The K-pop group BTS has won the 2019 TIME 100 reader poll, marking the second year in a row the seven-person band has claimed victory.
The South Korean group has received numerous awards since capturing global fame in 2013, and is a social media phenomenon, with more than 19 million followers on Twitter. BTS, which stands for “Beyond the Scene,” was also named one of TIME’s Most Influential People on the Internet in 2017 and 2018.
BTS released a new album, Map of the Soul: Persona on April 12, marking a step into a new phase for the group after the final album in the Love Yourself trilogy was released last year. The seven new tracks kick off a new era for BTS.
The group has earned about 6% of the vote for readers’ choice in the TIME 100 poll. While TIME editors are responsible for selecting the eventual TIME 100, the online reader poll allows the general public to give its input. This year’s runners-up include former First Lady Michelle Obama, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and teen climate activist Greta Thunberg.
The official TIME 100 will be announced April 17 on TIME.com.
- The Real Reason Florida Wants to Ban AP African-American Studies, According to an Architect of the Course
- Column: Tyre Nichols' Killing Is The Result of a Diseased Culture
- Without Evusheld, Immunocompromised People Are on Their Own Against COVID-19
- Here Are All the Movies and TV Shows That Make Up the New DCU
- TikTok's 'De-Influencing' Trend Is Here to Tell You What Stuff You Don't Need to Buy
- Column: America Goes About Juvenile Crime Sentencing All Wrong
- Why Your Tax Refund May Be Lower This Year
- Brazil Wants to Abandon a 34,000-Ton Ship at Sea. It Would be an Environmental Disaster
- The 5 Best New TV Shows Our Critic Watched in January 2023
