BTS

BTS, also known as Bangtan Sonyeondan or Beyond the Scene, is a South Korean group formed by Big Hit Entertainment. Its seven members are RM, Jin, Suga, j-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook. BTS debuted on June 13, 2013, with “No More Dream,” the lead single from its first single album, 2 Cool 4 Skool. Early releases including O!RUL8,2?, Skool Luv Affair, and Dark & Wild developed school-age anxieties and ambitions in the group’s initial “school trilogy.”

Their breakthrough expanded with The Most Beautiful Moment in Life series, whose installments addressed youth, uncertainty, and loss. The compilation The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever gave BTS its first major Korean year-end prize recognition, while Wings became its first album to sell one million copies in South Korea. In 2017, the group began its Love Yourself era with the EP Her, which included “DNA.” Love Yourself: Tear later became BTS’s first number-one album on the US Billboard 200, making the act the first Korean group to top that chart.

BTS followed with Love Yourself: Answer and the single “Idol,” then released Map of the Soul: Persona in 2019. Its single “Boy with Luv,” featuring Halsey, set a then-record for the most viewed YouTube video premiere. In 2020, BTS reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time with the English-language single “Dynamite.” The group subsequently topped the chart with “Savage Love” remix, “Life Goes On,” “Butter,” “Permission to Dance,” and “My Universe” with Coldplay.

At the 2021 Grammy Awards, “Dynamite” earned BTS a nomination for Best Pop Duo or Group Performance, the first for a Korean pop group. BTS has also spoken at United Nations events, including the 2018 launch of UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited campaign, where RM delivered an address about self-acceptance. In 2022, the members announced that they would focus on individual projects while continuing BTS activities in the future.

Jin began South Korean mandatory military service in December 2022, and the other members later enlisted as well. By June 2024, all seven had completed their service. BTS marked its eleventh anniversary that month through FESTA, a fan event in Seoul. Jin participated in a hug event and performed for attendees at an in-person gathering. Its official fan community is called ARMY, an acronym for Adorable Representative MC for Youth. The members have writing credits across their Korean-language discography and numerous solo releases since then.