I was already tired when I chose to watch Saturday Night Live one evening in April. That night, Emma Stone was the host, while BTS was the musical guest. Even though the seven-member South Korean quintet has millions of fans worldwide, three Billboard 200 chart-topping singles, and a recent performance at the United Nations, I knew very little about them.
On Twitter, I saw a lot of love, but also a lot of mockeries directed at BTS and their followers. Although I knew they would be the first K-pop artist to perform on SNL, I had never heard a BTS song until Stone announced the first musical break.
The lights went up to reveal seven individuals in black suits with a variety of hair colors, oh whoa ooh whoa background voices floated in, as a luring bass rhythm began, the lights went up to reveal seven persons in dark suits with an assortment of hair colors, with their backs to the camera. They spun around and swayed back and forth.
The person with the pink hair then started singing. BTS’ breezy pop confection “Boy With Luv” is available to watch on YouTube, where it currently has 21 million views, making it by far the most popular musical appearance SNL has ever produced. It might be your cup of tea, or it might not be.
This may not be your cup of tea, but there’s something about BTS that appeals to you, whether it’s their synchronicity, their attractiveness, or the fact that they sing and rap live while dancing. Or how, near the end of the song, the lads stretch their hands to the crowd, beaming and bowing while applause drowns out their thank-yous.
Before that night, I wasn’t a huge fan of BTS. After seeing them perform ‘Boy With Luv’ and their 2018 blockbuster “Mic Drop,” I decided to look out for their names. I was able to tell you after a week that BTS’s leader is 24-year-old RM, who acquired English from Friends.
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