Members of K-pop powerhouse BTS unveiled the trials they faced to achieve their first win in a Korean music show where they were treated poorly by other artists.
The septet released their much-awaited memoir, Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS, last Sunday, July 9, in celebration of their 10-year anniversary as a group.
It is the group’s first official book which contains a chronological summary of the “oral history of the K-pop group in South Korea and the United States,” according to The New York Times.
The memoir bares the personal and behind-the-scenes stories of their journey through interviews and more than three years of in-depth coverage by Myeongseok Kang, an experienced writer of Kpop and other Korean pop culture across various media.
As expected of the sensational boy group, the memoir became yet another best-selling hit with a record of more than 200 copies sold in its first day of release, according foreign news outlet The Straits Times.
ARMYs, the popular term for BTS fans, were invigorated to enter the world of their favorite idols and immerse themselves in sentimental stories where in some they became a part of while others were only unraveled upon reading its pages.
K-entertainment news outlet AllKpop reported that a fan recently brought to attention a part of the memoir that revealed how the group had to fight their way into the entertainment industry during the early years of their idol careers.
In the Kpop industry, a group’s first music show win is considered as a crucial marker of success.
Rapper member J-hope opened up about their experiences promoting their comeback song “Danger”, with the release of their album ‘DARK&WILD’ back in 2014.
“We found ourselves attending a music program that was announcing the number one winner. This came after we had completed approximately twenty pre-recordings for a different music show. We were instructed to be present on stage for the live broadcast, so we obliged,” J-hope recalled the system of competing in a music show.
But much to the members’ surprise and disappointment, they discovered that they weren’t even counted as a contender for the top spot.
Another member, V, also shared his sentiment on their interactions with other groups and artists.
“Whenever we go to the broadcast station, we always greeted people whether they were our seniors or juniors. But then there were people who just ignored our greeting and some even ridiculed us for not even being nominated as number 1,” V said.
“After the broadcast, we all traveled in the same vehicle[,] some of us cried, some of us were angry, and some of us couldn’t even say anything because of the sadness and injustice that we can’t express with words that we felt,” he lamented.
The members were not fazed by the incident but rather saw it as a motivation to work harder.
“That’s when we thought ‘We need to be successful so that no one can look down on us.’ We had the determination and gathered in one heart to become an amazing group,” V said.
The group’s determination eventually paid off in 2015 when they won their first music show trophy with their title track “I Need U” and the rest was history.
BTS celebrated their first decade in music last June 13 where ARMYs all over the world paid tribute to the group in theme with the fandom’s signature color purple.
The Mall Of Asia also joined the ARMY Day by turning its iconic globe into purple, on Tuesday, June 13.
