BTS is the leading boy band in South Korea. And the seven members have now risen to the highest levels of fame, becoming international superstars with their 2018 release, “Fake Love.” But with the world watching (and many learning that BTS can speak English), fans are wondering if the K-pop band will ever release a full-English song. We finally have our answer. The boys say there’s a reason their music has never fully committed to all-English lyrics, and that’s because they want to stay true to themselves. They are thankful for this meteoric rise in fame but do miss the simplicity of flying a bit under the radar. The boys told Entertainment Weekly that they used to be able to visit Chicago and go undetected. Jimin explained it was a treat because they could walk around outside a night and not worry about seeming like anything less than normal pedestrians. Now, with their international stardom, that becomes a bit more of a challenge.
But their main focus right now is to not let fame change them or their music. The Bangtan boys’ song “Fake Love” is one of the most iconic songs of 2018. Still, it barely crossed into the Top 10 on the Hot 100 charts. That’s obviously a huge success, but the thinking is that a song like that should’ve at least been in the top five— or even number one given how much airtime it received. Though hitting that number spot is definitely a goal, band members Suga and RM say that BTS is not about to change their style or music to get there.
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“A Hot 100 and a Grammy nomination, these are our goals,” RM told Entertainment Weekly. “But they’re just goals—we don’t want to change our identity or our genuineness to get the number one. Like if we sing suddenly in full English, and change all these other things, then that’s not BTS. We’ll do everything, we’ll try. But if we couldn’t get number one or number five, that’s OK”
BTS was nominated for a Grammy Award this year but unfortunately did not win. They still made history though. BTS’s album, Love Yourself: Tear, is the first Korean-language album to ever be nominated for a Grammy by the Recording Academy, so despite the loss, the recognition and nomination itself is an incredible feat.
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Perhaps the 2020 Grammys will be their time. “It will have to be a great song,” to get number 1 on the Hot 100, Suga said, “but also there’s a whole strategy that’s associated with getting all the way up. And then there has to be a measure of luck, obviously. So what’s important for us is just to make good music and good performances and have those elements come together.”
Their upcoming album, Map Of The Soul: Persona, might be their ticket! We love you, boys!