BTS

BTS represents the power of pop music as a force for social transformation. The South Korean boy band might be considered K-pop, but that won’t stop them from exploring genre after genre, including old-school hip-hop (“No More Dream”), braggadocio EDM (“Burning Up [FIRE]”), and sweet, lighthearted balladry (“Life Goes On”). Through it all, they’ve touched on subjects like mental health, class inequity, and youth resilience, opening doors to listeners willing to take their words to heart. “I think there are so many people in the world that experience the same thing with us, and that’s why they relate to us and our message,” the group’s leader, RM, told Apple Music. Formed in the early 2010s by K-pop producer and executive “Hitman” Bang Si-hyuk, BTS (an acronym for 방탄소년단, or Bangtan Sonyeondan, meaning “Bulletproof Boy Scouts” in English)—RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook—debuted in 2013 with the dark hip-hop single album 2 COOL 4 SKOOL, quickly followed by the trap single “N.O.” These records established BTS as a fierce and outspoken group—but it was the members’ transformation from angsty troublemakers into pensive, emotional wanderers that brought national acclaim, as they traded grunge rap (“Boy in Luv,” “War of Hormone”) for lush synth-pop (“I NEED U,” “RUN”) before finding even greater success while crafting rich alternate universes, invoking Nietzschean philosophy (2016’s “Blood Sweat & Tears”) and Jungian psychoanalysis (2020’s MAP OF THE SOUL : 7). Dense as the band’s mythology can get, BTS’s presence remains simple, clear, and uplifting. During the pandemic, they recorded songs predominantly in English for the first time as a way to bring joy to a global audience. With the release of the disco-pop smash “Dynamite” and its smooth, funky sequel “Butter,” BTS shined hope around the globe, conquering charts and bringing people together in the truest way they know how: through music. In 2022, at the height of their fame, the group went on hiatus to complete their mandatory military service. They returned nearly four years later with ARIRANG, which they celebrated on Apple Music Radio with an artist-hosted ARMY Radio special. “We wanted to shake things up,” SUGA told Apple Music of the record, which is grounded in Korean national identity and named after a 600-year-old folk song. “We discussed at length about doing something very new, especially for this album.”