BTS take on The Beatles in a special performance for 'The Late Show'

It's BTS Mania.
 By 
Johnny Lieu
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

K-pop superstars BTS have long been compared to The Beatles, and you know what, they might as well be them.

In their appearance for The Late Show on Wednesday night, Stephen Colbert took on the role of legendary TV host Ed Sullivan, as BTS channelled the Fab Four in crisp, black suits to perform their hit single "Boy With Luv."

The black-and-white special was a clear nod to The Beatles' debut U.S. TV performance back on Feb. 9, 1964 on Sullivan's show, when the mop-haired band kicked off Beatlemania. Only now, it's BTS Mania.

"You may have heard there’s a new musical craze sweeping the globe, these fellas are really something," Colbert said his opening for the boy band, introducing the members by name and caption (like Sullivan did for John, Paul, George, and Ringo).

"They're called BTS and people are so excited you can only call it BTS Mania."

The Ed Sullivan Theater, where The Late Show now shoots, was the studio where The Beatles made their debut with "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and "Twist and Shout."

With their most recent album, Map Of The Soul: Persona, BTS have been setting records that haven’t been touched since The Beatles.

After the performance, Colbert got a (colour) photograph with BTS.

"Just me and seven of my closest global superstar friends," he wrote on Instagram.

Wait, don't tell us you still don't know who BTS are? Right this way.

Topics Music

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Johnny Lieu

Mashable Australia's Web Culture Reporter.Reach out to me on Twitter at @Johnny_Lieu or via email at jlieu [at] mashable.com

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