Despite winning Artist of the Year at the American Music Awards and being
nominated twice for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the Grammys. The Korean boy
band, BTS, recently announced that they are going on a break with promises to return.
The members of BTS weren’t from big media companies or born into rich families. By
making amazing music and spreading positive messages to their fans, they paved their own way from Korea to the US.
Although the hard work over the years made them successful in the music industry as a
group, their leader RM said, “the problem with K-pop and the whole idol system is that they
don’t give you time to mature,” and later told their fans that the group has lost its direction.
BTS members have spent the past nine years with each other, experiencing the same
schedule, same music, and same activities. “[After] all this time, [our] work has felt more
robotic. […] I have my own hobbies, too, and things I want to do on my own,” said Jin. Other
members, like Suga, said “it has been a real struggle to come up with lyrics that even mean
something.”
For the band to go on, they need to take a break and grow as individuals. They don’t want
to be labeled as popular idols for their whole career. They want to be successful musicals both as a group and as themselves.
Although the Korean government already pushed back the set age of military service for
BTS because of their contribution to the country, not winning the Grammys in two years and the leaving of some older members for military service may also contribute to the group’s
“break.”. Fans will never know, but at least they can still enjoy the members’ solo music.
nominated twice for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the Grammys. The Korean boy
band, BTS, recently announced that they are going on a break with promises to return.
The members of BTS weren’t from big media companies or born into rich families. By
making amazing music and spreading positive messages to their fans, they paved their own way from Korea to the US.
Although the hard work over the years made them successful in the music industry as a
group, their leader RM said, “the problem with K-pop and the whole idol system is that they
don’t give you time to mature,” and later told their fans that the group has lost its direction.
BTS members have spent the past nine years with each other, experiencing the same
schedule, same music, and same activities. “[After] all this time, [our] work has felt more
robotic. […] I have my own hobbies, too, and things I want to do on my own,” said Jin. Other
members, like Suga, said “it has been a real struggle to come up with lyrics that even mean
something.”
For the band to go on, they need to take a break and grow as individuals. They don’t want
to be labeled as popular idols for their whole career. They want to be successful musicals both as a group and as themselves.
Although the Korean government already pushed back the set age of military service for
BTS because of their contribution to the country, not winning the Grammys in two years and the leaving of some older members for military service may also contribute to the group’s
“break.”. Fans will never know, but at least they can still enjoy the members’ solo music.
