BTS (Korean: 방탄소년단; RR: Bangtan Sonyeondan), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is

a seven-member South Korean boy band that began formation in 2010 and debuted in 2013
under Big Hit Entertainment.[3] The septet—composed of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V,
and Jungkook—co-writes and co-produces much of their own output. Originally a hip hop
group, their musical style has evolved to include a wide range of genres. Their lyrics, often
focused on personal and social commentary, touch on the themes of mental health, troubles
of school-age youth, loss, the journey towards loving oneself, and individualism. Their work
features references to literature and psychological concepts and includes an alternative
universe storyline. The group has released several albums and performed on several world
tours.

After debuting in 2013 with their single album 2 Cool 4 Skool, BTS released their first
Korean-language studio album, Dark & Wild, and Japanese-language studio album, Wake
Up, in 2014. The group's second Korean studio album, Wings (2016), was their first to sell
one million copies in South Korea. By 2017, BTS crossed into the global music market,
leading the Korean Wave into the United States and breaking numerous sales records. They
became the first Korean group to receive a certification from the Recording Industry
Association of America (RIAA) for their single "Mic Drop", as well as the first Korean act to
top the US Billboard 200 chart with their studio album Love Yourself: Tear (2018). BTS also
became the fastest group since The Beatles to earn four US number-one albums, doing so
in less than two years. Love Yourself: Answer (2018) was the first Korean album certified
platinum by the RIAA. In 2020, BTS became the first all-South Korean act to reach number
one on the Billboard Global 200 and US Billboard Hot 100 with their single "Dynamite" and
remix of "Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)".

Having sold over 20 million albums on the Gaon Music Chart, BTS is the best-selling artist in
South Korean history and holds the best-selling album in South Korea with Map of the Soul:
7. BTS was ranked at number 45 on Billboard's Top Touring Artists of the 2010s, the only
non-English speaking act on the list. During their Love Yourself World Tour, BTS became
the first Asian and first non-English speaking act to headline and sell out Wembley Stadium
and broke the record for the single highest-grossing engagement in Rose Bowl Stadium
history. Featured on Time's international cover as "Next Generation Leaders", BTS has also
appeared in the magazine's lists of the 25 most influential people on the internet (2017–
2019) and the 100 most influential people in the world (2019), where they were dubbed
"Princes of Pop". Forbes Korea named BTS the most influential celebrities of Korea in 2018
and 2020, and BTS ranked 43rd in the Forbes Celebrity 100 (2019) as one of the world's
top-earning celebrities. As of 2019, BTS is purportedly worth more than $4.65 billion to
South Korea's economy each year, or 0.3 percent of the country's GDP. They attract one in
every 13 foreign tourists that visited South Korea and were cited as one of the key acts in
boosting global music sales to $19 billion in 2018.

Following the establishment of their Love Myself anti-violence campaign in partnership with
UNICEF, BTS addressed the United Nations 73rd and 75th General Assemblies and
became the youngest ever recipients of the Order of Cultural Merit from the President of
South Korea due to their contributions in spreading Korean culture and language.

Name
The group's name, BTS, stands for the Korean expression Bangtan Sonyeondan (Korean: 방탄
소년단; Hanja: 防彈 少年 團 ), literally meaning "Bulletproof Boy Scouts". According to member J-
Hope, the name signifies the group's desire "to block out stereotypes, criticisms, and
expectations that aim on adolescents like bullets". [4][5] In Japan, they are known as Bōdan
Shōnendan ( 防 弾 少 年 団 ), which translates similarly.[6] In July 2017, BTS announced that their
name would also stand for "Beyond the Scene" as part of their new brand identity. [7] This
extended their name to mean "growing youth BTS who is going beyond the realities they are
facing, and going forward."[8]

Career
2010–2014: Formation and early years

BTS in 2013 performing at the Incheon Music Center.

BTS began its formation in 2010 after Big Hit Entertainment CEO Bang Si-hyuk met with group
leader RM and was impressed with his rapping. [9] BTS was originally supposed to be a hip-
hop group similar to YG Entertainment's 1TYM,[10] but between their initial formation and their
debut, Bang Si-hyuk decided that the contemporary youth needed instead "a hero who can lend
them a shoulder to lean on, even without speaking a single word". [11] The group was meant to
debut in 2011 and featured on several tracks by artists such as 2AM and Lee Seung-gi before
their debut was postponed and the group was reorganized into a more traditional idol group.
[12]
 The lineup was then finalized with Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook in 2012. Six
months prior to their debut, they began to gain attention for their presence on various social
media websites, as well as song covers on YouTube and SoundCloud.[13][14]
We started to tell the stories that people wanted to hear and were ready to hear, stories that other people could
not or would not tell. We said what other people were feeling—like pain, anxieties and worries. That was our
goal, to create this empathy that people can relate to.
 —Suga[15]

