Do you know who Jimin is?

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Inevitable-Fruit6814@reddit

I only know because of TikTok and my friends. I don’t think I’ve heard a BTS song other than the viral ones.

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MyUsername2459@reddit

I've never heard of him, and I'm only vaguely aware that BTS is some Korean music group.

The group isn't widely popular in the US. K-Pop does have an audience in the US, but it isn't mainstream. It's not something a typical American would listen to or know about. I only have known one person who was into K-Pop, and I haven't seen or talked to that person in about 20 years.

The US is a very large country, with about 340 million people, so you'll find people here who are interested in just about anything you can imagine. . .but BTS is NOT a common interest in America. It's a small niche.

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ogjaspertheghost@reddit

BTS is the most popular kpop group in the US

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winteriscoming9099@reddit

Sure but K-pop itself is not popular here.

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ogjaspertheghost@reddit

Sure kpop as a whole isn’t popular but saying BTS isn’t popular is like saying Bad Bunny isn’t popular.

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Appropriate-Fold-485@reddit

Who or what is Bad Bunny?

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ogjaspertheghost@reddit

Google him

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Appropriate-Fold-485@reddit

No thanks

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ogjaspertheghost@reddit

He has filtered into the mainstream. Someone can be well known and not known to you

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Appropriate-Fold-485@reddit

Well we can agree at least that BTS and k-pop are not popular either

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ogjaspertheghost@reddit

BTS is popular to people who listen to kpop which isn’t an insignificant number. The radio doesn’t determine popularity anymore

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Appropriate-Fold-485@reddit

Yep! So true. I don't think I've listened to a radio in almost two decades.

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winteriscoming9099@reddit

Yeah, fair. Their genres aren’t as massively popular here but they both lead their genres

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Adjective-Noun123456@reddit

Being the most popular kpop group in the US sounds like being the tallest guy at the dwarf convention.

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ogjaspertheghost@reddit

You could say that about any sub genre

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Traditional-Job-411@reddit

I know of them because they do play them mainstream in the US. You’ve probably heard them and not even known (if you listen to pop or charts at all) heck, I’ve heard them in Lowe's.

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trinite0@reddit

I was waiting around for the J-Hope concert in Chicago on Tuesday, and I wandered into an Ace Hardware to kill time. The happened to play "Left and Right" by Charlie Puth and Jungkook while I was in there. :)

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curlyhead2320@reddit

Yep. Dynamite was everywhere in summer 2020, and Butter in summer 2021.

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SeriousCow1999@reddit

Small niche in a country of 340 million is still a lot of people.

And how do you define "typical American?" A white, middle-class male from Ohio?

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vengefulgrapes@reddit

The group isn't widely popular in the US.

I would strongly disagree..."Dynamite" and "Butter" were pretty big hits especially.

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AnlStarDestroyer@reddit

No but I know Jimmer Fredette and that’s a similar name

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Appropriate-Fold-485@reddit

I know Jim Croce

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Bubble_Lights@reddit

I know who Jimini Cricket is.

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Appropriate-Fold-485@reddit

I know who Jim Croce is

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LTora213@reddit

You're an ARMY too?

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Expensive_Drummer970@reddit (OP)

i’m not haha. i just was curious to see how popular kpop is outside of my world

i am a kpop fan however

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Dr_Watson349@reddit

Kpop has gained popularity here in the states but it's certainly not popular.

The average American does not listen to kpop.

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LTora213@reddit

Even though it's been mentioned several times in mainstream media? K-pop was literally mentioned in the Simpsons and is on all streaming services. Stray Kids was even invited to the Met Gala.

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Appropriate-Fold-485@reddit

I don't think most Americans even listen to American pop, much less Korean. And the Simpsons hasn't been relevant mainstream for decades.

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Dr_Watson349@reddit

Look at the billboard top 100. Do you see a single Kpop band?

Being mentioned on the Simpson or invited to the Met gala really doesn't mean as much as you think it does.

Yes, sometimes a Kpop band will break through with a song that charts for a bit. But Kpop isn't mainstream. Americans generally do not listen to non English music. The times we do it will be Spanish, like say Bad Bunny.

If you love Kpop and follow it you will think many Americans do, but it you were to drive around this country listening to what people are generally listening to - it aint Kpop. It will be a mixture of country, hip-hop, and pop aka Morgan Wallen, Kendrick Lamar, and Lady Gaga - not BTS.

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ogjaspertheghost@reddit

The number six song is by Rosé who became famous from being in blackpink, a kpop band

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winteriscoming9099@reddit

Yeah, but that doesn’t mean it’s overall popular. It’s just known about. If Americans listened to kpop more frequently, the numbers would reflect that.

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mylocker15@reddit

I think it is with children and tweens. I haven’t been in a child in a long time so I don’t know much only that my niece wants to dance to K-pop stuff on Just Dance. Also I’ve heard that song butter. I think it’s BTS.

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SeriousCow1999@reddit

Why so modest? I just took a look in your profile, and wow... you really dislike this guy. And he's somehow stolen the fame/popularity/numbers that your K-pop idol deserves. And Ask An American will get you the validation you crave?

Crap, are the K-pop fan wars infecting every single Reddit forum? You have your own places. Why isn't that enough?

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Expensive_Drummer970@reddit (OP)

no. this is literally the only time i’ve ever mentioned jimin

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Sleepygirl57@reddit

So do they sing in English or Korean?

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sips_on_chlorine@reddit

They sing in a mix of both languages (mostly korean tho), sometimes they may release music exclusively in english too

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Sleepygirl57@reddit

Might be a fun way to learn some Korean.

