“Most of our music is about how we perceive the world and how we try to persist as normal, average human beings. So our fans inspire us and give us a direction to go as musicians. And of course, their love and support keeps us going,” said Kim Namjoom , one of the 7 members from the South Korean band called BTS. 

From their debut in 2013, until becoming the first Koreans to perform at the Grammys, BTS has stayed true to their originality and inspired many fans and even passers-by. Every one of their songs has meaning towards their lives and struggles. 

Their fans, known as ARMYs, find their words apply to their lives as well. They write about the struggles of simply being humans and dealing with normal things along with deep context and ideas. Depression, anxiety, love, pain, happiness, and fear.

Not only has BTS become very successful, being considered the ‘Pride of Korea’ but they have a dominating, diverse, widespread, group of fans that span the globe. Their fans have fallen in love with their words and the personalities of each member that they have put out there for us to see. I’ve been a fan for a year now and I regret not becoming a fan sooner. They have created a not just a fanbase, but a family. 

ARMYs are some of the kindest and most sincere people I’ve ever met. No matter who you were before finding BTS, they have a way of changing your outlook on life. Their constant reminder and message of spreading love and kindness definitely take effect on their fans. 

Transcending music is a big part of their message as well. International fans like myself don’t speak the language they speak or understand the words they say, but we feel their message through their music. Music is a language of its own, that anyone can learn. That is something BTS has taught me and so many others. Translations and captions do really help though. 

BTS has shown me a world and a side of myself that I never knew was there. This world is full of color and realization, and happiness. It’s a special place that only people who are willing to find it can go to. A lot of people have written BTS off and say they can’t listen to it because they “can’t understand what they’re saying.” This is just a lack of willingness to look a little deeper than blatant English words that have been repeated by every Western artist. But I understand. BTS might not be your style. And that’s okay. It’s important to accept everyone’s preference and taste. But you shouldn’t force yourself to ‘like’ a certain type of music when you really don’t feel it. 

Speaking of music style, BTS is one of the most versatile if not the most versatile group I’ve ever encountered. Originally starting out to be a primarily Hip Hop group, they allowed themselves to explore their own musical tastes in their songs and have dabbled with so many different genres of music. It would be hard to not find at least one song of theirs you didn’t like, genre-wise. BTS is something special in this world. 

I admire BTS more than anything really. They are all so incredibly talented, having 4 singers, 3 rappers, and all perform as dancers. They have worked so hard throughout the years, and I don’t want to say other artists haven’t worked just as hard, but BTS’s life hasn’t exactly come easy.

They came from a poor company compared to other big companies that dominate the K-pop industry. They could only do what the company could afford for them to do. And a few of them actually came from poor families, but they decided to focus more on spreading the words they wanted to be spread and giving love and support to ARMYs and each other rather than wanting fame and success.

Now where they are today you can see that they haven’t forgotten where they came from and are humble if anything. They made their company rise from rock bottom by using their artistic freedom to fill their purpose out in this world. The fact that they struggle with life just like everyone else and they still never disappoint ARMYs with their neverending incredible insight and strength is beautiful. If that’s not admirable, I don’t know what is.

BTS has changed my life for the better and I feel intense pride in their accomplishments and savor every smile they’ve put on my face. With the everlasting pain of change in our lives, they definitely make it better. They are by far the best artists I’ve ever listened to and I’m so glad I got involved with them.