In the span of 13 years, BTS has gone from small South Korean boy band to one of the biggest global crossover success stories in music history. That means the band members are now included in the same conversations as other big-time artists, including about headlining the Super Bowl or competing with major stars such as Taylor Swift or Bruno Mars on the charts — both things they addressed in a new Rolling Stone cover story.
In the piece published Monday (April 13), the septet expressed understandably mixed feelings about performing on the world’s biggest stage someday. Every year, the Super Bowl is viewed by more than a hundred million people — but the backlash Bad Bunny faced this year for being the event’s first-ever halftime headliner to sing and rap exclusively in Spanish shows that the gig might also open BTS up to criticism as primarily Korean-speaking artists.
“Maybe if time goes by, and the thoughts in the people change,” RM told the publication. “All of the people in the world are watching Parasite, all these great things in Korean culture. So if there’s a chance, we definitely want to someday.”
Jimin pointed out, “We can’t do it unless we’re invited,” while Jin revealed he’s already started imagining what a BTS halftime set would involve.
The cover story comes as BTS claims its third week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with ARIRANG, the band’s first full-length album in six years. Lead single “SWIM” also topped the Billboard Hot 100, meaning the septet is unquestionably in the same league as regular chart-toppers such as Swift, Mars and Harry Styles.
When asked how he feels about those names being BTS’ “competitors,” RM was humble. “They are greater artists than us,” he said of the three Western stars. “We’re just so small. We’re just a boy band from Korea.”
Elsewhere in the piece, SUGA recalled being “way too competitive” with other artists in general in the past, but now, he thinks “we should enjoy ourselves.”
“I feel like, in the rush to achieve our goals, we didn’t care so much about our physical and emotional health,” he added. “But now, we can relax a little, especially since we’re all older. So I think we can have more fun with it now.”
See BTS on the cover of Rolling Stone below.
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