In case you needed yet another reminder about who really carried K-pop to the global stage, TWICE’s Tzuyu just said it out loud: it was BTS.
During a recent chat, Tzuyu acknowledged that BTS played a huge role in popularizing K-pop worldwide, helping the genre break barriers and reach corners of the world that once saw K-pop as a niche internet curiosity. According to Tzuyu, BTS’s explosive global popularity made it easier for other K-pop artists, including TWICE, to gain attention and expand their international reach.
And honestly, where is the lie? BTS didn’t just sprinkle some popularity onto K-pop; they dragged the entire industry onto global stages, topping Billboard charts, selling out stadiums worldwide, speaking at the UN, and proving to the Western music industry that Korean artists can dominate without compromising their language, culture, or artistry.
While other groups contributed to K-pop’s rise, let’s be real: BTS kicked the doors down, rearranged the furniture, and built a bridge between cultures using music, sincerity, and unfiltered hard work, all while fighting through systemic barriers and prejudice. Tzuyu’s recognition of this fact isn’t just an opinion; it’s a factual acknowledgment from a fellow top-tier K-pop artist.
Tzuyu also noted how BTS’s global impact created opportunities for other artists to perform internationally and build global fanbases, shaping a more inclusive and expansive K-pop ecosystem. Because when BTS succeeds, it’s not just BTS that wins—the entire industry benefits.
Fans quickly picked up the statement, flooding social media with pride, celebrating the fact that even industry peers are giving BTS their well-earned flowers for reshaping the global music scene. And it’s not just about pride; it’s about the countless artists who now get to step onto global stages with less resistance because BTS spent years proving the world wrong.
Beyond all the awards and sold-out shows, BTS’s biggest flex remains their commitment to authenticity, proving that you don’t need to dilute your identity to connect with people worldwide. Their impact was so significant that it changed how labels, streaming platforms, and even Western media approach K-pop, forcing industries to take Korean music seriously.
So here’s to BTS, for making history, building bridges, and reminding the world that Korean artists belong on every stage, every chart, and every playlist.
And to ARMY: keep your heads high and your playlists ready because when even industry peers confirm that BTS built this path, you know it’s not just fandom pride—it’s the truth.