On June 12, 2013, BTS released their debut single album 2 Cool 4 Skool, the first installment in
their "school trilogy" series, simultaneously with its lead single "No More Dream", which peaked
at number 124 in Korea before quickly falling off the charts. [16][17] While the album peaked at
number five in South Korea and eventually sold over 145,000 copies, [18] it was not a major hit,
selling only 24,000 copies in 2013. [19] Their subsequent single “We Are Bulletproof Pt. 2” failed to
chart. In 2 Cool 4 Skool, BTS employed an old-school hip-hop sound with scratches from the
1980s-90s and excessively fierce visuals. [20] From their inception, BTS was convinced that telling
their story was the only way for the younger generation to relate to their music. [21] The lyrics of the
album primarily reflected on the misunderstanding and prejudice towards them, criticism of the
society that diminishes their dreams, and their anxiety and determination towards their future.
[20]
 During the production of the album, Suga and RM rewrote the lyrics of “No More Dream” more
than 20 times.[21] The single album's release was followed by several appearances on Korean
music shows.[22][23] Despite being unpolished, these early live performances demonstrated BTS'
potential with their intense and charismatic stage presence. [22] Expanding their endeavors to
Japan, "No More Dream" was later re-recorded in Japanese and released in June 2014. [24]
In September 2013, BTS released the second part to their "school trilogy,” the extended play O!
RUL8,2?, along with its single "N.O,” which peaked at number 92 in Korea. [25] The EP peaked at
number four in Korea and has sold over 160,000 copies to date, including 34,000 copies in its
release year.[26] Musically, BTS did not fundamentally change their sound as compared with 2
Cool 4 Skool, utilizing fiery rapping along with trap beats, brass, and soulful melodies. Lyrically,
the EP expanded on the theme of dreams and happiness, revealing their frustration under the
harsh Korean education system and their determination to confront the struggle of proving
themselves.[27] Despite several performances on Korean music shows, the single quickly fell off
the charts.[28] That same month, BTS starred in their own variety show, SBS MTV's Rookie King
Channel Bangtan, based on a fake broadcast station, "Channel Bangtan", through which
members parodied variety shows such as VJ Special Forces and MasterChef Korea.[29] At the end
of the year, BTS was recognized with several New Artist of the Year awards, including the
5th Melon Music Awards, 28th Golden Disc Awards and the 23rd Seoul Music Awards.[30]

2014–2015: Moderate success and first concert tour

Exterior of the nightclub Troubadour (photo taken 2006) where BTS held their first concert in the United
States for free.

The last act of their "school trilogy", the EP Skool Luv Affair,[3] was released in January 2014 and
topped the Gaon Album Chart, selling 100,000 copies in 2014 and over 250,000 copies overall.
[31]
 It also marked BTS’ first appearance on Billboard's World Albums Chart, peaking at number
three.[3][32] The album was supported by the singles "Boy in Luv" (Korean: 상 남 자 ; RR: Sang-
namja) and "Just One Day" (Korean: 하 루만 ; RR: Haruman), which peaked at number 45 and
number 149 in Korea, respectively. [33] While Skool Luv Affair musically retained much of their hip-
hop influences with the incorporation of R&B and hard rock, the album coincided with a thematic
shift from dreams and happiness to love, focusing on school-age and youthful love.
[34]
 Following Skool Luv Affair's release, BTS made several appearances on Korean music shows
and held their first fan meeting that March with an audience of 3,000 fans in  Seoul.[35][36] That July,
BTS held their first concert in the United States in West Hollywood for free to an audience of 200
fans.[37] In August, the group also made their first appearance at KCON in Los Angeles.[38]
In August 2014, BTS released their first Korean studio album, Dark & Wild, which peaked at
number two in Korea and sold over 200,000 copies total. [39] It was supported by two singles:
"Danger" and "War of Hormone" (Korean: 호 르 몬 전 쟁 ; RR: Horeumon Jeonjaeng), which
peaked at number 58 and number 173 in Korea, respectively. [40] The album served as a narrative
extension of the “school trilogy” and a transition into their next series. Musically, the album fused
the grungy electric guitar sounds of rock within the framework of hip-hop and continued to
expand their sound towards R&B. The central theme of the album's lyrics focused on expressing
the sentiments of maturing, youthful desires, and impatience for romance. [41] During production of
the album, BTS recorded their single "Danger" in a makeshift studio in a garage in Los Angeles.
[42]
 Following several appearances on Korean music shows, [43] BTS embarked on their first concert
tour, 2014 BTS Live Trilogy Episode II: The Red Bullet, from October to December, held in
various halls and theaters in six cities: Seoul, Kobe, Tokyo, Manila, Singapore, and Bangkok.[44]
Their first Japanese studio album, Wake Up (2014), released that December, peaked at number
three on the weekly Oricon Albums Chart and sold 28,000 copies. [45] Along with re-recorded
Japanese versions of older songs, it also contained the original tracks "Wake Up" and "The
Stars."[46] In support of the album, BTS held their 1st Japan Tour 2015 Wake Up: Open Your
Eyes in February 2015 to an audience of 25,000 fans in four cities. [47] After ending their Japan
tour, BTS held their second solo concert in Korea, BTS Live Trilogy Episode I: BTS Begins, in
March to a crowd of 6,500 fans.[48]

2015–2016: Mainstream breakthrough and commercial success

Shifting their sound and image from solely aggressive, masculine hip hop to more diverse styles,
[49]
 BTS wanted to express the beauty and anxiousness of "youth" and settled on the title of " 花樣
年華" (Korean: 화양연화; RR: Hwayangyeonhwa), loosely interpreted to define "youth" as "the
most beautiful moment in life." [50] Their third EP, The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 1 (March
2015), explored the growth and emotional agony of youth as well as its playful and uplifting sides.
[49]
 Fuse included it as the only Korean album on their list of the "27 Best Albums of 2015 So
Far."[51] The EP has sold over 415,000 copies to date. [52] Its lead single "I Need U" was BTS' first
top five hit in Korea[53] and garnered BTS first ever music show win on SBS MTV's The Show.
[54]
 While its second single, "Dope (Korean: 쩔 어 ; RR: Jjeoreo)", only peaked at number 44 in
Korea,[55] it peaked at number three on Billboard's World Digital Songs Chart [56] and became their
first music video to accrue over 100 million views on YouTube in October.[57] The group began the
world tour extension of their Red Bullet Tour in June, titled 2015 Live Trilogy Episode II: The Red
Bullet, visiting cities throughout Asia, Oceania, North America, and Latin America. [44] Their fourth
Japanese single, "For You", was released on June 17 to celebrate the first anniversary of their
Japanese debut and topped Oricon's daily chart, selling over 42,000 copies within its first day.
[58]
 BTS later performed at Japan's Summer Sonic Festival on August 15 and 16.[59][60]
In November, BTS commenced their third concert tour, 2015 BTS LIVE "The Most Beautiful
Moment in Life: On Stage", debuting their new song and the lead single from their fourth EP The
Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 2, "Run", during the Seoul dates. [61] Thematically, the EP
focused more on the serious and speculative aspects of youth, touching on the pursuit of
success, loneliness, affection for their origins, and the suffering of the younger generation due to
unfavorable conditions in current society. Critically, it was praised as the successful merging of
the style of The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 1 with BTS' initial identity. [62] The album
topped the weekly Gaon Album and Billboard World Albums charts and BTS became the first K-
pop act to remain atop the latter for multiple weeks. [63][64] It also marked their first appearance on
the Billboard 200 chart, peaking at number 171 with over 5,000 copies. [65] BTS were
awarded Best World Performer at the 17th Mnet Asian Music Awards in recognition of their
international fan base.

