Artistry

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by anyatan

by anyatan

The group's musical style and image ranges from a tough, "bad boy" image to a more youthful image, nevertheless mainly influenced by hip hop and R&B. MTV's Corynn Smith stated that BTS has incorporated hip hop beats and rock-inspired elements for their singles: "Danger" and "Boy in Luv (상남자)". BTS has been labelled as "K-pop's Social Conscience" by Jeff Benjamin from Fuse, who wrote that the group has found "a way to speak honestly about topics they deem important, even in a conservative society. In a world of social media and overexposure, everyone has a platform to speak as loudly as they want and potentially reach millions. BTS is taking that platform and talking about things that are not only brave to tackle in modern music, but especially in its traditional community. This is the type of group that will not only boast a more passionate fan base for the way they made them feel from a certain hit single, but also one that can help push a society forward while they're at it." In 2016, however, their lyrics in "War of Hormone", "Converse High" and Rap Monster's solo song "Joke" along with a twitter comment by Suga came under fire for being misogynistic. The group's label later issued an apology.

Through their many releases, BTS has tackled school bullying, the pursuit of happiness and rejecting society's ideals in their lyrics. Their unapologetic exploration of social topics, and challenging societal norms that most K-pop acts choose not to approach. After achieving record-breaking success internationally with their second studio album, Wings, Grace Jeong, editor-in-chief of Soompi, explains their rise: "The group blends individual artistry, which is what the U.S. audience expects in their music, and the K-pop system, which focuses more on the group sound and teamwork." In a Billboard article, Jeff Benjamin further describes the group's distinct sounds and lyrics, stating: "Indeed, the Major Lazer-esque lead single "Blood Sweat & Tears" details a life-derailing relationship over a dance breakdown. Elsewhere on the album Wings, the group sings about mental health, takes digs at the Korean-pop "idol" scene and delivers a female-empowerment anthem—unusual subject matter in culturally conservative South Korea, where most acts stick to safe topics like partying and breakups."

Billboard recognized the group as one of K-pop’s top competitive music producers of today. “Co-writing and producing on nearly every track, the K-pop phenoms proved how they can compete with top pop acts,” Billboard stated. All members of the group—Rap Monster, Jin, Suga, Jimin, V, Jungkook, and J-Hope—participate in composing and producing the group’s songs. Daily Dot describes them as "setting a standard for the bands that will come after them. Their souls are in their performances because they helped to create them—an investment that makes all the difference between memorizing dance routines and embracing them with passion."