There is no denying that we are indeed hooked on the beautiful culture of South Korea. From their food, movies, series, places, skincare, makeup, and of course, music, they always deliver the best quality they can offer to people, which makes them admirable.
10 years ago, a group of 7 men called BTS, shortened term of ‘Bangtan Sonyeondan’ (Bulletproof Boy Scouts) debuted without knowing that they would become iconic, successful and loved by millions of people across the globe.
Before getting into this great fame, Jeon Jungkook, Kim Taehyung, Park Jimin, Jung Hoseok, Min Yoongi, Kim Seokjin and their leader Kim Namjoon, headed by their mentor, Bang Si Hyuk, also known as Bang PD, was just music producer and composer in his struggling agency way back in 2005. He slowly met each of the seven members and recruited them as his artists. Not just like any other artists, they didn’t start as well as everyone expected. They didn’t sign up for a rough road, but they all still chose to walk on it. All together, as trainees, they had to sleep and share a small dorm, one bedroom, and one bathroom. They pass flyers and free concert tickets to strangers personally just for them to have their audience. They were also disrespected and mistreated by different variety shows.
One of the most heartbreaking memories that Armys (names of their loyal fans) will always remember is when Jungkook appeared on a TV show called ‘Flower Crew’. Jungkook, being the sweetest and most genuine person that he really is, gave burgers and sodas to hosts and cast members, but instead of thanking him, they refused to accept the food he offered and told him that they looked like leftover foods. The worst part is that they even asked him to take away the food. Some people said that Jungkook was noticed to be holding back his tears after what happened. Aside from being humiliated on TV shows, BTS also experienced being pulled out at the last minute from their line-up of performances at the Busan One Asia Festival 2016. The seven members decided to continue performing, but they were cut from the TV live broadcast. Despite all these unfortunate events, they grew strong, humble, and kind to everyone, which proves why they are ‘bulletproof.’
As they received a huge number of awards, both local and international, they decided to do solo albums in the meantime before enlisting in the military.
Jungkook, the youngest member of the group, released his solo album ‘Golden’ on November 3, which includes his hit songs “Seven,” “3D,” and “Standing Next To You.” With a total sales of 951,000 albums sold, he tops the chart, surpassing Taylor Swift’s ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version).’
There is no doubt that BTS and Jungkook have become worldwide icons, and to prove this, Capstone-Intel shared a social intelligence report from August 27 to September 27, 2023, which shows that Jungkook’s Facebook performance got over 46,627 comments, 118,137 shares, 562,516 likes, 1,155,390 ‘love/heart’ reactions, 101,828 ‘haha’ reactions, 5,038 ‘wow’ reactions, 580 ‘sad’ reactions and 156 ‘angry’ reactions. He is set to enlist in the military in December 2023 together with Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung, and Kim Namjoon.
Meanwhile, the Philippines is also proving that P-pop, or Pinoy Pop, has a lot to offer. SB19 was formed by ShowBT Philippines and has five members, which include Pablo, Josh, Stell, Ken, and Justin. With an obvious influence from South Korea, SB19 has also received a fair share of awards, both local and international. Some of them include the Dabeme Music Awards, SEC Awards (Brazil), BreakTudo Awards (Brazil), Prêmios Awards (Brazil), Box Office Entertainment Awards, PMPC Star Awards for Music, TikTok Awards Philippines, and the list goes on. They are known for their hit songs called ‘GENTO’ and ‘Mapa’, which are both recognized internationally.
According to Capstone-Intel’s social intelligence report, from August 27 to September 27, 2023, SB19’s Facebook performance is not far behind Jungkook’s. With 82,426 comments, 116,904 shares, 308,099 likes, 1,347,723 ‘love/heart reactions, 646,577 ‘haha’ reactions, 26,626 ‘wow’ reactions, 4,377 ‘sad’ reactions, and 379 ‘angry’ reactions, P-pop can also serve and shine on its own.
Whether local or international, Filipino fans are indeed hardcore in supporting their idols in their hardships and successes. It also shows how creative we can be and how Filipinos love singing, dancing, and music.
