Global Courant 2023-05-12 01:16:19
K-pop juggernaut BTS will release an oral history of the group in South Korea and the United States on July 9, US publisher, Flatiron Books, said Thursday.
The book, “Beyond The Story: 10-Year Record of BTS”, is written by the journalist Myeongseok Kang and members of the group and will be published in South Korea by Big Hit Music.
The news confirms intense fan speculation over several days that Flatiron would release a non-fiction title about a pop culture phenomenon this summer. The rumor spread when booksellers across the United States noticed over the weekend that a mysterious title with a July 9 release date was on its way. It had an initial print run of one million copies and booksellers were required to sign an affidavit on the day of publication to stock copies.
Fans searched for clues as to who the mystery author might be, targeting Taylor Swift first and citing her frequent use of the number 13 as evidence. (The book’s original announcement was set for June 13.) Swift had also emphasized the July 9 date in her most recent album announcement.
But June 13 and July 9 are also important dates in the BTS community. The group debuted on the first date, and BTS’ passionate fan base, Army — which stands for Adorable Representative MC for Youth — was established on the second. The book’s release coincides with the fan group’s 10th anniversary.
As speculation mounted, pre-orders propelled the as-yet-untitled book onto bestseller lists at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
The English translation of the book was led by Anton Hur, in collaboration with Clare Richards and Slin Jung. The US edition will be 544 pages and feature exclusive photos, according to Flatiron, and will have a first printing of one million copies.
The group’s powerful, highly online fandom has become famous worldwide, known for supporting the group by purchasing multiple versions of each physical release and running intricately coordinated social media campaigns. Devotees also help each other by translating BTS content into English and other languages and providing robust fan communities.
It’s hard to overstate BTS’ influence, in music and beyond. Last year, the group’s seven members — RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook — visited the White House to speak against anti-Asian-American hate crimes.
Since 2013, BTS has released nine albums and six EPs, helping K-pop become a dominant global force. In 2018, the group became the first K-pop act to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s album chart with “Love Yourself: Tear”, a feat they repeated twice in 2019 with “Love Yourself: Answer” and “Map of the Soul: Persona” — equivalent to a Beatles record.
In June 2022, after yet another No. 1 album – the three-disc compilation “Proof” – BTS released a video on social media announcing that it was going on hiatus, allowing the members to focus on creative solo projects. “I should be writing about what I feel and the stories I want to tell,” Suga said, “but I just force words out because I need to satisfy someone.” The clip was viewed more than 16 million times in two days. Last October, the group’s label confirmed that the group’s members would enlist in South Korea’s military as required by law. Some of them already have.
The hiatus was devastating news not only for BTS’s ardent fan base, but the entertainment business as well. The day after the news broke, the share price of Hybe, the South Korean entertainment company behind the group, fell 28 percent, cutting $1.7 billion off its market value. As the group’s popularity has grown, it has become a pillar of the South Korean economy, contributing $3.5 billion annually by 2020, according to the Hyundai Research Institute.
Many fans say that while they are drawn to BTS’ music and performances, they are also inspired by the messages of love and acceptance, which has led some to become more politically active. “They are really, really passionate people who just fight for what they love,” Nicole Santero, a fan who ran a data-centric BTS Twitter account, told The Times in 2020. “Those characteristics translate well when you look at social issues.”
Caryn Ganz contributed reporting from New York.
