@Esther Liu

The group transcends K-pop to communicate deeper themes.

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Known for his deep, velvety croon, Park Hyo Shin is widely regarded as one of the top ballad singers in South Korea. But seven years into his career, he decided to change it up. In response to feedback from the public, he abandoned the vibrato-heavy “cow calling” technique he'd been using since his debut, and switched to a softer, lighter tone that still retained his signature huskiness. The move only increased his popularity, and it demonstrates the sensitivity and dedication that make his iconic ballads of love and longing so affecting.

BTS represent the power of catchy pop music as a force for social transformation. Since convening in South Korea in 2010, members V, j-hope, RM, Jin, Jimin, Jung Kook and SUGA have touched on subjects that are taboo both at home and abroad, including mental health, LGBTQIA+ identity and class inequality. And far beyond the umbrella of K-pop, their songs often dabble in just about every flavour of hip-hop, starting with the layered swagger of their 2013 debut single “No More Dream”. Despite singing and rapping primarily in Korean, BTS found success in Japan with their 2015 breakthrough “I NEED U” and farther afield from there, scoring a Top 10 hit in the US with 2018’s emotive “FAKE LOVE”. After their 2019 Halsey collab, “Boy with Luv”, confirmed them as proper crossover stars, their global status was assured with 2020’s American chart-toppers “Dynamite” and “Life Goes On”, the latter a rap ballad with very few English lyrics. More in the genre-jumping party mould of “Dynamite”, 2021’s electro-funk earworm “Butter” went multi-platinum in the US and elsewhere. After enlisting Snoop Dogg and benny blanco on 2022’s winking “Bad Decisions”, the group reinforced their vocal-stacked versatility on 2023’s “Take Two”. More than just developing a brand, BTS have crafted a rich alternate universe whose many references land well outside of bankable teen pop.