Introducing BTS – the K-Pop band taking over the world
K-pop: discover all the best playlists for you. Listen to the latest albums and top artists. Best answer by bluezzbastardzz Tip for desperate Spotify users who cannot find their favorite k-pop artists anymore due to trouble with the Korean label “Kakao M”, the Deezer channel mentioned by @Pia.Deezer above is still available. Doing a label search for “kakao m” only finds 24 albums though, most of them by the artist IU. Deezer K-Pop Editor. Writer: Frants - “hitman”bang - Kyler Niko - Paulina Cerrilla - 은하 (여자친구) - 조윤경 - 유주 (여자친구) - Alice Vicious - Cazzi Opeia - Ellen Berg - Jaded Jane - Noisy Citizen - Justin Reinstein - Jjean - 엄지 (여자친구) / Composers: Frants - “hitman”bang - Kyler Niko - Paulina Cerrilla - 은하 (여자친구) - 조윤경 - 유주 (여자. A team of scientists at the University of Southampton accomplished this great task – creating such a data storage format. They have brought the 5D data storage technology to the point right before the commercialization stage.
K-Pop fan or not, by now you may have heard of international K-Pop sensation BTS. Still doesn’t ring a bell? Allow us to enlighten you.
Who are BTS?
Bangtan Boys (방탄소년단 Bangtan Sonyeondan),also known as BTS, have been breaking chart records and winning over fans worldwide. Their popularity is partly powered by their huge social media presence and socially aware songs. In 2016, BTS were the most-retweeted artist on Twitter and now boast over 8 million followers, 4 million YouTube subscribers and 5 million fans on Facebook.
The seven members – Rap Monster, Suga, J-Hope, Jin, Jimin, V and Jung Kook – deliver an extremely catchy and polished mix of Pop, R&B and Hip-Hop songs.
Why all the fuss?!
With a massive following established across Asia, 2017 has already been quite an eventful year for BTS with the release of their fourth studio album, You Will Never Walk Alone. The album has conquered multiple charts around the world and allowed the boys to bag their first Billboard Award for Top Social Artist in May, ending Justin Bieber’s six-year winning streak (take that Biebs!).
With their latest mini album, Love Yourself: 承 ‘Her’ and its title track “DNA”, BTS are now spending an impressive second week on the Billboard World Albums chart, Hot 100 chart, Streaming Song charts and UK radio stations are starting to take note.
Where did they come from?
The Bangtan Boys’ career has recently skyrocketed, but they’re no overnight success.
Emerging from BigHit Entertainment Company stable (imagine Simon Cowell’s Syco but turned up to 11) in June 2013, BTS released the rap track “No More Dream” from their debut EP 2 Cool 4 Skool and became the voice of the Korean youth. Their music addressed issues about teenage struggles and the pressures of looming adulthood.
But it was only in 2015, with “I Need You” that BTS started making waves in the wider K-pop scene and helped spread Hallyu (the Korean cultural wave) overseas.
With the start of what fans would identify as the “‘The Most Beautiful Moment In Life” era (in reference to the names of the band’s third and fourth mini albums), the individual members showcased their skills not just as performers but also songwriters and producers on multiple singles. BTS’ most prolific member, Rap Monster, has penned over 60 songs and collaborated with some of Korea’s most respected Hip-Hop artists.
The power of the ARMY
BTS have always credited their devoted fans, known as ARMY (Adorable Representative MCs for Youth), for their growing success. Over the years, BTS has cultivated and nurtured a special relationship with millions of ARMY members around the world, using social media to reveal their personalities and share intimate moments.
Next steps?
So, will BTS produce music in English to widen their audience? The answer is a firm no.
The band have committed to stay true to their heritage, believing that if they’re going to gain further international recognition, it should be as a K-pop band that speaks for their generation. Kudos to them.
While we “WOW” at Love Yourself: 承 ‘Her’ and decide what colour we should dye our hair, check out the band’s new album on Deezer.
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Hundreds of songs from popular K-pop acts, including Sistar, IU, Monsta X, Epik High, and more, have been removed from Spotify in markets outside of South Korea. In a statement to NME, Spotify confirmed that the songs would no longer be available “due to the expiration of our license.” But the Korean company that owns the rights to the songs claims that Spotify refuses to renew the global license to its catalog.
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Korea’s Kakao M is one of Korea’s largest distributors, and also owns MelOn, the country's largest digital streaming platform. Korea is the sixth-largest music market in the world. Spotify launched in South Korea just one month ago, on February 1, and while the company continues to negotiate domestic licenses for Korean music, the deals governing Spotify’s licenses to stream music in markets outside Korea expired March 1.
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Spotify claims that it was unable to renew the global licensing agreement, despite “working with Kakao M over the last year and a half” to reach a deal. But speaking to a local Korean news outlet, Kakao M representatives claim that Spotify has a policy that requires entering domestic and global agreements simultaneously, meaning that the distributor could not renew the global rights without settling on domestic rights.
Some insiders have speculated that Kakao M’s ownership of MelOn, a direct competitor to Spotify in the Korean market, is likely to be a factor in negotiations, as the streaming giant’s control of large swaths of the global music market is powerful leverage in negotiations with domestic distributors. Spotify is now available in 178 countries, with 345 million monthly active listeners, and 155 million paid subscribers as of Q4 2020. MelOn has 8.81 million monthly active users.
While popular music comes and goes from the service in various markets as individual deals are signed or expire, Kakao M’s control of a large portion of Korean pop music—itself a global phenomenon—has made a more dramatic impact. And while negotiations with Spotify remain ongoing, Kakao M’s music remains available on other DSPs, including Deezer and Apple Music.