'K-pop,' you may or may not have heard this term before but what is evident is that this category of music is slowly rising to be a world phenomenon. Before I delve into the world of 'K-pop' I would like to tell you where it has originated from. The term 'K-pop' in itself is derived from the genre of music called Korean pop so it may not surprise you that the country it has arisen from is South Korea. The artists who perform in this category are coined as 'idols' by their fans and are often surrounded by a working environment of high pressure in which they must perfect their dancing and singing/rapping skills. The main difference between western musicians and 'idols' is the emphasis on impeccable dancing and singing/rapping skills for 'idols' whom often spend hours each day practising high intensity choreography. One thing is for sure, the society in South Korea makes for a huge emphasis on perfection so often 'idols' face public scrutiny on their looks, dancing skills, rapping/singing and sometimes even their personality. It's often a dangerous and extremely stressful job to become an 'idol' with many K-pop stars having suffered eating disorders and extreme tiredness due to their relentless schedules. It's not all bleak though as K-pop stars have notoriously supportive fans. One K-pop group famous for their extremely supportive fan base whom they call 'army' is BTS. This group of 7 extremely talented individuals( consist of 3 rappers and 4 singers) are slowly spreading their influence across the globe especially in USA. They recently came out with an EP this year named 'Love yourself: Her,' in which they express the importance of self love and being less critical on yourself. This is a message that needs to be condoned especially to the generation of today and the negative impact social media often has which can lead to self critiscm . Their latest singled titled DNA was a huge global hit and amassed 150 million views on YouTube, being the fastest ever K-pop group to do so. Other accomplishments this K-pop group have achieved are winning a Billboard Award by beating the likes of Justin Bieber which is a huge achievement in itself as well as reaching number 1 on iTunes chart in 73 countries worldwide with their single DNA . The extent of their popularity is so much so that they will be making their US debut at the American Music Awards with artists such as Niall Horan, Imagine Dragons etc; this will then be followed by an appearance on the hugely popular Ellen Show. All in all I could go on and on listing BTS achievements but then we would be here all day. Nonetheless you may have recognised by now that I'm also part of the 'army' fandom and as a K-pop fan myself, I couldn't be more proud of the fact that BTS are achieving the recognition they deserve. K-pop is a growing phenomenon which has amassed a huge following and doesn't seem to be showing any signs of slowing down.
