I think the secret to BTS' success is "Comfort" and "Hope"

It was last April. Ferry Sewol While interviewing the bereaved families of the Ferry Sewol victims ahead of the sixth anniversary of the disaster, unexpected names came out of their mouths. Here's the story. About 200 days after the 2014 Ferry Sewol disaster, "young friends" visited the bereaved families. They burned incense with courtesy, comforted the bereaved families, and went back. He also donated 100 million won to the family council. Those who visited the bereaved families were BTS (BTS), an idol group in its second year of debut at the time. The bereaved family explains that Bang Si-hyuk, chairman of Big Hit Entertainment, the CEO of the agency, was also present at the time.
Ferry Sewol The bereaved families said they were "really grateful" for their faith in the situation where a blacklist of cultural circles at the regime level was drawn up in relation to the disaster and various disadvantages were inflicted. This is why the bereaved families have "prayed and cheered eagerly for their future" since that day. Perhaps it was natural to want those who visited them and comforted them with all their hearts to become singers who were loved more than anyone else.

Hello, I'm Kim Kyung-wook who is in charge of pop music in the Ministry of Culture. Last summer, I told you about the secret of the popularity of the mixed group "Ssak3" (Lee Hyo-ri, Yoo Jae-seok, and Rain), and today I'm going to tell you about BTS.
It's not too much to say that this was actually the year of BTS. Their recent "first," "best," and "shortest" records are hard to fathom even for reporters who write related articles. The wishes of the bereaved families of the Ferry Sewol disaster have come true. It took only seven years for those who have walked their way silently to write a new history of Korean pop music rather than paying attention to the surrounding situations since their debut.

Among the various records they have made recently, the representative achievement is the No. 1 Billboard single chart ('Hot 100') in the U.S. No Korean pop singer topped the chart before them. It topped the list with the English song "Dynamite" in September, and also topped the list with the Korean song "Life Goes On" on the 30th (local time). It doesn't seem to matter much to them now what language they sing in. 'Hot 100' is an indicator of the most popular 'song' in the U.S., the home of pop. This is the first time in 62 years that a Korean song has topped the chart. Life Goes On is the only non-English-speaking song that topped the chart as soon as it debuted.

BTS (BTS), which topped the Billboard singles, albums, and artist charts in the U.S. As a group, BTS is the only singer who won first place in these three categories at the same time. Photo courtesy of Big Hit Entertainment
BTS has also set a record for winning both Billboard's main charts at the same time with his new album and tracks. The album "BE", which contains the title track "Life Goes On", topped the album chart "Billboard 200" upon its debut. American pop stars Taylor Swift and BTS are the only singers who have won first place in both Hot 100 and Billboard 200 so far.
How did BTS achieve this? There may be a variety of factors, such as unrivaled music and performance, and the power of the fandom "ARMY," but I want to pick the "comfort" and "hope" they conveyed to the world. That's the value they've shown in action since their debut. Both "Dynamite" and "Life Goes On," which topped the "Hot 100," contain messages of comfort to those living in the COVID-19 era. If "Dynamite" is a bright and cheerful tone of "Healing Song," "Life Goes On" sends a message that "life continues despite that" with a lyrical atmosphere.
The evaluation of Time, an American weekly magazine, is not much different. Time named BTS the Celebrity of the Year on the 10th (local time), citing this reason. "They were faithful to the message of kindness, connection and inclusion in a time full of pain and cynicism, and the fandom spread their positive message to the world."
Now the eyes are on the Grammy Awards, the most prestigious pop music awards in the United States. BTS is nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for Dynamite. BTS is also the first Korean pop musician to be nominated for the award. The awards ceremony will be held on the 31st of next month, and various experts are predicting their awards. Of course, on the other hand, some predict that BTS will not be easy to overcome the Grammy wall. It's because it's a conservative awards ceremony centered on older white men who are insensitive to change. However, there is one thing for sure. The fact is that the Grammy is just a Grammy. Regardless of whether he won the Grammy or not, BTS is already the 'best star' for those who were comforted by their songs.