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Ananvil@reddit

Kpop is not terribly known or popular in the States.

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InfidelZombie@reddit

I don't even know what BTS could refer to other than "Back To School."

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notonrexmanningday@reddit

This is honestly kind of amazing. And I'm not being judgemental at all. I just mean it's crazy how siloed we are.

BTS was literally the biggest music group in the world for a decade or more. Like Taylor Swift big, all around the world.

But yeah, I can totally see how they wouldn't be on your radar if you're not into pop music or don't follow the music business.

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Appropriate-Fold-485@reddit

I've heard a Taylor Swift song or two I think.

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47-30-23N_122-0-22W@reddit

It's just the nature of pop music I think. NSync was a big band at one point and the only reason I've ever heard of them is I found memorabilia in my Grandpa's stuff when he died.

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notonrexmanningday@reddit

Nah, it's completely different. There was probably not an adult alive in the United States in 2002 who didn't know who N'Sync was.

Back then, we found out about new artists on the radio, and they were on the radio A LOT

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InfidelZombie@reddit

That checks out, I heard a Taylor Swift song for the first time about six months ago. I'm very into music but I just checked the Billboard Hot 100 and have only heard of 3 artists in the top 25.

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Apocalyptic0n3@reddit

I listen to a ton of music too and just did the same exercise. In the Top 100, I have heard of:

Kendrick Lamar
Chappel Roan
Drake
Billie Eilish
Post Malone
Lady Gaga
The Weeknd
Jelly Roll
Lil Wayne
Imogen Heap
Selena Gomez
And Bad Bunny sounds vaguely familiar

That's more than I was expecting BUT I think I have only heard an actual song from Billie Eilish (her Bond song), Lady Gaga (her various acting roles), The Weeknd (just Blinding Lights), and maybe Lil Wayne and only regularly listen to the Bond song and Blinding Lights.

It is very easy to not be aware of popular music, honestly.

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Sleepygirl57@reddit

You forgot Boo Boo from Boys For Now. He’s my favorite.

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mylocker15@reddit

I’m an Alan-caholic. He just seems more age appropriate for me.

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InfidelZombie@reddit

Very similar. I've heard of all of those except Chappel Roan, Jelly Roll, and Imogen Heap, but I can only name songs by Lady Gaga (several) and Billie Eilish (one, and I don't think it's the Bond one).

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CupBeEmpty@reddit

Yeah I was a radio DJ for years and absolutely consumed new music. It was pretty niche though.

I knew who T Swift was but I did not realize the scope until I had an 8 year old girl.

Haven’t asked her about BTS but maybe?

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Self-Comprehensive@reddit

I wouldn't know anything about Taylor Swift except she dates a football player if my daughter didn't constantly listen to her. But Taylor's pretty good, I like her music enough that it doesn't irritate me.

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orneryasshole@reddit

Behind the scenes

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Dr_Watson349@reddit

Boys to squirrels.

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orneryasshole@reddit

Bitch that sucks

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Ananvil@reddit

Bite the sausage

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Self-Comprehensive@reddit

Big Tittie Squad

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CinemaSideBySides@reddit

This is how I always heard it too! Years of working retail made BTS mean one thing and one thing only.

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Appropriate-Fold-485@reddit

No.

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SnooPineapples280@reddit

As army who is jimin biased I can say that I’ve never heard him on the radio even though I see that factually he is chatting with serious longevity. People are more likely to know Jungkook than him because of radio play. But outside of Kpop fans he isn’t popular with the gp

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Ok-Highway-5247@reddit

They played songs from Jimin’s “Muse” at a gym I went to.

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Ok-Highway-5247@reddit

I like his music.

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CarrotBIAR@reddit

I don't actively listen to kpop but it is popular, mostly with the younger crowd. BTS is probably the most popular group here.

I only know of jimin cause my friend is army lol

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External-Prize-7492@reddit

Nope.

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flootytootybri@reddit

Yes. BTS was popular all over the world, but I can’t name a Jimin song from my head

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Amazing_Excuse_3860@reddit

Yes, but only because i've been on the internet long enough to recognize the name.

Kpop has more or less replaced traditional western boy bands, though

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Derplord4000@reddit

Only because a youtuber once mentioned him, otherwise I'd have no idea who he is. Im aware BTS is a kpop band, but that's the extent of my knowledge.

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Arleare13@reddit

I do not know who that is.

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jfreebs@reddit

Same, heard of the group, but could not name one song or member. I listen to a wide variety of music, but I'm probably not the target demographic .

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VentusHermetis@reddit

they had that butter song

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Expensive_Drummer970@reddit (OP)

his song Who just became the longest charting song from kpop ever. I was curious if he was popular

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keppy_m@reddit

Not really. Not in the US.

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Many_Pea_9117@reddit

He is not popular among redditors. The music industry in the US is the entire country, everyone listens to music, it is >6x the size of SK, and the population is WAY more diverse.

Most people have not heard of the top artists in genre of music they don't routinely listen to. Kpop is mostly only popular with Asian americans and younger people. Anyone outside those demographics most likely is unfamiliar of individual artists.

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erst77@reddit

I saw BTS on a kids cereal box a while back, so when you say it skews young, you're right. My son is in 6th grade and his classmates have largely outgrown BTS.

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SumpCrab@reddit

Maybe popular with young women. I don't know anyone who listens to kpop, I'm a 41 year old dude, so I'm not the target audience, but even my nieces don't listen to kpop.