BTS performing at KCON France in Paris on June 2, 2016.

Their first Korean compilation album and the finale to their "youth series", The Most Beautiful
Moment in Life: Young Forever, was released in May 2016. It included three new singles: the top
40 hit "Epilogue: Young Forever", the top 10 hit "Fire" (Korean: 불타오르네; RR: Bultaoreune),
and the top 20 hit "Save Me".[66][67] The album topped Gaon Weekly Chart in Korea for two
consecutive weeks and peaked at number 107 on the U.S. Billboard 200.[68][69][70] The Most
Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever later won BTS' first major Korean award for Album of
the Year at the 8th Melon Music Awards.[71] BTS embarked on their Asia tour extension, 2016
BTS LIVE "The Most Beautiful Moment in Life On Stage: Epilogue", from May to August, visiting
10 cities and performing to 144,000 fans. [72] During their tour, BTS held a landmark two-day
concert at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul in May,[73] and performed as first time
headliners at both U.S. KCON shows held that year in Newark (June) and Los Angeles (July), to
sold-out audiences.[74][75] In line with their other successes, they became the first K-pop group to
receive their own Twitter emoji in May 2016.[76]
BTS win their first major Korean award for Album of the Year at the 8th Melon Music Awards on November
19, 2016.

In September 2016, BTS released their second Japanese studio album Youth.[77] It sold over
44,000 copies on its first day of release and peaked at number one in Japan.[78] Pre-orders for
their second Korean studio album Wings, released in October 2016, accumulated over 500,000
copies within the first week. [79] Wings combined the themes of youth presented in their previous
"youth series" with temptation and adversity and, for the first time as a major group effort,
included seven solo tracks that demonstrated each members' potential and individuality as
independent musicians.[80] The album was generally well received by critics, with Rolling
Stone naming it "one of the most conceptually and sonically ambitious pop albums of
2016,"[81] while Fuse praised the "vulnerable and honest song material" and diverse tracks. [82] The
lead single "Blood Sweat & Tears" achieved a music chart "all-kill" in South Korea [83] and became
their first number one hit on the weekly Gaon Digital Chart. [84] Its music video gained over 6
million views within 24 hours, breaking the previous record held on YouTube for the highest
number of views of a K-pop group music video within 24 hours. [85] Wings opened at number 26 on
the U.S. Billboard 200, the highest chart ranking ever for a K-pop album, [86] and BTS became the
first Korean group to top the Billboard Social 50 chart that month.[87] It was their first "million
seller" album,[88] moving over 1.5 million copies in South Korea that year and became the best-
selling album in Gaon Album Chart history at the time.[89] BTS were the first artist not from a "Big
Three" entertainment company (SM, YG and JYP) to win Artist of the Year at the 18th Mnet
Asian Music Awards in December.[90][91]

2017: International expansion and collaborations

In February 2017, BTS released the repackaged edition of Wings (2016), entitled You Never
Walk Alone. Pre-orders of the repackage reached over 700,000 copies, breaking the record for
most albums sold in a month. [92][93] The repackage included an additional four tracks that offered
consolation and encouragement to its listeners. [94] Its lead single, "Spring Day" (Korean: 봄 날 ;
RR: Bomnal) met critical praise as "an intelligent, compelling and elegantly restrained study of
loss and longing" that "deliberately avoids cliché pomp and drama" by Dazed Digital.
[95]
 Embodying nostalgia and sorrow, it opened a new chapter in BTS' aesthetics and lyricism and
attracted fans across generational boundaries. [80] Upon release, "Spring Day" topped eight of the
major South Korean online music charts, as well as Gaon, [96][97] and crashed Melon's digital chart
due to the high influx of user traffic. [98] It also entered the U.S. Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot
100 singles chart at number 15 with "zero promotions." [99] As evidence of its staying power,
"Spring Day" is the longest-charting song on Melon to date. [100] "Spring Day" later won Best Song
of the Year at the 9th Melon Music Awards.[101][102]

BTS at their press conference in Seoul, South Korea after winning Top Social Artist at the 24th Billboard
Music Awards on May 29, 2017.
In conjunction with the release of You Never Walk Alone, BTS commenced their second world
tour, 2017 BTS Live Trilogy Episode III: The Wings Tour, from February to December. The tour
visited 12 countries including Brazil, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and the United States and
gathered 550,000 fans.[103] On the tour, BTS began to play progressively larger venues, moving
from halls into arenas and domes. Tickets for the North American leg sold out within minutes and
two additional shows were added due to high demand, making BTS the first K-pop act to sell out
arenas in the United States.[104][105] After completing their North American leg, BTS attended the
24th Billboard Music Awards in May and won Top Social Artist, becoming the first Korean group
awarded a Billboard Music Award.[106]
Celebrating Korean music icon Seo Taiji's 25th anniversary as a part of his anniversary project
"Time: Traveler", BTS released a remake of Seo Taiji's 1995 classic "Come Back Home" in July
2017, reworking the sound and lyrics to similar sentiments toward societal change that Seo Taiji
argued for in his songs.[107] BTS was later invited by Seo Taiji to perform as backup vocalists and
dancers for eight songs in his Seoul Olympic Stadium concert held early September. During the
concert, Seo Taiji acknowledged BTS' thematic similarities to his music and recognized the
group as his musical successors, declaring, "This is your generation now. Show them." [108][109]
Following the depiction of growth and temptation in Wings (2016) and consolation in You Never
Walk Alone (2017), BTS embarked on their "Love Yourself" series which sought the
enlightenment of self-love through the " 起 承轉 結 " (Korean: 기승 전결 ; RR: Giseungjeongyeol)
narrative sequence of "beginning, development, turn, and conclusion." [110] In September 2017,
BTS released the first part of the series, their fifth EP, Love Yourself: Her[111] and featured music
from the Chainsmokers' Andrew Taggart for the track "Best of Me". [112] The EP was supported by
two singles: the lead single "DNA" and a Steve Aoki remix of their song "Mic Drop" featuring
American rapper Desiigner. In the narrative sequence, the EP represented the " 承 ," or
"development" of the series and is considered by RM to be one of the major turning points in
BTS' career.[113] Within the larger narrative, Love Yourself: Her described the joy and happiness of
falling in love.[110] Sonically, the EP served as "a dual exploration of the group's electro-pop and
hip-hop leanings," with the first half consisting of “dance tracks that emphasize the group's
vocals" while in the second half "the act's hip-hop side arrives in earnest...delivering powerful rap
performances."[114]

