All About K-Pop: BTS (방탄소년단)

The Bangtan Boys, also known as Bulletproof Boy Scouts, BTS and Bangtan Sonyeondan, is a seven-member hip hop group under Big Hit Entertainment. Bangtan consists of Rap Monster, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, V and Jungkook. The meaning of their group name "Bulletproof Boyscouts" or "Bangtan" is "to block out the world's bullets", and their fanclub name "A.R.M.Y" stands for "Adorable Representative M.C For Youth".

The leader of Bangtan is Rap Monster, the main dancers are J-Hope, Jungkook and Jimin, the vocalists are Jungkook, Jimin, Jin and V, the rappers are J-Hope, Suga and Rap Monster, and the maknae (the youngest) is Jungkook. The group is known for having talented members, capable of composing, writing and performing their own music. Most notably, Rap Monster, J-Hope and Suga have collaborated in making songs for Bangtan's albums. Members of the group have been scouted since 2010.

Before joining, J-Hope was active in the underground dancing scene, participating in various battles and competitions. Rap Monster and Suga did the same, being active in the underground rapping scene. Before becoming trainees, they focused on their respective interests (dance, singing, acting and rapping), where they eventually passed auditions and ended up in the same group.

The original lineup for Bangtan went through several changes before the final lineup of members was established in 2012. Half a year prior to debut, the boys began building their name and creating a relationship with fans through Twitter, Video Blogs, Fancafe Posts, and by releasing various song covers via YouTube and SoundCloud.

Bangtan officially debuted through their showcase on June 12th, 2013 with their single album "2COOL4SKOOL." They promoted 'No More Dream' and 'We Are Bulletproof Pt. 2' on the various music shows. On September 11th, 2013, they made their comeback with a 10 track mini-album called "O! RUL8 2?' with their title song 'N.O', as well as briefly doing 'Satoori Rap'. They followed up on November 6th, 2013 with 'The Rise Of Bangtan' promotions. They starred in their own variety show called 'Rookie King', which premiered on September 3rd, 2013 and lasted for 8 episodes.

As 2013 came to an end, Bangtan attended and performed at various award shows, collected their well-deserved rookie of the year awards. They started 2014 off rather quietly, but began February with exciting news for their fans by announcing their long-awaited comeback with their second mini-album "SKOOL LUV AFFAIR." On February 11th, 2014, Bangtan held a comeback showcase that was streamed via YouTube and Melon for fans who couldn't attend. And for years to come, Bangtan's popularity begins to boom and they create history as a 7-member boy band.

Known for their large social media presence, Bangtan were listed by Forbes as the most retweeted artist on Twitter in March 2016. Following that, Twitter launched its first ever K-pop Twitter emoji featuring Bangtan. In October 2016, Billboard placed Bangtan as #1 on their Social 50 chart, making them the first Korean group to top the chart. To date, they have spent 29 weeks as #1 on the Social 50 chart. In 2017, Bangtan won a Billboard Music Award for 'Top Social Artist'. Also known for their large international fanbase, having performed and sold out tours in Asia, Europe, Australia, North America and South America, Bangtan's performances won them the Best World Performer award in the 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards. Just a year later, Bangtan went on to win the 2016 Mnet Asian Music Award for Artist of the Year. Bangtan ranked #5 in Forbes magazine's Korea Power Celebrity list in February 2017, a list ranking Korea's most powerful and influential celebrities. In June 2017, Time magazine named the band one of the 25 Most Influential People On The Internet.

Ever since their debut, Bangtan has been nominated for 78 awards and had won 45. For music program awards, they have won a total of 23 awards.

All About The Members:

Stage Name: Rap Monster
Full Name: Kim Namjoon
Position: Main Rapper, Leader
Birthday: September 12, 1994
Zodiac sign: Virgo
Height: 181 cm (5'11)
Weight: 67 kg (147 lbs)

Stage Name: J-Hope
Full Name: Jung Hoseok
Position: Lead Rapper, Main Dancer
Birthday: February 18, 1994
Zodiac sign: Aquarius
Height: 177 cm (5’10)
Weight: 65 kg (143 lbs)

Stage Name: Jimin
Full Name: Park Jimin
Position: Lead Vocalist, Main Dancer
Birthday: October 13, 1995
Zodiac sign: Libra
Height: 173.6cm (5’8.3)
Weight: 61 kg (134 lbs)

Stage Name: Suga
Full Name: Min Yoongi
Position: Lead Rapper
Birthday: March 9, 1993
Zodiac sign: Pisces
Height: 174 cm (5’8.5)
Weight: 59 kg (130 lbs)

Stage Name: Jin
Full Name: Kim Seokjin
Position: Vocalist, Visual
Birthday: December 4, 1992
Zodiac sign: Sagittarius
Height: 179 cm (5’10 1/2)
Weight: 63 kg (139 lbs)

Stage Name: V
Full Name: Kim Taehyung
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: December 30, 1995
Zodiac sign: Capricorn
Height: 178 cm (5’10)
Weight: 62 kg (137 lbs)

Stage Name: Jungkook
Full Name: Jeon Jeongguk/Jungkook
Position: Main Vocalist, Lead Dancer, Sub Rapper, Center/ Face of the Group, Maknae
Birthday: September 1, 1997
Zodiac sign: Virgo
Height: 178 cm (5’10)
Weight: 66 kg (145 lbs)

Source: Tumblr/Google