BTS- A Beginner's Guide to the K-Pop Boy Band Taking the World by Storm

If you watched the 2017 Billboard Music awards earlier this year you would have seen that the highlight of the evening was the Social Media award going to the K-Pop group, BTS. But who is BTS? BTS is a 7 member group based out of South Korea, that debuted in 2013 under the company BigHit. BTS stands for Bangtan Sonyeondan (방탄소년단). Before this year the English translation of this name was "Bulletproof Boy Scouts". However, as of this year they released a new translation for their English audiences. The new name is "Beyond the Scene".

The 7 members of BTS range in age from almost 25 to 20 years old. The oldest member is Kim Seokjin (김석진). Born in December of 1992 he is a vocalist and visual, and is often referred to as the parent of the group. His stage name is Jin.

The second oldest is Min Yoongi (민윤기). Born in March of 1993 he is the group's lead rapper, having released his own mix tape last year under the name Agust D. His stage name for BTS is Suga.

The third member is Jung Hoseok (정호석). Born in February of 1994 his is a rapper as well as the group's main dancer. Arguably he is the best dancer in BTS. His stage name is J-Hope.

Next up is the leader of the group, Kim Namjoon (김남준). Born in September of 1994 he's the main rapper of the group. He has also released a mix tape back in 2015. His stage name is Rap Monster.

The fifth member is Park Jimin (박지민). He was born in October of 1995 and is a lead vocalist as well as the main dancer. Jimin and J-Hope are the two dancers by trade in the group, having studied before debuting with the group. His stage name is simply Jimin.

The sixth member is none other than Kim Taehyung (김태형). Born in December of 1995 he is another vocalist for the group. He is known for his deep and unique voice. His stage name is V.

Last but certainly not least is Jeon Jungkook (전정국). Born in September of 1997 he is the youngest of the group, or the maknae. He is also known as the golden maknae because he is a main vocalist, sub rapper, lead dancer, and he is the face of the group. His stage name is just Jungkook.

These 7 boys make up one of the most popular K-Pop groups in the world. BTS has proved time and time again that they will overcome whatever challenges that are thrown their way. And it's clear from their monumental success around the world that they have and will continue to fight for their passion.

BTS is signed under a small company in South Korea called BigHit. When BTS debuted it was very unclear if they were going to be successful in South Korea, let alone the world. Especially in an industry like K-Pop which had been dominated by the Big 3 companies for many years. The Big 3 companies being, SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment. These three companies had run the K-Pop music scene for years making it harder and harder for smaller companies to succeed. However, that is starting to change with the recent success of BigHit and BTS. Smaller companies are starting to flourish, and some are even starting to surpass the Big 3 in terms of revenue.

BTS has pushed through and continued to create the music they love. Often pushing the limits of their lyrics to create meaningful and inspiring songs.

Be on the look out for more articles surrounding BTS and the K-Pop industry.