On November 19, the South Korean boy band BTS became the first Korean artists to perform at the American Music Awards. The seven-member group came to America earlier in the year to receive their Billboard Music Award for Top Social Artist, overtaking other artists like Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez. With their popularity increasing rapidly, they have become one of the most well known Korean groups worldwide.

At the American Music Awards, the group performed their latest hit, “DNA.” According to justjared.com, after BTS’s stage, Jared Leto came on stage to announce Artist of the Year and said, “I need a moment to recover from that performance. That was incredible.” Fans all around the world were also awestruck by their performance. “I think that the performance was great and I’m not just saying that because I’m a fan. I loved their energy and you could tell they were genuinely happy to be there. I think it’s amazing how they were invited to the awards show. They’re really making history in the Kpop industry and breaking prejudice,” said avid BTS fan, Lindsey Kim (‘20). Many celebrities, like Ansel Elgort, Rachel Platten, and the Chainsmokers, also shared on social media how much they loved having BTS at the award show.

© Twitter / Ansel Elgort
As well as attending the AMAs, BTS was invited to The Ellen Degeneres Show and The Late Late Show with James Corden. Tickets for the tapings of both shows were sold out almost immediately after they were announced. James Corden played several games with the group and afterwards he tweeted out, “I don’t care what you say, I’m @BTS_twt ‘s biggest fan!” The chants that the fans shouted out during the group’s performance at both shows amazed the viewers at how loud and unified the fans were.

With the huge amount of fame they are receiving at the moment, many celebrities are eager to meet and get involved with BTS. According to billboard.com, this year alone, BTS has collaborated with Western artists Steve Aoki, Desiigner, and the Chainsmokers. The group’s fan base has spread throughout the world as they collaborate with artists from all different genres. However, with all of the new fans, fame-hungry celebrities have figured out that the key to get more followers is to attract these fans. “To be completely honest, I think there is a huge BTS craze going on and a lot of people are using them for their popularity,” said Kim (‘20). YouTuber Miranda Sings recently uploaded a video of her reacting to BTS’s “DNA” music video, while repeatedly asking if the members were boys or girls because of the makeup that they were wearing. In Korea, it’s normal for a male celebrity to put on a lot of makeup. She deleted the video after getting criticism from BTS fans. Many fans suspect that she uploaded the video for attention and deleted it after realizing that all that she was getting was hate from the fans.

BTS has come to America after many struggles and hardships. Their fans are touched by how far the boys have come. “They came from literally nothing and I’m really proud of them for going past the language barrier and the judgment they received from people. They’re so humble about their achievements and I think that’s one of the reasons I love them. I can tell that their fame isn’t going to stop here,” said Irene Jang (‘21). Not only stopping after conquering Korea, BTS has won the hearts of many people around the world.