This BTS Shit is For Real?

Wasn't Richie Valens' Spanish "La Bamba" a hit years ago?

Coeey OP!

They look so stupidly manufactured.

OP, that's nothing compared to how crazy I go over sloppy verb conjugation.

[quote]music sang in a foreign language

The irony!

I just watched the video. It sounds like a standard-issue boy-band song from any time in the last 20 years, sung by 11-year-olds at a sleepover. It occurs to me that there's no problem with this going to #1 in the US because the fans don't listen to the lyrics of pop songs like this anyway; once you get the title you can just kind of assume you know what they're saying.

But don’t people want songs they can sing along to, R6? How do you sing along to this shit?

....

[quote]going crazy over music sang

Hmph. It's no "brang."

Kpop was inspired by New Kids on the Block.

I really like it. And they're very polite, well-mannered, and set a good example.

John Cena's a fan.

We love them long time.

McMusic for the stupids and the youngins.

Feliz Navidad

Gay from space.

They are trans, no?

Name an American group who can do this...or ever could?

Mic drop

I'm so glad I'm in my 40s and so have no idea what this is, who this is or why I am meant to care.

R19 What exactly is it that you think is so peerlessly unique in that video?

For the xenophobes.

i like them but I'm a bit skeptical of this song debuting at #1 though. It basically relied on a diehard group of fans bulk buying/donwloading their song. Their other song Dynamite is a legit #1 imho.

I count 7 people in OP's picture, if one of them left would anyone notice there were only six of them?

They are beautiful...I can definitely see why the teenyboppers love them. It’s Duran Duran all over again.

I like it. Its high energy and great background music, which is really all pop music is anyway. They have a huge following on youtube.

er *it's*

[quote]It’s Duran Duran all over again

Bite your tongue. Duran Duran wrote their own shit and could actually play musical instruments. They were pretty, but they were also talented in things other than fashion and posing.

The next big Kpop group will be able to speak English, mark my words. I'm sure they'll be adding English lessons to the military-like training the future Kpop stars already get. One thing that has kept Kpop something of a niche genre in the US is that the songs aren't in English and the singers can't speak English.

Does this band have like a heartthrob and a bad boy and an intellectual and stuff? Who’s who? I’m assuming the blonde in the middle is the lead singer?

R30, they're adding native English speakers to newer groups. The Boyz has two Canadians and another who grew up for a time in Irvine after leaving Korea as a elementary school-aged kid.

Which one is the sporty one and which is posh?

Hetero Marys reacting to Jimin.

"What exactly is it that you think is so peerlessly unique in that video?"

What American boy group dances as well and as precisely as they do in the video?

Can't say I'm a fan of the music, but I'm not their target audience/age group anymore, and these boy bands rarely do anything more than peddle manufactured music for hordes of screaming teen girls. It's not like N'Sync or the Backstreet Boys targeted at my generation were much better.

I'm not a fan, but I get they're so popular -- they present a non-threatening, juvenile version of masculinity as opposed hypermasculine version offered by popular American performers. That said, anyone who genuinely believes the Korean/Asian entertainment industry is saner and cleaner than the American one is snowed by the 'pure' image their performers are putting out. They're just as bad.

Correction: I'm not a fan, but I get why they're so popular -- they present a non-threatening, juvenile version of masculinity as opposed to the sexualized and hypermasculine version offered by popular American performers.

They play instruments, and write some of their music.

Re The Boyz, the yellow-black striped Canadian member, Kevin, is in the glass closet. He twerks and is obsessed with Beyonce.

Eeengreesh? Ching Chong Ching. Wtf is this shit?

Well, a true asshole has been heard from. Sorry your deplorable god lost the election

I can’t tell who’s who. They may as well be a group of penguins.

Are you Gen Z, OP? Ever hear of Menudo? Girls went crazy over them.

Awful. Low-IQ music.

Sung OP.

Sung what, R45?

Jimin at R34 looks like Areola Grande in a Joey Heatherton wig.

[quote] But don’t people want songs they can sing along to, [R6]? How do you sing along to this shit?

R7 - The result looks something like this:

[quote]Crazy over music sang. . .

God Damn, I run out of “oh, dears” on this stupid site!

"But don’t people want songs they can sing along to, [[R6]]? How do you sing along to this shit?"

So, anything that is not in English is shit, Mr. Trump?

Ahem.

I might have to have bi bim bop for lunch.

[quote]Never thought I’d see Americans going crazy over music sang in a foreign language.

Oh, dear.

With appreciation for earlier posters' cleverness, but it still had to be said.

Of course, their fans are largely responsible for the implosion of the Trump rally in Tulsa, which brought him humiliation and a great deal of satisfaction for Dems.

Meh it's typical boy band music. Don't hate on it, but don't see the special unique magic others must see -- though it's hardly a shock that teen tastes would heavily influence music industry trends. Adults do not buy music, go to pop concerts, or buy merchandise with the same vigor that demographic does.

Kpop makes me envy the hearing impaired.

Shitty shitty shitty music sung by five bandebers you can’t tell apart from each other. It should be banned under the Geneva Convention.

I just threw up in my mouth.

I'd much rather hear this than all the " Bitches," "Ho's," "fag" shit from all of the L'il this and L'il thats.

It is a time honored tradition in any culture that the old people hate the music of the young. Rock and Roll was horrible because it led to sin; Mick Jagger was the anti-Christ; The Beatles long hair was going to get boys to want to become women......... This criticism is merely oldsters falling in line with their parents who complained about the cacophony of Pink Floyd or Elvis.

That should read members not bande whatever autocorrect did.

R56

[quote]That said, anyone who genuinely believes the Korean/Asian entertainment industry is saner and cleaner than the American one is snowed by the 'pure' image their performers are putting out. They're just as bad.

They're worse. The k-pop/idol type contracts are basically harkening back to the worst elements of the studio system.

The Yellow Menace is coming for our pure white daughters!!!!!

They’re bringing in more English-speaking members to make you happy, OP. NTC’s Mark is from Canada and Johnny is from a Chicago suburb.

R61, the contracts are much better now. Legislation was passed several years ago.

R64 No, they're still shit and beyond anything a company would get away with in the west. You're deluding yourself to believe otherwise.

Also, the legislation you talk about which you claim made them "much better" only dealt with what happens when contracts are ended. Didn't tackle what goes on during the term of the contract - unless you have a source you forgot to post?

R65, what's your problem? All you do is rant about the supposed abuses. It's no different from kids training for athletics (e.g., gymnastics), or training to be champion violin soloists.

Haven't you ever endured some hardship to achieve something very meaningful? Or are you just a whinging mediocrity?

Supposed abuses? So you're claiming it's all made up? That they're just free to live their lives however they want? That's what you're saying, is it? By the way, your over-reaction to literally two posts about the contracts tells a lot about how much of a sore spot it is for you.

And as for "very meaningful" - it's pop music.

I know the industry very well, R67. There are a few abusive companies, but ultimately they're exposed. The big and medium-sized companies are decent.

Also, who's free to live their lives however they want anywhere - school, work, etc.? If you want to achieve something, you put a lot of effort into it, stick to schedules, and endure criticism from and the directives of teachers and employers.

It's "very meaningful" to those sacrificing their teens and 20s for a chance to become famous, moron.

You reek of mediocrity. I take it you're one of the "smoke copious amounts" losers. Either you're a very lazy European or a truly downtrodden American. Zero gaman.