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Exciting_Bee7020@reddit

Same. I've heard of BTS, but couldn't tell you the names of any of its group members.

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nosomogo@reddit

Same. I've heard of a Korean band called BTS. I couldn't even tell you if they are a male group or female group.

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techieman33@reddit

I just know they're guys because I remember seeing an article about them having to go do their mandatory military service.

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G00dSh0tJans0n@reddit

If you don't listen to the radio or anything pop culture it's possible to never come across any of this. Like the guy at the super bowl this year? Kendra Lamar. Never heard of him.

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RickyNixon@reddit

I know a few people who are into kpop, but to us these are things that people in the subculture know everything about and people outside the subculture have a hazy outline of

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fasterthanfood@reddit

I don’t think I’ve ever met a jazz person. As someone who doesn’t listen to any jazz, however, I would automatically expect those people to be very cool.

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RickyNixon@reddit

Ah well my work office (when I go in) is next to this very cool jazz club so I probably have more exposure than average to jazz people

They are indeed extremely cool

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curlyhead2320@reddit

Interesting. I actually do listen to K-pop, love BTS and this song didn’t pop up in my algorithm on either YouTube or Spotify. I had no idea it was released until this post. On the other hand, Lisa and Jennie’s songs popped up repeatedly and I’m listening to their solo albums right now, and songs from Ive, Wheein, and Twice have popped up in recent months.

I will say Jimin is my least favorite BTS member (he strikes me as arrogant, and I don’t like his voice) and I have not listened very much to his solo songs so perhaps that’s why.

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Budgiejen@reddit

I’m a metalhead. Couldn’t tell you if it’s played on commercial radio.

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Express-Stop7830@reddit

I'm too old to be in the target demographic, as I imagine most of the 90DF watchers are.

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mytextgoeshere@reddit

BTS is consistently an answer to the NYT crossword puzzle. That’s mainly how I know them.

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Suppafly@reddit

I always wonder if crossword setters get excite anytime some new short word or initialism becomes popular enough to use.

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BlueEyedSpiceJunkie@reddit

To me BTS is “behind the scenes.” 🤷‍♂️

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DefrockedWizard1@reddit

that's more than I knew

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VentusHermetis@reddit

Jimin E. Cricket? I love that guy!

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Fact_Stater@reddit

I have no idea who that is.

But I do know that BTS is a very popular Korean band. Didn't they have to take a break because they had to serve in the military?

That's the extent of my knowledge of them.

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Chemical-Mix-6206@reddit

Probably could not identify him by photo but I have heard of him and BTS thanks to the Graham Norton Show. Not bad for a woman in her 60's who stopped listening to pop music about 20 yrs ago.

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whyamistillgettingha@reddit

BTS had a very popular song a few years ago with Halsey that was all over the radio. Now my 60 year old mom loves BTS and definitely knows who Jimin is.

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BillShooterOfBul@reddit

K-pop in general is getting more popular here, but it’s not here in force yet.

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undreamedgore@reddit

I wouldn't even know that's a name of a person without the additional context.

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LoriReneeFye@reddit

Never heard of Jimin or BTS.

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lilapense@reddit

I know who Jimin is. I was into kpop before BTS debuted, but only ever listened to them casually. I don't know any of his singles. Well I've heard some of BTS's singles on the radio, I haven't heard any of their solo tracks.

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Suppafly@reddit

I have no idea who that is. I'm vaguely aware of what BTS is.

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bigscottius@reddit

Who?

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Pauzhaan@reddit

My daughter (34) happily married to a handsome ginger, beautiful almost 1 yo son and is crazy about BTS. Off hand I recognize Jimin, Suga, J-Hope & Jun Cook. She’s seeing someone from BTS in San Antonio next week & going to LA to see the same guy the following week. Husband going to San Antonio but meeting up with friends in LA.

I know some of their music too.

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G0PACKER5@reddit

Never heard of him

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Automatic_Praline897@reddit

Yes

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BoseSounddock@reddit

No. I’ve heard some BTS songs and know they’re insanely popular, but I don’t really love pop music in general, so K-pop is a long way outside my realm of knowledge.

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Smart_Engine_3331@reddit

I've heard of BTS and Jimin, but don't follow them or know pretty much anything about them. I don't really follow any Korean bands.

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tcrhs@reddit

I’ve never heard of him.

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coysbville@reddit

I have no idea who that is but K-pop definitely has a light following in America. I personally don't get it

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crazycreepynull_@reddit

BTS was big amongst teen girls at one point but now they're just another boy band. Not unpopular but not wildly popular either

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azuth89@reddit

I know that BTS is kpop and...that's about it

There is a growinf following for kpop here but it's still kind of niche for now.

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rvcaJup@reddit

I only know BTS is a K-pop group because I have an old Japanese friend from college 25 years ago that posts about them. I solely watch k dramas for television and love Korean beauty but the music hasn’t made it here at all.

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hella_cious@reddit

I know who he is because I’m young and online and have female friends. K Pop is almost solely the domain name of young women and school girls over here.

However I’d wager more than half of Americans would recognize BTS as a band or something with music

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picklesupreme@reddit

I know of him and BTS, and I know he’s had some hits recently but I can’t name them. For reference, I am a pop fan but am not really in touch with KPOP. I do feel like he’s quite popular though, maybe not on this subreddit, but I feel like if I were to ask all my friends my age (early 20s), quite a few would know about him, or be fans. If that helps gauge how popular he is.

