American weekly entertainment magazine Us Weekly has included Korean boy band BTS to its list of the most influential celebrities on social media.
"Social media has allowed celebrities to directly communicate with fans over the years. Platforms like Twitter and Instagram have given users a closer look at their favorite celebrities, granting them direct access into their world," the magazine said.
It added that "celebrities like Selena Gomez and Chrissy Teigen have used their platforms to speak openly with fans about important issues, while stars like Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and Justin Bieber have built their empires on social media. These celebrities have the power to influence millions of people around the world with a single post, and they have mastered just how to do it."
On the list are Beyonce, Ariana Grande, Chrissy Teigen, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Donald Trump, Kim Kardashian, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Taylor Swift, Ellen DeGeneres, Katy Perry, Barack Obama, Rihanna, BTS and Dwayne Johnson.
About BTS, the magazine said, "K-Pop group BTS topped Billboard's Social 50 chart for over 30 weeks in a row in 2017, which helped them win the award for Top Social Artist at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards."
"The Korean pop group beat heavyweights Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande in the category, after their super dedicated fans helped them win the award by tweeting the hashtag #BTSBBMAS more than 300 million times. The group also won the global award for influence on social media at the 9th Shorty Awards in April 2017," it added.
BTS is one of the most influential K-pop groups on social media. Its Twitter account has 9.34 million followers while its Facebook page has been liked by 5.23 million people.
The group finished their "Wings" concert tour in Taipei, Taiwan on October 21 and 22. Their next stop is Macau in November before wrapping up the tour in Korea in December.
