K-pop superstars BTS will take a 'long-term break' from the music scene, their agency said Monday, after the boy band topped charts in the US and Britain earlier this year.

But the pause may only last a few weeks, with the septet due to play a controversial show in Saudi Arabia in October.

The K-pop industry is known for cutthroat competition and around-the-clock work hours that include concerts, press events and gruelling singing and dancing training when the stars are offstage.

BTS will take their "first official long-term break since their debut" six years ago, managers Big Hit Entertainment said, adding it will be a time to "recharge and refresh as musicians and creators".

It would also be a time for them to "enjoy their daily lives as normal 20-something young men", the agency said in a midnight statement.

"If you run into BTS at an unexpected place, we ask for the fans' consideration to allow the members to enjoy their private time."

BTS -- or Bangtan Sonyeondan, which translates as Bulletproof Boy Scouts -- have gained a massive global following in recent years, becoming the first K-pop group to top charts in the US and Britain with a string of sold-out shows in Los Angeles, Paris and London's Wembley Stadium.

The floppy-haired musicians, all in their 20s and often sporting earrings and lipstick, appeal to a generation that feels comfortable with the idea of fluid gender identity.

They maintain close relationships with their fans, flooding social media with selfies, videos and tweets in Korean and English.

The statement did not say how long the break will be but the band is scheduled to perform in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 11.

Hundreds of thousands of fans wrote on the BTS Twitter account -- which has 21.3 million followers -- to wish them a happy vacation.

"I love you very much and hope you enjoy your break to the fullest," a fan commented.

Another wrote: "We are going nowhere and will be here to welcome you back with fanfares!"

The group's popularity has generated huge profits for Big Hit Entertainment, which is even collaborating with Barbie maker Mattel for BTS dolls.

South Korean performers such as Psy -- whose 2012 hit "Gangnam Style" became the first video to top a billion views on YouTube -- have previously broken into Western markets, but none have achieved BTS' sustained success.

K-pop superstars BTS will take a 'long-term break' from the music scene, their agency said Monday, after the boy band topped charts in the US and Britain earlier this year.

K-pop superstars BTS will take a 'long-term break' from the music scene, their agency said Monday, after the boy band topped charts in the US and Britain earlier this year. But the pause may only last a few weeks, with the septet due to play a controversial show in Saudi Arabia in October. The K-pop industry is known for cutthroat competition and around-the-clock work hours that include concerts, press events and gruelling singing and dancing training when the stars are offstage. BTS will take their "first official long-term break since their debut" six years ago, managers Big Hit Entertainment said, adding it will be a time to "recharge and refresh as musicians and creators". It would also be a time for them to "enjoy their daily lives as normal 20-something young men", the agency said in a midnight statement. "If you run into BTS at an unexpected place, we ask for the fans' consideration to allow the members to enjoy their private time." BTS -- or Bangtan Sonyeondan, which translates as Bulletproof Boy Scouts -- have gained a massive global following in recent years, becoming the first K-pop group to top charts in the US and Britain with a string of sold-out shows in Los Angeles, Paris and London's Wembley Stadium. The floppy-haired musicians, all in their 20s and often sporting earrings and lipstick, appeal to a generation that feels comfortable with the idea of fluid gender identity. They maintain close relationships with their fans, flooding social media with selfies, videos and tweets in Korean and English. The statement did not say how long the break will be but the band is scheduled to perform in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 11. Hundreds of thousands of fans wrote on the BTS Twitter account -- which has 21.3 million followers -- to wish them a happy vacation. "I love you very much and hope you enjoy your break to the fullest," a fan commented. Another wrote: "We are going nowhere and will be here to welcome you back with fanfares!" The group's popularity has generated huge profits for Big Hit Entertainment, which is even collaborating with Barbie maker Mattel for BTS dolls. South Korean performers such as Psy -- whose 2012 hit "Gangnam Style" became the first video to top a billion views on YouTube -- have previously broken into Western markets, but none have achieved BTS' sustained success.

K-pop superstars BTS to take 'long-term break'

It's going to be an end of an era as one of the most successful boy bands ever, Boyzone, is all set to bid fans goodbye after 26 long years. The bnad will have a farewell tour. 
 
Dominating the music scene in the 1990s, the Irish band, who gave us our first heartbreak song, are putting together their `Thank You and Goodnight Tour`, named after their seventh and final chart-topping studio album. 
 
The boyband consisting of Keith Duffy, Michael Graham, Ronan Keating, Shane Lynch, with their last tour will offer fans a proper closure to a chapter in music history. Goodbyes are never easy, but the group is taking it very well.

