KATATAPOS lang ng two-day sold-out London concert ng K-pop boy band na BTS nitong June 1 at 2 na dinagsa ng nasa 120,000 fans sa Wembley Stadium.
Mula nang i-release nila ang kanilang album na Map of the Soul: Persona noong Abril 12, nakatanggap na ang BTS ng tatlong No. 1 albums sa Billboard 200 chart, nang wala pang isang taon.
Nakalikom ang album ng 230,000 equivalent album units sa Amerika, batay sa tradisyunal na album sales, ayon sa track equivalent albums (TEA) at streaming equivalent albums (SEA), ayon sa Billboard.
Pagpapakasal dahil lang sa anak, 'di bet ni Janella Salvador
Sabi pa nito, “Before BTS, the last traditional group (excluding the Glee ensemble, whose multiple cast members rotated) to log three leaders within such a quick span was the Beatles in 1995-96, when the band’s archival releases Anthology 1, Anthology 2 and Anthology 3 all debuted at No. 1 in a stretch of 11 months and a week (between Dec. 9, 1995 and Nov. 16, 1996).”
Ang huling artist na nakasungkit ng kahalintulad na feat ay ang rapper na si Future, na nakapuwesto ng tatlong No. 1 albums sa chart sa loob ng anim na buwan at tatlong linggo, noong August 2015 hanggang February 2016. Nasungkit din ng cast ng Glee ang katulad na tagumpay sa loob lamang ng isang buwan at tatlong linggo, noong 2010, ulat ng Billboard.
Sa press conference sa London bago ang kanilang concert, tinanong ang mga miyembro ng BTS kung ano ang nararamdaman nila sa taguring sila ang “the Beatles of the 21st century.”
Sabi ni Suga, isa itong karangalan ngunit mabigat na responsibilidad.
“Are we similar? Thank you. I don’t know if the Beatles wore Thom Browne. But it’s a great honor to be called ‘the Beatles of the 21st century.’ At the same time, it’s a bit pressuring to be called that. We are BTS. We want to be the BTS of the 21st century,” aniya, ayon sa Korea Herald.
Pahayag naman ni RM, nagpapasalamat sila na maikumpara sa Beatles.
“All popular boy bands in the history of music have always been compared to the Beatles. I think it’s fair to say a lot of musicians have been influenced by the Beatles. In the US we were lucky to do an homage to the Beatles during The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. We were very grateful to be called that, and it makes us feel that we are doing good. It’s an honor,” aniya.
Ang tinutukoy niya ay ang Boy with Luv performance nila sa The Late Show with Stephen Colbert kung saan ni-recreate nila ang Ed Sullivan Show performance ng Beatles noong 1964.
Gaya ng Beatles performance, ang segment ng BTS ay black and white, nakasuot sila ng suit at ang mga pangalan nila ay nakamarka sa drum kit.
Isang araw bago ang London concert, nagpalabas ang Hyundai Motor UK nga BTS short film sa LED screen sa tanyag na Piccadilly Circus. Ang video ay ipinanood noong May 31 mula 6:00 pm hanggang 7:00 pm. Ang BTS ay Hyundai global ambassadors.
Dinumog naman ng fan ang area para manood ng short film at ilang fans din ang nag-post online ng mga comparison ng eksena sa 1965 appearance ng Beatles sa Piccadilly Circus para sa premiere ng kanilang pelikulang Help!, na dimunog din ng libu-libong fans.
“BTS’ return to UK soil has caused scenes that can only be described as akin to Beatlemania,” lahad ng media rep ng BTS sa statement na ipinadala sa press.
-JONATHAN HICAP
