



A photo of the Time Magazine cover featuring BTS Photo: Courtesy of Li Sha

South Korean boy band BTS performs at a Korean cultural event in Paris, France, on Sunday. Photo: IC

Following their record-breaking achievements including being the first South Korean pop band to top the Billboard 200 albums chart in late May, BTS made headlines again after winning the Favorite Social Artist award at the 2018 American Music Awards on October 9.Moreover, the popular boy band also grabbed the attention of Chinese media and music fans after Time Magazine ran a feature story about them on October 10."Not only is BTS the first Korean act to sell out a US stadium (to say nothing of the records they've set across Asia), but they've done so without catering to Western audiences," the US magazine said of the band in its "Next Generation Leaders" issue, which also featured other rising activists, artists and athletes."Most of the group's songs are in Korean and only one of the seven-member group, RM, speaks fluent English," the magazine emphasized."We envy that South Korea has BTS. As a hip-hop group, their members write songs that draw attention to social progress and the growth of young people… they're also using their huge influence and popularity to promote their country's traditional culture," commented netizen donuts0retailer-department on Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo.The group's success in the Western world has also led some Chinese netizens to reflect on China's export of its own idols. In recent years, when young Chinese idols made headlines overseas it was often due to the exorbitant prices of their concert tickets or their lack of performance skills."Putting aside all prejudices, from BTS' success I can see how taking your job as musicians seriously created positive energy. I really wish China could produce more high-quality idols, instead of products meant for quick consumption…" commented Sina Weibo user Miaozisweety.Chinese netizens were also impressed by the patriotism and appreciation for everything their parents have done for them that BTS members showed during a video interview with Time. The interview was especially impactful for some as it came on the heels of a series of controversies in which several popular Chinese streamers triggered public anger by joking about the Nanjing Massacre and comically singing China's national anthem."It is not about injecting ideology into the cultural and art industry, but about being Chinese. In order to deserve their title, Chinese stars should be proud about their people and love their country," commented netizen Tyrion on Sina Weibo."As a Korean we love our country and we're proud of our country so much. And it's even just an honor to be called an ambassador of Korean K-pop," BTS member RM said during the Time magazine interview."BTS has confidence in their people and culture and voices their patriotism instead of bragging about their own achievements. They have continually stressed the contributions that older generations have made," commented Fu Wenhua in a post on a Global Times article titled "Why we say BTS is giving a class to Chinese entertainment professionals."