So they're "sacrificing their teens and 20s" but it's totally not abusive. Right. I like how you chose the word "decent" too. Even the self-appointed defender of them can't quite bring him/herself to call them good. The string of suicides and exploitation says otherwise.

By the way, resorting to ad hominem attacks is basically just admitting you have no counter-argument. You should think on that.

"No, they're still shit and beyond anything a company would get away with in the west"

They're fucking amateurs. Ask Timberlake how well he put out for me. Ask little Aaron Carter what it felt like when I sucked his hairless dick. BTW, what ever happened to Aaron?

I’m convinced that all these K-POP groups are just one Asian teenage girl that has been repeatedly duplicated with Photoshop.

yes, R71, we all know that every Asian looks the same.

Once again a DL thread flushes out the xenophobes, the racists, the homophobes and the parochial.

And the grammar nazis. I’ve got a nice big verb conjugation right here you can suck.

I think they're very lifelike.

Charlie Puth and Jungkook sing a love song. Ironically, Jungkook is the straight one of the two.

They all look like 12-year old lesbians.

They're just kind of endearing. No diva attitudes, despite being the number one act in the world.

Why are all those girls in OP's image wearing pants?

3:06 they meet Madonna. She looks terrible.

An award show performance like you'd never see in the states. Go to 28:00. Talk about mammoth.

They wear more makeup than circus clowns.

r82, the 70's called:

No, I meant the 80's called:

Maybe the 90's?

K-Pop doesn't only appeal to little girls. .

No it doesn't.

Dancer reacts

Yeah, these YouTubers definitely really respect these guys. They totally aren't just saying this stuff to please the obsessive fans and get views and likes on their video, definitely not.

Well, look who is a fan.

Others

Aren't Koreans the hillbillies of Asia?

These so called male k-pop idols do nothing for me. They all look like bottoms thirsting for the biggest white dicks.

At Katz's Deli

It's all part of Korea's soft power strategy to reduce reliance on China and compete globally. Kpop especially targeted the West after China kicked them out and blockaded Korean exports over the building of a defensive missile shield there with US funds. Up to that point, they were perfectly happy to tour and perform only in Asia where the longest flight between markets was a few hours.

Sap is sap in any language.

Americans are slow. Kpop has been popular for many years everywhere else.

If most of the world can go bananas over English spoken music even though most can't even speak English, why wouldn't the reverse be true?

[quote] They're just kind of endearing. No diva attitudes, despite being the number one act in the world.

Its the Asian repression, they're also killing themselves and literally dying live on stage due to overwork. Anyone supporting this bullshit is contributing to that.

the girls from this band Blackpink admitted that they did not know the name of their group until the day they were to perform.

Talk about manufactured.

Is there a boys/girls mix kpop group ?

Let's talk manufactured.

OK R19, that's...compelling. That's got me on the verge of falling down a Youtube BTS khole at 3 in the morning. shit.

What’s so compelling about it ?

Dynamite is in English, but they're so terrible with the language you can't tell. The song is also annoying as hell and the overexposure will kill this group, or they'll kill themselves or die on stage, whichever comes first.

BTS is a byproduct of social media, a massive artificial inflation of one's popularity, there's a new social media 3.0 coming in 2020, this group won't survive the shift that it's about to come.

2021

R104 how polished to a high, glossy shine it is. I like the beat, too, I admit it. Great direction, choreography, dancing, energy etc. No it's not making any deep statements and it's probably not art in any serious sense but it's a basically perfect version of what it is: a pop music video.

I don't mind silly pop songs, but these over-produced ditties pound all the soul out of the vocals until they're as lifeless as their cosmetic-surgeried faces. And the big group aerobics videos in the middle of nowhere... who doesn't do that?!

It's all camp.

Different strokes different folks

Americans love camp. How else would you explain Liza?

This is the opposite of camp lol

Stop trying to make these no talents happen.

It already happened, my dear

I'll gladly admit that I love watching their videos because their dance routines are incredible. The first time I saw them was when they were on SNL and I was hooked.

BTS oldest member was supposed to soon report for military service but the South Korean government has given him a temporary reprieve on the mandatory military service by changing the law. Due to how much money BTS generates for the South Korean economy.

Not the first or only foreign language song to do well on the charts. This one was even less accessible than La Bamba.

They really are delightful.

Fuck, that was *not* the showcase for them (Carpool Karaoke). Can't even say it was awkward just boring af. Corden is a cunt (obvs.) but I've seen certain people come off OK on his CK and it's def getting tired.

Adele came off badly in hers as well, imo, but weirdly Bieber seemed charming and personable.

This has been my random thoughts on Carpool KAraoke.

They are the Korean Spice Girls.

Just named Time’s “Entertainer of the Year.”

Sanitized Tiger Beat music for this generation. What's the big deal? This happens literally every 5 years, the same cycle, the same fandemonium. This is nothing new. Next topic.

Americans do not like their music it’s just a bunch of loser girls/gay stans , and a bunch of koreans who stream and buy their music using US ip addresses. Their shit usually falls hard the following week.

The Asians are coming

There's much better Korean music especially in folk, rock, jazz and singer-songwriter category. K-pop is just manufactured teen pop. It's for kids and teens and also for a global audience (hence they try to make them look more anime-ish racially ambiguous).

The one area of music where I never see race/ethnicity etc, is this brand of manufactured boy band crap. It's the exact same formula in every language and is as old as time. Cheesy music and feminine-looking guys. White, black, Asian, Hispanic. It's all the same. Black, not so much these days, but it used to be the Jackson 5 and when I was a kid, it was New Edition.

[quote] Never thought I’d see Americans going crazy over music sang in a foreign language.

I can understand you would have blocked out this nightmare

They seem harmless and I say let the kids enjoy their music. I am excited to see a larger international mix of music. Still odd seeing Asians take on American RnB beats but black music has always been the bread and butter of pop. These guys put on a great presentation and seem to be drama free. I welcome them to the stage, even though they've already been dominating for a minute.

For me, while I think it's crap music, I do agree with R128. I do love that these kids from all over the world are exposed to each other and have very little tolerance for the Fascist clown Trump view of the world.

They're just The Osmonds/New Edition/Menudo/New Kids on the Block/NSYNC/Backstreet Boys/Westlife/One Direction for the 2020s. Nothing much to see here.

Also The Beatles, Jackson 5 and Boyz II Men are real artists which I will not put in the same sentence as the previous. But I do enjoy New Edition's music a lot because most of them can sing especially Ralph and Johnny. NKOTB, BSB and NSYNC are ok.

The second one from the left is hot but that hair is awful

BTS and BLM

BTS and UNICEF

It's interesting how people expect celebrities from other countries especially non-Western countries to be concerned with US politics and social issues. I know Kpop stans who get annoyed when their favorite idols don't mention BLM or stand up for LGBT rights. But to me I don't think it's right to criticize somebody from another culture who probably doesn't understand the nuances of The US social climate and probably doesn't feel comfortable or educated enough to talk about it.

So BTS did not only donate $1M to BLM, but they also donated $2M to Yemen and saved 340,000 kids AND they donated another $1M to the concert crews who are unemployed due to corona, plus other individual donations of each member ALL JUST THIS YEAR.

