214 Fun Facts About BTS

BTS's 2026 comeback album, their first since finishing military service, is named after which Korean folk song?

Arirang came out on March 20, 2026, and opens with a track that samples the folk song itself; BigHit said the title captures BTS's identity as a group that began in Korea.

What is the official name of the BTS fandom?

ARMY is a backronym for 'Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth' and, fittingly, an army goes with bulletproof armour; the fandom's founding date is celebrated every July 9.

Which member of BTS is known as the group's leader?

RM was the member the group was built around: Bang Si-hyuk signed the teenage underground rapper in 2010 and then recruited the other six around him.

The Korean name behind the initials BTS, Bangtan Sonyeondan, translates literally into English as what?

Bulletproof Boy Scouts is the literal meaning of Bangtan Sonyeondan: 'bangtan' (bulletproof) was meant to suggest deflecting the pressures and stereotypes aimed at young people.

Which BTS member is the oldest of the seven?

Jin, born in December 1992, was also first into uniform: in October 2022 he withdrew his request to delay military service and enlisted that December.

Which 2015 single gave BTS their first win on a Korean music show, nearly two years after debut?

'I Need U' won on SBS MTV's The Show on May 5, 2015; it marked BTS's turn from aggressive hip-hop towards a more emotional sound about the anxieties of growing up.

Which actress plays the girlfriend in the video for the 2023 number one 'Seven'?

Han So-hee plays the girlfriend the singer chases all week, even after his own funeral. Big Hit billed 'Seven' as the official start of his solo career, though he had put out solo songs before.

Which 2016 BTS album won Album of the Year at the Melon Music Awards, the group's first Daesang?

Young Forever was mostly a compilation of earlier tracks with three new songs, yet it won BTS their first grand prize in November 2016, a month after their studio album Wings came out.

Which 2020 single gave BTS their first Billboard Hot 100 number one?

Dynamite was made to cheer listeners up during the pandemic; entering at number one in September 2020, it made BTS the first all-South Korean act to top the Hot 100.

Where did RM deliver BTS's 'Speak Yourself' speech in September 2018?

The United Nations hosted BTS in New York for the launch of UNICEF's Generation Unlimited youth initiative, where RM urged young people to 'speak yourself' whatever their origin, skin colour or gender identity.

Under what name did RM of BTS rap in Seoul's underground hip-hop scene as a teenager?

Runch Randa was RM's underground alias; he debuted with BTS in 2013 as Rap Monster, then switched to RM in 2017, saying the old name no longer fit him or his music.

Which Greek god gives his name to the closing track of BTS's 2019 EP Map of the Soul: Persona?

Dionysus, god of revelry, suits a rap-rock closer whose chants of 'drink, drink, drink' are really about getting intoxicated on art and the creative process.

With which single did Jin of BTS make his official solo debut in October 2022?

Jin released 'The Astronaut', co-written with Coldplay, on October 28, 2022, and performed it with the band in Buenos Aires that night, weeks before enlisting.

Under which alias does Suga release his solo mixtapes?

Agust D first appeared on a 2016 mixtape Suga gave away free on SoundCloud; he said putting it out as a commercial album would have felt like being trapped in a framework.

In which South Korean city was Suga born?

Daegu is where Suga, born Min Yoon-gi, was writing lyrics at 13 and holding down a job in a recording studio at 17, before he joined Big Hit in 2010.

Which singer featured on J-Hope's 2019 single 'Chicken Noodle Soup'?

Becky G added a Spanish verse to J-Hope's remake of a 2006 Harlem dance hit, a song he said he had danced to when he was first learning to dance.

What was the title of J-Hope's 2022 debut studio album?

Jack in the Box is built around the myth of Pandora's box: it opens with a narrator retelling the story, whose last remaining gift, hope, is partly where J-Hope's stage name comes from.

Which BTS member's 'Like Crazy' was the first Korean solo song to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100?

