BTS' "Jerry Maguire" for North America Says "ARMY Completes BTS"

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BTS on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." Photo from NBC.

Eshy Gazit, CEO of Gramophone Media Inc. and responsible for managing BTS in North America, shared stories of BTS' success.

"No one responded at first, but now they're all dying to have one phone call with me."

Witnessing BTS' ups and downs in the U.S. with his own eyes, he reminisced "when I announced that I would be promoting BTS, people in the industry told me 'don't waste your time' 'that's never going to happen'."

Eshy Gazit, CEO of Gramophone Media, Inc. Photo from JoongAng SUNDAY.

Q. Was BTS' huge success expected?
A. It only took me a minute's thought to say yes after BigHit Entertainment contacted me. I was drawn to BTS right from the start. The M/Vs, the songs, the concept itself… BTS had so much to offer. After meeting all the members, I made up my mind. I found a new mission statement for myself.

Q. How did you deal with the language barrier?
A. I tried to convey to the media, TV, radio, online platforms, and many more partners the excitement and inspiration I felt. I organized a 'mini ARMY' of my own, asking them to speak up. I wrote countless emails of why BTS' songs should be played, why the group is the future of the music industry. No one responded at first, but now they're all dying to have one phone call with me."

Q. What caught the U.S. fans' hearts?
A. To borrow my friends' words, it's the 'gene.' All members, while modest, sincere, and honest, all have their own unique charm, a celeb-quality, if you will. They complete each other. It's impressive how the members take care of one another, and fans couldn't have missed that. Fans have a larger pool to choose from, yet they also go for what's 'real.' It's not just in the U.S., it's a global phenomenon.

By Gothesun and Suwon Han voomvoomk@gmail.com