K-pop boy group BTS / Courtesy of Bighit Music

This week I sat down with a group of BTS fans from around the world and spent two hours listening to their stories. As a lot of the media hype and attention around them has either focused on their solo efforts or been replaced by the next generation of idols, I thought it would provide some nice distance from the unprecedented levels of success they were achieving as a group a few years back.

And so we explored different things together: When did they first discover BTS? What was the performance or the album that made them fall in love? How has their fandom affected their lives? What’s their favorite song? How many of the dances can they do? Who’s their favorite member? What makes them stand out from other groups?

What I discovered was nothing new but it reaffirmed a hunch I had had for a rather long time. The great appeal of a K-pop group is not really the music. Nor the outrageous YouTube numbers the local media likes to report on. The power of K-pop and a group like BTS is how it makes people feel. And, there’s a huge psychological aspect to it in terms of mental health, identity, and personal development. The young women told me that when they discovered BTS they were sitting their university entrance exams, going through a global pandemic, or just having a rough time with life in general. And during that darkness, a light shone on them. Seven men from Korea with their music, their words, and their message. Their constant availability on SNS, in webtoons, live streams, and performances. They were there to provide support. I was told that the success of an idol is not measured by how many awards they receive but by how many of a fan’s lonely nights they have healed.

Fans wait for K-pop boy band BTS member J-Hope's discharge from........

© The Korea Times