[A Fundamentals of K-pop] A Company Left in Ruins, a Legend Born from the Ashes: BTS

 

 

BigHit Entertainment, which had long operated by producing artists far removed from the idol scene—such as K.Will and Lim Jeong-hee—while treating Bang Si-hyuk's compositions as its main asset, chose a girl group as its first idol project. In 2012, collaborating with So Sung-jin, whm Bang had known since his JYP daysm BigHit handled production while Source Music took change of management, resulting in the group GLAM.

 

 

 

Although a reality program bearing the same name as the group was produced prior to debut, the responses was underwhelming. At a time when many girl groups already dominated the scene, GLAM's differentiation strategy—a girls' hip-hop concept—failed to gain public support, and thee three songs released after debut were the fact far removed from hip-hop. During a hiatus, a fatal incident occured when one member was sentenced to prison for attempting to blackmail a famous male actor over an alleged affair. The group subsequently disbanded.

 

As a result, both agencies that had spent three years preparing for debut were left devastated. For Source Music, whose first produced group this was, the situation was dire enough that immediate closure would not have been surpassing. GLAM, having had little meaningful activity in three years since debut, generated no income and only accumulated production loses. Meanwhile, BigHit—having debuted GLAM—went on in 2013 to begin producing its first seven-member boy group.

 

 

 

 

This marked the historic beginning of BTS. However, their debut was far from smooth. By openly promoting a hip-hop idol image that ran counter to prevailing market trends and declaring BIGBANG as their role model, they were met with reactions closer to ridicule than support. In particular, the strong association with Bang Si-hyuk fueled mockery, and even the group name "Bangtan Sonyeondan" was derided as outdated, with jokes suggesting it meant "the boys created by Bang Si-hyuk."

 

 

 

 

Negative memes about Bang Si-hyuk had already spread among the public following his appearance as a mentor on MBC's Great Birth, which aired from 2010. In addition, after leaving JYP, he had yet to produce a mega-hot artist, and BTS was perceived as his first idol experiment—another factor contributing to skepticism.

 

BTS found themselves in an ambiguous position: unable to fully blend into the idol scene because they were idols. The stemmed from their early planning, which began with a hip-hop team centered on RM, a well a from producer Pdogg—who had long worked with Bang Si-hyuk on BTS's music—being rooted in hip-hop composition.

 

In fact, during the early planning stages, artists such as Beenino, Basick, and Iron were even mentioned as potentional members, Ultimately, however, greater weight was placed on the idol format, resulting in the BTS we know today. The outcome was not the result of stubbornly clinging to hip-hop alone.

 

 

 

 

After 2014, as Show Me The Money entered a full-fledged boom, the growing popularity of hip-hop combined with a sense of pride among its dedicated fanbase, further reinforcing prejudice against BTS. Although both RM and Suga were highly skilled rappers who had been active in the underground scene, lingering Bang Si-hyuk-related memes made it difficult for the public to approach their music without bias.

 

Incidents such as B-Free's rude remarks toward RM and Suga during the first-anniversary special Hip-Hop Invitational, and Beenzino's diss of Bang Si-hyuk embedded in a The Quiett track, starkly illustrated the perception surrounding BTS at the time.

 

 

 

 

Promotion was also challenging within the constraints of being a small-to-mid-sized agency. Even a single appearance on variety shows dominated by idols fom major agencies was hard to secure. As a result, Bang Si-hyuk himself frequentlyappeared on entertainment programs—dancing, smiling through awkward questions, and personally promoting BTS.

 

At the time, it was commont to include foreign members in a grou with overseas expansion in mind, yet BTS consisted solely of Korean members, which was seen as another disacvantage. Musicallym they were neither aligned with trending genres nor clearly defined as hip-hop, leaving them with an ambiguous identity.

 

 

 

 

 

Nevertheless, BTS continued releasing music and completed the "School Trilogy," which told their own stories. Public response in fluctuated, an their performance fell short of what could be called that of a top idol group. Still, whatever trust existed between the company and the artists, this period undeniably bevame a time of growth. Already a self-producing team, BTS's sincere lyrics—drawn from their own experiences—began resonating with teenagers. Their performances also grew increasingly solid.

 

While their commericial success was insufficient to guarantee the team's future, small signs of possibility emerged. Riding the K-pop wave, event-style concerts were occasionally held in Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America, and BTS's stages drew louder cheers from local audiences than expected.

 

With limited opportunities fro promotion through variety shows or television, BTS turned to YouTube and social media to present self-produced content and communicate directly with future fans. This can be seen as the origin of what is now called self-produced content. Fans who connected with their unembellished charm began gathering across borders, forming the fandom known as ARMY—though some mocked the name, given Korea's mandatory military service and the members' draft-exempt status at the time.