"It`s been great actually, and it doesn`t feel at all like the last time," said vocalist Shane Lynch. 
 
Singer Ronan Keating, when asked about growing up with their fans, said, "That`s a lovely thing, you know, the relationship and loyalty that we have with the fans. They have really stuck with us through it all."From Dublin to the world, and back again, the band would love to collaborate with K-Pop group BTS. 
 
"I think it would be cool to see Boyzone and BTS. BTS is the slickest boy band I have ever seen. They are the epitome of a boy band, everything we want to be and we try to be, dancers, singers, the clothing, it`s incredible to watch it actually! You know one last thing for Boyzone. We would dirty them up a little bit and teach them how not to do it," Keating said. 
 
The band`s other member Stephen Gately passed away in 2009. Boyzone is touring for the last time in their farewell 2019 tour in outdoor shows.&nbsp;

They will split permanently after the tour comes to an end. The tour started on June 29 last year and will wrap up on October 25, this year.&nbsp;

It's going to be an end of an era as one of the most successful boy bands ever, Boyzone, is all set to bid fans goodbye after 26 long years. The bnad will have a farewell tour.

It's going to be an end of an era as one of the most successful boy bands ever, Boyzone, is all set to bid fans goodbye after 26 long years. The bnad will have a farewell tour. Dominating the music scene in the 1990s, the Irish band, who gave us our first heartbreak song, are putting together their `Thank You and Goodnight Tour`, named after their seventh and final chart-topping studio album. The boyband consisting of Keith Duffy, Michael Graham, Ronan Keating, Shane Lynch, with their last tour will offer fans a proper closure to a chapter in music history. Goodbyes are never easy, but the group is taking it very well. "It`s been great actually, and it doesn`t feel at all like the last time," said vocalist Shane Lynch. Singer Ronan Keating, when asked about growing up with their fans, said, "That`s a lovely thing, you know, the relationship and loyalty that we have with the fans. They have really stuck with us through it all."From Dublin to the world, and back again, the band would love to collaborate with K-Pop group BTS. "I think it would be cool to see Boyzone and BTS. BTS is the slickest boy band I have ever seen. They are the epitome of a boy band, everything we want to be and we try to be, dancers, singers, the clothing, it`s incredible to watch it actually! You know one last thing for Boyzone. We would dirty them up a little bit and teach them how not to do it," Keating said. The band`s other member Stephen Gately passed away in 2009. Boyzone is touring for the last time in their farewell 2019 tour in outdoor shows. They will split permanently after the tour comes to an end. The tour started on June 29 last year and will wrap up on October 25, this year.

Popular '90's band Boyzone is all set to bid adieu with their farewell tour

A million fans of K-pop boy band BTS have signed up to have the singers at their fingertips when a mobile game about them is released this week, according to reports.

'BTS World'&nbsp;-- set to be released in 176 countries in 14 languages on Wednesday -- is a role-playing game where the user is the band manager, recruiting and training the musicians and guiding the group in their quest for stardom.

Managers and agents are the driving force behind the K-pop industry, exerting extensive control over their stables of stars, rather than musicians forming bands themselves and working to get spotted.

BTS have developed a global following in recent years, becoming the first K-pop group to top charts in the US and Britain with a string of sold-out shows in Los Angeles, Chicago and London's Wembley Stadium.

The floppy-haired musicians, whose ages range from 21 to 26 and who often sport earrings and lipstick, appeal to a generation that feels comfortable with the idea of fluid gender identity.

Their hit single 'Boy With Luv'&nbsp;broke the YouTube record for the most views in 24 hours, with 74.6 million hits when it was released in April.

'BTS World'&nbsp;includes exclusive photos and videos of BTS and video calls with the band members.

Using another mode within the game, a player can select a BTS member to go back to his childhood and a life away from the stage - perhaps even as a strawberry farmer.

The demand for the app has prompted its publisher Netmarble -- South Korea's biggest mobile-app creator -- to plan a new game featuring the septet which is in its "early stages", a company executive told AFP.

Netmarble could not disclose the number of users who have pre-registered for the game, the official said, but South Korean reports estimated the figure to be around one million.

The verified Twitter account of 'BTS World'&nbsp;has 1.3 million followers, with each of its 90 posts retweeted hundreds of thousands of times.

"I don't play mobile games but I can't wait for BTS World," said Jessica Kim, a 33-year-old fan in Vancouver who travelled twice to Los Angeles to attend BTS concerts.

