If anyone wonders why BTS has captured the hearts and minds of millions across the world, all they have to do is watch the minute-long behind-the-scenes clip from their Variety cover shoot. In this candid peek into the session that produced the eight unique covers, the band – V, 24, Jimin, 24, j-hope, 26, Jungkook, 23, SUGA, 27, RM, 26, and Jin, 27 – display their natural charm and charisma. Each member turns up the class and sex appeal when it’s time to shoot their individual covers, but when they’re together, their natural playfulness comes out. The group smiles, laughs, and goofs around between takes. The bond of friendship between these bandmates is evident, and it’s that warmth that has resonated within their fans – aka ARMY.
“It is because ARMY exists that we exist,” Jin says in the Variety feature accompanying the photos. The band recently reclaimed the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 with their song, “Dynamite.” It was the band’s first No. 1 and the first all-South Korean act to top the Hot 100. The music video broke a YouTube record, amassing over 101.1 million views within the first 24 hours of its release. This, along with “Dynamite” getting a significant push into U.S. radio, resulted in the song’s success. “ARMY and the label are all trying their best,” added RM, who noted that the fans would send bouquets of flowers to radio DJs in hopes of getting BTS on the air.
“Our goal is to try to show ourselves, expose ourselves to ARMY as much as possible,” added Jin. “There are a lot of platforms now.” Through these platforms, BTS has been able to connect with their fans and to use their position as one of (if not the) most popular bands in the world for good. The Variety article noted how the band donated $1 million to Black Lives Matter in June, and how BTS fans started a campaign to match that donation. “I don’t consider ourselves as political,” said Suga. “We aren’t trying to send out some grandiose message. We would see ARMY as a conduit for our voice or our opinion. ARMY speaks their own initiatives, and we always respect their opinions, as we respect any other person’s.”
“We are not political figures, but as they say, everything is political eventually,” chimed in RM. “Even a pebble can be political.”
Speaking of politics, the band hopes that their momentum will help with the Grammy nomination process. Ballots for the 2021 awards went out on Sept. 28, and BTS is eligible for many categories, including record of the year. Winning a Grammy would not only give the band a symbol of mainstream recognition, but it would help make a childhood dream come true. “I grew up watching American award shows, so obviously we all know, and I know the importance of the Grammys,” said Suga. “It’s a dream anyone working in music has.” RM added that the goal of winning a Grammy “motivates us to work harder. As Suga said, if you are in music, the Grammy Awards are something that you cannot help but to look toward and set as an eventual goal.”
If John Cena received a ballot – remember, he does have a successful rap album under his belt – then BTS can count on his vote. The unabashed fan recounted his love for BTS during the Sept. 29 episode of The Tonight Show, telling Jimmy Fallon, “I got into the music, and then I got interested in what the music stood for….And they advocate self love; they advocate don’t be afraid of failure; they advocate you are enough. They kind of try to shatter all the stereotypical difficulties and situations that we go through, and they’re catering to an audience that is living that — young people.”