Also if it helps, the KPOP artists that I am currently associating with having the limelight right now are Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa, all of whom are from Blackpink although I didn’t realize that until I looked it up.

So that’s just my rambly perspective, but I hope it helps!

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Zealousideal_Cod5214@reddit

I've never listened to him, but K-pop was very big in my area when I was in high school. I went to a school that had a large number of Hmong students.

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BookAccomplished568@reddit

A large amount of Americans know of BTS. That they’re a Korean band that has a lot of fans. But that’s as far as it goes.

They most likely have heard Dynamite & Butter (a lot don’t know that it’s a song by BTS.) & they don’t actively go listen to it, they just hear it on the radio, or in stores.

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rilakkuma1@reddit

I couldn't name any BTS songs but just went and checked those two and yup I definitely know those!

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smlpkg1966@reddit

Nope. I wouldn’t even know who BTS is if I didn’t read so much. Never heard a single K-pop song.

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agravain@reddit

i am aware...my daughter was obsessed with BTS before covid and the concert we were going to see them at ended up being canceled because of covid.

even had one of those globe light thingys that was to be a surprise present at the concert still sitting in a box in the closet.

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trinite0@reddit

Hopefully she gets back into it for the comeback tour when they're all out of the military!

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agravain@reddit

oh she was all upset about them having to go into the military, she was worried they might never come back afterwards.

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trinite0@reddit

Well, so far, so good! J-Hope certainly still puts on a heck of a show, as we found out this week!

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DoublePostedBroski@reddit

I’ve heard of BTS but no idea who Jimin is

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trinite0@reddit

My wife is BTS Army. We own multiple copies of all the albums, we've watched almost all of Run BTS, and both seasons of In the Soop. We just saw J-Hope live in Chicago on Tuesday.

So yes, I know who Jimin is. :)

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amcjkelly@reddit

My daughter thinks he is great, been to several concerts.

I have grown to like Twice and Red Velvet a bit more myself.

Twice has had several tour stops in Jersey.

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winteriscoming9099@reddit

Not a clue. I know BTS is a popular Korean music group, and the only two songs I know from them are dynamite (can’t miss it) and my universe (bc I like Coldplay - hate that song though). But no, I have no idea who any of the individual members are.

If someone irl just said “do you know of Jimin”, I’d probably just say no.

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Lycaeides13@reddit

I don't know either of those.

BTS was the acronym used in Staples (the office supply company) for Back To School

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servantofdumbcat@reddit

i know who jimin is and i could probably name a couple other members of bts. i am younger than most people on this sub though

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No-Diet4823@reddit

He's popular for the under 30 crowd but I mostly listen to other Korean music nowadays.

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Carrotcake1988@reddit

Someone from a Kpop group. I’m not sure which one.

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OgreMk5@reddit

My wife is a huge fan. So I know who he is by default. But I don't listen to BTS.

I do listen to Dreamcatcher, Twice, Ive, NiziU, etc. etc. etc

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BlueEyedSpiceJunkie@reddit

Never heard half those words.

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dausy@reddit

They are trying to push the group to be more mainstream in America.

I know enough people who would know who that is. I know who BTS is. I cannot name a song or band member (is Felix in BTS?)

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Negative_Way8350@reddit

Most Americans have heard of BTSn but obsession over a certain member of a pop group is less of a cultural thing here. Even in American pop groups, I doubt many people who grew up listening to The Backstreet Boys (and liked them) could name every member.

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dandle@reddit

Most Americans have heard of BTS, but obsession over a certain member of a pop group is less of a cultural thing here.

It's not a cultural thing here at this time.

Pop groups aren't as popular today as they used to be, having been replaced with prominent pop artists fronting bands of largely unnamed musicians.

It used to be the case in the US that people were obsessed with pop groups and that they had favorite members of a group, whether NKOTB, Menudo, Bay City Rollers, Jackson 5, the Monkees, the Beatles...

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Patient_Number_4922@reddit

Please don’t put the Beatles in the same category with Menudo and the Bay City Rollers.

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EnvironmentalShoe5@reddit

I do but only because of a Sims YouTuber.

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Odd_Tie8409@reddit

I know of BTS, but never listened to them.

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Littleboypurple@reddit

I mean, most Americans have probably heard of the group BTS at least once or potentially heard a BTS song since they sometimes play on the radios or speakers at the local Supermarket's song playlist. Yet, a particular member? Nope. K-Pop fans would recognize them but, your average American wouldn't. They absolutely have not reached universal name status like John Lennon, David Bowie, or Madonna where most would recognize the name.

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Self-Comprehensive@reddit

Heard of the group, but I don't know the names of the individual members.

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etchedchampion@reddit

All I know about Jimin is he's the cute one and I only know that from Try Guys.

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FionaGoodeEnough@reddit

I have heard of BTS, and they may have even performed in SNL once, which would mean I, an old, heard them. But I don’t remember what they sounded like or know any songs or member names.

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shammy_dammy@reddit

I only know of him because Oli London is crazy.

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The_Ninja_Manatee@reddit

I know the BTS song Dynamite. That’s it. I don’t know any of the individual band members and I don’t think I’ve heard any other song by BTS.

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Sweet_Cinnabonn@reddit

If anyone is curious, this is the song in question. It is all in English

https://youtu.be/Av9DvtlJ9_M?si=_hQelIhLT3yhmNiR

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Sleepygirl57@reddit

Oh lord I got thru one sentence. That’s horrible. Pure auto tune. I’ll stick to when music meant you had to have a voice.