R134, Trump being a complete clown is a universal language. It was BTS "stans" who fucked his Tulsa rally and that white trash campaign mgr Brad Parscale was bragging about " a million requests" for tickets when it was those fantastic kids who were making the requests for tickets.

LOL at the stan in this thread trying to convert people to being fans of this shit

Do they get to keep the money they make?

Rice queens love BTS

They landed at #47 among the world's highest-paid celebrities of 2020 with earnings of $50 million.

[quote] But I do enjoy New Edition's music a lot because most of them can sing especially Ralph and Johnny. NKOTB, BSB and NSYNC are ok.

Excuse me?

These guys are so not hot. Zero sex appeal, wow. I only like hot singers. Thank you.

BTS is Time's 2020 Entertainer of the Year.

so FU, bitches.

[quote] Duran Duran wrote their own shit and could actually play musical instruments

Actually, they have been writing and producing most of their songs especially the two rappers in BTS- RM and Suga.. RM, who is the leader of the group, writes 99% of the songs with other producers.

Asians with blonde hair. How edgy.

[quote] The next big Kpop group will be able to speak English, mark my words. I'm sure they'll be adding English lessons to the military-like training the future Kpop stars already get

They already teach English in training school and each Kpop group has at least 2 fluent English speakers. BigHit already has a newer boyband, TXT, considered the younger brothers of BTS and they all speak English.

They all look like the same person in different wigs and makeup.

R147 It’s like an Asian saying all westerners look the same.

South Korea is making a killing with these Kpop bands especially with BTS who has brought in trillions to the economy. BTS is just one of hundreds or even thousands of Kpop bands South Korea produces, it's like a boyband/girlband factory over there.

Did anyone see their recent awards shows-- the MAMA awards for example is a 6 hour extravaganza. Their production and set design makes the Grammys look like a puny high school production. BTS had a huge production and set last year but it seems like the other boybands were trying to outmatch them this year.

No one in the world is doing things like this as an introduction to a song.

Nor this live performance.

R151, see R149

Are they singles ?

Nowhere near the polish or skill, R 152.

In a way, despite the on stage maturity, they are still kids who rely on their parents for support.

It just seems so exploitative to me. If they were Chinese and used the same way, people would be up in arms about how they were being used and abused by the government for profit.

R148, no it's not. They were picked because of their specific look. They all look like real life anime characters. Of course they look extremely similar to each other. They're supposed to look that way. Non-threatening, pretty, asexual cartoon characters of indistinct gender.

I wonder how many of the boys hook up with each other during the awards show...

This is my favorite BTS awards performance, at the MMA where they celebrated their Korean culture.

In the beginning, BTS begging people in LA to come their free concert.

And now they sell out the Rose Bowl.

It really is like mass hysteria. Or a cult.

"BTS who has brought in trillions to the economy"

Why, are they slaves?

"It really is like mass hysteria. Or a cult."

Like this?

No, THIS is a cult.

It’s been done

R142 I originally read your post as Eric Cartman. But that's not bad either.

The simple fact is that ALL of these Asians groups, just like ALL of those white boy groups, are simply imitating the style, dance moves, musical sound, culture and attitude of African American musical artists. Everybody wants to insult, demean and hate on Black people and then profit HUGELY from stealing from them. It has been that way since Elvis and before.

You're right R167. 100%.

R167

EXO is way better then BTS. GtFo

Not one bulge in sight in OP’s pic.

So much plastic surgery they could join the cast of Real Housewives or Kardashians

[quote] EXO is way better then BTS. GtFo

I agree and so is NCT. But people are drawn to BTS message in their songs. Instead of singing the same old stuff about love and romance, they sing about alienation, mental health, self-love and friendship. Also,, despite their astounding success,, they're known to be funny, polite and humble.

Little girls love this kind of crap because the guys in the group all look sexually non threatening. Like cartoon characters. My sister used to have pictures of Axl Rose and the Chili Peppers all over her room. My mother and father were scared. They would have loved it if this was the kind of pop poop she listened to.

The Korean educational system is incredibly competitive and stress-inducing, so they aren't any worse off than any other Korean kid. On the contrary, they have opportunities that might not have been available in what is still a very class-based society where socio-economic mobility isn't what it should be.

Why won't you love me DL?

What amazing plastic surgery! Korea is the place to go for excellent plastic surgery. Seriously.

Nearly all the K-Pop artist get some kind of plastic surgery even though a number of them deny it.

So do all of the Real Housewives and most celebrities in the US, R178. Except me.

I think RM is the hottest of the BTS members.

I don’t think they’ll have longevity careerwise

This is fun. An Olympic-style competition featuring K-Pop groups. Love the announcers - could you imagine Al Michaels doing something like this with American groups?

Archery.

My favorite from ISAC, R183.

BTS is too big to participate in Korean tv shows anymore like the one above. They appear occasionally when they want to promote their new album and on major award shows but not the weekly music shows.

Korean wrestling with the K-pop groups

Any leaked nudes ?

Auditioning for a Super Bowl?

KPop is huge. Americans have always loved Asian culture.

[quote] Little girls love this kind of crap because the guys in the group all look sexually non threatening.

Uh, guys love the KPop girl groups. It’s not just little girls. Adults love this stuff.

The biggest Kpop groups are the female groups - Twice, BlackPink and Red Velvet. I really don't care for them because they all look and sound the same to me except I find BlackPink unique, probably because they seem more Westernized and three of the girls are English-speaking. BTS is the only male Kpop group that is more popular than the female groups. I prefer to watch the male Kpop groups because of the eye-candy but the dances more more complicated.

[quote] BTS is the only male Kpop group that is more popular than the female groups.

No. It’s BTS, Blackpink, NCT, Twice, Exo. It’s balanced. Male groups are very popular, especially since most fans are girls and younger women.

R188, do you really think the Super Bowl would hire BTS to play halftime? I think that would be an Earth-shattering event, however, I doubt it, since we have rampant racism here.

R180

V - Taehyung is always at the top of the list as most handsome in the world. IMO, his looks are okay, a little overrated.

For all the crap Western pop music gets, Kpop manages to be even more shallow and superficial. Kpop is completely about looks and marketing. It's not real music at all. Everyone I know who loves Kpop loves it because of the physical attractiveness of the idols, the visuals and performances.

Not the actual the music or quality of the music.

R196, it’s the music, visuals, performances/dances, idol personas, immersive media ecosphere, and fan service.

Check it out. From an awards show last week.

R197

Yep it's about selling a full package. However it's not about putting the quality of the music first and it's purely driven by profits. That's why it's not taken seriously.

Kpop fans don't seem to realize that's what turns a lot of people off from Kpop. It's not about being close-minded or racist. Many people genuinely do not like overproduced music that places more important on celebrity and physical appearances than actually making good music.

R199, that’s fine. Then K-pop isn’t for those people.

From last week.

R189

I like video games, anime and martial arts films. But can't get into Kpop. It sounds way too Western for the most part, like they copied every Western pop cliche to a T. I have tried listening to it and I don't see what it has to offer than US/UK pop has not done already.

Also from last week.

It’s nice to see Asian men being lusted over by white people in Western countries now, especially America. About damn time!

Bruce Lee had a lot of female admirers.

I like the older guys in Kpop but can’t stand Kdramas, even if they have pop stars in them. That’s some real cornball shit!

[quote] It’s nice to see Asian men being lusted over by white people in Western countries now, especially America. About damn time!