The game is free to download, but users can pay to speed up the process -- each time a mission is cleared, a new BTS video or photo is unlocked.

BTS -- or Bangtan Sonyeondan, which translates as Bulletproof Boy Scouts -- maintain close relationships with their fans, flooding social media with selfies, videos and tweets in Korean and English.

Their popularity has translated into billions of dollars in profits for their company, Big Hit, which is even collaborating with Barbie maker Mattel for BTS dolls.

South Korean performers such as Psy -- whose 2012 hit "Gangnam Style" became the first video to top a billion views on YouTube -- have previously broken into Western markets, but none have achieved BTS' sustained success.

A million fans of K-pop boy band BTS have signed up to have the singers at their fingertips when a mobile game about them is released this week, according to reports.

A million fans of K-pop boy band BTS have signed up to have the singers at their fingertips when a mobile game about them is released this week, according to reports. 'BTS World' -- set to be released in 176 countries in 14 languages on Wednesday -- is a role-playing game where the user is the band manager, recruiting and training the musicians and guiding the group in their quest for stardom. Managers and agents are the driving force behind the K-pop industry, exerting extensive control over their stables of stars, rather than musicians forming bands themselves and working to get spotted. BTS have developed a global following in recent years, becoming the first K-pop group to top charts in the US and Britain with a string of sold-out shows in Los Angeles, Chicago and London's Wembley Stadium. The floppy-haired musicians, whose ages range from 21 to 26 and who often sport earrings and lipstick, appeal to a generation that feels comfortable with the idea of fluid gender identity. Their hit single 'Boy With Luv' broke the YouTube record for the most views in 24 hours, with 74.6 million hits when it was released in April. 'BTS World' includes exclusive photos and videos of BTS and video calls with the band members. Using another mode within the game, a player can select a BTS member to go back to his childhood and a life away from the stage - perhaps even as a strawberry farmer. The demand for the app has prompted its publisher Netmarble -- South Korea's biggest mobile-app creator -- to plan a new game featuring the septet which is in its "early stages", a company executive told AFP. Netmarble could not disclose the number of users who have pre-registered for the game, the official said, but South Korean reports estimated the figure to be around one million. The verified Twitter account of 'BTS World' has 1.3 million followers, with each of its 90 posts retweeted hundreds of thousands of times. "I don't play mobile games but I can't wait for BTS World," said Jessica Kim, a 33-year-old fan in Vancouver who travelled twice to Los Angeles to attend BTS concerts. The game is free to download, but users can pay to speed up the process -- each time a mission is cleared, a new BTS video or photo is unlocked. BTS -- or Bangtan Sonyeondan, which translates as Bulletproof Boy Scouts -- maintain close relationships with their fans, flooding social media with selfies, videos and tweets in Korean and English. Their popularity has translated into billions of dollars in profits for their company, Big Hit, which is even collaborating with Barbie maker Mattel for BTS dolls. South Korean performers such as Psy -- whose 2012 hit "Gangnam Style" became the first video to top a billion views on YouTube -- have previously broken into Western markets, but none have achieved BTS' sustained success.

BTS fans get chance to manage their idols in new game

Korean pop sensation BTS has been invited to join the Recording Academy as part of a drive to diversify the group that chooses the annual Grammy Awards.

The seven-member boy band, which has led a K-pop music wave in the United States and beyond, are among some 1,300 artists, writers and music industry professionals invited to become members of the Los Angeles-based Recording Academy this week.

Should they accept, the band will be eligible to vote in the 2020 Grammy Awards, the highest honours in the music business, the Recording Academy said on Thursday.

The chief executive of their record label, Bang Si-hyuk of Big Hit Entertainment, was also among the invitees, the band said in a statement.

BTS first formed in Seoul in 2103 and broke through into the U.S. pop market in 2017 becoming the first Korean group to win a Billboard music award.

While they have yet to be Grammy-nominated, the band made their first Grammy Award appearance in February to present one of the prizes.

The Recording Academy has undertaken a series of steps in the past few years to make Grammy nominees more diverse and to expand a membership that has traditionally been dominated by older males.

It said that 49 per cent of those invited to join the Recording Academy this week were women, and 51 per cent were under age 40.

Meanwhile, the band&nbsp;smashed the&nbsp;most-viewed 24-hour debut record on YouTube with new song. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/k-pop-boy-band-bts-smashes-most-viewed-24-hour-debut-record-on-youtube-with-new-song-211589">Read about it here.&nbsp;</a>

Korean pop sensation BTS has been invited to join the Recording Academy as part of a drive to diversify the group that chooses the annual Grammy Awards. The seven-member boy band, which has led a K-pop music wave in the United States and beyond, are among some 1,300 artists, writers and music industry professionals invited to become members of the Los Angeles-based Recording Academy this week.

