BTS

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For other uses, see BTS (disambiguation).

BTS

BTS for Dispatch in 2019

From left to right: Jin, RM, Jungkook, J-Hope, Suga, V, and Jimin

Background information

• Bangtan Boys
Also known as
• Bangtan Sonyeondan

• Beyond the Scene

• Bulletproof Boy Scouts

Origin Seoul, South Korea

Genres • K-pop

• pop

• hip hop

• R&B

• EDM

Years active 2013–present

Labels • Big Hit

• Pony Canyon

• Def Jam Japan[1]

• Columbia[2][3]
 Associated acts Steve Aoki

Website bts.ibighit.com

Members • Jin

• Suga

• J-Hope

• RM

• Jimin

• V

• Jungkook

Korean name

Hangul 방탄소년단

Hanja 防彈少年團

showTranscriptions

Japanese name

Kanji 防弾少年団

Hiragana ぼうだんしょうねんだん

showTranscriptions

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.[4] The septet—composed of Jin, Suga, J-
Hope, RM, 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 and coming-of-age, 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 Grammy-nominated single "Dynamite", becoming the
first group to have three number one debuts on the Hot 100.
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. They are the first and only Asian and non-English speaking act to be
named the IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year (2020) and to chart
on Billboard's Top Touring Artists of the 2010s (placing at number 45). 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".
Throughout their career, BTS received numerous accolades for their work, including
6 American Music Awards, 9 Billboard Music Awards and 24 Golden Disk Awards, and
nominations for a Grammy Award and a Brit Award. 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.

Contents

• 1Name
• 2Career
o 2.12010–2014: Formation and early years
o 2.22014–2017: Mainstream and international breakthrough
▪ 2.2.1Moderate success and first concert tour
▪ 2.2.2Mainstream breakthrough and commercial success
▪ 2.2.3International expansion and collaborations
o 2.32018–2020: Continued worldwide success
▪ 2.3.1Worldwide recognition and Love Yourself album series
▪ 2.3.2Map of the Soul: Persona, stadium world tour and BTS World
▪ 2.3.3Map of the Soul: 7, "Dynamite" and Be
o 2.42021–present: BTS, the Best and "Butter"
• 3Artistry
o 3.1Influences
o 3.2Musical style
o 3.3Lyrical themes
• 4Legacy and cultural impact
 o 4.1Legacy
o 4.2Cultural impact
• 5Awards and achievements
• 6Commercial influence and other ventures
o 6.1Commercial influence
o 6.2Endorsements
o 6.3Philanthropy
o 6.4BTS Universe
• 7Members
• 8Discography
• 9Tours
• 10Filmography
o 10.1Exhibitions
o 10.2Film
o 10.3Television
o 10.4Online shows
• 11References
• 12External links

Name
The group's name, BTS, stands for the Korean expression Bangtan
Sonyeondan (Korean: 방탄소년단; 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".[5][6] In Japan, they are known as Bōdan Shōnendan (防弾少年団), which
translates similarly.[7] In July 2017, BTS announced that their name would also stand for
"Beyond the Scene" as part of their new brand identity.[8] This extended their name to
mean "growing youth BTS who is going beyond the realities they are facing, and going
forward."[9]

Career

BTS in 2013 performing at the Incheon Music Center

2010–2014: Formation and early years

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.[10] BTS was originally supposed to
be a hip-hop group similar to YG Entertainment's 1TYM,[11] 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".[12] 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.[13] 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.[14][15]
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[16]

