High Note Magazine

HIGH NOTE
kim namjoon
Their new single, “Butter” is
out May 21st! Make sure to
give it a listen! Learn more
about what new music is coming
soon on page eight!
TS isn’t just the biggest K-pop act on the charts.
They’ve become the biggest band in the world—
full stop. Between releasing multiple albums,
breaking every type of record and appearing in these
extemporaneous livestreams in 2020, BTS ascended
to the zenith of pop stardom. And they did it in a year
defined by setbacks, one in which the world hit pause
and everyone struggled to maintain their connections.
Other celebrities tried to leverage this year’s
challenges; most failed. (Remember that star-studded
“Imagine” video?) But BTS’s bonds to their international
fan base, called ARMY, deepened amid the
pandemic, a global racial reckoning and worldwide
shutdowns. “There are times when I’m still taken
aback by all the unimaginable things that are happening,”
Suga tells TIME later. “But I ask myself, Who’s
going to do this, if not us?”
Today, K-pop is a multibillion-dollar business, but
for decades the gatekeepers of the music world—
the Western radio moguls, media outlets and number-crunchers—treated
it as a novelty. BTS hits the
expected high notes of traditional K-pop: sharp
outfits, crisp choreography and dazzling videos. But
they’ve matched that superstar shine with a surprising
level of honesty about the hard work that goes into it.
BTS meets the demands of Top 40’s authenticity era
without sacrificing any of the gloss that’s made K-pop
a cultural force. It doesn’t hurt that their songs are
irresistible: polished confections that are dense with
hooks and sit comfortably on any mainstream playlist.
BTS is not the first Korean act to establish a secure
foothold in the West, yet their outsize success today
is indicative of a sea change in the inner workings of
fandom and how music is consumed. From propelling
their label to a $7.5 billion IPO valuation to inspiring
fans to match their $1 million donation to Black
Lives Matter, BTS is a case study in music-industry
dominance through human connection. Once Suga
masters the guitar, there won’t be much left for them
to conquer.
BY RAISA BRUNER
park jimin
min yoongi
jeon jungkook
kim seokjin
kim taehyung
jung hoseok
PAGE 6