Hyderabad youth go gaga over South Korean boy band BTS

Khairatabad: BTS, the seven-member South Korean boy band formed in June 2013, is taking the world by storm and Hyderabadis are not any different. BTS has been topping the Indian iTunes chart with every new album, thanks to their dedicated fan base called 'ARMY' (Adorable Representative MC for Youth). The BTS Army is everywhere and recently, its members in India are gaining recognition for their massive numbers.

But how did a boy band who only sing in Korean manage to capture hearts of people in India, where Bollywood reigns? Juveria, a 22-year-old Hyderabadi student, says "What makes BTS unique is that their music is authentic and the message in their music comes from their own struggles.

They speak about self-love, the drawbacks of education system and oppression by the government and they do it so beautifully. They're using their music as a tool to talk about things that matter." She further adds, "The dynamic within the group sets them apart from regular boybands. I've never seen seven people who genuinely love and care for each other like they do."

Perhaps, what is more surprising than the mind-blowing success of BTS, is how they managed to unite their fans from different cultures and backgrounds. Pooja, a 20-year old says "I think Armys not only love BTS but each other as well. The friends, the relationships we've made through BTS have exposed so many of us to different perspectives, cultures, languages and it made us realize that beneath it all, we're all alike."

BTS are breaking records by being the first ever Korean act to top the US and UK charts and the first ever Korean act to be nominated for the Grammys. Their recent music video 'Boy with Luv' has also become the most viewed video in 24 hours on YouTube. The world can't get enough of BTS and India isn't any different.

BTS have consecutively been topping the Indian iTunes chart with every new album and it's all thanks to their dedicated fan base called 'ARMY' (Adorable Representative MC for Youth). The BTS Army are everywhere and recently, ARMYs in India are gaining recognition for their massive numbers.

Last November, when the BTS documentary movie 'Burn the Stage' was screened, Indian ARMYs signed petitions for it to be released in India. Because of the demand, INOX movies screened the movie in 89 multiplexes across 45 cities in 17 states for one day. In Hyderabad, initially INOX screened 5 shows in two theatres but because of the overwhelming demand, the number of shows was increased to 14 shows.

There was a similar demand for the BTS concert film 'Love Yourself in Seoul' which hit Indian theatres on February 2nd 2019. During both the screenings, fans were seen singing and dancing to BTS' songs outside the multiplexes. Some dedicated fan clubs in the city even sold merch and gave out purple ribbons, which is special to ARMYs. 

By Mounica Alamuri