As BTS celebrates its 10th anniversary on March 13, the group's journey has been marked by the meaning of "firsts" and the "records" they've set to achieve and prove them. From No. 1 on Billboard's main album chart, to the top prize at the U.S. music awards, to a speech at the United Nations, the idol group that started out as "boys defending teenage oppression and prejudice" has, in a decade, transcended K-pop mythology, moved past the 21st-century Beatles, and embraced all the rhetoric that refers to them as BTS itself. Their decade-long record soon became a record of Korean pop culture and a new history. 

Traveling to the mainland to learn hip-hop...hip-hop idols with a 'rebel' image

When BTS debuted in 2013, their initial concept was to be a hip-hop group. Producer Bang Si-hyuk envisioned a hip-hop group centered around leader RM, who was active in underground hip-hop, and chose the name BTS, which has a unique meaning of "boys who defend against teenage oppression and prejudice.

P-Dog (Kang Hyo-won), a senior producer at Big Hit Music who has been with BTS for many years, was so passionate about hip-hop that he chose the name by combining the words "Producer" and "Dogg" from American hip-hop mogul Snoop Dogg. Member Suga had previously been known as 'Gloss' in the Daegu-based hip-hop crew 'D Town'. In the song "Hip Hop Phile" from BTS's 1st regular album "DARK&WILD-2014," where P-Dog, RM, Suga, and J-Hope participated in the lyrics, they revealed their deep love and interest in hip-hop by listing legendary hip-hop musicians and album titles.

Despite emphasizing their hip-hop-based rebel image, BTS gradually expanded their fan base through their relatable music, flawless performances, and friendly interactions with their fans. In particular, the Mnet reality program "American Hustle Life," a travelogue of BTS's 2014 trip to the United States to learn hip-hop on the mainland, where they lived with a 24-hour hip-hop tutor in Los Angeles and performed various hip-hop missions, built a local fan base and paved the way for the group to become a global group.

From No. 1 on Korean airwaves to first Billboard entry with "I Need You

BTS's third mini album, "Hwayang Yeonhwa," released in April 2015, marked a turning point in the group's career, as they shifted their main stage from Korea to the world. With the title track, "I Need You," they scored their first number one on a Korean terrestrial music program, and in November of that year, with their fourth mini album, "Hwayang yeonhwa" Part 2, they entered the U.S. Billboard 200 main album chart at number 171, becoming the first K-pop group from a small or medium-sized agency other than a major label to appear on the chart.Since then, Billboard has become BTS's main stage. Since their first Billboard 200 number one with "Love Yourself All Tier" in 2018, the group has had a total of six albums top the Billboard 200, as well as six songs topping Billboard's main singles chart, the Hot 100. Recently, member Jimin took the top spot with his solo song "Like Crazy. BTS is the first K-pop artist to reach No. 1 on both charts, and is still the only K-pop group to reach No. 1 on the Hot 100.

The influence of BTS's fandom, "Army," a group of millennials who have become the group's most ardent supporters and companions, has begun to impact global charts beyond Billboard. BTS's fourth studio album, MAP OF THE SOUL : 7, released in February 2020, sold more than 4 million copies and swept to the top of the album charts in the world's five largest music markets (U.S., Japan, U.K., Germany, and France).

Since then, BTS has been nominated for the Grammy Awards, the largest popular music award ceremony in the United States, for three consecutive years. In 2021, BTS won the grand prize, Artist of the Year, at the American Music Awards, one of the three major American music awards shows, confirming their status as one of the world's top stars in K-pop, standing at the center of the global music market.

An artist's worldview as a force for good

BTS's efforts to translate their worldview and storytelling into a positive impact, rather than just expanding their popularity, have become a part of pop culture history. Starting with the global campaign "LOVE MYSELF" with the UNICEF Korea Committee in 2017 to coincide with the release of their 5th mini album "LOVE YOURSELF 承 Her," in September 2018, BTS took the stage as the Global Youth Representative and special speaker at the 73rd United Nations General Assembly, where they delivered a message of "love yourself" that resonated with young people around the world.

In May 2021, the group visited the White House to share their views on hate crimes against Asians, inclusion, and diversity with U.S. President Joe Biden. "As Koreans and Asians, we felt that this was an issue that needed to be talked about, and that there should be many more examples of the uniqueness of difference," BTS said, adding, "We are happy to help convey the positive impact, but at the same time, we feel a great responsibility."

Between military service and solo work, BTS expects to be fully active in 2025

BTS wrapped up the first act of their collective career last June with the release of "Proof," an anthology album looking back at their nine-year career, and a concert in Busan in October.

Since then, the members have enlisted in the military one after another. Starting with the eldest member Jin in December last year, J-Hope enlisted in April this year to fulfill his national defense obligations, and the other members have since announced their plans to enlist sequentially.

Despite taking a break from group activities, BTS members have also solidified their own style and influence in their solo careers. Jimin reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 through his solo career, Jungkook performed the opening ceremony for the Qatar 2022 World Cup OST, Suga is touring the world with a solo album, and RM and V are showcasing new sides of themselves through their respective TV entertainment programs. Currently, HIBE sees 2025 as the time for the former BTS members to return to the team. Fans around the world are also waiting for the second act of BTS's reunited career.

"BTS, whose members will be reunited after completing their military service, is expected to expand their own music world through solo activities that have already taken off, while showing their presence as a group through concerts and albums," said Lee Kyu-tak, a professor of liberal arts at George Mason University in South Korea. "Just as U2, an Irish group that has become the world's longest-running group, has shown its strength through albums and tours for more than 40 years, BTS will also write its own history and establish itself as a long-lived group."