I think Kpop is a good thing because Asians were always taking a backseat when it came to entertainment in the West and there was constant white-washing. No longer should an Asian character be played by a white actress/actor--looking at you Scarlett Johansson or Tilda Swinton.

And yes, I have never noticed so many fine-looking Asian men before and they're even tall.

Asian women on the other hand are a weird obsession for white men. They are fetishized and sexualized like crazy. Lucy Liu made a career out of playing sexy Asian vixens.

"do you really think the Super Bowl would hire BTS to play halftime? I think that would be an Earth-shattering event, however, I doubt it, since we have rampant racism here."

And THIS is better?

The world thinks asian women are little girls and that asian men are women. Any lusting after them is based on this.

And, you can't get much whiter than Kpop stars. They are chalk-colored.

I don't think the Super Bowl's demographic is comfortable with dancing Asian twinks yet. But besides that point. Asian Americans are still seen as "perpetual foreigners" despite being a large population that has lived in California, New York, Hawaii and Washington state for decades. Hawaii is in fact predominately Asian and Pacific Islander and most of the politicians there are Asian.

what R210 said.

I would love for an Asian American star to have a chance.

Conan Gray is half-Japanese and has a big following.

Hoku, a half-Hawaiian pop star was a one-hit wonder in the early 2000s.

Vanessa Hudgens is half-Filipino and tried to sing but flopped.

Even though she's British, Rina Sayayama is a good pop artist.

There's Bruno Mars - Filipino/Puerto Rican

I prefer Psy. Fully grown ass man, who can dance, and has charisma and a big sense of humor. And I prefer the beats. This shit makes me feel good. It's true ear candy. The BTS stuff, which all sounds generic to me, is fine, I just don't get shook from it. They seem sweet. I worry about those boys getting pushed to the brink though.

BTS and Psy are friends. BTS is a national treasure now, they won't be pushed, they're wealthy beyond their wildest dreams and live in mansions. I do worry about the other Kpop bands who are literally owned by their companies and work like slaves. Now that the West is more aware of Kpop, they should consider doing an expose of those companies so they can treat their Idols better and give them the money they deserve and work hard for.

R215 Yes because when I hear of a beautiful, talented young KPop star killing themselves it feels very senseless and cruel. And I am glad to hear that BTS is past that vulnerable stage of their careers. But how many other young hopefuls are being worked almost to death, and sworn to abide by strict rules and codes? It seems quite lonely and isolating for them. Just cogs in the capitalistic wheel, and so young.

Psy's music is so much easier on the ears.

I like their variety show. It’s fun.

They would bring record viewership to the Super Bowl halftime.

Re r192 it left out Seventeen. They’re huge and now from the same company as BTS.

Please explain to me why this group is not just a fad like Backstreet Boys, NSYNC and New Kids On The Block were?

Seventeen

This is very good. From BBC.

Biggest viewership in Super Bowl history. Here is the reason:

No band can have success without its fans and BTS has some of the most loyal, dedicated fans that the world has EVER seen with 23.6 million followers on Twitter and 30 million on Instagram.

People are scared to mess with them because the fans recently cast an unbelievable 300 million online votes to ensure that the group won their Billboard award.

And in Autumn 2017, they watched the video for ‘DNA’ 50 million times on YouTube in just one month!

TXT is cute and from BTS’s company.

Soobin from TXT. So cute and he does aegyo!

Cutest “couple”.

[quote] Please explain to me why this group is not just a fad like Backstreet Boys, NSYNC and New Kids On The Block were?

Because they're like a family in that they met in their teens and have lived together since their teens. They also have more input into their music. The guy that was the head of their company had a different philosophy from other Kpop CEOs, he wanted a group of people who got along well with each other and then he also encouraged their creativity as a group. A lot to their songs are co-written and produced by them, mostly by RM and Sugar. They also have input into their choreography.

There are far better vocalists and dancers in other Kpop groups but BTS succeeds because they work better as a unit, they're more cohesive and they train long hours together. Plus their choreography is more inventive and their music videos much better than other Kpop groups.

Happy holidays from BTS and Disney!

I think if there is a Kpop group that could beat BTS in popularity, it would be NCT. However, that company made a mess of NCT by making it a group of 23 members divided in sub-units. They have some of the most talented singers and dancers in their group but the sub-unit crap is very confusing to fans.

There are now so many Kpop boybands who want in on the BTS success, that BTS has to work harder to stay on top.

Thank you R194

R230, Doyoung is my favorite. Sweetest voice.

I just found this. NCT at Mickey’s 90th celebration. Kind of embarrassing but cute.

Kpop is a fad, but like all fads before them its presence in popular culture isn't by accident. Western music has largely abandoned the boy band concept-- over here, popular music has been atomized into an idealized auteur-like individual because it's what is assumed will sell (and frankly, it does). One might be cynical and surmise that they're trying to perfect the commoditization of authenticity.

A group like BTS can claim global dominance because there's no competition in their skill-set anymore, aside from the gargantuan number of groups that these Korean production companies have waiting in the wings. It's got to be a miserable life: the horror of knowing you're replacable ala All About Eva via the competitive-ness ala Lord of the Flies via choreography that Busby Berkeley and Leni Reifenstahl would be jealous of.

Obviously, there has still been a market for androgynous, erotically appealing but sexually non-threatening men who make mediocre but fun music. The West has just seceded that particular genre for whatever reason. Furthermore it's important to reiterate as a poster upthread mentioned: popular music is an extention of power, as soft of a power as it may be. Members of BTS postpone being drafted into the military because of their worth in protecting Korean cultural power across the globe (poor Elvis).

I think a performance like this would be well received at the Super Bowl. Starts at 1:10.

This thread is also infested with a BTS stan who thinks DL is akin to Twitter, and also thinks that BTS will "sing" at the Super Bowl. We have enough deranged trolls already. Begone!!

Why are you even on this thread, R 235?

It’s so vanilla. People want that?

[quote] Kpop is a fad

yeah and they said that about rap.

Don't compare corporate Kpop to rap.

Rap music was an underground movement from the inner city that was born from the struggles of Black Americans. It took funk and disco beats and with combined with spoken word. Rap ended up becoming taken over by corporations and turned into a soulless copy of its former self. What was an expression of angry youth turned into shallow pop music.

Rap like punk rock became corporatized and watered down and bogged with cliches to sell. The production lazier, the lack of real lyricism and pushing of stereotypes to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

This always happens with underground cultures that become mainstream. Once the music industry gets it's claws into it they turn the alternative into a shallow product. A mimicry of its former self

R239, please get off your pissy high chair. Kpop will stay. It's a different genre, deal with it. And it appeals to the masses of the young as well as adults who like to watch people sing and dance, kind of like the old days when there were musicals in the 1930's. It's kind of like escapism for a troubled time and the hard work these people put in their dance routines are appreciated. Even professional dancers are awed by their dance moves. The current crop of Western singers we have now like Shawn Mendes (who gets bashed here repeatedly) are boring. The Kpop performance is literally exciting to watch.

Rap music dominates the Billboard charts and this is considered mainstream now. I was surprised that a folk song that was considered mainstream in the 1970s is considered alternative. Most of rap is about drugs, sex and materialism. This is why BTS appeals to the masses and offers an alternative message to the West which is positivity and self-love.

