BTS, the group that has made their name beyond the realm of K-pop and hit several milestones across their career has hit their ten-year mark. In the world of K-pop, anniversaries are one of the greatest milestones of an artist’s career. But when that career hits double digits —not just one, not even seven, but ten years, that’s quite a feat. Here’s a brief summary of the group’s greatest achievements so far.
2013-2014: The Early Days
When it comes to underdog stories, BTS (stands for Bulletproof Boy Scouts) has the most riveting and rewarding story. The group of seven began their journey to stardom on June 13th, 2013, when they performed their debut single “No More Dream” on Mnet’s MCountdown.
With nothing but their “hip-hop swag” and knock-off designer clothing, the Bulletproof Boy Scouts took the stage for the first time. It was not very surprising that the public did not receive the group very well at first. During the first few years of their career, hip-hop was a very popular concept for boy groups. Additionally, BTS came from a record label called Big Hit Entertainment, which was on the brink of bankruptcy. As much as the boys wanted to make it in the highly competitive K-pop industry, their company was just as desperate.
In their early years, BTS hustled for any kind of promotion to get their name out. Whether it was a free concert, several music show appearances, or a variety show filmed in America, BTS did whatever they could to get their name and attract fans. During this era, they released two more EPs and a full album, staying true to their hip-hop concept. They also embarked on their first U.S. tour in early 2015 and met with modest success.
2015-2016: The Breakthrough
In April 2015, BTS came back with a new look and new concept: youth. A departure from their usual hip-hop concept, ‘The Most Beautiful Moment In Life Pt. 1’ focused on what youth means as well as their personal journey. The accompanying music video for lead single “I NEED U” also introduced the BTS Universe (or HYYH Storyline), which inspired later groups to adopt the same storytelling music video concept. But most importantly, the group earned their first music show win on SBS The Show, proving that the group’s domestic presence was growing. Later that year, they released a follow-up EP and embarked on their Asia tour.
Their domestic success carried over into 2016 with their first album repackage, as well as the go-to K-pop cover song “Fire.” Later that year, they also released their second full album ‘Wings’ and the music video for “Blood, Sweat & Tears,” which featured a new concept based on Herman Hesse’s novel Demian. At the Melon Music Awards, they earned their first daesang, or grand prize, of their career.
(Note: In K-pop, the daesang is similar to a Grammy.)
2017-2019: BTS Break Into The US
Riding on the wave of 2016’s success, 2017 was when BTS started to gain more traction—this time outside of their home country. But first, they came back with another album repackage, including lead singles “Not Today” and “Spring Day.” The latter became the group’s most successfully charting song to date. In May, BTS attended the 24th Billboard Music Awards and received the award for Top Social Media Artist. They were the first K-pop artist to win the award, winning over Justin Bieber. They also embarked on their first world tour and visited twelve countries.
Later that year, BTS released ‘Love Yourself: Her,’ the first album in their Love Yourself trilogy. They performed the lead single “DNA” for their first televised debut at the 45th American Music Awards. They also released a remix of the B-side “MIC Drop” with Steve Aoki and Desiigner, their first major collaboration with an American artist.
In 2018, the band continued the trilogy with their third studio album, ‘Love Yourself: Tear.’ They performed the lead single “FAKE LOVE” for the first time ever at the 25th Billboard Music Awards. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming the first Korean album to top the US Albums chart and the highest-charting album by an Asian act. Their success carried into the final installment of their trilogy and another world tour, as well as more daesangs and more domestic success.
2019 was when BTS truly became unstoppable. They achieved a perfect all-kill on the charts with “Boy With Luv” and held a sold-out U.S. stadium tour. They also had their first appearance at the Grammys. At the year-end awards ceremonies, BTS swept all of the daesang categories and had a historic 37-minute set at the 2019 Melon Music Awards. They were truly a force to be reckoned with in the K-pop industry.
2020-2021: Making it through the pandemic
Before COVID-19 forced the world to shut down, BTS released ‘Map Of The Soul: 7.’ However, the group had to cancel their first major world stadium tour and halt album promotions. They did make the most out of their time indoors, as they released their first English single “Dynamite.” The song debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned them their first Grammy nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. They also released ‘Be,’ which the members directly participated in, from the concept photos to the album packaging. The lead single, “Life Goes On,” was their first Korean-language single to debut at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Unfortunately, BTS didn’t win the Grammy for “Dynamite,” but they did release another English single “Butter.” The song earned them another nomination, but again, they lost. However, they did perform the song at the 64th Grammy Awards in 2021. The group also collaborated with English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran on the song “Permission to Dance.” Later, they released “My Universe” with Coldplay, earning them another Grammy nomination. Despite being snubbed for this award, the song was commercially successful. The song debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the Highest Debut by a UK Group on the US Singles Chart. (Source)
After two years and one month, BTS held their first in-person concert after the pandemic: Permission to Dance On Stage. This kicked off a 12-show run in Los Angeles and Seoul, and concluded in Las Vegas in 2022. In Los Angeles, special guests Megan Thee Stallion and Chris Martin made an appearance, on Day 2 and Day 4 respectively. BTS truly made their comeback and pleasantly surprised ARMY after waiting so long.
2022: The Start of Chapter Two
In June 2022, on their ninth anniversary, BTS released the anthology album ‘PROOF.’ However, they also announced that they would be going on hiatus as a group. The members stated that they would be taking this time to focus on their individual careers. Later, Billboard announced that the group would hold a free concert in Busan to support the city’s efforts to host the World Expo in 2030. Little did ARMY know that this would be the last time BTS would perform as a group… until the members finish their mandatory enlistment, of course.
While ARMY won’t be able to see BTS as seven for a while, the members have since released individual projects.
Jimin released his first solo EP ‘Face,’ accompanied by an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. The lead single “Like Crazy” debuted at #1 on the Hot 100 chart. Suga—under the alias Agust D—released his third solo album ‘D-Day,’ accompanied by a headlining world tour. In the U.S., all pre-sale tickets sold out within minutes.
Jin released a single, “The Astronaut,” co-written by Chris Martin. At Coldplay’s concert in Buenos Aires, he made a guest appearance where he performed the song live. RM released a full album ‘Indigo,’ featuring various Korean music veterans and American R&B artists.
J-Hope released his first solo EP ‘Jack In The Box,’ accompanied by his first headlining festival appearance at Lollapalooza. He and Suga also released a documentary for their respective albums and performances. Right before his military enlistment, J-Hope released a collaboration with J. Cole as a gift to his fans.
So far, members V (vocalist) and Jungkook (main vocalist and maknae) haven’t shared any plans for solo releases. However, there are rumors that Jungkook will release an album in July. Be sure to stay on the lookout for any announcements! But in the meantime, you can tune in to his hours-long lives on Weverse.
What’s your favorite BTS moment from over the years? Let us know in the comments or on our Instagram and Twitter! Happy anniversary to BTS and here’s to many more!