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.[17][18] While the album peaked at number five in South Korea and eventually sold
over 145,000 copies,[19] it was not a major hit, selling only 24,000 copies in 2013.[20] 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.[21] BTS have stated that from their inception, they were
convinced that telling their story was the only way for the younger generation to relate to
their music.[22] 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.[21] During the production of the album,
Suga and RM rewrote the lyrics of “No More Dream” more than 20 times. [22] The single
album's release was followed by several appearances on Korean music
shows.[23][24] Despite being unpolished, critics say these early live performances
demonstrated BTS' potential with their intense and charismatic stage
presence.[23] Expanding their endeavors to Japan, "No More Dream" was later re-
recorded in Japanese and released in June 2014.[25]
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.[26] The
EP peaked at number four in Korea and has sold over 160,000 copies by 2018,
including 34,000 copies in its release year.[27] 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. [28] Despite
several performances on Korean music shows, the single quickly fell off the
charts.[29] 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.[30] 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.[31]
2014–2017: Mainstream and international breakthrough
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,[4] was released in January
2014 and topped the Gaon Album Chart, selling 100,000 copies in 2014 and over
250,000 copies by 2018.[32] It also marked BTS' first appearance on Billboard's World
Albums Chart, peaking at number three.[4][33] The album was supported by the singles
"Boy in Luv" (Korean: 상남자; RR: Sang-namja) and "Just One Day" (Korean: 하루만;
RR: Haruman), which peaked at number 45 and number 149 in Korea,
respectively.[34] 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.[35] 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.[36][37] That July, BTS held their first concert in the United States in West
Hollywood for free to an audience of 200 fans.[38] In August, the group also made their
first appearance at KCON in Los Angeles.[39]
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 by 2017. [40] It was
supported by two singles: "Danger" and "War of Hormone" (Korean: 호르몬 전쟁;
RR: Horeumon Jeonjaeng), which peaked at number 58 and number 173 in Korea,
respectively.[41] 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.[42] During
production of the album, BTS recorded their single "Danger" in a makeshift studio in a
garage in Los Angeles.[43] Following several appearances on Korean music
shows,[44] 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.[45]
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.[46] Along with
re-recorded Japanese versions of older songs, it also contained the original tracks
"Wake Up" and "The Stars."[47] 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.[48] 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.[49]
Mainstream breakthrough and commercial success
Shifting their sound and image from solely aggressive, masculine hip hop to more
diverse styles,[50] 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."[51] 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.[50] Fuse included it as the only
Korean album on their list of the "27 Best Albums of 2015 So Far."[52] The EP has sold
over 415,000 copies as of 2018.[53] Its lead single "I Need U" was BTS' first top five hit in
Korea[54] and garnered BTS first ever music show win on SBS MTV's The Show.[55] While
its second single, "Dope (Korean: 쩔어; RR: Jjeoreo)", only peaked at number 44 in
Korea,[56] it peaked at number three on Billboard's World Digital Songs Chart[57] and
became their first music video to accrue over 100 million views on YouTube in
October.[58] 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.[45] 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.[59] BTS later
performed at Japan's Summer Sonic Festival on August 15 and 16.[60][61]
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.[62] 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.[63] 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.[64][65] It also marked their first appearance on
the Billboard 200 chart, peaking at number 171 with over 5,000 copies.[66] 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".[67][68] The album
topped Gaon Weekly Chart in Korea for two consecutive weeks and peaked at number
107 on the U.S. Billboard 200.[69][70][71] 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.[72] 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.[73] During their tour, BTS held a landmark two-day concert at
the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul in May,[74] 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.[75][76] In line with their other successes, they became the first K-pop
group to receive their own Twitter emoji in May 2016.[77]

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.[78] It sold
over 44,000 copies on its first day of release and peaked at number one
in Japan.[79] Pre-orders for their second Korean studio album Wings, released in October
2016, accumulated over 500,000 copies within the first week.[80] 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.[81] 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,"[82] while Fuse praised the "vulnerable and honest song material" and diverse
tracks.[83] The lead single "Blood Sweat & Tears" achieved a music chart "all-kill" in
South Korea[84] and became their first number one hit on the weekly Gaon Digital
Chart.[85] 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.[86] Wings opened at number 26 on the U.S. Billboard 200,
the highest chart ranking ever for a K-pop album,[87] and BTS became the first Korean
group to top the Billboard Social 50 chart that month.[88] It was their first "million seller"
album,[89] 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.[90] 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.[91][92]
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.[93][94] The repackage included an additional
four tracks that offered consolation and encouragement to its listeners.[95] Its lead single,
"Spring Day" (Korean: 봄날; 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.[96] Embodying nostalgia and sorrow, it opened
a new chapter in BTS' aesthetics and lyricism and attracted fans across generational
boundaries.[81] Upon release, "Spring Day" topped eight of the major South Korean
online music charts, as well as Gaon,[97][98] and crashed Melon's digital chart due to the
high influx of user traffic.[99] It also entered the U.S. Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot
100 singles chart at number 15 with "zero promotions."[100] As evidence of its staying
power, "Spring Day" is the longest-charting song on Melon to date.[101] "Spring Day" later
won Best Song of the Year at the 9th Melon Music Awards.[102][103]

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.[104] 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.[105][106] 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.[107]
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.[108] 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."[109][110]
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: 기승전결;
RR: Giseungjeongyeol) narrative sequence of "beginning, development, turn, and
conclusion."[111] In September 2017, BTS released the first part of the series, their fifth
EP, Love Yourself: Her[112] and featured music from the Chainsmokers' Andrew Taggart
for the track "Best of Me".[113] 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.[114] Within the larger narrative, Love Yourself: Her described the joy
and happiness of falling in love.[111] 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."[115]

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.[116] 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.[117] 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.[118] "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.[119] 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.[120] 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.[121][122] Both "Mic Drop Remix" and "DNA" were later certified Gold[123] by
the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)[124] making BTS the first and only
Korean artist to receive two certifications.[125] "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.[126] In December 2017, "DNA" and "Mic Drop" were
released as a triple-A side single in Japan with the new song "Crystal Snow",[127] which
topped the Oricon Chart[128] and became the highest-selling single from a K-pop artist
within a week.[129] 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.[130][131][132][133][134]
In November 2017, BTS became the first K-pop group to perform at the American Music
Awards,[135][136] raising their profile internationally.[137][138] 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".[139] 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[140] and made their Japanese TV music show debut on TV
Asahi's Japan Music Station Super Live.[141] At the end of the year, BTS won their
second Artist of the Year at the 19th Mnet Asian Music Awards,[142] becoming the first act
to win the award two years in a row.[143][144] They also became the first artist outside of the
"Big Three" to win major awards at the Golden Disc Awards[145] and the Seoul Music
Awards, respectively.[146]