BTS’ Jungkook Breaks The Internet⁠ (Again⁠) With Twitter’s Most-Liked Tweet This Week

TOPLINE

Jungkook, a member of beloved K-pop crew BTS, posted a video of himself singing on Twitter—and proceeded to break the Internet yet again⁠—in a tweet⁠ that received the most likes this week, according to data compiled by the social media tracking firm NewsWhip.

KEY FACTS

Big number

176 weeks. That’s how long BTS has been number one on Billboard’s Social 50, a list of the musical artists with the most social media reach. 

Key background

BTS, which has seven members, is the best-selling musical artist in South Korean history with over 20 million albums sold. In 2019, Big Hit Entertainment, the Seol-based company that manages BTS, pulled in $63 million on a record $507 million in revenue. As of April 29, however, Big Hit postponed the group’s upcoming dates and refunded ticket purchases due to the coronavirus pandemic. Big Hit’s financial outlook, as with many other industries, remains murky as the virus continues to spread. “The lack of live events now makes the firm’s digital strategy especially critical,” writes Forbes’ Grace Chung. Beginning around 2011, Big Hit built a rabid BTS social following on Twitter, as well as YouTube and Instagram, by sharing moments (rehearsals, eating dinner) that made the band seem more relatable to fans. 

Tangent

BTS is short for the Korean phrase “Bangtan Sonyeondan,” or 방탄소년단, which translates to “Bulletproof Boy Scouts.”

Further reading

With BTS Concerts At A Standstill, Agency Behind The World’s Most Popular Boy Band Faces Its Biggest Challenge Yet (Forbes)

BTS Postpones World Tour Due To Coronavirus (Forbes)

BTS Is The World’s Highest-Paid Boy Band And K-Pop Act (Forbes)

BTS: The K-Pop Group That Finally Won America Over (Forbes)