Jimin's 'Like Crazy' was inspired by the 2011 film of the same name, and whispered dialogue modelled on the film opens the track.

What was the title of Jimin's second solo album, released in July 2024?

Muse came out in July 2024 while Jimin was serving in the army; he had recorded it before enlisting the previous December.

V made his acting debut in which 2016 historical television series?

Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth billed V under his real name, Kim Tae-hyung; he also recorded a duet for its soundtrack, 'It's Definitely You', with his bandmate Jin.

What was the title of V's debut solo EP, released in September 2023?

Layover was made with Min Hee-jin, the creative director behind NewJeans, who led its music, choreography and promotion; each of its five songs came with a music video of its own.

In 2022, the youngest BTS member featured on which Charlie Puth single?

Jung Kook's feature on 'Left and Right' was revealed in a TikTok teaser in which Charlie Puth video-calls him in the studio and has him sing from the left of the microphone, then the right.

Which Jung Kook song appeared on the official 2022 FIFA World Cup soundtrack?

"Dreamers", sung with Qatari singer Fahad Al Kubaisi, was his track on the official FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 soundtrack; he performed it at the opening ceremony on November 20, 2022.

Before founding Big Hit, Bang Si-hyuk spent years as a composer and producer at which agency?

JYP Entertainment is where Bang arranged hits with founder Park Jin-young from the late 1990s; the tie outlasted his 2005 exit, as the two firms jointly managed the ballad group 2AM from 2010.

What was the lead single of BTS's 2013 debut single album?

'No More Dream' got a second life in April 2020, when fans staged an April Fools' joke hailing BTS as a brand-new group and bought the 2013 single to a new peak on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart.

In July 2017, BTS announced their name would also stand for what English phrase?

Beyond the Scene was added in July 2017 alongside a new logo, framing BTS as youth who push past the reality they face rather than settling for it.

Whose famous 2016 mic drop inspired BTS's song 'Mic Drop', according to RM?

Barack Obama dropped the microphone to close his final White House Correspondents' Dinner speech in 2016; RM said that moment inspired the song, a boast about how far BTS had come.

Which BTS album was the first from South Korea to top the Billboard 200?

Love Yourself: Tear entered the Billboard 200 at number one in May 2018, and South Korea's president publicly congratulated the seven, saying their melodies and lyrics transcend borders, language and culture.

In June 2019, BTS became the first Korean act to headline which London venue?

Wembley Stadium hosted BTS on June 1 and 2, 2019; during the encore Jin led the crowd in Freddie Mercury's 'ay-oh' chant, a nod to the Live Aid footage the group grew up watching.

BTS partnered with the children's agency UNICEF in 2017 to establish which anti-violence campaign?

Love Myself began in late 2017 with BTS and their label pledging money and a share of album sales; when they renewed it in 2021, UNICEF said it had raised US$3.6 million.

At which 2026 final did BTS perform in a halftime show alongside Madonna, Shakira and Justin Bieber?

The FIFA World Cup final of July 19, 2026 was the first in the tournament's history to stage a halftime show, put together by Coldplay's Chris Martin to raise money for children's education.

Which magazine named BTS its Entertainer of the Year for 2020?

Time gave BTS the title in December 2020: with their world tour wiped out by the pandemic, they still became the first band to debut a song and an album at number one in the same week.

BTS became the first K-pop group to be the musical guest on which American TV show in April 2019?

Saturday Night Live booked BTS for April 13, 2019, the day after Map of the Soul: Persona came out, so the EP's lead single got its first live performance anywhere on American television.

BTS's second English-language single, released in May 2021, was called what?

"Butter" led the Hot 100 for seven weeks, gave way to BTS's own 'Permission to Dance' for one, then took the top spot straight back on its way to ten weeks at number one.

Which British singer-songwriter co-wrote BTS's 2021 single 'Permission to Dance'?

Ed Sheeran co-wrote 'Permission to Dance' two years after 'Make It Right', a track Suga had teased online by tagging him with the words 'This is for you'.