BTS at the 45th American Music Awards shortly before making their debut performance on U.S. television
on November 19, 2017.

Commercially, BTS continued to hit new career heights with the Love Yourself: Her EP, debuting
at number seven on the Billboard 200 with 31,000 album-equivalent units.[115] In Korea, the EP
sold over 1.2 million copies on the Gaon Album Chart in its first month, achieving the highest
monthly album sales in the chart's history and the highest on any Korean chart in 16 years,
second to g.o.d's Chapter 4 album in 2001.[116] The single "DNA" was released simultaneously
with the EP and debuted at number two in Korea. Its music video broke the previous record for
most viewed K-pop group music video within the first 24 hours with more than 20 million views
on YouTube.[117] "DNA" also became the group's first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 85,
making BTS the first K-pop boy band to do so and the second Korean act with a Korean-
language song.[118] The following week, "DNA" rose to number 67 and became the highest-
charting song on the Billboard Hot 100 for a K-pop group, beating Wonder Girls' previous record
at number 76.[119] The following single "Mic Drop (Remix)" peaked at number 28 on
the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the first top 40 entry for a K-pop group on the chart. [120][121] Both
"Mic Drop Remix" and "DNA" were later certified Gold [122] by the Recording Industry Association of
America (RIAA)[123] making BTS the first and only Korean artist to receive two certifications.
[124]
 "Mic Drop" went on to receive Platinum certification in November 2018, making BTS the first
Korean group with a Platinum-certified single in the United States. [125] In December 2017, "DNA"
and "Mic Drop" were released as a triple-A side single in Japan with the new song "Crystal
Snow",[126] which topped the Oricon Chart [127] and became the highest-selling single from a K-pop
artist within a week.[128] The single sold more than 380,000 copies by the end of the year and BTS
became the only foreign artist to have a single certified double platinum by the RIAJ that year. [129]
[130][131][132][133]

In November 2017, BTS became the first K-pop group to perform at the American Music Awards,
[134][135]
 raising their profile internationally.[136][137] That same month, Guinness World
Records revealed that BTS had earned a spot in their 2018 edition for "having the world's most
Twitter engagements for a music group". [138] In December, they also became the first K-pop group
to perform on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve to welcome the new year[139] and made their
Japanese TV music show debut on TV Asahi's Japan Music Station Super Live.[140] At the end of
the year, BTS won their second Artist of the Year at the 19th Mnet Asian Music Awards,
[141]
 becoming the first act to win the award two years in a row. [142][143] They also became the first
artist outside of the "Big Three" to win major awards at the Golden Disc Awards[144] and the Seoul
Music Awards, respectively.[145]

2018: Worldwide recognition

In the lead up to their next album, BTS released an original eight-episode documentary series
exclusively on YouTube Premium entitled Burn the Stage that ran from March until May 2018,
offering a behind-the-scenes look at the group's 2017 Wings Tour. [146][147] In April, the group also
released their third Japanese studio album, Face Yourself,[148] which debuted at number 43 on
the Billboard 200 as the third-highest-charting Japanese album in the history of the chart. [149] In
conjunction with the release of Face Yourself, the group released a nine-minute short film titled
"Euphoria: Theme of Love Yourself: Wonder," which featured the song "Euphoria" and embodied
the "起" or "beginning" of the narrative sequence.[150]

BTS at their press conference for Love Yourself: Tear on May 24, 2018.