Kpop is popular because sex sells and they are color coded with marketable personalities like Backstreet and Spice Girls. The music is repetitive and catchy as most popular music. Most Westerners don't speak Korean, so the idea that it's the message doesn't really make sense.

The amount of celebrity worship that Kpop idols exhibit is a sign of low self esteem and most cannot take any criticism at all.

The criticism that BTS faces is no different than what NKOTB, 1D and NSYNC got. Many people genuinely do not like that music

[quote] Most Westerners don't speak Korean, so the idea that it's the message doesn't really make sense.

And yet, people are getting the message. Most of their songs have sporadic English phrases in them. Dynamite is the only song released in English and it is a exponential success, topping Billboard and music charts worldwide. Even though it's in English, it's the top hit in Korea so they get the message. IMO, it's an average song. I don't understand why BTS has risen and maintained it's popularity. I feel there are better vocalists and dancers in the Kpop industry. BTS even replaced Justin Beiber as the most popular artist. Besides the music and performances, they are very pretty and charismatic--and so are other groups- but they're just a little more likeable. I feel they will dominate the charts until they reach 30.

R243 All boy bands have a shelf-life. All of them. Once their audience grows up and lose interest. They will be replaced by another one. We have seen this happen before and before. What makes this any different? I'm sure they will still tour and have fans like NKOTB, New Edition and Backstreet Boys but I really don't they will stay on top of the charts forever. Bieber is really lucky to have lasted as long as he did.

I'm really surprised some of you haven't unintentionally summoned the BTS Army to our little board here. lol

[quote]Kpop is popular because sex sells...

I've never seen a more sexless group than male Kpop stars. I think they all look like a Ken Doll underneath.

R244, what novel insight.

If you don’t know what VLIVE and WeVerse are, then you don’t get it and won’t. The music just isn’t for you, and your judgments and seeming insights are uninformed of key factors of which you’re unaware.

"Most Westerners don't speak Korean, so the idea that it's the message doesn't really make sense."

Do you understand THIS?

R248, do you realize how much you sound like a cult member?

For those of you railing about Kpop, would you prefer this?- -2 women singing and rapping about their wet pussies...

Oh yeah, R250, awareness of apps is *such* sacred spiritual knowledge.

Listening to this now.

Older Americans want “authenticity”—lyrics written through inspiration in low-rent hovels and cafes. They want drug abuse and sexusl escapades. They want struggle you can make a biopic about.

Everything else is “so manufactured”.

Except Motown, for some reason.

Love it. Like being on vacation.

My favorite is Mikrokosmos at 13:15.

I'd rather watch this than an MV about WAP

This thread belongs over at Frau Central ONTD. ONTD fraus salivates daily over these plasic eunuchs.

BYS rap line Cypher Medley 2017 by J-hope, Suga, RM BTS [ENG SUB]

My new favorite.

It’s strange that with all the hot guys in Kpop past and present these guys are the ones to become so popular in the us. I just don’t think any of them are that attractive and they look so feminine.

R261, it’s not really about their looks at the core. It’s about their music, personalities, and story as a group.

Well, R261,I guess most people judge performers on things other than looks.

Hate them if you want, but I guarantee no American pop or rap group would open a live performance with something as artistic as this:

From The Atlantic today.

The world domination is complete.

I don’t find their music good but I don’t like any modern pop music so it’s just more of the same crap to me.

Graphic data of the best-selling musical artists for the past 10 years. As of July 2020, BTS in 2nd place to Drake but I'm sure they've overtaken him this year. This was before Dynamite was released.

Korean-written and composed K-pop songs sound quite different sometimes. It can be quite lovely.

bump

No boys allowed

You missed the YAZiMA Beauty Salon craze?

It's weird how boy bands used to be considered a joke by the mainstream media and now they're being embraced. Most people thought New Kids, NSYNC, Backstreet, Hanson, Jonas and One Direction were lame and corny. But BTS is getting so many accolades and praise.

I like how they’re so affectionate with each other. It’s not a big deal there.

Which is the top?

"Most people thought New Kids, NSYNC, Backstreet, Hanson, Jonas and One Direction were lame and corny. But BTS is getting so many accolades and praise."

One thing BTS has over the other groups is the excellent precision of their dances. None of the American or British groups can come close.

Sehun from Exo

More (apparently gay) Sehun.

BTS .... sh-sh-sh ... SHIT?

R276, there are other Kpop groups who actually dance better and have better vocals---I can't stand Jin or Jimin's vocals---but never got as popular. BTS used Social Media better. EXO is a better group vocally but BTS is just more lovable.

R280, I think this group is more appealing than BTS in every way.

They are junior varsity, R 281. Imprecise dancing takes away from the effectiveness of the group. BTS has really perfected the uniformity of their choreography.

Exo makes my loins ache.

If you notice, they always keep the ones who don't dance well in the back and focused on Jungkook and the other 3.

The only reason BTS is where they're at is because they had a competent company that pushed them into the American market. Groups like them are a dime a dozen in S. KOREA.

Groups like GOT7 (who in my opinion) are more pleasing to eye and vocally talented, had success in S. KOREA and other Asian countries but alluded the west. This despite members being global with one American, Chinese and Thai and more than half of the group speaking fluent English. They also sold out concerts around the world. They finally left their company this month to pursue solo endeavors.

Ya got me, R282. It's not so much about their performance as their lead vocalist.

Five boys: seven inches total among them

BTS has been around for 7 years and only RM speaks English. They've been in the Western media for years so It kind of bothers me that they don't try to speak English or even try when they are interviewed by English-speaking media. At least this guy (Taeyong) tries even though it's broken English.

Who are those lovely young ladies?

"BTS has been around for 7 years and only RM speaks English. They've been in the Western media for years so It kind of bothers me that they don't try to speak English or even try when they are interviewed by English-speaking media. At least this guy (Taeyong) tries even though it's broken English."

Fake news.

well, they are good at memorizing their lines, R290. At least Taeyong at R288 tries to speak English whenever NCT has an interview with English-speaking media. He's makes an effort. The outstanding success of BTS is due to the Western market, you'd think they'd have English tutors by now.

Behind the scenes of the Grand Central Station performance for the Tonight Show.

Philippines

Thailand. So cute. Happy kids.

There really is something cultish. It happens so quickly. Like some people have someone go "check this out" and a week later they are fully engulfed in the cult of BTS to an obsessive level. It's kind of scary to watch. I wonder if there is some type of subliminal brainwashing or something. As crazy as that sounds, it's that quick and thorough an obsession that I've wondered it.

The children are nuts for it.

R295, that's all K-pop fandoms. Exo, NCT, etc.

Fans can do good things.

The choreography is the best I’ve ever seen.

R298, it's all fun and games until they turn that power on us...and they will. Biden will do something they consider not woke enough and they'll turn on us.

Thank you, Senator Hawley.

KPop has had a lot of American fans for a while.

Live performance at an award show that you would never see an American group do.

Another live performance. You can see why they are so appealing.

Man's amusing reaction to J-Hope's remake of " Chicken Noodle Soup." He says the Asians are outdancing the blacks and is not happy.

You can really tell that the stans have arrived on this thread. Those live performances are all production value. BTS didn't even need to be there. If you focus only on them, they do nothing that boy bands haven't been doing for 30 years. Their corporate owners just added more flashing lights and background performers. They are basically a traveling circus act. It's a cult and that so many are falling into thrall is disturbing.

R295, I also wonder if there is subliminal brainwashing in their videos as well.

