Taeyang is facing backlash from BTS fans after sharing a comment that was meant to be a nod to BIGBANG’s legacy.
Instead, his words sparked outrage among BTS fans who flooded his Instagram with angry comments.
On January 1, a CNN interviewer asked him about BIGBANG being the pioneering artist for making K-pop a global sensation.
Taeyang answered, “Thankfully, we were able to open doors to global markets for many K-pop groups that came after us, and they can perform on world stages.”
He added, “I wouldn’t say we presented that but it feels great to see that our efforts have played a part in that.”
His comments have upset ARMYs, who feel he wrongly took credit for being a pioneering artist. They argue that it was BTS who truly paved the way for K-pop and Asian artists and put the genre on the global map.
Since his interview, his Instagram posts have turned into a battleground for BTS and BIGBANG fans. BTS fans are leaving purple hearts while criticizing his comments, whereas BIGBANG fans are stepping up to defend his position.
ARMYs are leaving comments such as “BTS paved the way”, “Nobody knows you, you can go to any country and ask about Korea, they will answer BTS, not Taeyang,” “You don’t have a single achievement on the Billboard HOT 100 except Jimin” and more.
Many hateful comments are circulating online arguing BTS and BIGBANG’s contributions to making K-pop mainstream.
While some fans are fighting over his remarks, an old interview clip of SUGA interviewing Taeyang is going viral. The BTS rapper acknowledges, “It would not be an exaggeration to say that BIGBANG practically made BTS.”
On the other hand, some fans believe Taeyang’s comment was simply a reflection of his pride in his journey. Instead of tearing each other down, it is important to celebrate the contributions of each artist.