In May 2018, BTS released their third Korean-language studio album, Love Yourself: Tear in
conjunction with an appearance at the 25th Billboard Music Awards.[151] At the show, BTS debuted
as performers with the premiere of their lead single, "Fake Love"[152] and won Top Social Artist,
making them the only Korean artist to win the award two years in a row. [153][154] In the narrative
sequence, the album coincided with the " 轉 " or "turn" of the series, touching on the tortuous
enlightenment of loving without being loved and encouragement to those without dreams. [155] It
received generally positive reviews from critics. Caitlin Kelley from Billboard described the album
as "one of their most thematically cohesive yet sonically varied albums, with maximalist
production erupting against lyrics about emptiness," [156] while Sheldon Pearce of Pitchfork wrote
that the album "formula is a slick, loosely thematic album about love and loss, with a stronger
focus on rapping than ever before" and that it "aims for cohesion and produces fun, prismatic
songs in the process."[157]
Commercially, Love Yourself: Tear was one of BTS' most successful albums, bringing them to
new heights both domestically and internationally. The album debuted at number one on the
U.S. Billboard 200 with 135,000 album-equivalent units (including 100,000 pure album sales),
becoming BTS' highest-charting and first number one album in the US, the first K-pop album to
top the U.S. albums chart, and the highest-charting album by an Asian act. [158][159] Love Yourself:
Tear also became BTS' first top ten hit in the United Kingdom, reaching number eight on the UK
Albums Chart.[160] Their single "Fake Love" became their first top ten hit at number 10 on
the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the seventeenth non-English song to reach the top ten and the
first by a Korean group. [161][162] "Fake Love" later became their third single to attain Gold
certification by the RIAA that August. [163] In South Korea, Love Yourself: Tear sold over 1.6 million
copies in its first two weeks, making it the highest monthly sales for an album since the Gaon
Chart's inception at that time.[164]
As the conclusion of the Love Yourself series, BTS released their second Korean compilation
album Love Yourself: Answer in August 2018,[165] which contained songs from the previous Love
Yourself releases along with seven additional new tracks. [166] The album was supported by the
lead single "Idol" and the alternative digital release featuring Nicki Minaj.[167][168] Thematically, Love
Yourself: Answer placed the songs of the Love Yourself series within the narrative of beginning,
development, turn and conclusion to illustrate the excitement of love, the pains of farewell, and
the enlightenment of self-love. [169] Critically, the album received generally positive reviews,
with Billboard calling it a "masterful culmination of years of work and rife with meaning" and
"undeniably a magnum opus from BTS that that few other artists, boy bands or otherwise, ever
can hope to achieve."[170]
Commercially, the record sold over 1.9 million copies on the Gaon Album Chart in August 2018,
breaking the chart's all-time monthly record once again. [171] The album became BTS' second
number-one album on the U.S. Billboard 200 and their highest sales week in the country at that
time,[172] making BTS the only K-pop act with two Billboard 200 toppers and the first pop act with
two number one albums in less than a year since One Direction topped the chart with Midnight
Memories in 2013 and Four in 2014.[172] Love Yourself: Answer later became the first Korean
language album to be certified Gold by the RIAA in November. [125] In Canada, Love Yourself:
Answer became the group's first number-one album on the Canadian Albums Chart. In the
United States, "Idol" peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.[173] The single "Idol" also
reached number five on the Canadian Singles Chart, marking BTS' first top-ten hit in Canada.
[174]
 The music video for "Idol" received over 45 million views in its first 24 hours on YouTube,
breaking the record previously set by Taylor Swift with "Look What You Made Me Do".[175] "Idol"
and Love Yourself: Answer later received platinum certifications, both selling more than one
million certified units in the United States. "Idol" became the group's third Platinum single
while Answer became the group's first Platinum album, making BTS the first Korean artist to
attain this certification in the US.[176]

New York City's Citi Field, the venue for BTS' first stadium concert in the United States, sold out in 20
minutes.

In conjunction with Love Yourself: Answer's release in August 2018, BTS commenced their third
world tour, BTS World Tour: Love Yourself, with a landmark concert in the Seoul Olympic
Stadium, the largest stadium in South Korea. [177] During their tour, BTS also featured on Steve
Aoki's single "Waste It on Me" released that October, which was their first and only all-English
language feature.[178][179] On tour, BTS continued to play to progressively larger venues from
arenas to domes to stadiums. For the final stop of the North American leg, the group performed
at Citi Field in Queens, marking the first time a Korean act has performed at a U.S. stadium.
[180]
 All 40,000 tickets for the stadium date sold out in under 20 minutes. [181] According
to StubHub BTS was one of 2018's best-selling concerts in international markets outside the US,
second to only Ed Sheeran.[182] Vivid Seats named BTS the 2018 artist of the year, citing the
group's history-making concert at Citi Field. [183] The tour also received generally positive reviews
from critics. Philip Cosores from Uproxx described BTS' four nights at the Staples Center as an
"enormous, multi-sensory experience" bringing an "inclusive" and "multicultural experience"
where music is above any language barrier, [184] while Crystal Bell from MTV said "BTS have
created an experience so captivating, so inclusive, and so visually stunning that it's cemented the
boy band as one of the most vital acts in pop music today." [185] That October, with more than a
year remaining in their contract, BTS renewed their contract with Big Hit Entertainment through
2026.[186]
In early November 2018, a popular Japanese music show cancelled BTS' performance citing a
T-shirt a member wore the year before. [187] In the same month the Jewish human rights
organization Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) stated BTS owed victims an apology for the shirt
in 2017, clothing with Nazi symbolism, and a flag. [188] Big Hit Entertainment issued an apology,
saying that the images on the clothing were not intended to be hurtful to the victims of Nazism or
atomic bombings, and that the group and management would take steps to prevent future
mistakes. They also stated the flags were meant to be a commentary on the Korean school
system.[189] The apology was accepted by SWC and the Korean Atomic Bomb Victim Association.
[190][191]

Crossing over to film, BTS released Burn the Stage: The Movie in theaters worldwide in
November 2018 to commercial success. In the United States it accumulated $1.2  million on
opening day for a total of $3.54 million over the three day weekend, breaking the record for the
highest grossing event cinema musical production which was previously set in 2014 by the band
One Direction. It ranked at number ten in the box office despite selling at only 620 locations
compared to the 2,000-4,000 locations for the other top ten sellers.[192]
At the end of the year, BTS won their third Artist of the Year at the 20th Mnet Asian Music
Awards in a row and ranked number eight on Billboard's year-end Top Artist Chart alongside the
likes of Drake and Taylor Swift and were also the number two act of the year in the Duo/Group
ranking, only behind Imagine Dragons.[193][194] They also made the Bloomberg 50 due to their
"willingness to address social issues, mental health, and politics, despite being in a genre often
painted as bubble gum pop". [195] The group sold more than ten millions albums in South Korea
alone, with five million being sold in 2018 alone. [196]

