Korean Pop Superstar Boy Band Takes A Break From Performing
Some bittersweet news from the world of K-pop: The seven-member boy band BTS announced that the band is taking a break from releasing music and performing.
DAVID GREENE, HOST:
All right. Some bittersweet news from the world of K-pop this week.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BOY WITH LUV")
BTS: (Singing in Korean).
GREENE: That's the sound of Korean pop supergroup BTS.
RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Last weekend, the seven-member boy band announced that they're taking a break from releasing music and performing.
IMELDA IBARRA: There are fans that are sad because we don't know how long this break is going to be.
GREENE: That's one fan, Imelda Ibarra. She's founder of the fan group US BTS Army. Now, BTS rose to stardom in 2013 and became the first K-pop group to top the U.S. Billboard charts three times.
MARTIN: They're hoping to come back from this break stronger. A press release from their label says BTS says the hiatus will give them a chance to, quote, "recharge and prepare to present themselves anew." Ibarra said she thinks the break is a good thing.
IBARRA: Just to think that they get to take a long time off to really just do what they want, be with their families, hang out with their friends. For me, it's very exciting.
GREENE: Yeah, who doesn't want a long time off if you can get it? So there's no set end date for this break, but US BTS Army leader Jackie Rojas is not worried.
JACKIE ROJAS: They'll be back. It's just a little vacation.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SAVE ME")
BTS: (Singing in Korean).
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