The boy band might not have won in their category at the Grammys, but they came out winners by the end of the night.
For K-pop fans, BTS needs no introduction. The seven-member South Korean boy band, which also goes by the name “Bangtan Boys”, was first formed in 2013, exploding on the music scene with New Artist of the Year awards and a huge following of devoted fans.
Two of their albums quickly went on to enter the U.S. Billboard 200, and in 2016 two of their singles, “DNA” and “Mic Drop” entered the Billboard Hot 100. Then, their third album Love Yourself: Tear, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, a historic first achieved by no other Korean act in history.
▼ As of this writing, their official video for “DNA” has been viewed more than 640 million times on YouTube.
In fact, BTS has been breaking records and making historic firsts all over the place, becoming the most retweeted celebrities in the world in 2017 and 2018, the youngest-ever recipients of the Order of Cultural Merit from the South Korean government, and the only Korean group to have tracks certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. The group even spoke at the United Nations as ambassadors for UNICEF.
When band members RM, Suga, J-Hope, V, Jungkook, Jin, and Jimin appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, in front of a studio full of screaming fans, they were dubbed “The biggest boy band on the planet“.
Being a massive success, not only at home but also abroad in the U.S., the group – whose name stands for “Beyond the Scene” – made another historic first on the weekend, becoming the first K-pop group to present at the Grammy Awards.
While they were nominated themselves, in the category of Best Recording Package for their album Love Yourself: Tear, their attendance at the event drew a lot of attention from the moment they set foot on the red carpet.
Eagle-eyed fans noticed that the boys were all decked out in custom suits made by Korean designers.
The band also showed their Korean pride when, as global brand ambassadors for Hyundai, they arrived at the event in a Hyundai Palisade.
And when it came time to present the award for Best R&B Album, BTS took to the stage to make their country proud, becoming the first K-pop group ever to present at the Grammy Awards.
Despite not coming out on top in their own nominated category, which was awarded to St Vincent‘s MassEducation on the night, BTS still came out as winners, topping the list of most-tweeted about celebrities from the event, ahead of Lady Gaga, Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes.
▼ Even Anna Kendrick tweeted about being with the band.
Their historic appearance on stage was a win in itself, with the band being congratulated and thanked by fans and big-name celebrities throughout the night.
Given their huge popularity, BTS’s attendance at the ceremony looks likely to be the first of many to come. As RM, the fluent English-speaker of the band, said during their onstage appearance: “We’ll be back”. And if their fans keep supporting them, despite their controversial fashion choices, they definitely will.
Sources: Billboard Japan, BBC News
Featured image: Twitter/@LISAmazing