Korean pop sensation BTS has been invited to join the Recording Academy as part of a drive to diversify the group that chooses the annual Grammy Awards. The seven-member boy band, which has led a K-pop music wave in the United States and beyond, are among some 1,300 artists, writers and music industry professionals invited to become members of the Los Angeles-based Recording Academy this week. Should they accept, the band will be eligible to vote in the 2020 Grammy Awards, the highest honours in the music business, the Recording Academy said on Thursday. The chief executive of their record label, Bang Si-hyuk of Big Hit Entertainment, was also among the invitees, the band said in a statement. BTS first formed in Seoul in 2103 and broke through into the U.S. pop market in 2017 becoming the first Korean group to win a Billboard music award. While they have yet to be Grammy-nominated, the band made their first Grammy Award appearance in February to present one of the prizes. The Recording Academy has undertaken a series of steps in the past few years to make Grammy nominees more diverse and to expand a membership that has traditionally been dominated by older males. It said that 49 per cent of those invited to join the Recording Academy this week were women, and 51 per cent were under age 40. Meanwhile, the band smashed the most-viewed 24-hour debut record on YouTube with new song. Read about it here.

K-pop's BTS gets coveted Recording Academy membership invite

&nbsp;K-pop group BTS kick-started their global stadium tour `Love Yourself: Speak Yourself` at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California on Saturday.

The septet performed their first song `Dionysus` all dressed in white.

The stage was given a resplendent look with two giant panther statues on the sides, reported Variety.

'Since it`s a worldwide stadium tour, I think we [should] do something [with] bigger skills.&nbsp;We should [have] new details for the new tour,' group leader RM told radio.com, cited by Variety.

The concert was marked with a slew of surprises as Jungkook, a member of the group, flew above the audience and sang `Euphoria`.

Jimin sang `Serendipity` from inside a transparent bubble.

BTS also had a very special fan in the 60,000 audiences witnessing the concert, Nick Jonas.

Jonas kept sharing clips from the concert on his Instagram stories.

'Yesterday I was nervous.

This morning I was nervous. Now I am happy,' said V, as the septet neared the end of the performance.

Group leader RM said, 'This is the most important night of my life. ... Many years later, I`ll definitely think about this night.'

The Rose Bowl global tour comes after the group dropped their album `Map of the Soul: Persona` on April 12, which became the third BTS album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in just 11 months.

The group will next perform at Chicago`s Soldier Field, East Rutherford`s MetLife Stadium and London`s Wembley Stadium.

BTS bagged two awards at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards- Top Duo/Group and Best Social Artist on May 1.&nbsp;

K-pop group BTS kick-started their global stadium tour `Love Yourself: Speak Yourself` at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California on Saturday. The septet performed their first song `Dionysus` all dressed in white.

K-pop group BTS kick-started their global stadium tour `Love Yourself: Speak Yourself` at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California on Saturday. The septet performed their first song `Dionysus` all dressed in white. The stage was given a resplendent look with two giant panther statues on the sides, reported Variety. 'Since it`s a worldwide stadium tour, I think we [should] do something [with] bigger skills. We should [have] new details for the new tour,' group leader RM told radio.com, cited by Variety. The concert was marked with a slew of surprises as Jungkook, a member of the group, flew above the audience and sang `Euphoria`. Jimin sang `Serendipity` from inside a transparent bubble. BTS also had a very special fan in the 60,000 audiences witnessing the concert, Nick Jonas. Jonas kept sharing clips from the concert on his Instagram stories. 'Yesterday I was nervous. This morning I was nervous. Now I am happy,' said V, as the septet neared the end of the performance. Group leader RM said, 'This is the most important night of my life. ... Many years later, I`ll definitely think about this night.' The Rose Bowl global tour comes after the group dropped their album `Map of the Soul: Persona` on April 12, which became the third BTS album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in just 11 months. The group will next perform at Chicago`s Soldier Field, East Rutherford`s MetLife Stadium and London`s Wembley Stadium. BTS bagged two awards at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards- Top Duo/Group and Best Social Artist on May 1.

BTS kicks off their global tour

Now that the tussle between Pewdiepie and T-Series is finally over as the former conceded defeat, there’s something that Korean-pop boy band BTS is upto.

