BBC One will broadcast a special film that will chart the meteoric rise of South Korean band BTS and will educate viewers on the cultural and pop sensation of K-pop.
The 30-minute documentary will include the footage of the group’s debut appearance on Radio 1’s Live Lounge, the famed segment featured on the BBC Radio 1 station. The BBC film will not only chart the rise of BTS but will also examine the increasing popularity of the genre K-pop and the industry which has evolved the style. The Live Lounge broadcast will take place on Tuesday 27th July 2021 at 12 pm and will be available to view on Radio 1’s YouTube channel. Following the radio broadcast, the BBC One programme will air on Wednesday 28th July at 10:35 pm, the show will also be available on BBC iPlayer.
The hitmakers first performance and interview on the Live Lounge will be presented by Adele Roberts, Roberts who once participated in the reality TV show Big Brother is a regular presenter for the station’s segment. The group will perform versions of their successful single ‘Dynamite’ and will perform their new single ‘Permission to Dance’ as well as a cover of the gigantic hit ‘I’ll Be Missing You’ originally performed by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans.
Roberts took to her Instagram page to announce the news, the presenter also conveys her elation to be a part of the show.
Radio host, Adele Roberts, has spoken on her excitement to be a part of the group’s appearance, the DJ also comments on the band’s accolades and immense popularity. “I am so happy for BTS fans worldwide especially our very own UK Army. They have been so passionate, so supportive and have hoped for a Radio 1 Live Lounge since the first time we played the band. Four years later, BTS have broken records, barriers & boundaries. That dream is now going to be a reality. I’m beyond excited for us to finally be hosting the biggest boy band in the world!”
The BBC documentary entitled ‘BTS @ Radio 1’ will begin by charting their initial relationship with BBC Radio 1, which saw the group’s first-ever radio play in 2017. Ever since their initial radio plays a supportive and large fanbase has developed across the world. Roberts will be conducting an exclusive interview prior to their Live Lounge appearance, where the presenter will reunite with the group.
Within the BBC film, Roberts will provide an insight into the moment that the group exploded after their hits were broadcasted on the BBC station. Viewers will also get the chance to see Roberts describe her experiences when the presenter set out to explore and document the popularity of BTS. Her exploration took her to Seoul in 2018, it was within this trip that the radio personality met with the group’s choreographer who is responsible for the band’s most beloved and infamous dance routines. Roberts also met with the minister for K-pop to further her understanding for the genre’s industry and the group’s large and loyal fanbase, faithfully called The ARMY. Within the documentary viewers will see the impact of The ARMY within the band’s victories and the sheer admiration in which the ARMY hold for the band.
BTS, otherwise known as the Bangtan Boys, are a south Korean breakout act from the newly popular music genre K-Pop. The band consists of seven members, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook. To say that the band are successful is a vast understatement, the seven-piece outfit have rocketed since their inception in 2013. The band are mainly popular with a younger audience and include topical and current themes within their music, their lyrics involve subject matter such as mental health issues, self-love and loss. The band’s music also deals with topics that are geared towards adolescent life, coming of age story themes are prevalent within their lyrics.
Their debut single album, ‘2 Cool 4 Skool’, was released on 12th June 2013 and was well received, the album sired two singles ‘No More Dream’ and ‘We Are Bulletproof pt. 2’, both released in 2013. The band’s second album, which was recorded and released in Korean, was their first big success and became their first step into stardom. The album entitled ‘Wings’ was released in 2016 and sold over 1 million copies in the band’s home country of South Korea. The band soon crossed over into global success, they were awarded the certification from the Recording Industry Association of American and became the first Korean group to receive the certificate, the award was for their single ‘Mic Drop’. The band would soon become the first Korean band to enter into the US billboard 200 Chart, doing so with their album ‘Love Yourself: Tear’ which was released in 2018. BTS would then obtain a Grammy nomination for their massive single ‘Dynamite’ which was released on 21st August 2020. Keeping in line with the band’s lyrical message, the release was meant to improve morale among the world during the COVD-19 pandemic. The single landed at number 3 within the UK Singles charts and became the catalyst for the group’s world domination.
The band have been compared to the Beatles due to their vast and endearingly loyal fan base, much like Beatle fever within the ’60s, BTS hysteria has ensued globally. The group’s success is not only based on their catchy hooks and relatable lyrical content but on a phenomenon, which has spread throughout the world. Due to these reasons, the BBC special along with the Live Lounge, is not just for diehard BTS fans but for music fans everywhere, giving an insightful look into a new and powerful genre of music.
