They sing. They dance. They inspire. They are BTS and they are here to stay. BTS, the English abbreviation for Beyond The Scene, are South Korean artists who have truly proven that music is a universal language. The group has seven members: RM, Jin, Suga, J-hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook. With fans all around the world, they continue to grow in popularity and touch people’s hearts.

Just fresh off the US Billboard 200 with their album Love Yourself: Answer, BTS are changing the game in the music industry. As their popularity grows, the more impactful they become. In their music, not only do they mix charming vocals with distinct styles of rap, they also talk about important topics. Even in the K-Pop (Korean Pop) industry, they are quite the anomaly. In the past, they have sung about the injustice of South Korea’s school system, the strictness on what careers to take, and the loneliness all teenagers go through.

The most recent topic? The matter of loving one’s self. They have made their message quite clear, what with their past three albums all titled Love Yourself. It begins with Love Yourself: Her, continues with Love Yourself: Tear, and ends with Love Yourself: Answer. Love Yourself: Her, released in 2017, was their first album to chart on the Billboard 200, debuting at number seven. The other two albums, both released the following year, both debuted as number one in the Billboard 200. As impressive as that may be, charting was not their goal in the first place. In fact, their message is so important to them, they partnered up with UNICEF in a campaign called Love Myself. On the official Love Myself website, their mission is stated first thing, reading: “BTS joins hands with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to stage campaigns against violence toward children and teens around the world, with the hope of making the world a better place through music.” They didn’t stop there. On Monday, September twenty-fourth, BTS gave a speech for the Youth 2030 UNICEF program at the United Nations General Assembly. RM, the leader of BTS, shared a personal message, showing the passion he has for this message. “Maybe I made a mistake yesterday, but yesterday’s me is still me. Today, I am who I am with all of my faults and my mistakes. . . I have come here to love myself for who I am, for who I was, and for who I hope to become.” This communicates just how much they value their original goal for making the group, which is to be bulletproof shields for young adults (hence the English translation of their name: Bulletproof Boy Scouts.) Their impact has been significantly positive because of it.

“[BTS] have shown me the passion that goes into making music and what a real artist in this medium can achieve,” said Désirée White, a BTS fan, “With their music, they have made me more hopeful for the future.”

“[BTS] have made me want to become the best version of myself,” said Sidney Garcia, 19, another BTS fan.

I’ll leave you with one last quote from RM’s UNGA speech: “Now I urge you to speak yourself. What is your name? What excites you and makes your heart beat? Tell me your story. I want to hear your voice. I want to hear your conviction. No matter who you are, where you are from, your skin color, your gender identity—just speak yourself.”