BTS turned a South Korean boy band into the biggest pop act on the planet and carried K-pop into the global mainstream. The seven-member group, made up of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook, debuted in Seoul in 2013 under a small label called Big Hit. Within a decade they were topping the Billboard charts, selling out stadiums and breaking records that had stood since the Beatles. Their fans, known as ARMY, are among the most devoted in music.
From Big Hit to the world
BTS started as a hip-hop-rooted group with little of the backing the major Korean labels enjoyed. They built their following one release at a time, and by 2018 Love Yourself: Tear became the first Korean album to top the Billboard 200. Their lyrics, often about mental health, self-acceptance and the pressures on young people, set them apart from typical pop fare.
Dynamite and a record-breaking run
In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, BTS released “Dynamite”, their first all-English single. It debuted at number one on the Hot 100, a first for an all-South Korean act. “Savage Love”, “Life Goes On”, “Butter” and “Permission to Dance” followed, making them the fastest group to earn six number-one singles since the Beatles in the 1960s.
My Universe and the Grammys
In 2021 they teamed with Coldplay on “My Universe”, the first collaboration between two groups to debut at number one. BTS also became the first K-pop act nominated for a Grammy, earning five nominations across “Dynamite”, “Butter” and “My Universe”. They opened doors for Korean-language music in a Western industry that had long kept it at arm’s length.
Hiatus and reunion
In 2022 the group paused to pursue solo projects and to complete South Korea’s mandatory military service, which all seven members finished by June 2025. They reunited that summer and announced a new album and world tour. Arirang, their first group album since 2022, arrived in March 2026, with a comeback concert in Seoul streamed around the world.
Most loved songs
A spread across the catalogue. Each title opens through the in-site player.
- MembersRM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, Jungkook
- Debuted2013, Seoul
- GenresK-pop, hip-hop, pop
- FanbaseARMY
- Grammy nominations5
- Also known for“Dynamite”, the first Hot 100 number one for a Korean act
From an English-language smash to a Korean-language anthem you cannot quite place, the odds are good a BTS song has been stuck in your head. Type the line you remember into the search box above and you may find it leads back to them.