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Separate-Swordfish40@reddit

Who

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Expensive_Drummer970@reddit (OP)

oh so that ur favorite jimin song?

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Bluemonogi@reddit

No

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Sleepygirl57@reddit

I think BTS is a Korean boy band thing. Couldn’t tell you what they sing or pick them out in a line up if my life depended on it. I dont even know how many of them they are.

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SeriousCow1999@reddit

All this talk about "typical" or "average" Americans... can anyone define who that person is?

The US is a very diverse country. Still.

I'm not a teenager, and I don't much care for K-pop. But Jimin is a different case. There is something so appealing about him. His voice is unique, and damn, the man can dance.

My favorite song has to be LIE. The orchestration alone blew me away with its sampling of Manuel de Falla. (For those classical music fans.)

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the_vole@reddit

A friend of mine likes BTS. The only member who I remember the name of is J Hope, with his catchphrase of “it’s my hope, it’s your hope, it’s J Hope” or whatever he says. I also appreciate how Korean pop stars do the heart with their thumb and forefinger, as opposed to the usual 🫶🏻 thing we do here.

On the whole, South Korea has done a fantastic job of exporting culture over here. Everyone knows Gangnam Style, Squid Game has been a huge hit, Parasite winning Oscars, and so on. Train to Busan is an absolutely amazing film, but it wasn’t really popular here. And I’ve never heard anyone say an ill word about Oldboy.

Personally? I love the food the most. Korean Fried Chicken is amazing. I’d eat bulgogi every day of the week. I miss living in a city with a Little Korea.

So…all that to say…no. I do not specifically know who Jimin is, but his name rings a bell, and I know he’s in BTS

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IndependentTeacher24@reddit

Never heard of any of it.

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Traditional_Ant_2662@reddit

Never heard of him.

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Elixabef@reddit

No. I know that BTS is a Korean boy band but I don’t know any details. Never heard of Jimin.

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calicoskiies@reddit

I have no idea who that is. I’ve heard of BTS and know they are a K-pop band. I assume they are gears towards teens, which is why I probably don’t know anything about them.

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GenerationFloppyDisk@reddit

Nah.

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Dragonsfire09@reddit

In the US you had 2,000 people in a room less than 50 would be aware that Kpop is a thing.

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SeriousCow1999@reddit

So 8.5 million?

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SteampunkExplorer@reddit

Nope. I stopped and wondered who that could be, racked my brain for probably-Asian historical figures, wondered why it was just a single name, realized I can't even identify what language the name is in so I'm not going to figure it out anyway, then suddenly remembered I had seen it somewhere in connection with the (very creepy) online BTS fandom. Oh, it must be a guy in BTS.

I was a little surprised to learn that I was right. 😂

I have heard a couple of their songs on the radio at work. They're not bad; I like "Butter". I don't know the individual band members, though. I'm afraid I wouldn't know Jimin if he marched up and kicked me in the shins. 🙂

I think the band is more popular with kids, though. K-pop didn't start to get popular over here until I was an adult, so I just never got into it.

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Grimthe18@reddit

I do actually know who that is and what BTS is too but I have never listened to them or him honestly kpop isn't super popular around my area of TN but I did know a few people that were crazy about them back in highschool

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BigNorseWolf@reddit

Not a clue

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TinySparklyThings@reddit

I'm aware he is a famous person from BTS. I believe he has a few luxury brand endorsement contracts.

I've never listened to his music, and could not pick him out of a line up.

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blipsman@reddit

I've heard of BTS, know maybe 1 of their songs, but don't know any of their names.

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tsukiii@reddit

I am aware of his name and BTS, I could not point to him in a photo though.

I am a very casual kpop fan (mainly like a few girl groups)

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vengefulgrapes@reddit

Yes. I know he's a member of BTS, but I don't know any of his solo material. I also don't currently know anybody personally who is a big fan of BTS or K-Pop as a group, but I have known people who are K-Pop fans when I was in high school (I'm 21 now, so that would have been 4-5 years ago). I have heard and enjoyed some of BTS's hits here ("Dynamite" and "Butter"), but that's about it.

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Personal_Pain@reddit

I vaguely recognize the name Jimin in the context of BTS. If you’d asked just the title with no context, I wouldn’t have known.

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workntohard@reddit

I am aware of the group itself, none of thes performers by name. This goes for any of the other Korean or Japanese bands I have listened to.

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ssk7882@reddit

No idea, but I'm old, so if he's an actor or singer or something, be aware that I'm not really up to date on even American pop culture.

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ddp67@reddit

Vaguely know of Korean pop, but no

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hurtingheart4me@reddit

I do, because my daughter is a k-pop super fan. I know he is a member of BTS, but I could not point to him in a picture or tell you any of his songs.

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NewbombTurk@reddit

That music was/is popular with American children. Especially young girls.

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dandle@reddit

When I see "BTS," I see "BTK," the serial killer who used the abbreviation for himself, meaning "bind, torture, kill."

So, no, I don't know who Jimin is, I've only vaguely heard of the K-pop band BTS, and I think that's pretty common for US residents. We have plenty of other music in the pop genre, both new and going back decades.

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JustJudgin@reddit

I know him. I have followed BTS since their pre-debut. Shinhwa, SES and Harisu were my first encounters with kpop. Who is fine I guess but I don’t care for its basic melody. I like his other solo work.

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Current_Poster@reddit

I don't. Sorry.

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dgmilo8085@reddit

No idea who or what this is, or if it was even written in English.

