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On February 20, 2024, BTS' biography Beyond the Story: 10 Year Record translator Anton Hur shared his take on the group's phenomenal success. An X account (@rose_vxo) tweeted why other K-pop groups cannot achieve the global popularity they have amassed.
In response, Hur commented on the post and mentioned that in contrast to many other highly managed K-pop groups, BTS was given very little in the way of marketing and PR tools. They were forced to handle their own social media presence, which paradoxically brought them closer to their fans.
"ARMY isn't a vague presence of BTS": Anton Hur explains how the group reached the pinnacle of success
Bangtan Sonyeondan, aka BTS, debuted in 2013 under BigHit Entertainment (now HYBE), which was on the verge of bankruptcy. The founder and CEO, Bang Si-hyuk, aka Hitman Bang, took a leap of faith and somehow managed to debut the seven-piece band. The history of Bangtan and their humble beginnings are well-known to fans and have been extensively covered by the media.
However, Anton Hur shines light upon a less popular segment of the band's history and legacy that they have left behind in their wake. Hur elaborates that for Bangtan, ARMY is more than just a hazy presence. Since the beginning, the group has seen and communicated directly with their fans from all around the world via YouTube livestream, letters, and more.
HYBE didn't have sufficient funds to form a staff team to manage and administer different communication channels. This further led to the group developing a clear and direct touch with fans, which brought them closer, unlike other groups with management to act as middlemen between the artists and their fans.
Anton Hur continued in his Twitter thread that compared to other K-pop artists and groups that intentionally create "mystery" and evade public recognition, BTS openly met their fans during their debut era. This brings back the instance when the K-pop phenomenon went to watch Fantastic Four in theatres with over 200 fans in August 2015.
Hur also says that relatively little direct engagement is essentially the default setting of most K-pop ensembles, while BTS had to do the reverse. However, it turned out to be an asset since they could directly ask their fans what they thought or liked about their projects and albums. He wrote,
"Contrast this with other kpop acts who cultivate "mystery" (신비주의 마케팅) and make themselves inaccessible. This is actually the default setting of most kpop groups—very little direct interaction. BTS did the opposite out of necessity and it ended up becoming their strength."
He continued to state that the group was more focused on their fans' likes and dislikes, while other groups were more focused on what their company thinks. Hur says that this aspect made all the difference for Bangtan.
Anton Hur explained his take further by highlighting the difference between a corporation telling its singers to sing something because it is trendy and a Bangtan member composing a song and informing their company that they know fans would like it. This knowledge of their fans' likes and dislikes is because they interact closely, which shows why the group has a profound relationship with ARMY.
Numerous live streams of Bangtan members with their fans are a testament to it. For example, RUN BTS episodes even considered ARMY's game choices. The septet has always gone above and beyond to forge a relationship with their fans, resulting in the fandom being extremely devoted and protective of the seven members.
Anton Hur added that, to be clear, Bangtan Sonyeondan is not reactive in the slightest (reactive would be corporations "reacting" to the market and pursuing trends). They are confident that their music will resonate with listeners and may release it whenever they like.
"I'm not saying BTS is "reactive," if anything they're the opposite of reactive (reactive would be companies "reacting" to the market and chasing trends). I'm saying they can put out the music they want to put out because they're confident they will strike a chord."
He continued that the world-famous group has this unique confidence since listening to fans directly is a fundamental part of their work as artists. Since this paradigm diminishes their success as artists, most companies will never get it.
The group biography, Beyond the Story: 10 Year Record of BTS, was translated in 2023 by Korean writer and translator Anton Hur in collaboration with HYBE and BTS, with assistance from Slin Jung and Clare Richards. The biography was written by Kang Myeong-seok.