BTS's 2019 single 'Boy with Luv' featured which American singer?

Halsey sang on 'Boy with Luv', which BTS presented as a parallel to their 2014 single 'Boy in Luv': the earlier song had been about young love.

Which 2020 BTS single was the first primarily Korean-language song to debut at number one on the Hot 100?

"Life Goes On" was written during the pandemic, after BTS's 2020 world tour was postponed, and it debuted atop the Hot 100 that November.

Which BTS studio album, released in February 2020, was led by the single 'ON'?

Map of the Soul: 7 takes its number, the group said, from its seven members and their seven years together; it became South Korea's best-selling album, passing four million copies within months.

What was the lead single of Proof, BTS's 2022 anthology album?

"Yet to Come" insists the group's best moment still lies ahead; four days after it led Proof in June 2022, the members announced a pause in group work to pursue solo projects.

To which movement did BTS and their label donate one million dollars in 2020?

Black Lives Matter received the gift in June 2020, after the killing of George Floyd; once it was reported, BTS's fans set out to match it and raised another million dollars in about a day.

What was the title of BTS's first Japanese-language studio album, released in 2014?

Wake Up, out on Christmas Eve 2014, mostly reworked BTS's Korean songs into Japanese; three of those versions had already come out as singles in Japan that year.

Which BTS album became the first Korean album certified Platinum by the RIAA?

Love Yourself: Answer came out on August 24, 2018, and BTS opened their Love Yourself world tour with two nights at Seoul's Olympic Stadium the very next day.

Which South Korean honour did BTS become the youngest recipients of in 2018?

BTS received the fifth-class Order of Cultural Merit in October 2018; the prime minister credited them with spreading not only Korean pop but the Korean alphabet, as fans abroad sang along in Korean.

The chorus dance of BTS's 2021 single 'Permission to Dance' borrows its moves from what?

Sign language supplies the chorus: when the video came out in July 2021, fans quickly spotted the international signs for 'fun', 'dance' and 'peace' linked together.

Which three future BTS members stayed when other Big Hit trainees refused to join an idol group?

J-Hope, RM and Suga stayed on when Bang Si-hyuk dropped his plan for a hip-hop crew built around RM, deciding an idol group made better business sense.

On which music show did BTS make their stage debut on June 13, 2013?

M Countdown aired BTS's first stage on June 13, 2013, a day after their debut record came out; the group still marks that date every year with its Festa anniversary celebrations.

What was the title of the second entry in BTS's 'school trilogy', released in September 2013?

O!RUL8,2? ('Oh! Are you late, too?'), released September 11, 2013, was the second part of the school trilogy; its single 'N.O' continued the theme of students under pressure.

What was BTS's own variety show on SBS MTV in 2013 called?

Rookie King, in full Rookie King: Channel Bangtan, began in September 2013, three months after debut, with the members parodying shows such as VJ Special Forces and MasterChef Korea.

Which 2014 EP completed BTS's 'school trilogy' and first charted on Billboard's World Albums chart?

Skool Luv Affair turned the trilogy from dreams and school pressure to teenage love; it reached number three on Billboard's World Albums chart, BTS's first placing on a chart outside Korea.

Where did BTS play their first US show, in July 2014?

West Hollywood's Troubadour club hosted the show, which was free, announced on Twitter less than 48 hours ahead and open to just 200 fans.

Which two singles came from BTS's 2014 album Dark & Wild?

'Danger' and 'War of Hormone' were the singles from Dark & Wild, BTS's first studio album; they recorded part of it in a makeshift studio set up in a Los Angeles garage.

What was the name of BTS's first concert tour, launched in October 2014?

The Red Bullet was billed as 'Episode II' of a live trilogy even though it was BTS's first tour, and it grew into a world tour the following year.

Which Korean phrase, meaning 'the most beautiful moment in life', titled BTS's 2015 EP series?

Hwayangyeonhwa is the Korean reading of 花樣年華, also the original title of Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love; BTS chose it to capture both the beauty and the anxiety of being young.

