The Real Reason BTS Has So Many Members
It's safe to say BTS is one of the most popular K-Pop bands of the last decade and has even transcended the genre to be recognized as a successful traditional pop group as well. According to CNN, BTS — which stands for Bangtan Sonyeondan, a Korean expression that means Bulletproof Boy Scouts (per Seventeen) — made music history at the Grammys in 2020 when they became the first K-Pop group to perform during the ceremony. They were invited back to perform for 2021's show and even received their first nomination. Their song "Dynamite" was up for the best pop duo/group performance category, although they lost to Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande's collaboration, "Rain on Me."
It's safe to say that the guys are incredibly popular. Formed in 2013, BTS rocketed to international fame with the release of their third studio album, Love Yourself: Tear and the concurrent YouTube series of the same name, as reported by the BBC. The group has launched numerous endeavors, from TV shows to films to philanthropic events, all which have served to increase their global presence.
But just who are the BTS members in this iconic group?
The number of BTS members is typical for K-Pop bands
BTS members include Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook. The seven guys first met as members of their label's "training camp," a sort of K-Pop college that prepared them for life as a pop star, reported Insider. So why seven? According to Popbuzz, it's just pure math. Part of the K-Pop brand is connecting with their fans and forming a large social media presence, which is why BTS formed their fan A.R.M.Y., which actually stands for Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth, just one year after their debut album's release.
Giving fans a large variety of people to fall in love with helps increase the group's popularity. In fact, at just seven members, BTS is one of the smaller K-Pop groups out there. Girls' Generation has nine members, and EXO can have as many as 12 performing at once. Having a favorite performer, or a "bias" as it's called in K-Pop, is a big part of forming a successful brand and is one of the reasons BTS is continually shattering records.