BTS took YouTube by storm after they broke a multitude of streaming records, with the release of their new ‘Boy with Luv’ music video featuring Halsey. It is the second track on their comeback album ‘Map of the Soul: Persona’ for 2019. They broke the record by becoming the most-viewed-video on YouTube in 24 hours after its debut on Friday afternoon.&nbsp;

YouTube Music confirmed the news on their official Twitter handle. &nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Yes, we're still running the numbers, but we can confirm that <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoyWithLuv?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoyWithLuv</a> (ft. <a href="https://twitter.com/halsey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Halsey</a>) is now *officially* the most-viewed 24 hour debut in <a href="https://twitter.com/YouTube?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@YouTube</a> history!! Congratulations <a href="https://twitter.com/bts_bighit?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bts_bighit</a> 🎉 Enjoy <a href="https://twitter.com/nbcsnl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nbcsnl</a> tonight! <a href="https://t.co/xC8vHs27Nu">pic.twitter.com/xC8vHs27Nu</a>
— YouTube Music (@youtubemusic) <a href="https://twitter.com/youtubemusic/status/1117219875179466752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

BTS managed to beat female K-pop group BLACKPINK, whose ‘Kill This Love’ video amounted the same number of views in two days and 14 hours (around 62 hours) earlier last week. Apart from this, BTS also became the first K-pop to perform at Saturday Night Live in America.

This is the song we are talking about:

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="411" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XsX3ATc3FbA" width="730"></iframe>

Now that the tussle between Pewdiepie and T-Series is finally over as the former conceded defeat, there’s something that Korean-pop boy band BTS is upto. BTS took YouTube by storm after they broke a multitude of streaming records, with the release of their new ‘Boy with Luv’ music video featuring Halsey.

Now that the tussle between Pewdiepie and T-Series is finally over as the former conceded defeat, there’s something that Korean-pop boy band BTS is upto. BTS took YouTube by storm after they broke a multitude of streaming records, with the release of their new ‘Boy with Luv’ music video featuring Halsey. It is the second track on their comeback album ‘Map of the Soul: Persona’ for 2019. They broke the record by becoming the most-viewed-video on YouTube in 24 hours after its debut on Friday afternoon. YouTube Music confirmed the news on their official Twitter handle. Yes, we're still running the numbers, but we can confirm that #BoyWithLuv (ft. @Halsey) is now *officially* the most-viewed 24 hour debut in @YouTube history!! Congratulations @bts_bighit 🎉 Enjoy @nbcsnl tonight! pic.twitter.com/xC8vHs27Nu — YouTube Music (@youtubemusic) April 14, 2019 × BTS managed to beat female K-pop group BLACKPINK, whose ‘Kill This Love’ video amounted the same number of views in two days and 14 hours (around 62 hours) earlier last week. Apart from this, BTS also became the first K-pop to perform at Saturday Night Live in America. This is the song we are talking about:

K-pop boy band BTS smashes most-viewed 24-hour debut record on YouTube with new song

Grammys 2019: Lady Gaga, Cardi B, BTS & more to set the stage on fire on awards night

South Korean boyband BTS is worth more than $3.6 billion to their country's economy every year. This is equivalent to the contribution of 26 mid-sized companies, according to a research institute.

The institute also revealed that the band is responsible for increasing tourism in the country as one in every 13 foreign tourists visited South Korea in 2017. Some 800,000 tourists were believed to have chosen South Korea as their destination last year because of BTS -- more than seven per cent of the total visitors to the country.

The boy band, known for their good looks and crazy style of dressing are a hit all over the world. They have, in turn, become one of South Korea's best-known and most valuable musical exports. More than $1 billion in consumer exports, such as clothes, cosmetics, and foodstuffs, were associated with them, it said.

Earlier this year, they became the first K-pop band to top the US album charts.

As they chart a success route for themselves, BTS has helped in boosting the brand image of South Korean products abroad, the institute said, making BTS a valuable economic asset.&nbsp;

Researchers estimated the group's so-called annual production inducement effect -- the total economic value generated by related industries -- at 4.1 trillion won ($3.63 billion) annually, the same as 26 mid-sized South Korean companies.

South Korean boyband BTS is worth more than $3.6 billion to their country's economy every year. This is equivalent to the contribution of 26 mid-sized companies, according to a research institute.