BTS's 2015 single 'Dope' is known in Korean by what title?

'Jjeoreo' (쩔어), slang for 'it's awesome', is how Koreans know 'Dope'; reaction videos by YouTubers overseas carried its video to viewers beyond K-pop, winning BTS new attention abroad.

At what position did BTS first appear on the Billboard 200 with The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 2?

171 was where The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 2 entered the Billboard 200 in December 2015, BTS's first appearance on that chart; its lead single was 'Run'.

What was BTS's second Japanese studio album, released in September 2016?

Youth, BTS's second Japanese studio album, came out on September 7, 2016, with Japanese versions of 'Run' and 'Fire'; it topped Oricon's daily chart with 44,547 first-day sales.

What was the repackaged edition of BTS's album Wings, released in February 2017, called?

You Never Walk Alone extended Wings with new songs including 'Not Today'; the label presented it as a warm message of comfort and hope for the struggling young people of the day.

Which award did BTS win at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards, the first for a K-pop group?

Top Social Artist went to BTS at the May 2017 Billboard Music Awards, the first Billboard award for a K-pop group, after more than 300 million fan votes ended Justin Bieber's six-year hold.

Whose 1995 song 'Come Back Home' did BTS remake in July 2017?

Seo Taiji and Boys' 1995 original was credited with coaxing teenage runaways back home; BTS's remake for his 25th-anniversary project kept its call for social change but reworked the lyrics.

Which four-part sequence gave BTS's Love Yourself series its structure?

Beginning, development, turn, conclusion is a classic East Asian four-act story form; the series' opening act, 'Wonder', never became an album and exists only as a short film.

Which girl group's 2009 Hot 100 peak did BTS pass in 2017?

Wonder Girls reached the chart with an English version of 'Nobody' after crossing America as the opening act on the Jonas Brothers' 2009 tour; BTS overtook them in their second week on the Hot 100.

Which rapper featured on the remix of BTS's 'Mic Drop' that reached number 28 on the Hot 100?

Desiigner met BTS at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards, where, he said, they simply connected; he joined the remix to add what he called 'that extra energy'.

Which original Japanese-language song did BTS add to a 2017 triple A-side single with 'Mic Drop'?

Crystal Snow was the one new song on a single otherwise made of Japanese versions; BTS broke the news of it to fans at Osaka's Kyocera Dome in October 2017, during their first dome concerts in Japan.

BTS's 2018 documentary series Burn the Stage was released exclusively on which platform?

YouTube Premium, then still called YouTube Red, ran the eight episodes filmed behind the scenes of the 2017 Wings Tour; a cinema cut of the footage followed that November.

What was BTS's third Japanese studio album, released in April 2018?

Face Yourself was trailed by its new song 'Don't Leave Me', picked weeks before the album's release as the theme of a Japanese remake of the Korean crime drama Signal.

Which song featured in the nine-minute short film BTS released in April 2018 as a prelude to their next album?

Euphoria, a Jung Kook solo, soundtracked the film in April 2018, yet fans had to wait until that August for the full song to be released on an album.

Which rapper appears on the alternative digital version of BTS's 2018 single 'Idol'?

Nicki Minaj's feature was rumoured before release, when fans found Shazam tagging the song's teaser as BTS featuring Nicki Minaj; in the video for her version, her verse appears on screen in Korean script.

Which DJ collaborated with BTS on 'Waste It on Me', their first all-English feature?

Steve Aoki filled the video with Asian-American performers and had Linkin Park's Joe Hahn direct it; Ken Jeong plays a waiter daydreaming of winning over Devon Aoki, the DJ's own sister.

At which New York venue did BTS become the first Korean act to play a US stadium?

Citi Field, home of baseball's Mets, was added to the tour only after all fourteen North American arena dates had sold out; its own tickets then went within minutes.

Which streaming service carried BTS's March 2026 comeback concert live from Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square?