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Northman86@reddit

no idea who that is, K-pop is a minor thing here, people are aware of it, but few actually know the bands all that well.

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devnullopinions@reddit

I’ve heard of BTS, they are a Korean boy band for like tweens, right? I don’t know any of the members of the band though.

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mostie2016@reddit

I know him because Twomad was using him as part of his trolling processes.

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macoafi@reddit

I have heard of BTS, but I have heard none of their music (to my knowledge) and don’t know who the members are.

My sister in law probably knows who he is and probably likes his stuff. She’s a kpop fan.

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BreezyBill@reddit

BTS, and most K-Pop is only popular with two very specific groups of America: teen girls and middle-aged women.

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CommandAlternative10@reddit

Hey, middle aged women are on Reddit too! (No, I don’t know Jimin, but I am following the Kim Soo Hyun scandal. Kdrama and Kpop can be their own separate silos.)

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rawbface@reddit

I have definitely heard of BTS, undeniably catchy pop music. I don't know the names of any of the individual members.

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StarSines@reddit

Do i know who Jimin is? Yes, I know he's one of the BTS members, and that's about it. My friend thats really into kpop absolutely knows way more than I do. To be fair though I also don't follow artists here in the US either.

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Squippyfood@reddit

I know about BTS, I'm sure most people part of society can recognize one of their songs. Jimin is a name that sounds familiar but that's about it.

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bloopidupe@reddit

If you follow K-Pop you know. Outside of Kpop he is not popular.

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Butterbean-queen@reddit

Vaguely heard of BTS. Some sort of Korean boy band. But I’ve never heard of this person.

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Top-Comfortable-4789@reddit

Yes I used to be a BTS fan. There are still a lot of BTS fans in the US but I don’t hear the band getting talked about as much.

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mothwhimsy@reddit

I know vaguely that he's a kpop guy. No idea which band or what he looks like though

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flp_ndrox@reddit

Everything I know about BTS came from Beavis and Butthead.

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HotButteredPoptart@reddit

Without looking at the comments,I have no idea who or what that is.

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Rhombus_McDongle@reddit

Nope, I guessed "anime character" before clicking. I'm 45 and my favorite band is Australian: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard 🦎

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FrauAmarylis@reddit

I am Gen X. My husband lived in Korea briefly for work. Lots of American military kids like K-pop for this reason- they have lived in Korea.

I am learning to play piano using the Simply Piano app for almost 2 years. It has lots of BTS songs on it. They are ok.

Also, I remember on Twitter that BTS would drown out hateful hashtags by getting their army of fans to take the hashtags over, and

I was pleased that American kids learned about how lucky they are not to have to go mandatory military service, all because the K-Pop dudes couldn’t get waivers from serving.

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elcabeza79@reddit

If not a cartoon cricket, then I have no idea.

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G00dSh0tJans0n@reddit

Never heard of him. Not sure what a BTS is, but I do love a good BLT.

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izlude7027@reddit

I've heard of BTS, but couldn't name any members.

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PersonalitySmall593@reddit

Jimin of BTS

Who of What?

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Yankee_chef_nen@reddit

Who of What?

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Chazzysnax@reddit

Individual members of Kpop groups are probably only going to be known to people in kpop fan groups over here, it wouldn't be uncommon for someone to be part of that subculture but the average person would, at most, be only vaguely aware of BTS existing.

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ALoungerAtTheClubs@reddit

I've never heard of him, but I don't think the target demographic for K-pop is middle-aged men.

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The_Bjorn_Ultimatum@reddit

Is that Jiminy the cricket's brother?

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notonrexmanningday@reddit

I know who BTS is, but I couldn't name any of their songs. I don't know any of the individual members' names.

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GoldenStitch2@reddit

I’ve heard of him but I don’t know anything about him

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WulfTheSaxon@reddit

Reading the title, I vaguely recalled that there’s somebody named Park Jimin, but couldn’t’ve told you who he was.

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bloodectomy@reddit

I'm barely even aware that BTS in this context refers to a music group lmao

No idea who Jimin is. Also, don't care.

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uhnotaraccoon@reddit

I am aware of who he is and the popularity of Kpop(?) but I could not pick him or BTS out of a lineup

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DivaJanelle@reddit

I know BTS is a thing because it now regularly shows up in the NYT and LAT crossword puzzle

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Libertas_@reddit

I've never heard of him.

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Lovebeingadad54321@reddit

This is “ask an American” I believe you are looking for “ask 12 years old girls”

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SteampunkRobin@reddit

I’m a 56 year old white woman and I know who he is. I am ARMY, Stay, and LEEgion 😂

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Slight_Literature_67@reddit

Yes, but I do listen to K-Pop on occasion, and I was a writer at a K-Pop magazine for 10 years.

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Sufficient_Cod1948@reddit

I'm vaguely aware of who/what BTS is, but couldn't tell you who any of the members are.

I haven't heard this song, and if I do it won't be by choice. It will probably be playing while I shop at Target or something like that.

This post reads like it was written by an intern at his record label.

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Glad-Cat-1885@reddit

Yes from my 2016 kpop phase

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andmewithoutmytowel@reddit

Nope, but I'm also 42, so I'm not exactly the audience for KPop.

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Budgiejen@reddit

I’ve heard of BTS

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ApocSurvivor713@reddit

My wife is a huge Army. I can hear her listening to BTS upstairs. So I've watched a lot of RunBTS, In the Soop, etc as well as a lot of their MVs and show appearances. Kpop is pretty big here and BTS is probably the biggest boy band in the world. They're not the type of music I normally listen to but their rap stuff is really good and I especially like Jhope and RM's solo work.