South Korean boyband BTS is worth more than $3.6 billion to their country's economy every year. This is equivalent to the contribution of 26 mid-sized companies, according to a research institute. The institute also revealed that the band is responsible for increasing tourism in the country as one in every 13 foreign tourists visited South Korea in 2017. Some 800,000 tourists were believed to have chosen South Korea as their destination last year because of BTS -- more than seven per cent of the total visitors to the country. The boy band, known for their good looks and crazy style of dressing are a hit all over the world. They have, in turn, become one of South Korea's best-known and most valuable musical exports. More than $1 billion in consumer exports, such as clothes, cosmetics, and foodstuffs, were associated with them, it said. Earlier this year, they became the first K-pop band to top the US album charts. As they chart a success route for themselves, BTS has helped in boosting the brand image of South Korean products abroad, the institute said, making BTS a valuable economic asset. Researchers estimated the group's so-called annual production inducement effect -- the total economic value generated by related industries -- at 4.1 trillion won ($3.63 billion) annually, the same as 26 mid-sized South Korean companies.

K-pop boy band BTS is worth $3.6 billion a year to South Korea

Rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake led Grammy Award nominations on Friday, with eight and seven nods, respectively. 
 
Drake was nominated in the top category - album of the year - along with rappers Cardi B and Post Malone, R&amp;B singer Janelle Monae, folk singer Brandi Carlile, country star Kacey Musgraves, R&amp;B artist H.E.R. and the 'Black Panther' movie soundtrack. 
 
The Grammy Awards, chosen by members of the Recording Academy, will be handed out at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Feb. 10.&nbsp; 
 
Grammy organizers said in June they would expand to eight from five the number of nominees in the top four categories - record, song and album of the year, and best new artist - to allow a more diverse line-up. Five artists had been nominated in each category since the Grammys were first awarded in 1959. 
 
Hip hop and R&amp;B surpassed rock for the first time in 2017 as the biggest music genre in the United States, according to a Nielsen Music report.

 
&nbsp;

Rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake led Grammy Award nominations on Friday, with eight and seven nods, respectively. Drake was nominated in the top category - album of the year - along with rappers Cardi B and Post Malone, R&B singer Janelle Monae, folk singer Brandi Carlile, country star Kacey Musgraves, R&B artist H.

Rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake led Grammy Award nominations on Friday, with eight and seven nods, respectively. Drake was nominated in the top category - album of the year - along with rappers Cardi B and Post Malone, R&B singer Janelle Monae, folk singer Brandi Carlile, country star Kacey Musgraves, R&B artist H.E.R. and the 'Black Panther' movie soundtrack. The Grammy Awards, chosen by members of the Recording Academy, will be handed out at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Feb. 10. Grammy organizers said in June they would expand to eight from five the number of nominees in the top four categories - record, song and album of the year, and best new artist - to allow a more diverse line-up. Five artists had been nominated in each category since the Grammys were first awarded in 1959. Hip hop and R&B surpassed rock for the first time in 2017 as the biggest music genre in the United States, according to a Nielsen Music report.

Grammy Awards 2019: Rappers Kendrick Lamar, Drake dominate nominations list

Korean pop band BTS is breaking one record at a time.&nbsp;

According to a new Forbes report, the boy band’s latest documentary, ‘Burn the Stage: The Movie’ grossed $2.3 million over the three-day weekend. It made an additional $1.2 on Thursday (15 November).

It has now become the highest-grossing concert film of all time, with a total box office taking of $3.54 million. The record beats one held by another boy band One Direction.&nbsp;

The concert film has made an additional $9.3 million. &nbsp;

BTS recently picking up the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/peoples-choice-awards-2018-avengers-infinity-war-nicki-minaj-black-panther-win-big-176778">People’s Choice Award for the best musical group</a> and became the first K-pop band to ever top the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/korean-pop-band-bts-earns-highest-ever-spot-on-billboard-hot-100-in-their-genre-21161?amp">Billboard 100 chart</a> – doing so twice within the span of a few months. &nbsp;

They were in news recently as a member was seen wearing a supposed atomic bomb t-shirt that led to rumours suggesting that a concert of theirs would be stopped. The concert, however, happened and was rather <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/despite-atomic-bomb-t-shirt-furore-fans-throng-k-pop-band-bts-concert-in-tokyo-177078">thronged by fans</a>.&nbsp;

Korean pop band BTS is breaking one record at a time. According to a new Forbes report, the boy band’s latest documentary, ‘Burn the Stage: The Movie’ grossed $2.

