BTS, South Korea’s number 1 boyband has made history again with their hit single, Butter, topping Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart this week. This will be the fourth song from the talented boyband to hit Number 1 on the US-based music chart following their unparalleled global success with Dynamite, Life Goes On and their collaboration on Savage Love.

The K-pop sensation is the first group to have 3 singles debuting at Number 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles and their international success is history in the making.  The only other group to have achieved the same success would be the Jackson 5 in 1970.

To date, the catchy and upbeat tune of “Butter” has drawn more than 300 million views on Youtube. The song has also broken several Youtube and Spotify records, earning BTS quite a few spots on Guinness World Records.

Since PSY’s Gangnam Style went viral way back in 2012, there has been increasing global interest in K-pop. BTS or the Bangtan Boys was formed by Big Hit Entertainment in 2010 and released their first album “2 Cool 4 Skool” in 2013. In 2015, BTS gained popularity and became famous in South Korea with the release of hits “I Need You” and “Dope“. In 2016, they began to gain international recognition with their “Wings Extended Play” and record-breaking “DNA” music video.  In 2017, BTS won the Billboard Music Award For Top Social Artist and the win accorded them with global media attention and solidified their international celebrity status. The groups continues to dominate the US music charts and they also won the Top Social Artist Award in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

BTS’ meteoric rise to global celebrity status took off with the release of catchy, foot-tapping and memorable tunes. Besides making music that mattered, BTS also built a huge and loyal fandom, affectionately known as “ARMY”.

“A.R.M.Y” stands for “Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth” and it carries a significant meaning behind it. Given that “Army” is associated with the military, body armor, and how those two things are interrelated and are always together, the fandom name basically means that fans will always be together with BTS. The group evidently puts high priority on their fans.

The Army was founded on 9th July 2013 and the Army started their recruitment exercise for fan memberships for 2014 in 2013. The benefits of becoming an official member for 2014 include:

• A.R.M.Y membership card.
• A.R.M.Y special goods (once per term).
• A.R.M.Y special newsletter (planned to be sent out once per term).
• Monthly A.R.M.Y events planned to be held.
• Opportunity to a free invitation to  (once per term, advantage of first picks to choosing seats.
• Official fan site A.R.M.Y level upgrade adjustments (authority to enter Present for ARMY board).
• Advanced reservations to BTS concerts (after consultation with sponsors).
• First dips for fan-club members during open broadcasting and events (after consultation with sponsors).
• Chance to participate in open broadcasting participation events when new songs are released.
• And more special advantages.

For more information on the Army’s yearly recruitment and the benefits you will receive as a fan, you can refer to the website: https://bts.fandom.com/wiki/ARMY

Besides releasing upbeat and happy music for global music-lovers, BTS also includes messages in their music about social issues for their fans. Although they are global celebrities, BTS strongly embraces their identity as Korean music artists. In 2018, despite having an extremely busy schedule with their World Tour in the US and Europe, the seven Billboard-winning music artists did not forget about their home country and became Seoul’s Honorary Tourism Ambassadors. They released a campaign in collaboration with Visit Seoul (the City’s Official Tourism Agency). With the title “Live Seoul like I Do,” it showed tourists, fans and everyone of BTS’ favourite spots around the city.

A lot of the BTS team’s efforts involve engaging with fans on social media and this has worked very well for BTS and the team because their loyal fans also serve as brand advocates. BTS’s fan-based marketing on both digital and social media has paid off for BTS and the team. Many of their extremely loyal fans have gone far and beyond for the group. Fans have even sponsored billboards in Time Square for BTS.

With the global success of K-pop, many brands have turned to K-pop celebrities to endorse their brands and BTS has earned numerous endorsement deals with their global popularity and strong fanbase. In 2019 according to The Hollywood Reporter, the group raked in US$130 million in merchandising sales alone. Many global brands understand that partnering celebrities with a robust and loyal fanbase can do wonders for their brand. More importantly, brands also understand they need to build strategic partnerships with celebrities who have an immensely positive and strong social media standing. BTS definitely fits the bill.

BTS continues to make history within the music industry, as their energetic and vibrant choreography alongside their deep introspective lyrics allows them to build a devoted global following, making them the most successful K-pop act in U.S. chart history.

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