# Bts 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. ## Overview BTS is a seven-member South Korean boy band that debuted in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment[3]. 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 identity[5]. 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 charts[6]. 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 handsome[6]. Songs like DNA, MIC Drop, and Fake Love spawned dance covers, remixes, and reaction videos across YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok[2]. ## 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 Gomez[1]. 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 group[4]. 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 point[4]. 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 group[2]. 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 Style[4]. 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 years[3]. The Fake Love music video pulled 35.9 million views in its first 24 hours[3]. On August 24, 2018 the compilation LOVE YOURSELF 結 'Answer' launched with the IDOL music video, which racked up 45 million views in a day[3]. In April 2019 the Boy with Luv video featuring Halsey broke the 24-hour YouTube record again with 74.6 million views[3]. ## How to Use 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 clips[6]. ## 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 worldwide[7]. The Love Yourself album series ties directly into the campaign's message about self-acceptance[7]. South Korean President Moon Jae-in wrote a public letter praising the group after Tear topped the Billboard 200 in May 2018[3]. Time magazine included BTS on its 25 Most Influential People on the Internet list, pointing to ARMY as the reason[6]. The band made their first Saturday Night Live musical guest appearance on April 13, 2019[3]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is BTS? BTS is a seven-member South Korean boy band that debuted in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment[3]. ### Where did BTS come from? The group formed in South Korea and released their first single album 2 Cool 4 Skool on June 12, 2013[3]. ### What does BTS mean? BTS is short for Bangtan Sonyeondan, which translates to Bulletproof Boy Scouts. Since July 2017 the acronym also stands for Beyond The Scene[5]. ### How do you use BTS as meme material? Fans in the ARMY community create reaction images, dance covers, edited variety show clips, and running-joke posts about individual members like RM and Jin[6]. ### Is BTS still popular? BTS is an established act with major chart records, including the first K-pop number one album on the US Billboard 200 in 2018[3]. ### Who are the members of BTS? The seven members are RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook[8]. ### When did BTS win their first Billboard Music Award? May 21, 2017, when they took Top Social Artist at the ceremony in Las Vegas[1]. ### What was BTS's first US top 40 song? MIC Drop, remixed by Steve Aoki featuring Desiigner, debuted at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 2017[2]. ### Which BTS album was the first K-pop number one in the US? LOVE YOURSELF 轉 'Tear', which debuted atop the Billboard 200 on the chart dated May 27, 2018[3]. ### What is the LOVE MYSELF campaign? An anti-violence partnership BTS and Big Hit launched with the Korean Committee for UNICEF in November 2017[7]. ### Why did BTS rebrand in 2017? Big Hit Entertainment added Beyond The Scene as a new English-language brand identity in July 2017, keeping the original Korean meaning intact[5]. ### What is ARMY? The name of BTS's global fanbase, credited by outlets like Time and The Daily Beast with driving the group's Western breakthrough[6]. ## References 1. [https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/bbma/7801216/bts-video-top-social-artist-win-billboard-music-awards-2017]() 2. [https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8055057/bts-mic-drop-k-pop-billboard-hot-100]() 3. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/bts]() 4. [https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/8099214/bts-dna-mic-drop-certified-gold-riaa]() 5. [https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/7857156/bts-beyond-the-scene-name-change]() 6. [https://www.thedailybeast.com/all-hail-bts-the-korean-pop-boy-band-taking-america-by-storm]() 7. [https://www.love-myself.org/eng/about-lovemyself/]() 8. [https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Bts]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/bts Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library