The year 2010
CEO of Bighit Entertainment, Bang Si-hyuk, set out on a hunt for young minds, to form a Hip-Hop group. While on his hunt, Bang Si-hyuk came across & young boys. All passionate, all with a fire burning in them.
Kim Namjoon, an underground rapper.
Kim Seok-Jin, a student studying film at Konkuk University.
Min Yoongi, underground rapper, and second runner up of ‘Hit It’, a rap competition with a strong liking for songwriting, producing, and playing the piano.
Jung Hoseok, member Neuron, a street dance team. Park Jimin, one of the top students, at Busan High School of Arts.
Kim Taehyung, a boy who played saxophone since he was 3. Went to Bighit Entertainment to support his friend.
Jeong Jungkook, one of the most in-demand singers after auditioning for the South Korean talent show Superstar K.
Seoul, South Korea. Year, 2013. Bangtan Seonyeodan, a K-pop band, consisting of 7 members, made their official debut, at Mnet’s M Countdown with the track “No More Dream” from their debut single album, 2 Cool 4 Skool. It’s the year 2021, and a band, whose company almost went bankrupt, is taking over the world like no one ever did before. From their first-ever win at Music bank to receiving a Grammy nomination in 2019, this band had indeed come a long way.
But what does this band named BTS, as we know them, stand for?
We are, we are, forever Bulletproof.
BTS, stand for the Korean expression, Bangtan Sonyeondan, written as 방탄소년단 in Korean, translates to Bulletproof Boy Scouts. The group’s name as J-Hope said, has a very profound meaning. The name also signifies the septet’s desire “to block out stereotypes, criticisms, and expectations that aim at adolescents like bullets”. Now, one thing is clear, BTS didn’t just pick up their names from a cluster of the alphabet. They thought things through, used their brains, and came up with a name that conveys what they are fighting for.
BTS logo Evolution.
Believe it or not, BTS is all about symbolism and hidden meanings. From their logos to their songs, everything has a deep profound meaning to it.
BTS has had a total of 2 official logos. With one of them being a Bulletproof Vest and the other one consisting of two pairs of trapezoids, one atop the other.
BTS’ first official logo was a Bulletproof vest, with plenty of useful details, to reinforce the firepower theme along with the lettering “BTS” on the chest. The logo also had lightning bolts to the sides, a midst outward spikes that formed a circular ring around the vest. The emblem was given in white or silver against the black background. BTS wore a Bulletproof vest to protect the youth from the bullets that society keeps firing at them.
By 2017, BTS was growing in popularity and their talents were being recognized at a rapid speed on the global level.
In 2017, the group unveiled the new terminology in a short video that showed a new logo for BTS as well a logo for their massive fandom known as ARMY.
On 5th July 2017, BTS took to Twitter to express how they felt about their new ‘Brand Identity as they put it.
“We really like the new BI (Brand Identity). We were really looking forward to it and we’re eager to show it to everyone even a day sooner [than we did]. More than anything, it shows that ARMY and we, BTS, are connected as one and are filled with meaning that makes us feel good.”
BTS’ agency, Bighit Entertainment explained that the band’s new logo symbolizes youth who don’t settle for their reality and instead open the door and go forward to achieve growth. Reports Soompi.
Moving on to the ARMY’S logo.
BTS’s logo is actually divided into two parts. The band’s logo is doors, half-open on the inside, whereas the ARMY one, is half-open from the outside. When you invert the ARMY logo, it connects with BTS’s logo, thus completing the door.
As per interpretations made by some fellow Genius ARMYs, the complete logo symbolizes BTS walking through the door that ARMY opened for them to a future where both, BTS and ARMY, coexists.
BTS as representatives of the Korean Culture.
Even though BTS are ruling over the whole planet, they are deeply rooted in Korea and its culture. Besides representing today’s youth, BTS are also representatives of Korean Culture.
On October 24, 2018, all 7 members received the Order Of Cultural Merit award at the hands of South Korea’s President, Moon Jae-in. The Order of Cultural Merit is one of South Korea’s orders of merit. It is awarded for “outstanding meritorious services in the fields of culture and art in the interest of promoting the national culture and national development.”
On September 14, 2017, BTS was selected to be part of the ‘I Seoul U’ campaign to promote the major tourist destinations of Seoul. And since 2017, BTS has been the Honorary Tourism Ambassador for Seoul. Not only this, the Seoul Metropolitan Government gave credits to BTS for the recovery of Seoul’s shrinking tourism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5ZkwX_9xMo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHUD162uWD0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk6NRkvDSiI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_oQDbF6pvk
In October 2019, The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism selected BTS as a recipient of a ‘Letter of Appreciation, for showing the world the beauty of Korean traditional culture (Hangul, Hanbok, Gugak) through creative re-interpretations in their music.
BTS is indeed the “biggest boy band’ on this planet. They have been constantly raising their voice, and fighting against the stereotypes in our society. They stand for the values of today’s youth. They’re representatives of Korean Culture. And mostly, BTS stands for Humanity.