Just like other idols [aidol in Korean], BTS: comprises singers and rappers, and all members dance;  went through the typical scouting system, training process, promotion schedules, and diet plans during their pre/debut years and has gained more individual agency during the latter phase of their careers; is supported by the in-house production team and is […]

BTS is a Korean idol group, so in that respect they perfectly fit into this surface definition of K-pop. Meanwhile, because the term K-pop has not been conceived naturally from the inside but named from the outside perspective, it intrinsically adds socio-cultural implications/prejudice in the course of development. Mostly negative, on many occasions.  So, what […]

BTS most definitely fits into my definition of K-pop, but in a hybrid manner. They are idols — singing and dancing to the West-originated music, U.S. Black music in particular; following the Japanese idol sales strategies, like fan sign meetings and photo cards; and targeting the younger generation, mostly female. I said hybrid because they […]

Truthfully, artists like BTS don’t fit into any genre or music category. They define their own categories because they do things that no artist does before them. Aside from the outright successes, BTS’s combination of genres and thematics are very unique within K-pop. I still think they’re a part of K-pop, and K-pop is a […]

To some extent, BTS fits into the industry definition of K-pop. There is no doubt that the way BTS operates and the way they’ve come to create and distribute music is all based on how the K-pop industry works. Music consumption by the audience — streaming for YouTube views as soon as the song drops, […]

BTS is the textbook perfect definition of K-pop. BTS is the most popular group from Korea. They have only Korean members, Korean management, and sing primarily in Korean. Their music and music videos are visually driven (and full of intertextuality), songs are hip-hop heavy but genre-fluid, and many are performed with fabulous, choreographed dance. These […]