Facebook Messenger, Instagram get animated BTS characters

Source: Big Hit Entertainment

If you're part of the BTS Army (what the boyband's fans call themselves), you're familiar with TinyTAN animated characters inspired by the artists. You'll be happy to hear that Facebook Messenger and Instagram's direct messaging feature will offer a "unique chat experience" featuring BTS's cartoon counterparts. You will be able to apply a TinyTAN chat theme and use immersive 360 AR backgrounds, including a bedroom and cafe where you can find all seven characters. The rooms can be set up while on a video call with someone.

There will also be TinyTAN stickers available, with each member getting two stickers and two group stickers. All of which will be free to download and use. This social media integration comes as the seven-member K-Pop group will debut its album BE on Friday.

Source: Rolling Stone

K-pop group BTS becomes first to rack up 100 million YouTube views in 24 hours

K-pop stars seem to be the leaders in breaking YouTube viewing records. This time around, BTS garnered 101.1 million views for its new music video, "Dynamite," in 24 hours. They break Blackpink's record of 86.3 million and become the first act to cross the 100 million view mark in a short timeframe. It's a significant leap fro the group's last video, too, which got 74.6 million in the same period. The video also broke the record for most-watched YouTube premiere with over three million simultaneous viewers.

As Engadget points out, this number should represent real, organic views, as YouTube has stopped counting paid ad views for 24-hour tallies back in September 2019 to prevent labels from artificially inflating figures.