2019: Map of the Soul: Persona, stadium world tour and BTS

World
In February 2019, BTS attended the 61st Grammy Awards as award presenters.[197][198] It was their
first time attending the event following an appearance by the group at the  LA Grammy
Museum in 2018.[199][200]
In April, BTS became the first Asian act to surpass 5 billion streams on Spotify,
[201]
 and Time named them as one of Time 100's most influential people of 2019. [202] Their sixth
EP, Map of the Soul: Persona, was released on April 12 with the lead single "Boy with Luv"
(Korean: 작 은 것 들 을 위 한 시 ; RR: Jageun geotdeureul wihan si), featuring American
singer Halsey.[203] The EP's release was followed by a performance on Saturday Night Live, as the
first Korean act to do so.[204] The group's appearance was anticipated as one of the biggest in the
show's history.[205] Commercially, BTS reached new career heights. Map of the Soul:
Persona became the first Korean-language album to reach the number one position in both the
UK and Australia[206][207] and the group's third consecutive album to top the Billboard 200 and the
third within eleven months, joining the likes of the Beatles, who achieved the same in 1995–96.
BTS are also the fastest group to get three number one albums since The Monkees in 1967.
[208]
 The EP became the best selling physical album in the US for the year of 2019, with 312,000
physical sales.[209] Map of the Soul: Persona later became the best-selling album ever in South
Korea, with more than 3.2 million sales in less than a month. Prior to BTS, the best-selling were
dominated by late 1990s albums, making BTS the only act formed after 2000 to be featured in
the top 10 best-selling list.[210] "Boy with Luv" debuted at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, the
highest in history for a Korean group, [211] and its music video became the most-viewed online
video within the first 24 hours as of 2019, accumulating more than 74.6 million views.[212] "Boy with
Luv" was certified in multiple countries, including Australia where it was certified Gold for selling
35,000 units,[213] and the US where the RIAA certified it Platinum for selling over one million units.
  "Boy with Luv" was also certified Silver by the BPI, for selling over 200,000 units, making it
[214]

BTS' first single to attain this certification in the UK. [215]Map of the Soul: Persona also attained
Silver in the UK and Gold in France, selling over 60,000 units and 50,000 units respectively. [216][217]

BTS performing at Pasadena, California's Rose Bowl in front of 60,000 fans.

Following their two wins at the 26th Billboard Music Awards in May, including for Top Duo/Group,
BTS embarked on their world tour stadium extension, Love Yourself: Speak Yourself, with dates
in multiple stadium venues including Wembley Stadium, Stade de France, MetLife
Stadium, Rose Bowl, and Soldier Field.[218] With this they became the first Asian and first non-
English speaking artist ever to headline and sell out Wembley Stadium. [219][220] Their concerts at
Rose Bowl had broken the record for highest-grossing single engagement in the venue's
Boxscore history, surpassing Taylor Swift's and U2's previous dates there. [221] All dates sold out
within two hours, with second dates for all venues added due to the high demand. [222] During the
tour, BTS performed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert [223] and kicked off Good Morning
America's 'Summer Concert Series' as headliners at Central Park in Manhattan.[224] They also
performed on the finale episode of The Voice[225] and one of the semi-finals of Britain's Got Talent.
[226]

In the lead up to the release of their new mobile game BTS World set for June 2019, BTS
released three collaboration singles, "Dream Glow" featuring English singer Charli XCX,[227] "A
Brand New Day" with Swedish singer Zara Larsson,[228] and "All Night" featuring American
rapper Juice Wrld.[229] The group also released the song "Heartbeat" with a music video from the
game's official soundtrack, titled BTS World: Original Soundtrack.[230] The soundtrack was later
certified Double Platinum by Gaon on August 8 for surpassing 500,000 copies sold, the first
soundtrack album to receive the certification since Gaon implemented it last year. [231] Developed
by South Korean company Netmarble, the game was released on June 26
to iOS and Android systems in over 175 countries. [232] BTS released their tenth Japanese single
"Lights" on July 3.[233] Pre-orders for the double A-side single surpassed 1 million copies, breaking
a 24-year-old record for foreign artists previously held only by Celine Dion with her 1995 single
"To Love You More", and marked the first time a Korean artist achieved a million shipment for a
single in Japan.[234][235] "Lights" went on to sell over one million copies and received Million
certification by the RIAJ on August 8, the first time a male act achieved this since Masafumi
Akikawa's August 2007 single, "A Thousand Winds". It is BTS' first million certification in Japan
since their debut.[236]
Love Yourself: Her and Love Yourself: Tear both crossed 2 million copies in August,[237] and Love
Yourself: Tear was awarded Double Million certification by Gaon. It is BTS' second album to do
so following Love Yourself: Answer's certification in October 2018.[238][239] All three albums of
the Love Yourself series have sold more than 2 million copies each in South Korea. Love
Yourself: Tear later attained Silver in the UK, becoming their third album to be attain this
certification following Love Yourself: Answer and Map of the Soul: Persona.[240]
In October, BTS performed at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, becoming the first
foreign act to perform a solo concert in Saudi Arabia. [241] For the final stop of their record-
breaking Love Yourself: Speak Yourself World Tour, the group held a run of three sold-out nights
at Seoul's Olympic Stadium to close this chapter of their story. [242] According to Billboard's year-
end Boxscore charts, the group grossed over $196 million and played to more than 1.6 million
people across 42 shows in the chart period ranging from November 1, 2018 to October 31, 2019
and ranked third overall on the year-end Top 40 Tours chart behind Ed Sheeran and Pink.[243] The
group outgrossed legacy rock acts like the Rolling Stones, Metallica, and KISS, as well as fellow
boy band the Backstreet Boys, making them the top-grossing touring group of 2019. [244] That
same month, the group released a remix version of the song "Make It Right" featuring American
singer Lauv as the second single from their album Map of the Soul: Persona.[245]
In November, BTS became the first K-pop group to win the Favorite Duo or Group – Pop/Rock at
the 2019 American Music Awards and the Favourite Social Artist award consecutively in 2018
and 2019.[246]
In December, they attended both the 2019 Melon Music Awards and 2019 Mnet Asian Music
Awards. The group became the first artist in the history of K-pop to receive all grand prizes from
both ceremonies; getting four from each award show. [247][248][249] At the end of the year, BTS ranked
number fifteen on Billboard's year-end Top Artist Chart and were also the number two act of the
year in the Duo/Group ranking, only behind Jonas Brothers.[250][251] They were named as 2019
Hitmakers Group of the Year by Variety.[252] They were also the most tweeted-about musicians of
2019.[253] On December 31, 2019, BTS performed in New York City's Times
Square for ABC's Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.[254] At the 34th Golden Disc Awards, BTS
became the first artists in history to win grand prizes in both the physical and digital categories in
a single year.[255] Map of the Soul: Persona was named the second best-selling physical album of
2019 in the U.S. by Nielsen Music only behind Taylor Swift's Lover and was ranked sixth overall
on the chart of Top 10 Albums (Total Sales) in the U.S. [256] BTS wrapped 2019 as the fourth most
successful group on Billboard's Top Billboard 200 Artists - Duo/Group ranking, only
behind Queen, Imagine Dragons and The Beatles.[257]
With strong global sales of 2.5 million pure album units, Map of the Soul: Persona was named as
the third best-selling album of 2019 by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry,
making BTS the first Korean artist to be listed on the Global Top 10 Album Chart for two
consecutive years.[258][259][260] Map of the Soul: Persona was also the second best-selling global
album by a band only behind Arashi's 5x20 All the Best!! 1999–2019.[261] Attributing to the album's
critical and commercial success worldwide, the IFPI named BTS as one of the best-selling artists
of 2019 for a second consecutive year, making them the first non-English speaking act to
achieve this.[262][263]

