Well this was a very dry, factual read.
If you already were a BTS fan like me, there's nothing new to be learned here and I'm sure there are better autobiographies out there for you. If you want to get to know them, this might be more for you.
Take note that there are some slight mistakes here, such as the name Agust D, which the author writes as August D multiple time, and also Show Music Corps, which is supposed to be Show Music Core.

I requested this book from Netgalley because the only thing I knew about BTS was that they were a Korean pop group and they had been first for something to do with performing in America. Really, this book which goes back to basics, was perfect for me.

This is ultimately a very quick read and quite surface level. The book talked about each member of the group and how they came to BTS and then it looked at how the group came together. In the second half, the author runs us through BTS' schedule, especially the tours they did and the awards all over the world.

I found the first half a lot more interesting than the second half since it talks about the members and the group itself, while the second half is more numbers and facts, all of which start to blend together a little. It also doesn't look at their social media and how it had an effect on their success.

This book is almost relentlessly positive, not just about the band themselves but the company as well. It mentions some controversy but it quickly skates on to something else and it never talks about how BTS faltered with their rise to the top. I don't know whether they did massively or not, but they would have had setbacks and it would have been good to have seen more of that.

It is informative up to a point and gave me a basic overview of exactly why BTS are so big, especially in America. I would recommend this to someone who wants just to know, surface level, what is going on with this group but for someone who is a bigger fan of the group, I probably would look around for something a little more in depth.

3 stars

Burn the Stage is a bio and pop-cultural commentary on the K-pop phenomenon. Written by culture biographer Marc Shapiro, it's a concise 110 pages and available in ebook and paperback formats. The book seemed to me to be written to a specific formula. The author clearly had access to earlier interviews and media releases with band members and entourage. It's not clear that Mr. Shapiro talked with or spent any time with the members of BTS himself. The photo appendices contain wiki commons free license images. There is a potentially useful/interesting discography timeline with international releases listed by country of release. The appendix also contains a comprehensive list of awards and nominations listed in alphabetical order by award name.

Very little here which will be new for fanatical K-pop fans. Possibly a good trivia crash course if you're taking your daughters to see BTS in concert and want to impress the other moms with your knowledge of the band members.

Three stars.

As an army myself I feel that this biography failed to show BTS growth as global artists. It talked about their organic success but They actually started from the bottom and they had to overcome a lot of obstacles and prejudice to be what they're now and this book talks about them like they were successful since the very beginning and that wasn't true.

Yes, they won "best new artist" in some Korean Awards but they were soon forgotten and they didn't win in any Korean Music show until their song"I need u" was released in 2015.

they came from a company that was in almost bankruptcy, they were judged since the very beginning because of their group name and accused of plagiarism even when it wasn't true and the company had to take legal action because of that.

They had their own show because they weren't invited to some Korean variety shows and when they were, they were treated badly.

And that's why their relationship with army is so close, they uploaded a lot of content in social media and they created their own safe environment to communicate with their fans because major Korean broadcasting networks didn't gave them a voice/time.

Also I think that any music critic that would want to talk about BTS has to understand that the reason why BTS are a global phenomenon while others "k pop" groups are not is because they offer something fresh and more honest and that all of them are involved in the creative process.


📚 I'm reference at their first concert in LA. "a show that would be limited to an audience of 200"

the author made it seem like it was such an exclusive show when in reality it was only 200 people because they weren't famous enough, it was a free show and they gifted tickets to people on the street and most of them went to it because it was free.

Also the author made reference to a racist comment that RM made in the past, but he had apologized and started educating himself in terms of race. I won't deny that they have done problematics/racist things in their early years, such as wearing dreadlocks, but what I want to highlight is that they apologized and learned from past mistakes. This is the same group that while doing promotions in North America changed the lyrics of their song "Fake Love" to respect black people. In a part of Fake Love Jhope says "I" which in Korean is naega and that to English speaking people could sound like the N* word. And they changed it when they didn't have to, but they changed it because they didn't want to trigger the audience. It shows that they are responsible and conscious of their platform and impact.