Netflix streamed the free concert the day after the group's new album came out, then followed it a week later with The Return, a documentary about how that album was made.

Which Jewish human rights group sought an apology from BTS in 2018 over Nazi imagery and an atomic-bomb T-shirt?

The Simon Wiesenthal Center spoke out days after a Japanese TV show dropped BTS over the shirt; Big Hit apologised and said the images were never meant to hurt victims of Nazism or the atomic bombings.

At which 2019 ceremony did BTS appear as presenters for the first time?

The Grammys had BTS as presenters on February 10, 2019, handing H.E.R. the Best R&B Album award; a year later they became the first Korean act to perform on the show.

What is the Korean title of BTS's 'Boy with Luv' translated literally?

A Poem for Small Things reflects the song's message as BTS described it: true strength and love come from finding joy in the smallest things.

Map of the Soul: Persona was the first Korean-language album to reach number one in which two countries?

The UK and Australia both saw Map of the Soul: Persona enter at number one in April 2019; BTS had timed the release to land just ahead of their stadium tour, which opened in California three weeks later.

Which mobile game did BTS promote in 2019 with songs featuring Charli XCX, Zara Larsson and Juice Wrld?

BTS World was trailed by its soundtrack: three collaborations, each sung by a different group of members, came out one a week in the run-up to the game's June 2019 launch.

Which BTS Japanese single passed one million pre-orders in 2019, a first for a foreign act since Celine Dion?

Lights came out in the very week a trade row sent relations between Tokyo and Seoul to a new low, yet BTS followed it with sold-out stadium shows in Osaka and Shizuoka.

Which singer featured on the 2019 remix of BTS's 'Make It Right'?

Lauv joined the October 2019 remix of 'Make It Right', his first step into K-pop; the song tells fans that the group's biggest successes would feel empty without them.

Which 2020 BTS single premiered with an art film danced by a Slovenian troupe rather than the band?

Black Swan arrived in January 2020 with an art film in which MN Dance Company's dancers perform to an orchestral version of the song; a second video with BTS's own choreography followed later, unannounced.

Which Australian singer featured on the digital version of BTS's 2020 single 'On'?

Sia's version appeared only on the digital edition of the album; BTS gave the song its TV premiere by taking over New York's Grand Central Terminal for The Tonight Show.

What was BTS's April 2020 online event of past concert footage called?

Bang Bang Con filled the gap when the pandemic cancelled the tour's opening Seoul shows: 24 hours of past concerts and fan meetings streamed free on YouTube, with fans' light sticks synced at home over Bluetooth.

Which YouTube special had BTS giving speeches alongside Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Malala Yousafzai?

Dear Class of 2020 was a virtual graduation for students whose ceremonies the pandemic had cancelled; BTS closed it with a three-song set filmed at the National Museum of Korea.

How many live viewers watched the June 2020 paid virtual concert that set a record?

756,000 paying viewers from 107 countries and territories watched the June 14, 2020 livestream concert, a Guinness World Record for a music-concert livestream.

Which song was the lead single of BTS's fourth Japanese studio album, released in July 2020?

Stay Gold was released digitally a month ahead of the album, in June 2020, after being chosen as the theme song of a Japanese television drama about forensic investigators.

At which show did BTS give the first live performance of their disco-pop debut English single?

The MTV Video Music Awards on August 30, 2020, hosted the song's first live performance, beamed in from Seoul; BTS took four awards that night, including Best Group and Best Pop.

Whose single 'Savage Love' did BTS remix to a Hot 100 number one in October 2020?

Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo's 'Savage Love' began as a beat the New Zealand teenager posted online; it went viral on TikTok before Derulo sang over it, and the BTS remix took it to number one.

Where was BTS's two-day virtual concert Map of the Soul ON:E staged in October 2020?

KSPO Dome, Seoul, hosted Map of the Soul ON:E on October 10 and 11, 2020; plans for a small in-person audience were dropped under distancing rules, and 993,000 viewers in 191 countries watched online.

