I am a bit of an outsider looking in when it comes to the BTS fandom, but I completely get it. All the good they’ve done; from supporting LGBT live to their Love Yourself speech at the United Nations, here are just 5 reasons that convinced me they are one of the best bands in the world.

So, I may not be a die-hard fan, nor have ever been properly initiated into the BTS ARMY and that may because I only heard of the band a year ago. I was first introduced to the group by my ex-girlfriend who was massive fan; so much, in fact, that she got 해가 뜨기 전 새벽이 가장 어두우니까 tattooed underneath her collarbone. It translates to “Because the dawn right before the sun rises is the darkest” which comes from the globally popular saying “it’s always darkest before the dawn“.

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I struck a deal with my ex one day; if she would accompany me to indoor soccer, I would spend an entire evening with her watching BTS clips. We were lying in bed munching down popcorn and binge watching a series of their videos; each with a very intriguing story that somehow intertwined with the rest. The videos were on the next level. The cinematography, the choreography, the editing; each video was a tiny little masterpiece – and what more – it told a pretty heart-wrenching story of insecurity, depression, love and loss. And to boot, the music was pretty catchy too.

해가 뜨기 전 새벽이 가장 어두우니까

Ever since then I have sort of kept one eye on what’s going on with the band, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t impressed. First of all, the band’s history alone and the adversity they’ve had to overcome, and the losses they’e had to suffer are heart-breaking, yet through all of this BTS has grown to become of one of the most popular bands of all time. But the culmination of all their experiences has ultimately shaped BTS into the role models and top-shelf artists they are today.

Before you click on please keep in mind that I am not a super fan. I may accidentally miss or get things wrong. If I do, or if you would just like to share more exciting facts about BTS with me, leave a comment after the last slide. With that being said, here are 5 things that have reassured me that BTS is one of the best bands in the world.

BTS ARMY

Despite the majority of their songs being performed in Korean, the band has penetrated markets all across the world giving them the most diverse group of supporters ever. They have over 90, 000, 000 fans world wide!

What makes these individuals unique is that they live by the motto “I purple U”. It derives from a fan-made song that was made to show appreciation to BTS. It was inspired by a quote from V.

Do you know what purple means? It’s the last of the rainbow colors. Purple means I will love and trust you for a long time. – Kim Tae-hyung “V”

One can usually get a sense of the band just by observing their fan base. In a sense, the fandom is an extension of the band themselves, because they amplify their passion tenfold. But BTS as call themselves an ARMY for a reason; they will unite and rally for a cause, whether it be for merely spreading the word or fighting a social injustice. Although ARMY may stand for Adorable Representative MC for Youth, they do bite… and you certainly don’t want to anger of 90, 000, 000 people. You might just have to agree that they are one of the best bands in the world.

They are charitable

BTS is one of the most charitable groups out there. When they aren’t busy touring, promoting or recording they are out there helping people in need. BTS, along with Big Hit Entertainment, have inspiring track record of charity work; ranging from food drives, to visiting childcare centers and old peoples homes to donating hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to good cause charities.

BTS supports LGBT

Supporting the LGBT movement may not seem like a big deal, since its what most decent human beings do, but if you understand South Korean gender politics you will understand how much respect BTS earned from publicly supporting LGBT.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in South Korea face legal challenges and discrimination not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Although male and female same-sex sexual activity is legal in South Korea, marriage or other forms of legal partnership are not available to same-sex partners. This is vastly different to most western societies where same-sex marriage is legal and de facto relationships are protected by law.

Waving that LGBTQ flag at their concert in Paris, France, was a risky move that could have had negative connotations in their homeland. But it showcased the groups humanity, humility and passion.

Their United Nations speech

All sharply-clad, BTS took to the United Nations to deliver a moving speech about how they had to overcome their own insecurities, the perils of suppressing your own identity and the power of self-love.

In an intro to one of our early albums, there is a line that says, ‘My heart stopped when I was maybe nine or 10.’ Looking back, I think that’s when I began to worry about what other people thought of me and started seeing myself through their eyes, I stopped looking up at the night sky, the stars. I stopped daydreaming.



Instead, I tried to jam myself into the other moulds that other people made. Soon, I began to shut out my own voice and started to listen to the voices of others. No one called out my name and neither did I. My heart stopped and my eyes closed shut. So, like this, I – we – all lost our names. We became like ghosts. – Kim Nam Joon “RM”

This United Nations speech launched their Love Myself UNICEF campaign which has raised over 1.4 million to this day!

Their music

Putting their United Nations efforts aside and ignoring their other accomplishments we can focus on the real reason they are one of the popular bands in the world… and that is of course their music. You don’t sell close 10 million albums by making mediocre music.

If you aren’t paying attention, like I was, then BTS just sounds like your run-of-the-mill pop music with good beats and catchy tunes. But, like the fans know, their is so much to unpack with each song as the messages hidden within happy-go-lucky pop-tunes are of life’s biggest struggles and there is something in there for everyone and that’s why 90 million people can relate to it. And that is why BTS is one of the best bands in the world.