2020: Map of the Soul: 7, "Dynamite", and Be

In January 2020, BTS released "Black Swan" along with a choreography art film performed by
Slovenian-based MN Dance Company as the first single from their fourth Korean-language
studio album, Map of the Soul: 7.[264][265] Album distributor Dreamus reported that stock pre-orders
of the album reached a record-breaking 4.02 million, breaking the previous record of 2.68 million
held by Map of the Soul: Persona.[266] "Black Swan" debuted at number 57 on the Billboard Hot
100 and number 46 on the UK Official Singles Chart. [267][268] Later that month, BTS performed
alongside Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus, Diplo and Nas at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, making
BTS the first Korean act to perform at the Grammys.[269][270][271]
Map of the Soul: 7 was released on February 21 to universal acclaim. [272][273] The album was
supported by the lead single "On" and an alternative digital release featuring Australian
singer Sia.[274] According to Gaon Chart, Map of the Soul: 7 sold over 4.1 million copies in just
nine days after its release, surpassing the record held by their previous album Map of the Soul:
Persona to become the best-selling album in South Korean history [275][276] and the first album to be
certified Quadruple Million.[277] The album debuted atop the U.S. Billboard 200 with a first-week
tally of 422,000 album-equivalent units, making BTS the fastest group to earn four number one
albums since the Beatles in 1968.[278][279] The album marked the biggest Billboard 200 debut in
2020[280] until The Weeknd's After Hours was released on March 20. [281] The album debuted at
number one in countries such as Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, the
United Kingdom and the U.S., making BTS the first Asian group to top the charts in the world's
five largest music markets.[282] The lead single "On" debuted at number four on the Billboard Hot
100 with 86,000 downloads, becoming BTS' first top five and their biggest sales week for a song.
[283]
 It was the group's third top-ten and highest-charting single on the chart, giving them more top-
ten entries than any other Korean act on the Hot 100. [284][285] In support of the Map of the
Soul album series, BTS were set to embark on their fourth worldwide concert tour and second
stadium tour, Map of the Soul Tour, beginning in April.[286] However, the initial Seoul dates were
cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic,[287] and the rest of the world tour was eventually
postponed.[288]
In March, Big Hit Entertainment launched a video series, "Learn Korean with BTS", on the social
media app Weverse,[289] intended to "make it easy and fun for global fans who have difficulty
enjoying BTS' music and contents due to the language barrier." [289][290] The idea for the project
emerged in reaction to fans asking for English subtitles for BTS' videos. [291] The series consists of
thirty three-minute lessons on Korean expressions and grammar using footage from existing BTS
content on YouTube and VLive, such as "Run BTS!" and "Bangtan Bomb." [289] The videos were
developed in collaboration with experts at the Korean Language Content Institute and Hankuk
University of Foreign Studies.[289]
In April, BTS became the first South Korean artist to sell more than 20  million albums
cumulatively,[292][293] becoming the best-selling artist in South Korean history. [294][295][296] That month,
BTS held a two-day online streaming concert event titled Bang Bang Con, where the group
shared footage of past concerts on their YouTube channel. [297] The virtual concert series, which
lasted 24 hours, was hosted in response to Map of the Soul Tour that had been postponed
earlier in the year, and was a commercial success. [298][299] RM later confirmed that a new album
had begun production but did not reveal a release date. [300]
On June 7, BTS headlined YouTube's Dear Class of 2020 online graduation event, performing
"Boy with Luv", "Spring Day", and "Mikrokosmos". Their commencement speeches highlighted
their own graduations and offered "messages of hope and inspiration for the class of 2020 in
both Korean and English". [301][302] On June 14, BTS held a 100-minute long online live
concert, Bang Bang Con: The Live, as a part of their 7th debut anniversary. The concert was the
first collaborative effort between Big Hit and Kiswe, a live streaming solution company in the US.
It garnered 756,000 concurrent viewers in 107 countries and territories, setting the record for the
largest audience for a paid virtual concert. [303] On June 19, BTS released the Japanese single,
"Stay Gold", from their fourth Japanese studio album, Map of the Soul: 7 – The Journey, which
was released in Japan and digitally worldwide on July 14. [304] The album debuted atop Japan's
Oricon chart and sold over 500,000 copies in its first two days. [305] It surpassed 564,000 copies in
its first week, breaking the 10-year record previously held by TVXQ's Best Selection 2010 for
highest first week album sales by a male foreign artist in Japan and making it the fastest and
best-selling album in the country for 2020 at the time. [306]
BTS released their first English-language single, "Dynamite", on August 21. Its music video broke
the YouTube record for the most viewed premiere, with more than three million viewers, and set
a new record for the most viewed video in the first 24 hours of release. It also became the first
music video on the platform to surpass 100 million views in less than one day. [307] "Dynamite"
debuted at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with over 260,000 pure sales—enough
for it to become the fastest-selling single since Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do"
(2017)—earning BTS their first chart topper and making them the first all-South Korean act
(second Asian act overall) to earn a number one single in the United States. [308] It remained at the
top spot for a second consecutive week,[309] dropped to number two in its third and fourth weeks,
and reclaimed the top spot in its fifth week on the chart. [310] In its fifth tracking week, the single
also reached number one on Billboard's new Global 200 and Global Excluding US charts,
becoming the first single to top both simultaneously. [311] In its sixth tracking week, "Dynamite"
spent its sixth consecutive week at number one on the Digital Song Sales chart and rose to the
39th spot on the Radio Songs chart, becoming their first Top 40 radio entry in the country. [312] The
single debuted at number three on the UK Singles Chart [313] and number two on the Australian
singles chart,[314] becoming their highest-charting single in both countries.
On August 31, BTS made their MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) debut with the first live
performance of "Dynamite"[315] and won four awards: Best Group, Best Choreography, Best Pop
Video, and Best K-pop (the last three for their music video for "On").[316] They performed
"Dynamite"[317] and older tracks such as "Idol", [318] "Home",[319] "Mikrokosmos",[320] and "Black
Swan"[321] on The Tonight Show for their week-long residency during the week of September 28.
On October 14, they performed the single at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards and won the Top
Social Artist award, becoming their fourth consecutive year of winning the award. [322]
On October 2, BTS released a remix of Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo's single "Savage Love
(Laxed – Siren Beat)".[323] It topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, marking the group’s second
number one entry in the United States. Meanwhile, their single "Dynamite" remained at number
two, making BTS the fourth group (after The Beatles, Bee Gees, and OutKast) to simultaneously
occupy the top two spots on the Hot 100. [324] The single also topped the Billboard Global 200,
becoming their second number one entry and making BTS the first artist to have multiple songs
top Billboard's recently-created global singles chart.[325]
On October 10 and 11, BTS hosted a two-day virtual pay-per-view concert, at KSPO Dome in
Seoul, called Map of the Soul ON:E, which broke their own world record for Most viewers for a
paid virtual concert live stream with 993,000 viewers from 191 countries as compared to their
previous record of 756,000 viewers. [326][327]
They are slated to release a new album called Be on November 20, with preorders beginning on
September 28.[328][329][330]  

