Jin had been a student at Konkuk University, majoring in acting, before being streetcast for auditions, while Suga was an underground rapper in Daegu. Half a year prior to debut, the members began building their name and creating a relationship with fans through Twitter, video blogs, fancafe posts, and by releasing various song covers via YouTube and SoundCloud.īefore debuting in 2013, RM was already performing as an underground rapper and had released several tracks informally, including a collaboration with Zico. The original lineup went through several changes before the final group of members was established in 2012.
Forbes Korea Power Celebrity has named BTS the most influential celebrities of Korea in 2018. Time magazine has named the band one of the 25 most influential people on the internet, featured them on their international cover as "Next Generation Leaders," and named them one of Time 100's most influential people of 2019. The group won Top Social Artist three years in a row and Top Duo/Group at the 26th Billboard Music Awards. In 2019, Map of the Soul: Persona became the best-selling album in Korean history, and BTS became the best-selling artist in South Korea of all time, having sold over fourteen million albums. In 2018, BTS had the second and third best-selling albums worldwide and were the second best-selling artists worldwide. Love Yourself: Answer also broke South Korea's Gaon Album Chart's all-time monthly record previously set by Love Yourself: Tear and became the first Korean album certified Gold in the United States. charts with their albums Love Yourself: Answer (2018) and Map of the Soul: Persona (2019), making BTS the first group since The Beatles to earn three number one albums in less than a year. Billboard 200 with their studio album Love Yourself: Tear (2018) and have since hit the top of the U.S. By 2017, BTS crossed into the international music market, leading the Korean Wave into the United States and breaking numerous sales records, becoming the first Korean group to receive a certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) with their single " Mic Drop." The band is the first and only Korean act as of 2019 to top the U.S. Wings became BTS' first album to sell one million copies in South Korea. Billboard 200 entries The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 2 (2015), The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever (2016), and Wings(2016) helped establish BTS' reputation as a socially conscious group. The group initially formed as teenagers under Big Hit Entertainment and released their debut single album, 2 Cool 4 Skool (2013). Popular for their live performances, the group has staged several world tours. Their work features references to literature and psychological concepts and includes an alternative universe storyline.
Their lyrics, often focused on personal and social commentary, touch on the themes of mental health, troubles of school-age youth, loss, the journey towards loving oneself, and individualism. Initially rooted in hip hop, BTS' musical style has evolved to include a wide range of genres. The septet co-writes and produces much of their output. The name became a backronym for Beyond the Scene in July 2017.
BTS (Hangul: 방탄소년단 RR: Bangtan Sonyeondan), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a seven-member South Korean boy band formed in Seoul in 2013.