The most important name in K-pop these days is undoubtedly BTS. The boy group, which debuted in 2013, has performed across the globe, most recently at the American Music Awards just last month. The global spotlight has fallen on this boy band that many fans around the world have fallen in love with.
Helping the group shine behind the scenes is Bang Si-hyuk, founder and CEO of Big Hit Entertainment, home to BTS. He recently traveled to the United States with the group to accompany them as they made media appearances in an effort to become more familiar to American audiences. On Sunday, he met with media at a press conference before the group’s concert at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro District, western Seoul.
“Since we started to take on the new theme of ‘Love Yourself’ in September, we want to talk more about universal and essential stories,” said Bang. “I think BTS was able to show some dynamic stories thanks to this theme and we want [fans] to continue watching the group’s journey as it unfolds in the coming days.”
While he delivered hopeful remarks, he refrained from saying that BTS has reached their peak.
“It is too early to talk about success, and it is difficult to share any secret to success as of now, but it felt like I was part of Team Korea wearing a Taegeukgi [Korea’s national flag] embroidered on my chest,” said Bang, sharing how he felt during his 10 days spent in the United States with the group.
“We confirmed that BTS has fans from around the globe at the Billboard Music Awards in the first half of this year, and at the American Music Awards, which places its value on popularity, we were able to see that Korean music can be competitive in the home of pop music.”
Bang said that the group has grown as its members continue to communicate with fans their age with music about their life stories, including painful moments. He even made an album series called “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life” after member Suga once said that he doesn’t want to be a grown-up.
“If they continue to go forward without losing their dreams, they can continue to be boys and that’s the basis of the stories of BTS,” he said.
Although Bang is the force that leads BTS, he doesn’t like to be called the “father” of the group.
“I don’t think any one can create artists,” said Bang. “The idea [of me being the father of BTS] makes the group an object, not the subject, and that’s against my philosophy. Also, I’m not married.”
Fans have contributed to making BTS expand its reach in the global community. Many fans watch the music videos online and then create their own recordings of themselves reacting to the group’s official videos. They voluntarily promoted not only the official videos but also their own creations, and that snowballed and created even more fans.
Even if fans want to hear more lyrics, BTS won’t be releasing songs in order to appeal to fans from particular cultural backgrounds or recording songs in English. Although the songs are written in Korean, many fans at American Music Awards sang along the group’s song “DNA.” Taking their global fandom into account, the group’s agency does take time to make BTS music more approachable, for example, by using Korean words that are easy to say.
“We will try to keep K-pop’s distinct characteristics that were set in the mid-1990s with visually aesthetic charms and powerful performances,” Bang said, adding that K-pop music can be familiar to those who don’t even know what K-pop music is, as K-pop is made up of elements of genres like hip-hop - something that most of the world knows well.
“If we teach English to singers and sign a contract with American companies to release albums, then that is no longer part of K-pop. It is like Asian singers making a debut onto the American market. That is not a sustainable model.”
Bang seems to understand what songs can go big in the market. The founder and CEO, worked as a chief producer for JYP Entertainment before starting his own company. He produced boy band g.o.d.’s “Sky Blue Balloon,” singer Rain’s “Bad Boy,” as well as singer Baek Ji-young’s “Like Being Hit by A Bullet” and “My Ear’s Candy” and more.
The producer whose interests range from animated movies to information technology takes inspiration from many elements of culture to create music.
“There is nothing new under the sun, [so I draw inspiration from things created throughout history],” said Bang. “So we put effort into researching cultural contents and look for ways to apply that into our music.”
Based on what BTS has been a part of in the United States, including being invited to American Music Awards, and elsewhere in the world, Bang hopes that K-pop continues to stay competitive and welcomed around the globe.
“I hope, with what BTS has achieved in the United States, I don’t miss the [chance] to create a well-made industrial model,” he said. “I hope the case people have seen with BTS is not just a one-time thing and more people to take it as an example. I want many to take that model and get inspiration or more ideas so that more K-pop singers can make their way to overseas markets.”