Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS

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I figured I'd be able to have a variety of experiences if I were an idol and an actor at the same time. In individual interviews that have been conducted without a camera or makeup, they illuminate their musical journey from multiple angles and discuss its significance. We worked together so much and talked with each other so much that little by little, we really did feel we were becoming a team. This might sound quite cliché because literally every ARMY says this, but BTS truly came into my life when I needed them the most.

here’s the thing about books like this⸺we don’t really get to have a critical opinion on them, because it’s simply someone else’s life, and what right do any of us have to speak on people who have already gone through endless hardships? Through personal, stripped-back interviews conducted away from the cameras, BTS share personal, behind-the-scenes stories from their musical journey so far and discuss its significance for the first time. Otherwise, BTS remains a multimedia endeavor that now has an official book that seamlessly blends into their overall oeuvre. A team spearheaded by a group of underground rappers that included a middle schooler who had just started lessons needed more than just cohabitation to cohere into a group⸺they needed some form of alchemy. Tells of how these little boys who came from a small company came to become the phenomenon they are despite the kpop industry being against them.They have been embraced the world over, transcending nations, races, languages, gender, and generations for their music, their passionate performances, and their close connections to their fans. If history books are the answer sheet to the present, then our sunbaes (seniors) who did music before us are our answer sheet, right? When the book inevitably jumps into some new marker of success the reader absolutely has to know about, I'm often left wondering why this wasn't focused on more. The amount of love and appreciation I have for them is more than enough for me to endure these hard times caused by their absence. It was a super pleasant read (gulped it down in 2 days), but it was akin to the In the Soop or Bon Voyage interviews when I guess what I was looking for was a bit more of the spontaneous V Live candidness or even the raw storytelling that comes out on Suchwita.

Published in celebration of BTS’s 10th Anniversary, stories that go beyond what you already know about BTS, including unreleased photos, QR codes of videos, and all album information. I loved how they subverted my expectations of the things that a boy group would discuss in their songs. Complete with a timeline of all major milestones, Beyond the Story is a remarkable archive -truly everything about BTS in one volume. Lots of things were happening, which overlapped with things like our standing at the time, and I think I was trying to hide. In the book, BTS share stories of their journey so far through more than three years of in-depth coverage and interviews conducted by journalist Myeongseok Kang, an expert in the K-pop and Korean pop culture arena.I highly suggest you open these links to fully appreciate Bangtan's career and also how much work was put into this book in general. It was nice getting to hear their thoughts about their craft and more details about the times the book is recounting through their eyes.

Some of them are in the military, some of them are touring the world and some of them are working on their solo albums, but I constantly feel like they're right beside me, just like I've always felt since the moment I met them in 2014. As ARMY, I loved how this book strove to portray everything fans love about BTS and to describe not just how unfairly they were treated but how unprecedented their path and subsequent success was. I had to admit there were moments that made me laugh a little (see: Joon nearly having a mental breakdown at the 2017 America interviews), and I loved several segments on Yoongi and Namjoon (and even Chim) that accurately showcased the kind of introspective people they are.Myeongseok Kang is a longtime critic and former editor in chief for many media outlets whose writing focuses on Korean pop culture, including K-pop. There are groups above us when it comes to popularity, and groups below us, too, but I don’t think there are any groups like us. In doing so, BTS nurtures the power to build brighter days and they choose to take another step on a road that no one has gone before. So being that I love books, I always hoped that one day we’d get an official book discussing their career and journey as a band. As digital artists, BTS has been communicating with the world through the internet and this book allows readers to immediately access trailers, music videos, and more online to have a rich understanding of all the key moments in BTS history.