Who does not know the worldwide sensation ‘BTS’? Literally no one. The Kpop boy group BTS has made history all around the world with their music. Their message of teaching the youth to embrace their flaws and the concept of ‘love yourself’ has brought them a loyal and global fanbase. Furthermore, BTS is said to have paved the way for Kpop in the global music industry. The seven boys started their career by joining Big Hit Entertainment, presently known as HYBE, at a time when the Big 3 i.e. SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, and YG Entertainment used to rule over the industry. Through their blood, sweat, and tears BTS not only made a name for themselves but also their agency.
Just last year, BTS broke 13 Guinness World Records which is twenty-five in total. Not to mention they are the first-ever Kpop idols to get nominated for the prestigious Grammy Music Awards and also the Brit Awards. Although there is no question that BTS is one of the most talented music artists, they always find themselves at the receiving end of unnecessary scrutiny. Making it big in the westers industry as an outsider is not a piece of cake, BTS has to deal with racism, plagiarism claims, and whatnot. But over the years, the boys have learned to not only ignore haters but also give it back with class.
Times BTS Shut Down Their Haters
1. The Iconic Suga Performance At the 2017 SBS Gayo Daejeon Stage
The year 2017 was a great one for the seven-membered Kpop Boy group BTS. They became the first-ever Kpop act to perform on an American award show. Additionally, on the 19th of November in 2017, BTS gave an amazing performance, just like they always do, at the Americal Music Award. They performed their popular hit track DNA dressed in various colors of the rainbow. And while this was a huge moment not just for BTS and Kpop but also the ARMYs, there were a few spectators that could not believe that a performance so flawless could be real.
Famous American blogger, Perez Hilton, was one of these spectators. He wrote on Twitter that although BTS lipsynced during the entire performance, their dancing saved them. And as expected, BTS’s loyal fanbase was quick to come to defend the boys’ honor. But no one was expecting the legendary lead singer of BTS, Suga, himself to shut down the haters once and for all. Later in 2017, at the SBS Gayo Daejeon End Of Year Stage, Suga stopped rapping the last line of their song ‘Mic Drop’ during their live performance to prove that they do not lipsync. Mic Drop indeed!
2. ‘Nugu Group’ No More
One of the most disrespectful names that antis have given to BTS is ‘Nugu Group’ or ‘Nugu Boys’. Furthermore, Nugu in Korean means ‘who’, and the name was very popular before BTS broke through into the western world because the locals refused to acknowledge their talent. Additionally, BTS was different from the get-go. They were writing songs about the academic pressure that children face and accepting themselves when the mainstream songs were all about money and fame.
They were treated as outcasts in their own country. It is hard to believe now but the same award shows that give BTS the headlining performances today used to cut off their screentime back in the day. But BTS continued to push hard to prove themselves and also because of the love they received from ARMY. In the year 2019, BTS won a total of eight Daesangs. For those of you who do not know, Daesang or the Grand Prize is the most prestigious award given in the South Korean entertainment industry. And after winning not one but eight in a single year, BTS made sure that anyone who calls them ‘Nugu Group’ again would just be considered stupid.
3. BTS Sells Out The King Fahd International Stadium
In the year 2019, BTS became the first-ever foreign artist to perform in the Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia. The boys performed at the King Fahd International Stadium which was sold out with sixty thousand attendees. The King Fahd International Stadium is just one of the many stadiums that BTS has managed to sell out. This is a clap back to haters because back when BTS announced the stadium lineup for their ‘Love Yourself: Speak Yourself’ tour, they were mocked for having the ginormous Wembley stadium on their list.
Additionally, the Wembley Stadium is located in London and has a seating capacity of 90,000. But as soon as the tickets were available, BTS was able to sell out the stadium within seconds. The Allianze Parque Stadium in Brazil, ZOZO Marine Stadium in Japan, Shizuoka Stadium ECOPA in Japan, Stade De France in France, Soldier Field Stadium in the USA, Rose Bowl Stadium, and the Seoul Olympic Stadium are among the many major stadiums that BTS has managed to sell out around the globe.
4. Jin’s Response To The BTS Chart Manipulation Controversy
In 2015 BTS’s catchy song ‘I Need You’ which remains a bop to this day won its first music show award win on SBS. Furthermore, the group even managed to top all the charts leaving major boy groups like Big Bang and EXO behind. This obviously did not sit well with the haters and they started accusing BTS of manipulating the charts. Although fans were quick to prove them wrong by posting pictures of BTS albums, the controversy did not die down.
It was also of no help that big media outlets kept speaking about it every time BTS was spotted. If we were to name a year where BTS did not hold back then it would be 2019. From globalizing the Korean Wave, selling out concerts, and shutting down haters, they did it all. During his acceptance speech at the 2019 MAMA awards when they won ‘Song Of The Year’, the eldest member of BTS Jin addressed the controversy indirectly. He said that he believes in making music in an honest way. He asked fans to appreciate the effort and hard work of artists that make music honestly.
5. The Wings Tour Finale
BTS started gaining success step by step after 2015, and the road to success was definitely hard for the seven boys. Starting from a small company, writing meaningful lyrics, having a unique sense of style, basically, the things that made fans love BTS, made anti’s hate them even more. The hate comments were malicious from the very beginning but became venomous around the time BTS started gaining popularity in the mainstream media. Small things like the clothes they wore and their haircuts to big claims like plagiarism and chart manipulation, haunted BTS around.
The haters used hashtags such as ‘plagiarism boys’ and ‘plagiarism groups’ and trended them on the days that BTS would hold concerts. And while ARMYs gave all the love that they could, they still felt heartbroken knowing that the boys would see those hashtags. Immature haters on Twitter are one thing and media outlets highlighting the issue was another problem that the members of BTS had to deal with. In December 2017, BTS held the final concert of their famous trilogy titled ‘Wings Tour: The Final’.
During the concert, a VCR was played where BTS looked back at their tiresome yet rewarding journey. As fans looked at the pubescent boys talking about why they want to become idols, tears started rolling from their eyes. However, when the screen showed the members of BTS staring at a wall that was filled with words such as ‘plagiarism’, ‘prejuidice’ ‘discrimination’, and the infamous ‘#plagirismboys’ is when everyone acknowledged how much BTS has been through.
This was a huge moment in Kpop because hate comments are treated as a norm in the industry. Idols are just supposed to swallow it as a side effect of success and fame. By standing up against the haters, BTS not only proved them wrong but also became an inspiration for other Kpop idols to speak up against negative comments.
These are some of the iconic times that BTS has clapped back at their haters. Of course, there have been many moments of them schooling haters during v lives and Jin subtly leaving threats that the company will come for them. But to be honest BTS give back to their haters every day by achieving new heights and writing fire lyrics like ‘Did you see my bag? Did you see my bag? Hella trophies and it’s hella thick!’ Keep it coming!
Also read: April 2022 Kpop Boy Group Brand Reputation Ranking BTS Secures The Top Position
