In 2016 I was dealing a lot with anxiety and some depression, it was a very difficult time for me, but I happened to discover a newly famous boy band named BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan which translated from Korean to English means Bulletproof Boy Scouts). At first sight, they didn’t really appeal to me because they sang in Korean, and I couldn’t understand a word they were saying.

The first song I ever heard was ‘Save Me’ in 2016. While I was listening to the song, I realized that they sang in English too! Slowly, but surely, I began to get more and more into their music and soon was able to tell them [There’s seven of them] apart by their looks. Now, I can tell them apart by just their voices.

Their music isn’t the type we teens usually listen to in this generation on this side of the world. They sing about love, happiness, acceptance, and youth, and are now considered idols through hard work, dedication, and their passion for what they love doing.

   Many Miami High students are big fans. Junior Dailyn Rodriguez has learned to sing along to the original Korean lyrics. “I think that they are the best and that they will keep getting better,” she said.

Freshmen Abigail Hernandez said, “They put their hearts into what they do. They were just seven Korean men, but now they’re influencers helping people learn to love themselves.”

Senior Nikita Infante agrees. “They speak a lot about real problems that are currently happening in the world through their music,” she said.

Senior Oliver Blanco said, “When I first heard their songs I was amazed at how good and creative their songs are.”

Although band teacher Mr. Campos has never actually listened to BTS, he said that because he is a music educator, he would listen to their music in the future.

BTS debuted in 2013 when its youngest member was just 15, with their first single ‘2 Cool 4 Skool’ but not many people knew who they were until 2016-2018. BTS has made many achievements with their music; their most viewed song is ‘DNA’ and it’s currently at 870 million views on YouTube. Nikita Infante’s first songs she heard from them were ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears’ and ‘Fake Love.’ For Dailyn Rodriguez, it was ‘Save Me.’

For the people who are not BTS fans, the most common reason is because they can’t understand what BTS is saying. Sophomore Stephen Ayala said, “I can’t understand their music, but they aren’t bad.” Sophomore Kyara Bermudez learned about BTS through one of her friends. The first music video she saw was ‘Boy with Luv.’ She says that she respects the meaning behind their music and she thinks they are inspiring to others, but their music isn’t the type she listens too.

When BTS debuted in 2013 many of them already had experience when it comes to music and dance. Kyara Bermudez was shocked to learn that some of them were part of the underground scene. According to the CheatSheat article titled “What Did BTS Members Do Before They Became Famous?’, Kim Namjoon [Rap Monster aka RM] was an underground rapper and went by the stage name ‘Runch Randa.’ Like Namjoon, Min Yoongi [Suga aka August D] was also an underground rapper and went by the name ‘Gloss.’ Jung Hoseok [J-Hope] was also part of the underground scene, but not as a rapper—as a dancer.

Unlike many artists, BTS write their own music and choreograph their own dances, which surprised sophomore Veronica Wilson.

Miami High has many ARMYS [The BTS Fandom Name], but they’re not all girls. One anonymous male freshman who is a fan of the group said, “I think their music is really interesting and the story that their music follows is really thought out. I know that they will continue to break records and change how we think. Their music has helped me figure out who I am and that we should love ourselves, as RM said in his speech at the United Nations.”

BTS adore their fans and always tell them to keep a positive mindset. Sophomore Milagro Nacher said, “I feel like they inspire many people because they inspired me to do things I never thought I would do. They are so caring. Even if they are injured, they still choose to perform because they don’t want to let their fans down. This proves they care more about the fans then the actual money the make from concerts and each album they release.”