Bts

2013musical actclassic

BTS is the seven-member South Korean boy band that debuted in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment and broke into the US mainstream in 2017. Their global fandom, called ARMY, drove waves of reaction images, dance covers, and viral moments across YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok around songs like DNA, MIC Drop, Fake Love, and Boy with Luv.

kpop memesfandom hype memesstan culture memesmusic memesdance memes

Overview

BTS is a seven-member South Korean boy band that debuted in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment3. The group's name is short for Bangtan Sonyeondan, which translates to Bulletproof Boy Scouts, and in 2017 the agency added Beyond The Scene as an English-language brand identity5. The lineup includes RM (born Kim Nam-joon, formerly known as Rap Monster), Jin (Kim Seok-jin), Suga (Min Yoon-gi, who records solo work as Agust D), J-Hope (Jung Ho-seok), Jimin (Park Ji-min), V (Kim Tae-hyung), and Jungkook (Jeon Jung-kook)8.

The fandom is called ARMY and drives much of the group's online presence, helping push their mostly Korean-language music onto Western charts6. BTS memes range from fan-made reaction images and edited music video clips to jokes about running gags such as RM being the group's English speaker or Jin calling himself worldwide handsome6. Songs like DNA, MIC Drop, and Fake Love spawned dance covers, remixes, and reaction videos across YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok2.

How It Spread

The mainstream US breakthrough happened at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards on May 21, where BTS won Top Social Artist over Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez1. Suga told Billboard around that time, "Worldwide, our young generation shares the same issues socially and politically"1. The win was the first Billboard Music Award for any K-pop group4.

That September, the EP LOVE YOURSELF 承 'Her' debuted at number 7 on the Billboard 200, the highest ranking there for a Korean group at that point4. Lead single DNA reached number 67 on the Hot 100 in October 2017, and the Steve Aoki remix of MIC Drop featuring Desiigner climbed to number 28 in December, the first top 40 Hot 100 entry for any K-pop group2. Both singles hit RIAA gold on February 6 and February 9, 2018, making BTS only the second Korean act to earn RIAA certification after PSY's Gangnam Style4.

The follow-up album LOVE YOURSELF 轉 'Tear' arrived on May 18, 2018 and debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 a week later, the first number one for a K-pop act and the first foreign-language number one album in 12 years3. The Fake Love music video pulled 35.9 million views in its first 24 hours3. On August 24, 2018 the compilation LOVE YOURSELF 結 'Answer' launched with the IDOL music video, which racked up 45 million views in a day3. In April 2019 the Boy with Luv video featuring Halsey broke the 24-hour YouTube record again with 74.6 million views3.

How to Use This Meme

BTS as meme material is less a single template and more a category of ARMY-produced content. Common formats include reaction images pulled from music videos and interviews, edited clips from the group's variety show Run BTS, and captioned screenshots from the staff-run Twitter account. Jokes often play on member running gags: RM as the group's English speaker, Jin's self-titled worldwide handsome branding, Jungkook as the youngest maknae. Choreography from tracks like Boy with Luv and DNA moves through dance cover videos and TikTok clips6.

Cultural Impact

BTS teamed with the Korean Committee for UNICEF on November 1, 2017 to launch the LOVE MYSELF campaign aimed at ending violence against children and teens worldwide7. The Love Yourself album series ties directly into the campaign's message about self-acceptance7. South Korean President Moon Jae-in wrote a public letter praising the group after Tear topped the Billboard 200 in May 20183. Time magazine included BTS on its 25 Most Influential People on the Internet list, pointing to ARMY as the reason6. The band made their first Saturday Night Live musical guest appearance on April 13, 20193.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bts

2013musical actclassic

BTS is the seven-member South Korean boy band that debuted in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment and broke into the US mainstream in 2017. Their global fandom, called ARMY, drove waves of reaction images, dance covers, and viral moments across YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok around songs like DNA, MIC Drop, Fake Love, and Boy with Luv.

kpop memes fandom hype memes stan culture memes music memes dance memes

Overview

BTS is a seven-member South Korean boy band that debuted in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment3. The group's name is short for Bangtan Sonyeondan, which translates to Bulletproof Boy Scouts, and in 2017 the agency added Beyond The Scene as an English-language brand identity5. The lineup includes RM (born Kim Nam-joon, formerly known as Rap Monster), Jin (Kim Seok-jin), Suga (Min Yoon-gi, who records solo work as Agust D), J-Hope (Jung Ho-seok), Jimin (Park Ji-min), V (Kim Tae-hyung), and Jungkook (Jeon Jung-kook)8.

The fandom is called ARMY and drives much of the group's online presence, helping push their mostly Korean-language music onto Western charts6. BTS memes range from fan-made reaction images and edited music video clips to jokes about running gags such as RM being the group's English speaker or Jin calling himself worldwide handsome6. Songs like DNA, MIC Drop, and Fake Love spawned dance covers, remixes, and reaction videos across YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok2.

How It Spread

The mainstream US breakthrough happened at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards on May 21, where BTS won Top Social Artist over Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez1. Suga told Billboard around that time, "Worldwide, our young generation shares the same issues socially and politically"1. The win was the first Billboard Music Award for any K-pop group4.

That September, the EP LOVE YOURSELF 承 'Her' debuted at number 7 on the Billboard 200, the highest ranking there for a Korean group at that point4. Lead single DNA reached number 67 on the Hot 100 in October 2017, and the Steve Aoki remix of MIC Drop featuring Desiigner climbed to number 28 in December, the first top 40 Hot 100 entry for any K-pop group2. Both singles hit RIAA gold on February 6 and February 9, 2018, making BTS only the second Korean act to earn RIAA certification after PSY's Gangnam Style4.

The follow-up album LOVE YOURSELF 轉 'Tear' arrived on May 18, 2018 and debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 a week later, the first number one for a K-pop act and the first foreign-language number one album in 12 years3. The Fake Love music video pulled 35.9 million views in its first 24 hours3. On August 24, 2018 the compilation LOVE YOURSELF 結 'Answer' launched with the IDOL music video, which racked up 45 million views in a day3. In April 2019 the Boy with Luv video featuring Halsey broke the 24-hour YouTube record again with 74.6 million views3.

How to Use This Meme

BTS as meme material is less a single template and more a category of ARMY-produced content. Common formats include reaction images pulled from music videos and interviews, edited clips from the group's variety show Run BTS, and captioned screenshots from the staff-run Twitter account. Jokes often play on member running gags: RM as the group's English speaker, Jin's self-titled worldwide handsome branding, Jungkook as the youngest maknae. Choreography from tracks like Boy with Luv and DNA moves through dance cover videos and TikTok clips6.

Cultural Impact

BTS teamed with the Korean Committee for UNICEF on November 1, 2017 to launch the LOVE MYSELF campaign aimed at ending violence against children and teens worldwide7. The Love Yourself album series ties directly into the campaign's message about self-acceptance7. South Korean President Moon Jae-in wrote a public letter praising the group after Tear topped the Billboard 200 in May 20183. Time magazine included BTS on its 25 Most Influential People on the Internet list, pointing to ARMY as the reason6. The band made their first Saturday Night Live musical guest appearance on April 13, 20193.

Frequently Asked Questions