly why the whole thing is important: they did the breakthrough singing in Korean, with their own songs, not produced by American producers for an American market, but written by themselves, primarily for the Korean market.

I think their success in korea and worldwide is attributed to many things, their looks, their insanely good choreographies, also the music (hey, these are good songs!), the whole stage they do, and because they are humble and funny and nice guys on camera. The package is just bombastic. There are bands who have more members (Super jUnior had 13, and there's some band with 17 members...), so I don't think it's because they are 7 and not just regular 5 members :) The package is appealing, they are also young and in the right age for teen girls. Of course, they needed to be lucky, too, be at the right place at the right time. There were other Korean bands who were prominent on US charts before, like Bigbang. But Bigbang is now in the military and currently, quality-wise BTS is really on top.

I think fans must not forget that BTS' way was paved out by earlier bands who were pounding on the doors of Western pop culture, and made it easier for younger bands to go further. Bigbang filled the London O2 twice as early as 2012, and toured US arenas, all sold out. They still keep the record of the biggest world tour in Kpop history with 1.5 million attendees. This will likely be topped now by BTS, but still.... It's not out of the blue that this is happening. The road has been paved.  :) I'm an avid researcher of Kpop history and it is fascinating to see the events in the light of the past happenings.
« Last Edit: June 12, 2018, 10:47:35 AM by Teemeah »



Offline nb

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Reply #8 on: June 12, 2018, 11:00:30 AM
They play the same songs in the US, nb :) BTS didn't make US-specific songs  ;)

Sorry Teemeah, but that is not what I've said.


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Teemeah

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Reply #9 on: June 12, 2018, 11:24:10 AM
They play the same songs in the US, nb :) BTS didn't make US-specific songs  ;)

Sorry Teemeah, but that is not what I've said.

I have just pointed out that BTS didn't need to conform to US length customs to do the breakthrough. They are being played on US radios for a while now. This song for example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTlv5_Bs8aw is being played. And it is over 4 minutes long. :)