What did BTS win at the 62nd Japan Record Awards in 2020?

The Special International Music Award was a category the Japan Record Awards created in 2020; BTS, its first winners, were the only overseas act honoured that night and sent their thanks by video message.

What was the first single from BTS's Japanese compilation album BTS, the Best?

'Film Out', a ballad written with Back Number's Iyori Shimizu, was made as the ending theme of the Japanese film Signal the Movie, then led the June 2021 compilation BTS, the Best.

BTS's 'Butter' made them the fastest group to four Hot 100 number ones since which act in 1970?

The Jackson 5 scored four number ones within 1970; BTS's 'Butter' (June 2021) gave them four in about nine months since 'Dynamite', the fastest by a group since then.

Which BTS collaboration was the first song by two co-billed groups to top the Billboard Hot 100?

'My Universe', made with Coldplay, debuted at number one in October 2021, the first Hot 100 chart-topper by two co-billed groups; talk of a team-up began after BTS covered 'Fix You' on MTV Unplugged.

Where in Los Angeles did BTS play four sold-out shows in late 2021, their first live crowd since the pandemic?

SoFi Stadium in Inglewood hosted Permission to Dance on Stage – LA over four nights from November 27 to December 2, 2021; overflow crowds watched a live relay in the YouTube Theater next door.

What was the title of the BTS-based webtoon released in January 2022?

7Fates: Chakho takes its premise from the chakhogapsa, the Joseon dynasty's tiger-hunting soldiers, recast as seven boys in a near-future city; it drew 15 million views in its first two days.

About how much market value did Hybe lose after BTS's June 2022 pause announcement?

US$1.7 billion was the most wiped off Hybe on June 15, 2022, as its shares fell as much as 28 percent; they closed 25 percent down once the agency said BTS would stay active as a team.

BTS's October 2022 Busan concert supported the city's bid to host what?

World Expo 2030 was the bid BTS backed as Busan's ambassadors with a free concert in the city on October 15, 2022; the expo ultimately went to Riyadh.

What was the title of Jin's first solo album, released in November 2024?

Happy, out on November 15, 2024, five months after Jin left the army, is named for its theme: his label said it sets out what happiness means to him so that listeners might find joy too.

Which BTS member did his military service as a social worker rather than as a soldier?

Suga began his service as a social worker on September 22, 2023, and in June 2025 became the last of the seven to be discharged, which cleared the way for the group's reunion.

Which two members enlisted together on December 11, 2023?

RM and V enlisted together on December 11, 2023, and Jimin and Jung Kook followed a day later as a pair; RM went on to play in an infantry division's military band.

Which animated series did BTS record the soundtrack song 'The Planet' for in 2023?

Bastions, a Korean cartoon about young superheroes saving the planet from polluters, opened with BTS's 'The Planet' as its theme song when it began airing in May 2023.

On which platform did BTS publicly reunite in a live broadcast on July 1, 2025?

Weverse carried the July 1, 2025 live broadcast, the seven members' first together after military service, in which they confirmed a new album and a world tour for the following year.

Which Hermann Hesse novel inspired BTS's album Wings?

Demian, Hermann Hesse's coming-of-age novel, shaped Wings as a concept album about temptation and growth, trailed before release by seven short films, one for each member.

Which book on love influenced BTS's Love Yourself series?

The Art of Loving, Erich Fromm's 1956 book arguing that love is a skill to be learned and practised rather than a feeling that simply arrives, influenced the Love Yourself series of 2017 and 2018.

Which 2017 BTS song do many fans and critics link to the Sewol ferry disaster?

'Spring Day' has been tied to the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking through its lyrics about missing a friend and its video imagery; RM said only that the video could be read in many ways.

What did Jin give each of 1,000 fans at a Seoul event the day after leaving the army in 2024?

A hug was Jin's offer to 1,000 fans at the group's anniversary Festa in Seoul on June 13, 2024, the day after his army discharge; anyone who preferred could have a handshake instead.