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DontBuyAHorse@reddit

I'm aware of Kpop and I'm passingly familiar with BTS, but as a 45 year old male who has traveled subversive music circles his whole life, I'm not familiar with individual members. But my awareness of an artist is hardly a metric for how famous they are. I'm not even sure who I would recognize on the pop charts. Chappel Roan seems pretty rad though.

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NIN10DOXD@reddit

I only do because I'm chronically online and I remember the Oli North guy who tried to look like him via surgery.

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BingBongDingDong222@reddit

No

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blazedancer1997@reddit

I'm aware of BTS and I'm sure I've heard Jimin's name, but I've only recently gotten into K-pop and BTS isn't on the list yet

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sneezhousing@reddit

Never heard of him

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Communal-Lipstick@reddit

He is super popular here with tween & teen girls.

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TrickyShare242@reddit

I have a unique experience with BTS. Im a 40 year old dude who listens to mostly metal, punk and hip-hop. I never listened or followed in any capacity. Pretty sure smooth like butter is the only song I can name. But my wife is huge into Korean dramas and I love anime. I've heard most of their solo stuff but rarely any of the collective. Personally I like suga/August d and J-hope. RM has a good solo career but not my cup of tea. I've never even heard V, Jung Kook or jimin

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Welpmart@reddit

I know who he is and who BTS is, but I wasn't aware he was/is in BTS... Korean groups can be large lol. BTS is insanely popular and Kpop is on the rise, so my guess is this subreddit might not be indicative.

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biggcb@reddit

I do not.

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Dorianscale@reddit

Whether or not someone recognizes him is entirely based on whether or not they’re a koreaboo

Most Americans probably won’t.

I haven’t gotten into K-pop though I do have some friends who are into it

I’ve heard of some band names like BTS and Blackpink I think there’s a guy named jungook in BTS, and someone named Rosé and someone named Lisa and I’ve heard of someone named G dragon. But that’s about the extent of anyone I could name. I couldn’t pick them out of a lineup though.

The average American I expect would know less than that.

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honorspren000@reddit

I listen to the BTS songs that reach the top 50, like Dynamite and Butter. But I don’t know the members.

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PAXICHEN@reddit

I only know his name because my daughter loves BTS.

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SacredGay@reddit

Everything I learn about K-pop groups is against my will. I will be putting this name directly into the memory shredder.

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maxwasatch@reddit

I don't know any of these people.

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ramblingMess@reddit

I know his name and that he’s a member of BTS, but nothing else about him. I only know that because I had a friend who was in the “BTS Army” several years ago and I heard a little bit about BTS from her, and sometimes news about BTS will show up on my Twitter feed.

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ViewtifulGene@reddit

I know BTS is a KPop boy band. I don't know any of the individuals in said group.

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ABelleWriter@reddit

All I know is that he is Kpop star, but if you had simply asked "do you know who jimnin is?" With no reference I would say no. . His song "who" is currently number 29 on Billboard top 100. I've definitely never heard of the song before.

Kpop is kind of a sub genre here. People into it seem kind of obsessed. I'd say most people in the US either have a vague knowledge that Kpop exists or no idea at all what it is.

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Icy_Helicopter_9624@reddit

Jimin is not my bias, J-Hope is, but I do love all of them. Jimin is baby mochi, if you got over that whole issue with papa mochi haha. Filter is my favorite song of his, but I do really like Who.

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TheBimpo@reddit

I’m aware of BTS but couldn’t name any of their members.

The funny thing about a country as large as the United States is, something can be a phenomenon in certain communities, and an artist could fill stadiums with fans on a tour, but the majority of us may have only a passing awareness of their existence. Music in particular is highly personal these days. There are very few artists, if any, that have broad mainstream appeal.

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TheShoot141@reddit

Never heard of him

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Sweet_Cinnabonn@reddit

Love Jimin, love the song.

Also a big fan of j-hope's new Sweet Dreams

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NotTheATF1993@reddit

I do not know him, but I've only heard of BTS through social media but don't know any of their names and never heard any of their songs. I don't personally know any BTS fans

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RespectableBloke69@reddit

My favorite Bob Marley song: "We Jimin, we Jimin, we hope you like Jimin too"

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rinky79@reddit

I've heard of BTS but could not name a single Kpop singer or song.

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spacefaceclosetomine@reddit

I know who that is and that BTS is extremely popular, but I believe I have hard just two songs. Dynamite gets radio play in the U.S.

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CaptainMalForever@reddit

Yes, I know who BTS are and who Jimin is. But I don't listen to either BTS or Jimin alone.

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No-Profession422@reddit

Heard of BTS, just know they're Korean that's it.

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Qel_Hoth@reddit

I know of BTS as a major kpop group. I have absolutely no idea who is a member of BTS or what any of their songs are though.

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Madicat16@reddit

I have heard of BTS, I have never heard of Jimin. I don't know anyone who listens to Korean Pop music.

I'm also almost 40...so I'm pretty sure I am not in their demographic of fans.

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Danibear285@reddit

Preteen girls.

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Usual-Bag-3605@reddit

I've heard of BTS but never any specific member or song.

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DrGerbal@reddit

I just found out he’s a part of bts. I know if bts that they’re a k pop band and they have a ton of fans. And that’s about it. But I’m a 30 year old death metal fan. So I have no reason to know who bts is.

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my_clever-name@reddit

Never heard of Jimin or BTS. I do listen to The Who sometimes.

