hankyoreh

A promotional image for BTS’ latest single “Dynamite.” (provided by Big Hit Entertainment)

The seven young men couldn’t hold back their emotions about achieving their dream. “Setting such a record in my life is such a huge honor,” said Jungkook. “It felt as if we were being recognized and rewarded for everything we’ve done,” said Jimin. Even so, the group members stayed modest. “We never thought we’d receive this kind of global attention,” said V. They passed on all the credit to their fans, their managers, and everyone else who’d supported them. “This was made possible by Army. We’re here because they’re here,” said Jin, referring to the group’s global fanbase.

When the members of BTS appeared in a global press conference held online on Sept. 2, they were still obviously pumped about topping the Billboard singles chart. “To be honest, I still can’t believe it. The top spot on the Hot 100 wasn’t our goal, but I’m still trying to wrap my mind around this,” said Suga. The press conference was organized so that BTS members could share their thoughts about their single “Dynamite” conquering Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart, a first for a Korean music group.

The moment they made history, BTS members said, they thought back to their days as trainees. “I was thinking about how I came up to Seoul from the countryside with just the shirt on my back seven years ago, and how we used to live in a dormitory and practice in a basement studio. When I came up to Seoul with my Dad, our taxi got lost on the way to Sinsa Station and went through the same tunnel three times. I got so angry at the time, but now it’s a good memory and I’m glad I can share it,” said V. “I thought a lot about the old days. I guess I turned to those memories because I didn’t think it was right to be so happy. I still remember clearly getting in trouble with the rest of the group in practice and all the conversations we had in the recording studio,” said RM.

Even at the time of their debut, the BTS members were the epitome of underprivileged kids. Most of them had grown up outside of Seoul, and their management company wasn’t one of the bigger ones. But that just made them try even harder. “There were a lot of new groups back then, and the only way we had to stand out was to work hard. We kept practicing until we ran out of energy. Our goal was just to hang in there as long as possible. It’s really an honor that we’ve surpassed that goal and are now getting even more attention,” said J-Hope, adding, “This is what I’d like to tell the group members seven years ago: your hard work didn’t betray you.”

That hard work is what enabled the BTS boys to reach the peak of the Billboard singles chart just five years after first charting in 2015, with their mini album “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 1.” Their efforts have brought not only results, but also confidence. “After hearing the news yesterday, we talked a lot about realizing that we’re capable of this, too,” said Jimin.

BTS members said that “Dynamite” owed its success to language, genre, and message. “This song was linguistically more relatable to Americans [because the lyrics are all in English]. It also seems to have gone over with our foreign fans because it’s in the genre of disco pop and because it’s a song that’s simply fun to listen to, without some kind of overarching message,” said RM.

BTS said their next goal is winning an award at the Grammys, one of the world’s most-watched music awards ceremonies. “I’d like to sing a BTS song on stage at the Grammy Awards,” Suga said. “It’s an awards ceremony that all musicians dream about. It would be great just to be nominated, and even better if we won an award. BTS has to keep moving forward,” RM said.

But despite their big dreams, BTS members are still down to earth. “We’ve been lucky, and we think it’s our responsibility and duty to keep making music with gratitude and humility,” one member said. Even in the most beautiful moment in their lives, the BTS boys are working on the next moment of beauty.

By Kim Kyung-wook, staff reporter

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]