Louis Tomlinson's Honest Comment About BTS Sparks Debate About Other Idols' Treatment Of The Group

A comment about BTS made by top star Louis Tomlinson has sparked a heated debate about other idols’ treatment of the group.

Recently, Louis Tomlinson did an interview with Billboard and opened up about BTS and breaking records previously held by One Direction. While he was honest about his feelings seeing his group’s records broken by BTS, he shared that he has no grudges towards BTS or its members, citing that it’s the nature of the music industry.

.@Louis_Tomlinson opens up about seeing new groups, like BTS, break One Direction's records:

"I don't begrudge them […] that's the nature of the music industry, it just keeps moving." pic.twitter.com/5jKy4cC9h9

— billboard (@billboard) January 12, 2026

There was a time where BTS, they just got to their peak, I know they are still there but when they were on their way up, I felt like every time I got onto Twitter, they had taken one of our, like we got some record for something, fastest selling thing, and they had taken it. It felt like every week, I was going and seeing a new thing taken away from me by BTS.

It did make me a little, it was a bit of shame, we had all these things, but I don’t begrudge them. That’s the nature of the music industry, it keeps moving.

— Louis Tomlinson

When the interview was posted, Louis was praised for his comments, which led to major backlash towards other idols and Korean artists who fans had accused of disrespecting the group during interviews.

Notice how he said it with respect and honesty, unlike certain people who take credit for BTS’s legacy as their own. https://t.co/dv7m1AAKuC

— isa (@solmerv) January 12, 2026

while their korean peers and seniors would rather eat charcoal than admit that https://t.co/dakyBybLpg

— krissy⁷ ⦿ ☰ ☲ (@HYYHOYA) January 12, 2026

the concept of louis tomlinson being more respectful and honest about BTS’ impact than fuckass *** who’ve been their industry peers and supposed friends for years like you cannot make this up https://t.co/sv2JXrbzWf pic.twitter.com/X94F41JaSB

— ✣ (@userlesbien) January 12, 2026

I like the way he spoke without disrespecting another group, unlike a certain artist who pretended BTS doesn’t exist. https://t.co/hxrJRTBbrg pic.twitter.com/qVap3TuiGJ

— ＊*•̩̩͙sʏʜᴜ•̩̩͙*˚ ⁱᵗ ᵈᵉʳʳʸ•ᵍᵇʸᶠᵈ•ᵖᵉʳᶜʸʲᵃᶜᵏˢᵒⁿ (@syhu_uh) January 12, 2026

if a member of the most well known boyband in the world can admit this and not hold a grudge why can’t nugu #63837 in korea do the same https://t.co/KrxccE4nEF

— mary⁷ (@koonimies) January 12, 2026

I like how most western artists who are/were actually successful like bts can talk about them breaking their records or surpassing them but kpop acts in their own gen treat them like Voldemort lol jealousy I guess 🤷🏾‍♀️ https://t.co/NQj2nlzSiC

— Anija⁷ (@anijajeon) January 12, 2026

Louis Tomlinson’s Honest Comment About BTS Sparks Debate About Other Idols’ Treatment Of The Group

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