BTS

BTS started as an idea in 2010, when Big Hit Entertainment CEO Bang Si-hyuk recruited underground Seoul rapper Kim Namjoon (RM) as the foundation of a new hip-hop group. What began as a small-label hip-hop act quickly evolved into something the music world had never seen. When BTS debuted on June 13, 2013, with the single album 2 Cool 4 Skool and its lead track “No More Dream,” they were nobody’s first pick to change the industry. The song dared to challenge South Korea’s suffocating academic pressure taboo territory for a rookie K-pop act and that fearlessness became BTS’s defining trait.

Their “School Trilogy” of early releases 2 Cool 4 Skool, O!RUL8,2?, and Skool Luv Affair built a small but intensely loyal fanbase. By 2014, they had named their fans A.R.M.Y and were performing in the United States for the first time. The “Youth Trilogy” (2015–2016) pushed them toward global recognition, with The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 1 and its lead single “I Need U” earning their first music show win. Their second studio album, Wings (2016), became the first BTS album to sell over one million copies in South Korea.

The real global explosion came in 2017. Their Love Yourself era spanning Her, Tear, and Answer turned BTS into a worldwide phenomenon. Love Yourself: Tear (2018) became the first album by a Korean act to top the Billboard 200, and BTS became the first K-pop group to perform at the Wembley Stadium and the Rose Bowl. Their speeches at the United Nations General Assembly and their LOVE MYSELF anti-violence campaign with UNICEF showed the world that BTS was a cultural force, not just a pop group.

The Map of the Soul era (2019–2020) shattered new records. Map of the Soul: 7 became the best-selling album in South Korean history at the time. Then came “Dynamite” in August 2020 their first all-English single, a disco-pop ray of hope during the COVID-19 pandemic. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making BTS the first Korean act to do so. A string of number-one singles followed: “Savage Love (Remix),” “Life Goes On,” “Butter,” “Permission to Dance,” and “My Universe” (with Coldplay) making them the fastest act to earn six US No. 1 singles since the Beatles in 1966.

On June 14, 2022, BTS announced a pause in group activities for mandatory military service. All seven members served, with the final member, Suga, discharged in June 2025. During this hiatus, every member released acclaimed solo projects. They reunited publicly on July 1, 2025, via Weverse Live, confirming a new group album for early 2026.

ARIRANG dropped on March 20, 2026 their tenth studio album and first group release in nearly four years. It debuted at No. 1 in 25+ countries, became their seventh Billboard 200 No. 1, and spawned their seventh US No. 1 single, “Swim.” The accompanying Arirang World Tour (April 2026 – March 2027), spanning 65+ shows globally, is projected to generate over one billion dollars USD. On July 19, 2026, BTS will perform alongside Madonna and Shakira at the 2026 FIFA World Cup halftime show in New Jersey.

As of June 2026, BTS is the only artist in history to have amassed 80 million followers/subscribers across YouTube, Instagram, Spotify, and TikTok simultaneously.