K-pop boy band Bangtan Boys (BTS) performed at the American Music Awards (AMA) on Nov. 20, attending three other major American variety shows including the Ellen DeGeneres Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and the Late Late Show with James Corden during their stay in the US. Listed as the most retweeted artist by Forbes and having won a Billboard Music Award as the Top Social Artist, BTS is now the second Korean artist to perform at the AMA, following Psy, who rose to fame with his hit song, Gangnam Style.
“As an avid fan of BTS, I am very proud of their achievements so far,” Julie Song (12) said. “Considering that not many of K-pop artists have had the honor to perform at any international music festivals, I believe BTS has made a strong and positive impression of K-pop by presenting their professionally choreographed dance and music at the AMA. In addition, BTS, representing Korea, overturned common misleading stereotypes that Koreans are relatively reserved and do not know how to have ‘fun,’ as the boys constantly joked around with TV hosts like Ellen DeGeneres and James Corden.”
BTS debuted on June 12, 2013, with a song called “No More Dream,” from their first album “2 Cool 4 Skool,” for which the group won several New Artist of the Year awards and the 2013 Melon Music Awards. According to Billboard, now, BTS is recognized as the first Korean artist to hit 10 million followers on Twitter, an accomplishment that can be attributed to its strong fan base––the “ARMY”––which is made up of fans from all over the world, who have continuously promoted BTS on various social media sites.
“As a fan who has watched their progress since their debut, I am assured that their achievements come with a great cost,” Sarah Jung (11) said. “In other words, because they have numerous performances and rehearsals scheduled right after one another, the Bangtan boys do not have any time of their own. Yet, despite this downside, I believe that the fact that BTS spends a lot of time together bolsters their teamwork.”
According to the Huffington Post, BTS had the best performance met with a standing ovation from the audience at the AMA. After BTS completes its American tour and concerts, the band will open another concert in Seoul on Nov. 30 and attend the Mnet Asian Music Awards in Hong Kong on Dec. 1 along with the Melon Music Awards on the following day.
“As a K-pop fan, I hope BTS will continue to perform internationally and spread Korean music and culture all around the world,” Seoyeon Yoo (10) said. “Especially when I look at the reactions from international fans to K-pop music videos that do not even have English translations, I could see how music and dance transcend all differences and unite the fans who have various cultural backgrounds and beliefs. In other words, music makes one.”