BTS Members: Break for the Boys

The K-pop superstars BTS members will take a ‘long-term break’.

 

The BTS members turn their backs from the music scene, their agency said Monday, after the boy band topped charts in the US and Britain earlier this year.

BTS Walks Away from the Music Scene

Contradicted is that the pause may only last a few weeks. the members will play with the septet a show in Saudi Arabia in October.

 

K-pop superstars BTS members will take a long-term break.

K-pop superstars BTS have announced to take a ‘long-term. break’. Thailand Event Guide

 

Working in the K-pop industry is extremely hard. Cutthroat competition and around-the-clock work hours that include concerts, press events and gruelling singing and dancing training after they step off the stage.

 

The South Korean boy band will take their “first official long-term break since their debut” six years ago, managers Big Hit Entertainment said, adding it will be a time to “recharge and refresh as musicians and creators“.

 

The break would also be a time for them to “enjoy their daily lives as normal 20-something young men”, the agency said in a midnight statement.

 

“If you run into BTS at an unexpected place, we ask for the fans’ consideration to allow the members to enjoy their private time.”

 

BTS — or Bangtan Sonyeondan, which translates as Bulletproof Boy Scouts — have gained a massive global following in recent years, becoming the first K-pop group to top charts in the US and Britain with a string of sold-out shows in Los Angeles, Paris and London’s Wembley Stadium.

 

The floppy-haired musicians, all in their 20s and often sporting earrings and lipstick, appeal to a generation that feels comfortable with the idea of fluid gender identity.

 

They maintain close relationships with their fans, flooding social media with selfies, videos and tweets in Korean and English.

 

The statement did not say how long the break will be, but the band is scheduled to perform in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 11.

 

 

Hundreds of thousands of fans wrote on the BTS Twitter account — which has 21.3 million followers — to wish them a happy vacation.

 

“I love you very much and hope you enjoy your break to the fullest,” a fan commented.

Another wrote: “We are going nowhere and will be here to welcome you back with fanfares!”

 

The group’s popularity has generated enormous profits for Big Hit Entertainment, which is even collaborating with Barbie maker Mattel for BTS dolls.

 

South Korean performers such as Psy — whose 2012 hit “Gangnam Style” became the first video to top a billion views on YouTube — have previously broken into Western markets, but none have achieved BTS’ sustained success.

 

BTS, an acronym of Bangtan Sonyeondan or “Beyond the Scene” is a thriving South Korean boyband, capturing the hearts of millions of fans globally. The boyband gained recognition for their authentic, self- produced music and topnotch performances in ways they engage with their fans. The boys are on the way to become a global icon since they debuted in 2013. The band has achieved sold-out tours and stadiums.

Images: Big Hit Entertainment

Text: AFP / Thailand Event Guide