One of the biggest musical acts in the world is set to take the stage on “Saturday Night Live.”
BTS — the wildly popular, recording-setting Korean-pop group ? makes its “SNL” debut as the musical guest on Saturday’s show, causing mass excitement for fans all over.
Here are some key things to know about the international superstars as they perform inside NBC’s famed Studio 8H.
Who’s in the group?
BTS is made up of seven members ? each of whom either sing or rap.
RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, V, Jungkook and Jimin have each been there from the start and possess massive star-power across the globe.
At 21, Jungkook is the youngest of the group, while Suga and Jin are the oldest at 26 each.
When did they rise to fame?
The group from Seoul officially debuted in 2013, several years after the members first came together. They were quickly acknowledged as an up-and-coming group in South Korea.
Their fame soared in subsequent years, with their third extended play, “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 1,” drawing considerable attention following its release in 2015. Its lead single “I Need U” became a breakthrough hit.
The K-pop boy band’s international profile has continued to explode over the years, as they’ve embarked on multiple world tours and released numerous studio albums ? both in Korean and Japanese ? and EPs.
Their latest EP, “Map of the Soul: Persona,” came out Friday and features the song “Boy with Luv” with New Jersey-born pop star Halsey.
The group’s official social media pages, as well as the personal accounts of the members, boast tremendous followings, while their music videos regularly rack up tens of millions of views online.
What does their name mean?
BTS ? also known as the Bangtan Boys ? was originally an abbreviation for Bangtan Sonyeondan, which translates to Bulletproof Boy Scouts.
They have since changed what BTS stands for, however, to Beyond the Scene.
Upon announcing that change in 2017, group members explained they adopted the Beyond the Scene moniker as part of their new identity.
What are some of the records they’ve set?
On Friday, BTS set a YouTube record with more than 78 million views in the first 24 hours of their video for “Boy With Luv” being uploaded.
The previous high mark for views in a video’s first 24 hours on YouTube was held for only one week, as another K-pop group, Blackpink, registered 56.7 million views for their “Kill This Love” music video earlier this month.
Meanwhile, BTS’ 2018 album “Love Yourself: Tear” became the first K-pop album ever to reach the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart. They followed that up with another No. 1 album, “Love Yourself: Answer,” three months later.
Their extended play “Love Yourself: Her,” meanwhile, became the top-selling album on iTunes in 73 different countries last year.
How are fans preparing for their “SNL” appearance?
Fans eager to see the group live Saturday began camping out at Rockefeller Center several days before the show in hopes of scoring a ticket.
BTS fans refer to themselves collectively as ARMY.
“Everyone was afraid of how we were going to be in this line, or how we were going to react,” one fan told Billboard in an article published Thursday. “Based on the people I just met next to me — I’ve only known them for a day — but I honestly feel like we could be friends forever.”
Emma Stone is set to host the “SNL” episode that features BTS.