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machagogo@reddit

No idea who that is, but I think BTS is a K-Pop group?

My kids don't listen to K-Pop either.

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manicpixidreamgirl04@reddit

BTS is fairly popular, and I feel like I've heard of Jimin. Was one of his songs used for the Euphoria soundtrack?

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ConsiderationCrazy22@reddit

I have heard of BTS but I couldn’t tell you who any of them are individually

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Ravenclaw79@reddit

Nope. I’ve heard of BTS. That’s about it.

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DOMSdeluise@reddit

I have heard of BTS but I don't listen to their music or know the names of any members.

Kpop seems to be pretty popular with younger people but I am too old.

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squigglyquigley@reddit

I'm not a BTS stan, but I do listen to a bit of K-pop, including some of their music. I don't know all the members, but off the top of my head I can name Jimin and Jungkook. I have no idea what kind of solo work they've done though, and I don't think I would recognize either of them if I saw them

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Excel_Spreadcheeks@reddit

No, I wouldn’t be able to tell you who he is nor did I know that he’s a member of BTS. I know that BTS is a k-pop group with a massive following but I know nothing else about them and haven’t given their music a chance. However, I have a handful of friends who listen to k-pop and I’m sure would know who Jimin is.

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the_real_JFK_killer@reddit

Very popular among young women

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brzantium@reddit

I'm aware of BTS. I could not name a single member. I think a lot of Korean groups are popular with a specific age bracket in the US, and I am well beyond that bracket.

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anneofgraygardens@reddit

I know that he's a BTS member but I wouldn't recognize him if he walked down the street. I have listened to some kpop but don't find it super appealing. I do really like Rosie and Bruno Mars' song APT. though.

A friend of mine is a SUPER kpop fan, like she's been learning Korean for a few years now. She posts a lot of stuff on Instagram, I think most of what I know about the genre is probably from her.

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BoldBoimlerIsMyHero@reddit

I only know who he is because my daughters were BTS fans.

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dangleicious13@reddit

No

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MulysaSemp@reddit

I do, yes. I'm not Army, but I've been getting into Kpop, so I'm familiar with him

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ACodAmongstMen@reddit

I don't know him, I barely know anything about BTS, or k-pop in general. I have been brought up around music like NWA and biggie so my love of hip hop definitely plays into that.

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creamwheel_of_fire@reddit

I think most Americans have heard of BTS. That "dynamite" song was popular. But almost no one knows their individual names. They only people I know that actively listen to them are old women and preteen girls.

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jessek@reddit

K-Pop is popular with some Americans but isn’t the phenomenon it is in Korea. The average person probably doesn’t know much about it. It’s mostly popular with teenage girls and young women. So if you asked the average Redditor or person on the street they’d probably say “huh?”

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PM_Me_UrRightNipple@reddit

I know who BTS is cause of the whole kpop craze that went on, they even had a few songs that got big on the hit list

I have no idea who Jimin is but if I had to guess he’s the member of BTS that’s going to eventually go on to have a successful solo career like many other boy bands (NSYNC/Justin Timberlake)

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Usual_Zombie6765@reddit

I don’t, but I don’t listen to pop music.

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iuabv@reddit

I do not know that is. I'm vaguely aware of BTS and that it's a Korean boy band. There is a stan culture around them, but that stan culture is pretty siloed. I could not name any songs or any trivia about them or their names. For context, I'm a 30yo woman who is fairly plugged into pop and internet culture, and work with people who are about the same.

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ShipComprehensive543@reddit

No, I have not heard the song. I have heard of the group BTS.

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CaedustheBaedus@reddit

I hear BTS and I know it's a Korean pop band. That's it. Hell, I still sometimes see "BTS" and think "Behind The Scenes"

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NittanyOrange@reddit

I know of BTS. I recognize that as the name of one of the members. That's about it.

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kgxv@reddit

No. I’ve seen “BTS” mentioned a bunch but I don’t listen to pop music.

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Gladyskravitz99@reddit

Never heard of him, and have only vaguely heard of BTS. I couldn't tell you anything about them, or what they sing.

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MrLongWalk@reddit

I’ve heard of BTS, don’t think I know anyone who listens to them, never heard of Jimin.

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Confetticandi@reddit

Yes, I’m ARMY.

I’m also Asian-American and all my Asian-American female friends know who he is, even if they’re not fans.

Only about half the guys do.

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Rhubarb_and_bouys@reddit

No. I vaguely know of BTS. Don't know how many people in it. Don't know any song or what BTS stands for.

I could not recognized the band or that person in a photograph.

Of if someone said "what's the name of a Korean band" I could not come up with any name including BTS.

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Gold_Telephone_7192@reddit

I have heard of BTS, although I've never listened to their music or know anyone who listens to their music. I had never heard of Jimin specifically. I'm a mid-30s white guy though, so I doubt I'm the target demo.

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Relevant-Ad4156@reddit

I've heard the name, but only because I have a niece that is a BTS fan. Without her, I may have known that the group exists, but I wouldn't know any of their names.

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tmahfan117@reddit

No

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sics2014@reddit

I don't know who that is.

I've heard of BTS here and there. So I know they exist.

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quirkney@reddit

I’ve heard of BTS in passing, no idea who Jimin. For reference I’m a female between 25-35, so I’m probably only slightly out of their target demographic.

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OhThrowed@reddit

I do not. Honestly, whenever anyone comes in and drops a random name, the answer is usually, "Yeah, their fans have heard of them and the rest of us are clueless."