"Those live performances are all production value. BTS didn't even need to be there. If you focus only on them, they do nothing that boy bands haven't been doing for 30 years. Their corporate owners just added more flashing lights and background performers. They are basically a traveling circus act. It's a cult and that so many are falling into thrall is disturbing."

Bullshit.

Good cover of Fire

They'll be over by this year 2021. They are in year 3. No boy band like this has lasted more 3 years in mainstream popularity.

They're in year 8, R310.

Exo debuted in 2011.

NCT in 2016.

R311

I'm talking mainstream general public popularity. Like regular people not fans. Backstreet Boys were around since 1993 but were only huge from 1997 to 2000 for example. Fandoms are delusional and think regular people think like they do.

Oh you mean popular in America. Got it. Because Exo's been extremely popular in Asia since around 2013, and BTS since around 2016.

TXT is #1 on Oricon!

Sehun

R314 TXT put out a fantastic EP Dream Chapter:Eternity that's last year. However they are following in their labelmates (BTS) footsteps and puting out generic crap recently. I guess it's working because they are getting more popular now.

I have friends in their mid to late 20s who are getting obsessed with this stuff. They should be beyond the teenage obsession phase. WTH is going on? There has to be some subliminal hypnotic shit that people with a certain brain type are more easily affected by or something. I checked them out after some of my friends started down some weird path where all they could talk about anymore was BTS and what a bunch of shit. They live and die by the next episode of some show they have or some new meme and are practically building shrines to them. It's crazy.

And, the excuses and explanations put forth by the stans and people on this thread are the exact same excuses people use at the start of their drug or drinking addiction. "Oh, it's just fun." "It's harmless." "It's not hurting anyone." "I could stop whenever I want but I don't see any reason to." "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

[quote] I have friends in their mid to late 20s who are getting obsessed with this stuff. They should be beyond the teenage obsession phase. WTH is going on?

Meanwhile the elder gays on here are obsessed with Britney and Taylor and Katy and other pop shit made for tweens girls. Don't pretend it's about the music, motherfucker. You only hate BTS because they're Asian.

Exhibit #1 at R318. Addicts get very defensive very quickly and then just start random attacks on those pointing out their addictions. Classic addict behavior, R318.

And, no one on here is wallpapering their walls with Britney, Taylor, or Katy posters and spending themselves into the poor house buying their merch and unable to have conversations about anything other than Britney, Taylor, or Katy, or whomever else you try to use to deflect. Unless someone has watched the quick growth of this obsession in someone they know, they don't know how insane it is.

Calling someone an addict doesn't make them an addict, R319. Even if you say it three times like Candyman or Beetlejuice.

There is so much anti-Asian racism on this site. If one tenth of the amount was said about blacks or Jews, the threads would be deleted in five minutes. Instead, the anti-Asian shit on here lives forever.

There are obsessives in every fandom. Why only single out Asians?

Speaking of addicts, you've posted 10 times in this thread compared to my 2. And you sound deranged like one of those pizzagate loons.

[quote] They all look like real life anime characters. Of course they look extremely similar to each other. They're supposed to look that way. Non-threatening, pretty, asexual cartoon characters of indistinct gender.

[quote] It really is like mass hysteria. Or a cult.

[quote] The world thinks asian women are little girls and that asian men are women. Any lusting after them is based on this. And, you can't get much whiter than Kpop stars. They are chalk-colored.

[quote] I've never seen a more sexless group than male Kpop stars. I think they all look like a Ken Doll underneath.

[quote] do you realize how much you sound like a cult member?

[quote] There really is something cultish. It happens so quickly. Like some people have someone go "check this out" and a week later they are fully engulfed in the cult of BTS to an obsessive level. It's kind of scary to watch. I wonder if there is some type of subliminal brainwashing or something. As crazy as that sounds, it's that quick and thorough an obsession that I've wondered it.

[quote] it's all fun and games until they turn that power on us...and they will. Biden will do something they consider not woke enough and they'll turn on us.

[quote] They are basically a traveling circus act. It's a cult and that so many are falling into thrall is disturbing.

[quote] WTH is going on? There has to be some subliminal hypnotic shit that people with a certain brain type are more easily affected by or something.

[quote] Exhibit #1 at R318. Addicts get very defensive very quickly and then just start random attacks on those pointing out their addictions. Classic addict behavior, R318.

Regarding TXT, I like that BigHit has its first international member, American-born Huening Kai. The boy is a mixture of East/West and he's growing into a beautiful man. He is musically talented and plays beautiful piano, if he was in the US, he'd be able to showcase and explore those talents instead of focusing on dancing and singing other people's songs. .

Spazzy fangirls of Harry, Yawn Mendes and Bieber who have been devastated by their relationships with women have defected to BTS, who aren't allowed to date anyone.

I don't think it's subliminal brainwashing or a cult, unless the other top groups have the same methods - NCT, Exo, TWICE, etc. are like BTS, with millions of extremely passionate fans.

I'm telling you, it's because of the immersive media ecosystem: you form an emotional attachment to them, learning everything about them and seeing them nonstop through YouTube, V LIVE, IG, variety shows on Korean TV, fan service including meetups, conventions, merchandise, etc.

You have no idea how immersive and engaging it is. Read about it, and maybe you'll see.

They perfected a formula that American/UK boy bands set. Japan hopped on first and then Korea did after and perfected it to a tee. Because many of us are guys here, we don't get the allure or appeal of it. But for teen girls this media overexposure and interactive fan culture is a dream come true.

R312, Heuning Kai can barely speak English. He was born in Hawaii but moved overseas almost immediately. He's cute from most angles, but has his bad hair days.

One thing that non-Korean groups lack is the level of familial affection, often interpreted as "gay", between the members. They're extremely physically affectionate with each other because Korea's "homosocial" (no physical affection between the sexes unless in a serious relationship), and girls go nuts for it, shipping each combination of members.

"Cuddly babies", as stans would say.

because Korea's "homosocial" (no physical affection between the sexes unless in a serious relationship *and plenty of physical affection, "skinship", among those of the same sex)

Korea is very homophobic to the point that they can't even fathom the idea of someone being gay. So men can show affection to each other and dress flamboyant without arousing suspicion.

But being gay in South Korea and Japan is not easy

R329, one of the top stars is essentially "out", and the girls still love him. It's not completely impossible.

[quote] Korea is very homophobic to the point that they can't even fathom the idea of someone being gay.

Bullshit.

[quote] But being gay in South Korea and Japan is not easy

At least in Asia we don't string our dead gays up to fence posts.

R331

Asian cultures are very conservative and traditional. I hate to burst your bubble. All people are expected to get married to the opposite sex and have children. They are Confucian cultures where the group comes first. Many gay Koreans and Japanese who are out are still pressured to get married to the opposite sex and gay marriage is not recognized. Many people have been fired for their sexuality in fact

Celebrities are not normal people. So they are not an example to use.

Ginger is my favorite.

Korea and Japan aren't going "boys should be girls if they want" anytime soon.

The West is all-in.

When the fuck did Datalounge get infested by Koreaboos?

I bet none of these people know actual Asian culture and history. Judging Korea by Kpop is like judging The US by Hollywood, The UK by the Royals and Japan by anime

[quote] Asian cultures are very conservative and traditional. I hate to burst your bubble.

I think I know a little more about Asians and Asian culture than you do you condescending prick.

