Have you heard of BTS (and I don't mean telecom transmitters here)? 🤔 As it happens, neither had I until now, but I was intrigued by the voices from many sides about the popularity of this phenomenon and its Far Eastern origins. Onboard Mobile Vikings, I'm known for my interest in the Orient and I've already lived in the Middle Kingdom, so I decided to find out what lies behind this name. 🔍
Who are BTS?
BTS, or Bangtan Sonyeondan (also known as Bangtan Boys), is a South Korean music group creating a genre of music characteristic of that region – K-pop. BTS is a product not only of its members' creativity but also a large-scale project that includes the entire environment related to the lives and personalities of the Bangtan members, in addition to the music. 👨🎤 This kind of telenovela functions on many levels, ensuring the group unprecedented popularity. What scale are we talking about? It's enough to mention that their track "DNA" has over a billion (A BILLION!) views on YouTube. 🤯 If that doesn't convey the magnitude of the Seoul boys' fame, then their global fanbase, which self-organizes into structures called armies (whom it's better not to mess with, as TVP recently found out), certainly will. I decided to prepare a list of a few apps that every self-respecting BTS fan should use, and even a description for those unfamiliar with the topic will shed some light on how the armies function. 💪
This track already has over a billion views, and we have a long way to go with our channel...
See also: Music apps
Weverse – For Communication
Weverse is an app through which K-pop fans can follow their idols' activities. Among the available groups is, of course, BTS, whose members regularly post there and reply to fans' comments. 👋 In addition to posts, Weverse allows you to watch videos featuring the Bangtan members – not only music videos and live performances but also shows prepared by the group or a 6-episode documentary about their lives. A Korean course "Learn Korean With BTS" has also been announced, aiming to reduce the language barrier between the audience and the artists. 📖
Weply (now Weverse Shop) – For Style
Want to look stylish in your neighborhood? With this app, you can get official BTS merchandise – from shoes and hoodies, through mugs, pillows, to albums and tickets. Does anyone buy this? Yes, 1.8 million (!) users from over 200 countries are registered on Weverse Shop. This shows how much interest is generated not only by Bangtan Sonyeondan themselves but also by their products. 👕
BTS Lightstick – For Parties
This tool perfectly illustrates the level of organization of the band's fans. Equipped with special lightsticks (lamps on handles), they connect through this app to the lighting system during a concert, giving the entire event a cohesive visual character and enriching the experience through light effects integrated with the events on stage. 💡 The app also allows for manual control of the lightstick when using it at home... for example, while listening to Bangtan. 😉
BTS World – This. Is. Awesome.
A game that spans at least several hours. But what a game! 🎮 This is a virtual story that will take you back to 2012, where, as the manager of Big Hit Entertainment (the label responsible for BTS's success), you will help unknown musicians debut. The surprisingly interesting plot will allow you to interact with the band members and build relationships with them, which will ultimately lead to their success. During the game, the Bangtan members will contact you via messages and even call(!) you. 📲 Your task is to solve their problems using the mechanics of special team cards, which, when collected, upgraded, and tailored to specific events, will allow you to advance the story and organize their first concert. 🎤 The app weighs over 700MB, but its execution is truly excellent, and I had a great time testing it for this post.
See also: 5 mobile games that conquered the world
Will everyone like K-pop? Certainly not. However, one cannot deny the K-pop fans' sense of community and the engagement resulting from the care they receive from the musicians themselves. 💪 And we don't find this surprising. After all, we ourselves apply a similar approach to our Vikings who have a number in our network, and we see how much satisfaction we evoke when we receive their kind words from all sides, urging us forward! 🔥 It's clear that not only artists can have fans, but operators can too. 😊
