As a former member of one of the most successful boy bands in contemporary music history, Niall Horan understands better than anyone the terrible pressure, the enthusiasm of fans as well as the aura that BTS possesses.
In the podcast program "Therapuss" with host Jake Shane, the singer of "Slow Hands" frankly shared about the explosion of the representative from Korea on the world music map, and analyzed the deep difference in the operating model between the K-pop wave and Western boy bands.
When asked about the border-crossing success of the 7-member BigHit group, the Irish singer did not hesitate to express great admiration for their talent and iron discipline. Niall Horan praised: "They are really excellent. When observing BTS, the first thing you notice is the dedication and extraordinary effort. Their performances always reach absolute perfection and accuracy".
Niall's understanding stems from similar experiences in the past. At its peak, One Direction once created a global phenomenon fever. Now, he sees a similar wave from the ARMY fandom (BTS's Fandom name) for their idols.
Therefore, the former One Direction member expressed deep sympathy for the pressure that the 7 boys have to face when every move is under the scrutiny of the media and the public. Besides the compliments, the owner of the hit "This Town" also gave a professional perspective on the systemic difference between two generations and two music industries.
According to Niall, the operating structure of BTS and One Direction represents two completely opposite extremes. One Direction was originally founded randomly from the reality show "The X Factor UK", so the group's style is highly spontaneous and close like friends. Meanwhile, BTS and K-pop representatives are molded through a rigorous training system, where artists have to train for many years before officially debuting.
Niall Horan analyzed: "The way we operated before was very different. One Direction is like a group of friends standing on stage together, we don't really dance or perform dance moves evenly. Conversely, for BTS, the synchronization in each dance step, stage ideas and their performance skills are all calculated and trained very meticulously. The male singer concluded that these are two completely different cultures and musical thinking and the standard of the K-pop model is what makes him extremely respectful.
At the end of the conversation, as a predecessor who has tasted all the glory and dark corners of a global boy band, Niall Horan sent sincere advice: "To maintain a solid position against the enormous pressure of fame, the most important key is internal cohesion. Members need to always rely on each other, maintain core connections to overcome the skillful but also fierce rotation of the world entertainment industry together.
