"When we think of painting, artists just describe how it looks. As time passed, Picasso came and started to express image and feeling. And now with social media, we can communicate through the painting. We can think of the image, talk to it and ask questions." -BTS

While the ecstatic, eager crowds gathered in hungry anticipation around Soldier Field prior to BTS' second night in Chicago, there was a serene, enchanting aura inside the pop sensations' forum with GRAMMY U Chicago students at a SoundChecks event on Sunday, May 12.

The afternoon began with the students getting a bird's eye view of BTS' soundcheck, looking down as the Korean septet performed two songs for the sea of about 2,000 members of the ARMY (as fans of the group are known). Though the fans toting hand-painted signs and wearing bedazzled cat ears at the front of the stage screamed for joy at every evocative dance move and flutter of confetti, the GRAMMY U students took in the big picture, learning how such a big show is produced.

When BTS and the students were ushered into a private room not long after, the group shared details on all of the hard work that goes into making a performance seem so effortless. "We work around the clock, and technology has developed that allows us to collaborate with people around the world," BTS told the Recording Academy prior to their Windy City event.

As GRAMMY U is designed to celebrate music's future, it seems fitting to give the students access to one of the most groundbreaking artists of today, a group that strives to redefine the way in which artists interact with their fans and bring their music to life. "Our music and performance receiving so much love from so many people around the world is proof that the language and borderlines in music are diminishing, and we hope that we can continue to remove those barriers," the band said. "We always try to communicate with the audience on stage. Although the venue has grown in scale, we will continue to pour our passion and energy as we always do."

K-pop phenomenon BTS (Beyond the Scene) formed in 2013 as Bangtan Sonyeondan, which translates roughly to "Bulletproof Boy Scouts." Together, Jin, SUGA, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook have quickly catapulted to a massive worldwide fandom comparable perhaps only to Beatlemania, a comparison born out by the fact that, with MAP OF THE SOUL: PERSONA, BTS charted three Billboard number one albums in less than a year, a feat the lads from Liverpool achieved in the mid-'60s. Though proud of that fact, BTS aren’t focused on the past, but always working hard to build something new for the future. "It’s such a great honor to be mentioned alongside The Beatles, but BTS is just BTS," RM said.

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