Call BTS the new John, Paul, George and Ringo and they will be polite if dismissive. “It is a bit of a burden to be called The Beatles of the 21st century,” 26-year-old band member Suga told journalists at a pre-concert press conference in August. “We want to be the BTS of the 21st century.” But the parallels are certainly valid.

Not only the most successful boy band in the world but the recipients of previously unthinkable international admiration akin to four boys from Liverpool unexpectedly becoming world-famous icons, BTS are a South Korean pop group of singers, dancers, lyricists and record producers, all in their early to mid-twenties and as surreally handsome as they are quick-footed on stage.

This summer they became the first Korean act to sell out two nights at Wembley Stadium – putting them into an exclusive bracket that tends to, at the bare minimum, be occupied by acts who sing in English, or at least those who have already become household names. At the 2020 Grammys they became the first Korean group to perform at the American awards show.

A seven-man hit factory with a mobilised, internet-driven fanbase known as the Army, BTS occupy a powerful position in modern pop, reflective of a progressive new era of music that crosses borders, genres and language, something all the more striking considering the eagerness with which nations are building walls. But in truth, little embodies the awe-inspiring power BTS possess than in moments when they’re not even there.