Korean pop band BTS is breaking one record at a time. According to a new Forbes report, the boy band’s latest documentary, ‘Burn the Stage: The Movie’ grossed $2.3 million over the three-day weekend. It made an additional $1.2 on Thursday (15 November). It has now become the highest-grossing concert film of all time, with a total box office taking of $3.54 million. The record beats one held by another boy band One Direction. The concert film has made an additional $9.3 million. BTS recently picking up the People’s Choice Award for the best musical group and became the first K-pop band to ever top the Billboard 100 chart – doing so twice within the span of a few months. They were in news recently as a member was seen wearing a supposed atomic bomb t-shirt that led to rumours suggesting that a concert of theirs would be stopped. The concert, however, happened and was rather thronged by fans.

BTS makes record with highest-grossing concert film of all time

Tens of thousands of fans in Tokyo queued hours ahead of a concert by the South Korean boy band BTS on Tuesday (13 November), despite a furore in the media over the band's use of a photo on a t-shirt<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/k-pop-band-bts-show-cancelled-on-japan-tv-over-atom-bomb-t-shirt-furore-176331"> </a>interpreted as commemorating the use of the A-bomb on Hiroshima and another believed to be Nazi uniforms.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/k-pop-band-bts-show-cancelled-on-japan-tv-over-atom-bomb-t-shirt-furore-176331">A Japanese TV station cancelled last Friday's show with BTS after the news that one member</a> had worn a t-shirt that sparked anger on social media and was interpreted as commemorating the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights organisation, also condemned BTS in a written statement published on Sunday (November 11) saying the band was "mocking the past" after, according to Japanese media, previous photos surfaced of the group wearing hats with the Nazi SS death head logo and waving flags resembling the Nazi swastika.

However, for many of the thousands of fans who thronged the 55,000-seater Tokyo Dome, they believed the boy band had not done this intentionally.

Despite twitter chatter of possible anti-Korean protests, just one right-wing protester turned up to denounce the band, talking for over three hours ahead of the show and handing out leaflets. No large-scale protests were seen by the time the band's concert kicked off.

The seven-member boy band is planning to tour across Japan by visiting Osaka in November, Nagoya in December and Fukuoka in February 2019.

Tens of thousands of fans in Tokyo queued hours ahead of a concert by the South Korean boy band BTS on Tuesday (13 November), despite a furore in the media over the band's use of a photo on a t-shirt interpreted as commemorating the use of the A-bomb on Hiroshima and another believed to be Nazi uniforms.

Tens of thousands of fans in Tokyo queued hours ahead of a concert by the South Korean boy band BTS on Tuesday (13 November), despite a furore in the media over the band's use of a photo on a t-shirt interpreted as commemorating the use of the A-bomb on Hiroshima and another believed to be Nazi uniforms. A Japanese TV station cancelled last Friday's show with BTS after the news that one member had worn a t-shirt that sparked anger on social media and was interpreted as commemorating the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights organisation, also condemned BTS in a written statement published on Sunday (November 11) saying the band was "mocking the past" after, according to Japanese media, previous photos surfaced of the group wearing hats with the Nazi SS death head logo and waving flags resembling the Nazi swastika. However, for many of the thousands of fans who thronged the 55,000-seater Tokyo Dome, they believed the boy band had not done this intentionally. Despite twitter chatter of possible anti-Korean protests, just one right-wing protester turned up to denounce the band, talking for over three hours ahead of the show and handing out leaflets. No large-scale protests were seen by the time the band's concert kicked off. The seven-member boy band is planning to tour across Japan by visiting Osaka in November, Nagoya in December and Fukuoka in February 2019.

Despite atomic bomb t-shirt furore, fans throng K-Pop band BTS concert in Tokyo

A Japanese TV station said it had cancelled a Friday television show with South Korean boy band BTS after a member's t-shirt sparked anger on social media and was interpreted as commemorating the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.&nbsp;

The hugely successful group`s Japan tour - its first after they reached the top of the Billboard 200 album chart in May -comes as ties between the two nations have frayed due to a diplomatic row over South Koreans forced to work for Japanese firms during World War Two. 
 
Social media showed the t-shirt, which bore the words "Patriotism our history Liberation Korea" by a photo of a rising mushroom cloud.&nbsp; 
Japan became the first nation to suffer an atomic bombing on August 9, 1945, at Hiroshima.&nbsp;

"We have seen news that a t-shirt worn by one of the members has set off a furore and after asking their record company about this, we made the decision to postpone their appearance on our Nov 9 show," TV Asahi network said on its website.