[quote] I bet none of these people know actual Asian culture and history. Judging Korea by Kpop is like judging The US by Hollywood

Who said anyone's into "actual" culture and history, dummy? And who said anyone's judging Korea by K-pop?

You all are so defensive and quick to call people names. You all know very well most Kpop fans view Korea based on the media image they consume from Kpop and it provides an idealized and distorted view of the culture.

[quote] most Kpop fans view Korea based on the media image they consume from Kpop and it provides an idealized and distorted view of the culture.

Who cares?

That said, any stans here? Everyone's downloading Universe now that it's launched.

I'm listening to this song right now. It's cute.

American singers (male and female) are all just a lot of grunting and thrusting and moaning like they're dogs getting fucked in the street.

IU is the best: she was desperately poor, made it, donates constantly to charity, and just seems professional and kind. INFP, too.

R341 I first became aware of her on the reality show Hyori's Bed and Breakfast when she helped out in season one. She was so sweet.

R342, I love that show. Haven't finished all of seasons 1 or 2, but have watched plenty of it. IU was very kind and hardworking that first season. Did they go thrift shopping together, or was that in another video I saw?

I like that Hyori adopts dogs and promotes animal adoption: she met her husband at an animal rights charity event.

"美 IU bites on her own tongue ♡ Hyori's Bed and Breakfast"

IU with the dogs.

[quote] Asian cultures are very conservative and traditional.

Yes, the Korean culture looks down on homosexuality but in the Kpop, the idols cannot even be seen with the opposite sex. If it's learned that a male idol is dating, all hell breaks loose and the company fires them. For example, when there was a pic of Jungkook from BTS with his arm around a girl -- his tattoo artist--- and people went crazy, there were death threats against her and the company had to deny everything, The Army (BTS fans) either wanted to kill her or commit suicide. These poor guys have to be very secretive about their dating life, especially concerning women. And yet, it's okay with the fans-- and the company--- if the idols in the same group and same sex show affection to each other, like two guys being gay with each other. Ironically, homosexuality is frowned down upon in Korea. Very confusing.

These idols work hard and really don't enjoy the perks of their popularity and hard work. It's nice that they are humble compared to their Western counterparts but I hope they are being treated better by their company. BigHit has a good reputation in that regard, I am not sure about the other companies. There are horror stories about how idols are treated. Hopefully, there will be an expose of the system.

Fav ship.

The gayest MV. Lots of cruising.

didn't read through all the comments but did listen to it for the first time tonight. i was glad it didn't have all the bs choreography shit and actually conveyed that they were going through life changes growing from teens to adults but still maintaining close relationships. i thought the melodies were good and even though i couldn't sing to it (don't know the language) i would listen to it and enjoy it again. there have been many spanish language songs i've felt the same about, even older en francais as well. it hasn't stopped me from enjoying a melodious one.

Taehyung solo is very non " k-pop" and quite good.

Ha! Kids.

Move aside and let the ladies with experience school you.

^^and we even make it a point to include legitimate explicitly-gay content alongside our camp.

Your move, Korea.

R351, no one cares about Takarazuka outside Japan.

I love Produce 101 and its successive seasons. Shame it ended b/c of vote-rigging.

It's so futuristic - the way all those girls and boys are competing and dancing in uniform. Or something.

BTS will eventually break up. Everyone of them most likely will have a successful career post-BTS. Of all the individual members, I've liked Taehyung's songs the best. He also wrote Winter Bear.

It was rumored that Taehyung wanted to split from the group a couple of times because of the constant touring and he couldn't deal with the fame. It seems the Corona virus was a blessing in disguise because he looks a lot happier.

For charity. MusicCares

Totally asexual and so many tiny dicks in one place. But I do like the colors and their stage outfits. I'd trade them all for the pop star who played Mamet's almost boyfriend in Japan on "Girls" though. Now there was a very sexy Asian.

I’m becoming an Exo fan. The dances are sexier.

Pretty sexy but also weirder than usual because it’s for the Japanese market.

For those who claim they can't sing. MTV Unplugged:

For the fashionable crowd:

FUGKOOK

I hate Jungkook's tattoos. Just gross. I like his song "Euphoria" though.

Yep, that's one fugly 23 yr old.

Hyunjae from The Boyz got me into K-pop. I hate how he's styled 1/2 the time, but he's cute.

Jungkook is handsome and one of those people who are good at everything. He has a black belt in martial arts and is artistically gifted.

I don't find any of them handsome. Eyes too deep set and too slight of build. Given me hunky Harry Styles any day of the week over these ladyboy types.

Is it true that Tae Tae and tiny Jimin are an item?

George Clooney recites Dynamite.

EXO vocal supremacy over BTS

Wonho’s supple ass would like a word with you.

"Given me hunky Harry Styles any day of the week over these ladyboy types."

Harry Styles? That scrawny pipsqueak? Get a load of " ladyboy" Jimin.

Is Harry up for a gun show?

Nope.

Jimin 5ft 8..

Harry 6 ft

jimin 120 lbs

Harry 170 lbs

I don't fancy little Jim's chances in a fight.

Harry's biceps are much bigger than Jim's and that's without flexing. Can Jimmi even grow facial hair? He looks like a 14 year old girl.

They seriously each look like Michael Jackson

Not this American...

baby dicks

BTS are dancers so their bodies and abs are ripped. Harry, not so much.

Skinny, hairless, boring small brown eyes. No thanks.

"I don't fancy little Jim's chances in a fight."

Jimin, Taekwando black belt, would destroy Styles. Go to 1:55 or 6:10 to see what would happen to Harry.

"Given me hunky Harry Styles any day of the week over these ladyboy types."

Okay, have it your way...............

Yum.

I like Euphoria, Mikrokosmos, Magic Shop, Epiphany, Boy with Luv, Moon, and Spring Day.

But Exo's "The Eve" is what I hump my pillow to lol.

Harry's trainer said that he can pull a 500lb weight. He could crush tiny spazzy Jimin with one hand. None of those bts boys would have any success if they left the band and went solo like Styles did with 1d.

Any TXT fans?

Soobin is so cute! 🥰

I love this concept trailer.

Thought someone here might enjoy this.

R374 R377 R379 R380 R384 (etc) "My favorite teen girl idol is better than your favorite teen girl idol!"

Are any of you actually grown men? Jesus.

Jesus was a grown man. He died for your sins.

Any Sehun fans?

"[R374] [R377] [R379] [R380] [R384] (etc) "My favorite teen girl idol is better than your favorite teen girl idol!"

Are any of you actually grown men? Jesus."

For someone who holds such disdain for the discussion, you certainly have spent much time reading it. But, this is a country where we have freedom of expression, so you are certainly free to comment on it, and we are free to tell you to fuck off.

BTS will be the first K-Pop group--and probably first All-Asian group--- to perform on the Grammys this Sunday.

I find them incredibly comforting - Magic Shop, Euphoria, etc.

IU's "Celebrity" is my favorite right now. Very consoling and calming.

The shipping can be really cute.

Better link

More Soobin

Shipping to where R394?

I usually use FedEx. They're pretty good.

r369. Wonho needs to start his US music career. He would be a hit.

It's wierd but the younger brothers of BTS, TXT is promoted as very wholesome but I think most of them are gay except for a two and that doesn't fit in with a conservative Korean culture.