Members
 Jin (진) – vocalist[532]
 Suga (슈가) – rapper[533]
 J-Hope (제이홉) – rapper[534]
 RM – leader, rapper[535]
 Jimin (지민) – vocalist[536]
 V (뷔) – vocalist[537]
 Jungkook (정국) – vocalist[538]

Discography
Main articles: BTS albums discography and BTS singles discography

Korean-language studio albums Japanese-language s

 Dark & Wild (2014)  Wake Up (201

 Wings (2016)  Youth (2016)
 Love Yourself: Tear (2018)  Face Yourself 
 Map of the Soul: 7 (2020)  Map of the Sou
 Be (2020)

Tours
Main article: List of BTS live performances

 The Red Bullet Tour (2014–2015)

 Wake Up: Open Your Eyes Japan Tour (2015)
 The Most Beautiful Moment in Life On Stage Tour (2015–2016)
 The Wings Tour (2017)
 Love Yourself World Tour (2018–2019)
 Map of the Soul Tour (TBA)

Filmography
See also: BTS videography

Exhibitions
Year Title Country Ref.

[539]
201 "Butterfly Dream: BTS Open Media Exhibition" Korea
5
201 [540]

"BTS Exhibition: 24/7=Serendipity (Five,

Always)" China [541]

201
9
United States [542]

Film
Year Title Role Ref.

201
Burn the Stage: The Movie [543]

Love Yourself in Seoul [544]

201 Themselve
9 s
Bring the Soul: The Movie [545]

202 Break the Silence: The [546]

0 Movie

Television
Year Title Network Note(s) Ref.

201 Rookie King: Channel BTS-based reality show, 8

SBS MTV [547]

3 Bangtan episodes

BTS-based reality show, 3

BTS China Job YinYueTai [548]

episodes

201 BTS-based reality show, 8

American Hustle Life Mnet [549]

4 episodes

Mnet BTS-based reality show, episode

BTS GO! [550]

America 7
201
Mnet 8 episodes [551]

8
Run BTS!
201 JTBC, [552][553]

9 JTBC2

202 BTS-based reality show, 8

In The SOOP BTS Ver. JTBC [554]

0 episodes

Online shows
Year Title Network Note(s) Ref.

2015 BTS Bokbulbok 5 episodes [555]

2015–
BTS GAYO 15 episodes [556]

2017 V Live

2015–
Run BTS! 3 seasons [557]

present

2016– BTS: Bon V

4 seasons of 8 episodes each [558][559]

present Voyage Live, Weverse

YouTube Documentary on BTS' Wings tour, 8

2018 Burn the Stage [560]

Premium episodes

Bring the Soul: Documentary on BTS' Love

2019 Weverse [561]

Docu-series Yourself tour, 6 episodes

2020 Learn Korean

Weverse 30 episodes [562][563]

With BTS

[564][565]
Break the Weverse Documentary on BTS' Love
Silence: Docu- Yourself tour and Speak Yourself tour, 7
Series episodes
 In The SOOP
Weverse BTS-based reality show, 8 episodes [566]

BTS Ver.

Source: Wikipedia