It was “BTS-Mania” at the Ed Sullivan Theater on Wednesday night, as BTS performed on the Late Show, sat for a Q&A and mimicked the Beatles, who made history at the same venue more than 50 years ago.
It was on this stage where the Beatles changed pop culture with a performance on Feb. 9, 1964, their U.S. TV debut. BTS has been making their own history of late, cruising to three No. 1s on the Billboard 200. No other K-pop band has led the albums chart.
In a playful tribute to the Fab Four, the BTS boys turned back time and inserted themselves into the infancy of Beatlemania, moptops and all.
“You can call them the Fab Seven. It has a nice ring to it,” said Colbert, channeling the late Ed Sullivan in a black and white clip. Colbert then introduced each member of the band as the “cute one,” and on cue, the crowd went wild.
The comparisons with the Beatles don’t stop there. With Map of the Soul: Persona bowing at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 last month, BTS became the first traditional group to have three chart leaders in a year since — guess who — the Beatles.
Taking a brief pause from their Love Yourself: Speak Yourself stadium tour, the K-pop phenomenon also sat for a chat with their host, covering off their favorite Beatles songs (“Hey Jude”), living with the ARMY’s constant screams, and dishing out their long-term life goals (facial hair. Really).
The lads went all-in with the Beatles theme by hitting a retro performance of “Boy With Luv,” their global chart smash from Map of the Soul: Persona. Watch below.
#ARMY you did it! #BTSonLSSC is a smash! Watch @BTS_twt perform ‘Boy with Luv’ right now! https://t.co/akj6XrWHYP
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) May 16, 2019