How well do you know the Bangtan boys?Photo by Big Hit Entertainment/AMA2020/Getty Images via Getty Images
As Korean Pop rises in prominence, one K-Pop group has managed to gather a cult following, dominate the global airwaves and break through mainstream success -- no other than BTS.
Taking millions along for the ride with their own brand of infectious music and dance moves, the South Korean Idol group has proved to be deserving of the spotlight; the boys are only getting started and there's no stopping them now.
If you're one of their diehard supporters, also known as the BTS Army, or just curious to know more about one of the biggest pop superstars of 2020 -- here are top facts you should know about the Bangtan Boys.
29. Aside from the playing the piano, "Worldwide Handsome" is also the athletic one, playing tennis and golf quite well. Photo by Han Myung-Gu/GC Images20. Jungkook is afraid of ... microwaves. According to him, it’s because they might explode at any moment, which if you think about it, is actually kind of scary. Photo by Tibrina Hobson/FilmMagic21. Did you know that not all members of BTS have pierced ears? That’s right! J-Hope’s earlobes aren’t pierced because according to him, he wants to “keep their purity.” Photo by JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images22. Min Yoon-gi actually went by the stage name “Gloss” when he was still in the underground rap scene of South Korea. Not long after however, he changed it to the Suga we know him as today. Photo by Steve Ferdman/Getty Images for Elvis Duran23. Speaking of stage names, Jimin is one of the three BTS members who don't have one. But it wasn’t always like this, as he was almost given the stage name “Baby G” before deciding to keep his real name. Photo by Han Myung-Gu/WireImage24. Did you know that besides the immense work he’s done as a member of BTS, V also has other talents? One such talent is playing the saxophone very well, even though he doesn’t show it much. Photo from YouTube25. According to Jungkook, he either wants to own a duck restaurant or become a tattoo artist in the future. We volunteer our arms, if that’s the case. He can even choose the design he wants to ink! Twitter.com/BTS_twt26. RM’s real name is Kim Nam Joon. While RM previously meant “Rap Monster,” he has since changed it to “Real Me.” That doesn’t mean he's no longer a monster at rapping though, because he still is. Photo by Han Myung-Gu/WireImage27. J-Hope isn't the only famous member of the Jung family. His sister, Daewon, is also a model, designer and social media influencer in South Korea, with 6 million followers on Instagram.Left: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for dcp; Right: Twitter/ mejiwoo10328. BTS almost had a different name. It’s hard to imagine BTS with another name, but did you know that they almost went by Young Nation and Big Kidz? Either way, we’re glad they stuck with BTS in the end. Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage19. According to Suga, if he wasn't a part of BTS, he’d still be making music as a composer. As a matter of fact, Suga has written several of BTS's hits, including "Attack on Bangtan", "Spring Day", "DNA", "Anpanman" and "Boy With Luv". Photo by Cindy Ord/WireImage30. The group also produces their own music! Unlike most K-pop groups, BTS composes, writes, edits and records their own songs. Of course, with the help of other talented producers.Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images31. Jungkook’s stage name was supposed to be “Seagull.” Imagine JK going by Seagull instead. You know what? We still like it. Photo by Steve Ferdman/Getty Images for Elvis Duran32. The BTS members are so close, they can communicate without words. This was confirmed by Jimin, who said that they’ve reached a point where they can easily “talk” just by looking at each other, especially when performing onstage. Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for The Recording Academy33. Jimin is trained in contemporary dance. "Baby Mochi" studied at the Busan High School of Arts before it was unveiled that he’ll be a member of BTS. Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images for iHeartMedia34. The music video for “Dope” was their first MV to exceed 100 million views on YouTube. The song talks about the struggles that young people face in reaching their dreams and succeeding expectations given to them. Youtube/ BigHit Entertainment35. BTS also paired up with American singer Halsey in the song “Boy with Luv,” which is written with fans in mind, and promotes the appreciation of the small things in life. Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images36. BTS’s Twitter account is the most-followed Korean Twitter account, and currently has 31 million followers. Their other account, @BTS_bithit, also has around 25 million followers. Twitter / BTS_twt37. BTS is the first Asian artist to surpass 5 billion streams on Spotify, all thanks to their massive fanbase and their big influence in the K-pop and mainstream music industry. Photo by Steven Ferdman/Getty Images for ESB10. BTS's third full-length album, “Love Yourself: Tear,” landed on the number one spot in the Billboard 200 -- it's first of five albums to achieve this feat. BTS is the only K-pop group to ever achieve this. Photo by BigHit Entertainment2. The group BTS currently has seven handpicked members to create what is essentially the ultimate boy group. With RM as the “leader,” the group also includes Jin, Suga, V, Jungkook, Jimin, and J-Hope. RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images3. The group was put together by the company Big Hit Entertainment. Auditions for the group started in 2010, and the members were finalized in 2012. BTS debuted in 2013. Photo by JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images4. The group started gaining attention just six months after their debut. In August 2014, the group released their first album, titled “Dark and Wild.”Photo by Han Myung-Gu/WireImage5. As of 2020, the group has been nominated for 475 awards, and has managed to win 315 of them. This makes them one of the largest selling and most successful boy groups from South Korea. Photo by Han Myung-Gu/WireImage6. BTS had their own variety show titled “Rookie King: Channel Bangtan” wherein the members of the group made parodies of different programs. The first episode aired in September 2013. Photo by Channel Bangtan7. BTS's lyrics are known for exploring a large set of topics, including bullying, societal ideals, female empowerment, suicide, mental health issues, and of course, love. The group believes in exploring and tackling different topics.Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for dcp8. As with any K-pop group that has achieved massive success, BTS has their very own fanbase, which consists of millions of people not just from South Korea, but all over the world. Fans of BTS are called ARMY, which is an acronym for “Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth.” Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Image9. Because of their infectious music and energetic dance moves, BTS has managed to reach the mainstream musical market. Their first ever TV performance in the United States was at the 2017 American Music Awards.Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images1. While the name is now an acronym for “Beyond the Scene,” BTS’s original meaning is “Bangtan Sonyeondan” which in Korean, means “bulletproof boy scouts.” This is because the group signifies deflecting criticisms and stereotypes, much like bulletproof vests. Han Myung-Gu/WireImage11. Their album titled “Love Yourself: Her” sold more than 1.2 million copies in South Korea on its first month, becoming the biggest selling Korean album in 16 years at that time, according to Gaon Album Chart. Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images12. Aside from pop, BTS has also incorporated other genres into their music, including electronic music, blues, hip-house, house and rock. The group did this because they want to explore many musical genres. Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy13. The boys of BTS love games, and one of their favorites is Crossy Road. In fact, they even tweeted the mobile game to ask for merchandise. After getting the gifts, the boys then posted selfies alongside the small chicks.Twitter/ BTS_twt14. Jimin’s astrology sign is Libra. Bad news for Cancers and Capricorns however, as the stars say that they're not compatible with him.Twitter/ BTS_twt15. RM learned how to speak English by watching the American sitcom "Friends." His favorite character isn't Rachel Greene though. He told James Corden his fave is Chandler Bing (played by Matthew Perry).Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images16. V is ambidextrous. This means that unlike normal people who can only write with one hand, V can use either his left or right hand. That’s almost a superpower!Photo by JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images17. Besides watching "Friends," RM is also a huge bookworm, and has read a lot of books. Among his book list are "Almost Transparent Blue" by Ryū Murakami and "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka.Youtube/ BangtanTV18. Jin graduated from the Konkuk University in Seoul in 2017 with a major in theater and film.Twitter/ BTS_twt