 

 

 

 

In 2015, as most members reached adulthood, BTS moved beyond singing about teenagers confined to school life and launched the "The Most Beautiful Moment in Life" series, focusing on youth. Their music shifted toward a more mainstream direction, actively incorporating pop, R&B, and EDM elements in line with global trends. Vocalists were given greater prominence, making the songs easier to listen to. Their style also evolved from the intense image typical of hip-hop idols to a cleaner, more polished look. These changes proved successful, as "I NEED U" earned them their first terrestrial music-show win 695 days after debut.

 

International response was especially notable. Music videos and performance clips for hits such as "쩔어 (DOPE)," "Run," and "불타오르네 (FIRE)" spread rapidly through the rise of overseas YouTube reaction channels, particularly those focusing on sychronized choreography. From this point on, ARMY began to grow into a global fandom.

 

 

 

With their second full abum Blood, Sweat, & Tears, BTS's domestic popularity surged, placing them alongside EXO and Wanna One—dubbed "ExBangWon"—as representative idols of the third generation. Overseas recognition also increased, with three consecutive entries on Billboard 200. Concert venues expanded from gymnastics arenas to the Gocheok Sky Dome, nearly doubling capacity. BigHit Entertainment—once rumored to be on the brink of closure—recorded KRW 36 billion (approximately USD 24,912,000) in revenue and KRW 11 billion (approximately USD 7,612,000) in operating profit, earning praise as a "miracle of a small agency." For reference, in 2016 the operating profits of the three major agencies were KRW 20.7 billion (approximately USD 14,324,000) for SM, 31.9 billion (appoximately USD 22,074,800) for YG, and 13.8 billion (approximately USD 9,549,600) for JYP.

 

Still, some argued that it was too early to judge BTS's global success, citing many past cases of so-called "self-procalimed world stars." Skepticism lingered over whether their popularity was merely temporary or limited to a niche fanbase. However, in 2017, when BTS won Top Social Artist at the Billboard Music Awards—beating superstars such as Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, and Selena Gomez—those doubts began to turn into conviction.

 

YouTube—crucial to Psy's Billboard breakthrough—was becoming increasingly influential in the global market, the point of being reflected in Billboard chart calculations. BTS was the group that most actively leveraged this shift. Rather than waiting for the public to come to them, they reached out directly to fans through social media, communicating and showcasing their appeal. As a result, ARMY became partners who helped write BTS's growth narrative together.

 

 

 

 

 

With consecutive releases of "DNA," "FAKE LOVE," and "IDOL," BTS began knocking on the doors of the Billboard of 100—something that once eemed impossible. Not merely one-off entries, they broke records and proved their popularity was no bubble. Around this time, they performed at the American Music Awards, becoming the first K-pop group to do so, reaffirming BTS's status in the United States.

 

The ARMY that filled the venue erupted in cheers every time BTS appeared on camera, making the awards show feel like a solo concert. Even local stars in attendance were visibly surprised by BTS's immense popularity. Notably, fandom practices once considered uniuely Korean—such as "not letting our artist feel small," mass sing-alongs, coordinated streaming, and aggresive voting—were fully adopted by overseas ARMYs. BTS earned the title "the biggest boy band in the world" and began sweeping every major Korean music award.

 

BigHit Entertainment's growth was explosive. In 2017, it posted KRW 92.4 billion (approximately USD 63,940,800) in revenue and KRW 32.5 billion (approximately USD 22,490,000) in operating profit, surpassing the traditional Big Three. BTS became the first Korean artist to top the Billboard 200. In 2018, following their world tour and contract renewals, revenue reached KRW 214.2 billion (apporximately USD 148,226,400) with operating profit of KRW 64.1 billion (approximately USD 44,357,200), leading to projections that the company's value would exceed KRW 1 trillion (approximately USD 692,000,000)—even without going public. Five concerts at Jamsil Olympic Stadium and a world tour that included Wembley Stadium delivered a profound shock even to generations who grew up watching world tours by New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys, and NSYNC.

BTS and BigHit then prepared for another leap with a fourth world tour, but the global COVID-19 pandemic imposed severe restrictions. Yet this crisis became another opportunity. They globally influential boy band chose what they did best delivering messages through music.

 

 

 

"Dynamite," produced with English lyrics instead of the Korean they had long maintained, delivered a message of hope to those exhausted by the pandemic. Combining a then-trendy disco sound with a bright, upbeat mood and hopeful lyrcis, the song made a huge impact, becoming the first by a Korean artist to top the Billboard Hot 100. The follow-up "Life Goes On" reached No. 1 with Korean lyrics, setting yet another "first." Continuing the momentum, "Butter" debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and held the position for ten consecutive weeks.

 

BTS's success brought about a seismic shift across the entire K-pop industry. The trickle-down effects sprad throughout the sector, rapidly reshaping the domestic entertainment landscape. In a country that just 20 years earlier benchmarked Western and Japanese pop culture, scenes once through imppossible began unfolding before everyone's eyes. It was miracle created by a small agency. 

Original article: ddanzi