BTS

The seven-member group co-wrote and produced many of their songs, which some media outlets have attributed to their success. Their musical style and early image was inspired by hip-hop, as in the song "N.O." and "No More Dreams". They later incorporated R&B and rock in songs called "Danger" and "Boy in Luv". The group's solo tracks on the album Wings incorporate various genres, such as neo soul in V's song "Stigma", J-Hope's gospel of "Mama" and piano-rap in Suga's "First Love".

BTS has been praised for "talking frankly about topics they consider important, even in conservative societies" by Jeff Benjamin in Fuse magazine. Tamar Herman of Billboard magazine says the band's songs have recurring themes. Their "School trilogy"—2 Cool 4 Skool (2013), O!RUL8,2? (2013), and Skool Luv Affair (2014)—exploring "the problems and anxieties of youth in school." You Never Walk Alone's "Not Today" is an anti-establishment anthem, with messages advocating for minorities, as Wings (2016) touches on themes of mental health and women's empowerment. Love Yourself : Her, the first EP in the "Love Yourself" series, deals with "love, friendship, loss, [and] death", while the second EP, Love Yourself : Wonder, is a nine-minute concept video presenting a the music video for "Euphoria", a solo song by Jungkook. BTS's third studio album, Love Yourself轉:Tear, is the third EP in the series, and was praised for "dealing with the cycle of sadness that lingers through separation." BTS's third compilation album, titled Love Yourself : Answer, is the fourth and final in the series, and is praised for the album's conclusion to the overarching theme of the "Love Yourself" era, which is called "a masterpiece of BTS that only a few artists can reach. , boy band or something."

BTS's musical inspirations include Nas, Eminem, Kanye West, Drake, Post Malone, and Charlie Puth. J-Hope's solo mixtape, Hope World, and lead single Daydream were inspired by Jules Verne's novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Their song is "Magic Shop" from the EP Love Yourself: Tear, inspired by James R. Doty's book Into the Magic Shop.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, in a letter to BTS, acknowledged their sincerity and inclusion of diversity as the key to their success, writing, "Each of the seven members sings in a way that is right for himself and the life he wants to live. Their melodies and lyrics transcend regional, linguistic, cultural and institutional boundaries." Grace Jeong, editor-in-chief of Soompi, said, "BTS has something to say, and has a great marketing strategy that doesn't alienate non-Korean-speaking fans." The Wire mentions in their article that "BTS are great because they are "different" because they put creative input into their music".