Madison Schneider

For this Media Studies research project, I examined the history of the South Korean K-Pop boy band BTS, and explored the band members' dramatic rise to fame. My research included an analysis of the band's history, music, and fans. I identified the overall messages the band members spread through their music by analyzing specific BTS songs such as “Mic Drop”, “Spring Day”, “Not Today”, “Magic Shop”, and “Dynamite”. I also analyzed the band's successful concert tours, record-breaking album sales, and monetary affects on the South Korean economy. Most importantly, I investigated the BTS Army (their fans) to better understand how culturally powerful they are, and how they spread the messages of their idols around the world.