South Korea’s legend BTS to perform in Saudi Arabia in “Love Yourself: Speak Yourself” world tour

BTS, the first and only South Korean band to top the U.S. Billboard 200, has added Saudi Arabia to their world tour “Love Yourself: Speak Yourself”. The group has posted on its website that it would be performing in the Saudi capital Riyadh at King Fahad International Stadium on October 11. BTS will be the first foreign group to hold a solo concert at a large-scale stadium in Saudi Arabia. The tour comes after the “Love Yourself” tour that saw the group perform in South Korea, USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Germany, France, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand from August 25, 2018 until April 7, 2019.

The “Love Yourself: Speak Yourself” started on May 4 in Los Angeles and has so far included the US, Brazil, the United Kingdom, France and Japan. The seven-member BTS band, which made history by becoming the best-selling artist in South Korea of all time with 14 million albums sold, became the youngest ever recipients of the Order of Cultural Merit from the President of South Korea in recognition of their contributions in spreading Korean culture and language. The band was formed in Seoul in 2013. Its seven members co-write and produce much of their output. Their musical style has evolved from the original hip hop to include a wide range of genres and more diverse styles. Their lyrics touch on the themes of mental health, troubles of school-age youth, loss, the journey towards loving oneself, and individualism. The lyrics are often focused on personal and social commentary.

The band topped the U.S. Billboard 200 with their studio album Love Yourself: Tear (2018) and have since hit the top of the U.S. charts with their albums Love Yourself: Answer (2018) and Map of the Soul: Persona (2019). This achievement made BTS the first group since The Beatles to earn three number one albums in less than a year. The performance by BTS will be the latest in a string of live performances by some of the international chart-topping artists in Saudi Arabia following the launch of an ambitious drive to overhaul society. In January, Mariah Carey took the stage in Saudi Arabia and became the highest-profile international artist to perform in the Kingdom since the easing of restrictions on entertainment. In December, Enrique Iglesias, the Black Eyed Peas and David Guetta thrilled audiences for three days.