OVERALL:


📚A lot of transcripts of BTS early and latest interviews so for new fans you would get to know them better. How responsible and socially conscious they are. Their compromise to make honest and optimistic music and to represent the youth in a realist way, always keeping in mind that loving ourselves is the key to a happier life while embracing our darkest sides.

📚 BTS organic success from selling 100.000 album copies to 2M and being one of the most best selling albums worldwide in 2018. From performing to 200 people for free to being the first Korean artist to perform in a stadium in North America.

This book is an interesting look at why it is that BTS managed to become such a phenomena both in South Korea and around the world. Shapiro examines the foundation of Big Hit Entertainment and how its philosophies around creativity helped to create the cradle in which BTS was formed. This book is great for both fans of BTS and those who are just curious about “that Korean band” they keep hearing about. It covers the individual members and how they came to be a part of BTS and what it is that they bring to the table in order to create the phenomena that BTS has become. I definitely recommend this book for any fans of K-Pop (and BTS in particular) as well as for the casually curious.

Please note, there are some glaring errors.
Min Yoongi's solo mixtape is Agust D (not August D)
Kim Tae-hyung appeared in multiple episodes of Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth, not just one episode.

A dry quick read with facts, and more facts. It is based on the business side of the making of the band if that is what you are looking for. The emotional journey of the boys/men is not between these covers this is all about the business of BTS and it's members developed parts. it explains the difference that this band used compared to many other K-pop bands that may have made the difference. There is a little background on why the band wrote certain songs or theme albums. The author filled the pages with quotes from interviews the band had with other media sources. I'm not sure the author ever talked with them himself. It was a quick read, I finished it in two days.

Make no mistake, Burn The Stage is a book written quickly but efficiently to capitalize on the current fame of the band (a glance at author Shapiro's bibliography will attest that this is his niche). So you can expect a book with the usual facts and interview quotes. You won't find a lot of nuance or depth here - this is a by-the-numbers quick and concise overview of the band.

The book is chronological, starting with a short introduction of each band member and then describing how they were pulled together by a forward-thinking producer/label owner. From then, it was a matter of grinding, learning choreography and step, and then eventually singles and tours. Since their growth was in a short 2 year period (with years getting ready beforehand), there isn't a lot to cover here.

The author is quick to note that the difference with this band in comparison to all the other idols and boy-bands around the world is that they are given a lot more creative input into their songs. They are the writers and the songs are much more personal to them. The author would also want us to believe that these boys are also more media-savvy and smarter than the average boy band.

So if you just want the bare facts, some interview quotes, and a general knowledge about the band, this is a good place to start. Those looking for more depth or time spent on the band members/perspective/analysis, might want to wait for a more robust biography once the band has more history behind them. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

At 45 years old, I am quite sure I’m not the target audience for this book, but I wanted to see what BTS were all about since my 10-year-old is into them, and a book seemed the best answer. I learned enough things to hold my own in a conversation with fifth graders.

Marc Shapiro’s biography places the band neatly in history, giving an introductory chapter on the history of trot music and the evolution of K-Pop. He details the creation of the band, their songs, and their tours. Shapiro manages to impart a level of affection and admiration for the band that’s contagious. We see them not as plastic celebrities, but as sweet guys who enjoy their downtime yet are completely devoted to the band. They come across as a tight-knit family, even when off doing solo projects.

Whether you enjoy K-pop or not, the relevance of this band—the first K-Pop band to ever be nominated for a Grammy—is unquestionable. Shapiro’s book gives a thorough run-down that is informative, well-researched, and astonishingly up-to-the-minute. It would make the perfect gift for BTS fans everywhere.

This was a very interesting read. My sister is the real BTS fan in the family and even she didn’t know some of the things mentioned in the book. It was fascinating to see that BTS went from selling 100,000 copies of their CDs to 2,000,000 now. My only real issue was that the editing needs to be brushed up. There were typos, missing words, etc. In Chapter 13 the author mentions Suga’s mixtape as August D. It’s actually Agust D. Other than that I really enjoyed the book. I’m not a super fan like my sister so this book was a nice way for me to get to know the members and their history better. It seemed well researched to me, and I liked having quotes from the members of BTS. Overall a well done book and I’d recommend it for die hard fans and newbies alike.