"How BTS's Perpetual Rookie Mode Made Them Superstars!" (An Impromptu Thread)

One thing that's thrown some observers off regarding BTS's group trajectory is that it didn't follow the narrative of popular K-pop boy groups. Ultimately, their career path lacked the predictable rise, breakthrough, peak, and decline followed by an indefinite hiatus or break-up.

However, as I shared on the other thread, instead of rising and peaking, BTS experienced multiple breakthroughs that not only delayed their peak but put them in perpetual "grinding rookie" mode.

While it was annoying to see them repeatedly underestimated (and ignored by US radio 😞), there was a massive silver lining: BTS was able to continue to push upward across multiple markets and demographics, amassing global acclaim and a huge worldwide fandom.

Now, what's interesting is that because BTS didn't have a stereotypical career trajectory, there's really no telling where they could go from here...as they could be on the verge of yet another breakthrough post military hiatus. 👀 But we'll have to wait and see.