There are two sides to the BTS story. The all too familiar rags to riches odyssey in which seven young South Korean boys (RM, Suga, V, J-Hope, Jin, Jimin, Jungkook) emerge from obscurity to become true superstars in the pop music universe. Of equal importance was the relationship between the wide-eyed group members and the forward-thinking head of their record company, Bang Si-hyuk, which resulted in newfound freedom and a new way of creating the K-Pop sound. Both of these elements and more are the subject of the book Burn the Stage: The Rise of BTS and Korean Boy Bands by New York Times-bestselling author Marc Shapiro.

This timely look at BTS and the K-Pop genre, told in quotes and anecdotes from BTS, delves into the history of K-Pop music, its pivotal twists and turns, insights into the modern K-Pop training and audition process, as well as the rise of BTS and their personal and professional development on the road to worldwide popularity.

Author Marc Shapiro acknowledges that making the BTS story more than a mere rehashing of familiar material was a challenge. This was an opportunity to follow the story of what many considered ‘The Next Big Thing’ hand in hand with the group in fairly real time. Seeing what they experienced as it happened rather than looking back on their lives years later. There was a sense of immediacy that appeared more in tune with the way the world turns now. Which is fast.

As with the current state of pop culture, BTS and the K-Pop world are constantly evolving and presenting new challenges and ideas. Burn the Stage: The Rise of BTS and Korean Boy Bands chronicles BTS in the now. There will certainly be a future.