BTS seem mostly straight except Jimin who may be bi.

R399, who from TXT is gay?!

I love their cute Haikyu volleyball uniforms in this.

They were quite charming when they did Carpool Karaoke

Iconic Soobin.

I really like RM.

This is America, these Orientals need to learn some English!

BTS needs to stay away from the US as there's a spike in anti-Asian violence.

R230, NCT is so weird. They’re marketed like shiny new smartphones. Or new luxury cars.

"Never thought I’d see Americans going crazy over music sang in a foreign language."

Observe the Rose Bowl.

New York?

My favorites:

RM - BTS

Soobin and Yeonjun - TXT

Doyoung, Jaemin, Jeno, Jisung - NCT

Bomin and Jangjun - Golden Child

Eunwoo and Sanha - Astro

Sehun - Exo

DK and S.Coups - Seventeen

Yohan - WEi

Juyeon, Hyunjae, and Jacob - The Boyz

Kingdom: Legendary War starts early April.

I bought tickets for the Rose Bowl last May which, of course, was cancelled due to Covid. Their concert sold out in almost an hour and that included the 2 days. There was so much demand that they added a 3rd day. The Rose Bowl seats over 90,000 people. That's how crazy people are for them.

Yes, I was looking forward to see them in person because they give a great show. I would still like to see them but not as excited as I was because their fans are too CRAZY.

Then stay away from Brazil, where they sing in Korean and English.

R410, Sungjoo from Uniq

Huening Kai of TXT - my overall bias who is half-American and half-Korean. He is musically talented and plays multiple instruments. IMO, his talent is wasted trying to be a K-Pop idol and focusing on dancing instead of his musical and songwriting skills.

He was born in Hawaii, hopefully, he will relocate to the US so he won't have to serve in the military.

The important question is, which of them are bottoms.

R415, I love how he still loves his stuffed animals. Tobin is the huge rabbit. So cute.

He also plays the piano so well. Sweet kid.

Probably Soobin.

Soobin helping Huening Kai with his math homework.

Best Grammy performance.

They should have won.

As usual, Taylor Swift wins album of the year for the third time in a row for her shitty music. The Weeknd was right.

Soobin + Sehun please.

DYNAMITE is such a horrible song. They'll never live down the fact that the song made them popular.

R423, they were popular before then.

And they know it’s a bad song.

And Rain on Me is also a horrible song so what's your point?

Why " Dynamite"

"As I noted then, despite BTS garnering a staggering number of global achievements — including performing in Times Square on New Year’s Eve, on Saturday Night Live, and at the 2019 and 2020 Grammys — American radio DJs have expressed some very specific reasons for not giving the band more air time. Chief among them: The band’s refusal to sing in English.

BTS just landed an unprecedented spot on the Hot 100 — with virtually no radio play This explanation — blatant, petty American xenophobia — is the main reason that BTS’s previous big singles, from its harder stuff like “Mic Drop” to summery, chill bops like “DNA” and “Boy With Luv,” never managed to really get off the ground in the U.S., despite having essentially conquered the internet and streaming sales. Keep in mind that as I write this, BTS is just shy of spending 200 weeks straight at #1 on the Social 50 chart, Billboard’s metric for the musical artists with the highest social media engagement. That’s almost four years at the top of the chart.

That’s a lot of weeks to be, as one fan put it, “the biggest group in the world with the worst radio play.”

R424 I meant their popularity in the western world. Despite their popularity now and how they made a breakthrough for Asian artists, the pandemic anti-Asian sentiment will prevent other Asian artists to breakthrough.. A shame.

[quote] Chief among them: The band’s refusal to sing in English.

The Kpop group, SuperM made an album in English last year but none of their English songs were a hit in the West. So has Red Velvet and NCT 127 and none of their English songs became hits.

BTS has more impressive songs than Dynamite.

This is a very cute series TXT made during their US showcase.

BTS appears twice. Episode 1 part 2 and episode 4 part 2.

SuperM is ok, but I really don't like when they have their non-English speakers rap in English; it just sounds off. An English word or short phrase here and there is fine for them, but for entire verses it sounds wrong.

1:18

2:45

I cringe. I like the song though, overall.

Also, Baekhyun is very cute.

Kingdom: Legedary War is starting soon. Preview performances here.

Taylor Bitch won again?

Time to cancel the grammys.

New comeback, from 25 mins ago.

"Confucian Boy Lee Juyeon"

Pretty boyband stuff. Yawn.

Best pop song to come out from a KPOP or asian act in years.

Jackson Wang: Leave Me Loving You

Pretty awful, but at least it's not vulgar and trashy like Cardi B.

This is not your typical Kpop song. Jessi is not the sweet unthreatening female pop-star most Koreans prefer, she's was actually born in the USA but she's become popular there. The USA doesn't have a female pop star of Asian descent and we badly need one.

“Jackson Wang” 😂

Sweet boys.

These don't even look like twinks, or even little boys - they look like aliens.

R443, are you really old? That's a filter: it distorts the image in weird ways.

J-pop.

Thanks, r446 - had a stressful day and that was nice.

Just came out, R447!

I mean the music video lol.

Their company just acquired Scooter Braun’s company for $1 billion. That includes Bieber and Ariana Grande.

[quote] HYBE, the company formerly known as Big Hit Entertainment, which is home to BTS, the South Korean pop group, has merged with Ithaca Holdings, the company led by SB Projects (SBP) founder Scooter Braun. In the deal, HYBE will acquire through HYBE America, its wholly owned subsidiary, a 100% stake in Ithaca Holdings and its properties, which includes SB Projects and management clients Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato, among others, as well as Big Machine Label Group.

BTS alone has made BigHit trillions of dollars and now it's become a conglomeration. The company has bought smaller Entertainment companies in SK like a shark eating the smaller fish. They've now partnered with Universal Music in the USA, one of the biggest music groups in the West. I hope BTS is compensated for this.

[quote] Firstly, Universal music group and Big hit Entertainment plans to produce a global Boy group It has been announced that a new boy group will debut. Mostly within the next two years. And the members will be chosen through a worldwide audition. Big hit Entertainment will find talented artists through Global auditions. Also, they will train them in Korea itself. Later Universal music group will promote them in the west. They will look after the music production as well. It is expected to be a multilingual boy group with members from all around the world. The group’s activities will be monitored from the headquarters in Los Angeles.

OP ... Weren't you alive in the 90s?

The planned manufacturing of boy bands is the most boring thing to happen to music since the last time they did it.

Posted 4 mins ago. TXT are so cute.

Well now BTS label owns all of Taylor Swift's music from Big Machine Records.

Their music is trash, honey, TRASH.

NCT is kind of scary. The techiness.

It would be poetic justice if BTS owns Taylor Swift junk music.

R459, I think they now own Taylor Swift's original masters, not the songs themselves. Is that right?

Their company started in 2007 with nothing. It has a market cap of $8 billion now.

This is their original dorm.

Their dorm now.

[quote] I hope BTS is compensated for this.

They were indeed. They own 68,385 shares each, given in August 2020 before the IPO. The stock price opened at $235 and it's even higher now.

With these plus previous earnings, they're easily worth over $20 million each now.

Listening to piano versions of their songs while I work and study.

Kingdom: Legendary War episode 1. Just out. With subtitles.

Any Stray Kids fans? They're so cute.

Kingdom episode 2 is out.

New TXT trailer.