A BTS Japan fan site also announced their appearance had been postponed, along with an apology to fans who had been looking forward to the broadcast.&nbsp;

There was no mention of cancelling the Japan leg of their tour, which kicks off on Nov 13.&nbsp;

BTS has been together since 2013 and gained a worldwide following, in May becoming the first K-pop performers to top the Billboard 200 with "Love Yourself:Tear." Previous stops on their 2018 tour have included New York and London.&nbsp;

A Japanese TV station said it had cancelled a Friday television show with South Korean boy band BTS after a member's t-shirt sparked anger on social media and was interpreted as commemorating the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

A Japanese TV station said it had cancelled a Friday television show with South Korean boy band BTS after a member's t-shirt sparked anger on social media and was interpreted as commemorating the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The hugely successful group`s Japan tour - its first after they reached the top of the Billboard 200 album chart in May -comes as ties between the two nations have frayed due to a diplomatic row over South Koreans forced to work for Japanese firms during World War Two. Social media showed the t-shirt, which bore the words "Patriotism our history Liberation Korea" by a photo of a rising mushroom cloud. Japan became the first nation to suffer an atomic bombing on August 9, 1945, at Hiroshima. "We have seen news that a t-shirt worn by one of the members has set off a furore and after asking their record company about this, we made the decision to postpone their appearance on our Nov 9 show," TV Asahi network said on its website. A BTS Japan fan site also announced their appearance had been postponed, along with an apology to fans who had been looking forward to the broadcast. There was no mention of cancelling the Japan leg of their tour, which kicks off on Nov 13. BTS has been together since 2013 and gained a worldwide following, in May becoming the first K-pop performers to top the Billboard 200 with "Love Yourself:Tear." Previous stops on their 2018 tour have included New York and London.

K-pop band BTS' show cancelled on Japan TV over atom bomb t-shirt furore

BTS is back to making history with the highest-ever spot on Billboard Hot 100 for an artist from K-pop (Korean pop) genre of music.&nbsp;

Their latest single titled &quot;DNA&quot; has earned over 2M views in less than 20 days and continues to stream without a break.

Placed at number 67 on&nbsp;Billboard&rsquo;s famous Hot 100 chart, it has soared past the&nbsp;previous record held by a K-pop group --number 76 in 2009 held by Wonder Girls with their single &ldquo;Nobody.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Listen to the song:&nbsp;

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MBdVXkSdhwU" width="970"></iframe>

BTS is a Korean pop boy band popularly referred to as K-pop which helped&nbsp;bring the country&rsquo;s special brand of flashy pop music to the United States.&nbsp;

The boy band won&nbsp;Top Social Artist at the Billboard Music Awards earlier this year, a first for any K-pop artist, and was subsequently placed on Time Magazine&rsquo;s &ldquo;25 Most Influential People on the Internet&rdquo; list.&nbsp;

BTS released the music video for &ldquo;DNA&rdquo; simultaneously alongside the group&rsquo;s comeback album, &ldquo;Love Yourself: Her.&rdquo;

Calling the song as&nbsp;the &quot;second chapter of the band&rsquo;s career&quot;, the group&rsquo;s leader, Rap Monster gushed while speaking to Billboard in a statement.&nbsp;

He said,&nbsp;&ldquo;We tried to apply new grammar and perspectives -- if you listen to the song, you&rsquo;ll understand what I&rsquo;m trying to say -- it&rsquo;s very different from our previous music, technically and musically.&quot;

&nbsp;

BTS is a Korean pop boy band which won?the Top Social Artist at the Billboard Music Awards earlier this year

BTS is back to making history with the highest-ever spot on Billboard Hot 100 for an artist from K-pop (Korean pop) genre of music. Their latest single titled "DNA" has earned over 2M views in less than 20 days and continues to stream without a break. Placed at number 67 on Billboard’s famous Hot 100 chart, it has soared past the previous record held by a K-pop group --number 76 in 2009 held by Wonder Girls with their single “Nobody.” Listen to the song: BTS is a Korean pop boy band popularly referred to as K-pop which helped bring the country’s special brand of flashy pop music to the United States. The boy band won Top Social Artist at the Billboard Music Awards earlier this year, a first for any K-pop artist, and was subsequently placed on Time Magazine’s “25 Most Influential People on the Internet” list. BTS released the music video for “DNA” simultaneously alongside the group’s comeback album, “Love Yourself: Her.” Calling the song as the "second chapter of the band’s career", the group’s leader, Rap Monster gushed while speaking to Billboard in a statement. He said, “We tried to apply new grammar and perspectives -- if you listen to the song, you’ll understand what I’m trying to say -- it’s very different from our previous music, technically and musically."

Korean pop band BTS earns highest-ever spot on Billboard Hot 100 in their genre

Bts, News on Bts, stories on Bts, articles on Bts, Bts stories at Wion, Bts news, Bts latest news