Which US-Korea relations honour did BTS receive in 2020 as its youngest honorees?

The James A. Van Fleet Award came from the Korea Society in October 2020; RM's acceptance remark about the pain the US and Korea shared in the Korean War set off two days of nationalist anger in China.

What issue did BTS discuss with President Joe Biden at the White House in May 2022?

Anti-Asian hate crimes were the subject: BTS spoke at the White House press briefing on May 31, 2022, the last day of AAPI Heritage Month, then met Biden in the Oval Office.

Which sportswear brand did BTS first partner with in 2015, becoming global ambassadors in 2018?

Puma signed BTS as Puma Korea models in 2015 and made them global brand ambassadors in 2018, before the group moved to Fila in 2019.

Which fashion house's Kim Jones designed BTS's 2019 Speak Yourself tour stage outfits?

Dior Men's artistic director Kim Jones created the custom stage wardrobe for BTS's Love Yourself: Speak Yourself stadium tour in 2019; the group separately became Louis Vuitton ambassadors in 2021.

Which racing series named BTS its global ambassadors in 2019 to promote electric vehicles?

Formula E, the electric street-racing championship, signed BTS in December 2019, saying the group's socially engaged fans could help it raise awareness of climate change.

In 2022 BTS passed which act to become the most-awarded group in Billboard Music Awards history?

Destiny's Child had held the group record of 11 trophies for 17 years; BTS passed it with three wins in May 2022, on a night when they were not even among the performers.

In 2021 BTS became the first Asian act in the show's history to win which American Music Award?

Artist of the Year went to BTS in November 2021, a first for an Asian act, over Taylor Swift, Drake, Ariana Grande, Olivia Rodrigo and the Weeknd; it was one of three wins that night.

What is the title of BTS's 2023 book?

Beyond the Story, written with journalist Kang Myeong-seok, was first announced without a title, and pre-orders soared on rumours that it was a Taylor Swift memoir before BTS were revealed as its subject.

Which American sitcom did RM largely learn English from as a child?

Friends was RM's English class: self-taught, he picked up the language watching the sitcom with his mother as a child, which is why he fields most of the group's English-language interviews.

Which Korean hip-hop group first drew a schoolboy RM to hip hop?

Epik High's 'Fly' was the song: RM has said it stunned him when he chanced on it at primary school, and that he went on to play it thousands of times and print out the lyrics to memorise.

What was RM's 2018 mixtape, which peaked at 26 on the Billboard 200?

Mono, which RM billed as a 'playlist' rather than a mixtape, came out in October 2018 and reached number 26 on the Billboard 200, passing the Korean-soloist best of 38 set seven months earlier.

Which American rock band featured RM on a 2017 remix of their single 'Champion'?

Fall Out Boy put out 'Champion' in June 2017, then surprised fans at midnight on December 15 with a remix carrying a new rap verse from RM.

Which solo album did RM release in 2024 while serving in the army?

Right Place, Wrong Person came out on May 24, 2024, while RM was a serving soldier; a documentary on its making, Right People, Wrong Place, premiered at the Busan film festival that autumn.

Which style of music does Jin's viral 2021 birthday song 'Super Tuna' use?

Trot, Korea's bouncy old-school pop style, drives 'Super Tuna', a short song Jin gave away on his 29th birthday in December 2021; its fishing-themed dance video went viral the same day.

Which drama inspired Jin to pursue acting after watching Kim Nam-gil?

Queen Seondeok (MBC, 2009) was the drama in which Kim Nam-gil's turn as Bidam made Jin decide to study acting; he later enrolled in Konkuk University's film department.

Which agency scouted Jin off the street in junior high, only for him to decline?

SM Entertainment scouted Jin on the street while he was in junior high, but he turned the offer down; years later Big Hit spotted him the same way, when he was a student actor with no music training.

What was Jin's solo song on the 2016 album Wings?

'Awake' was Jin's solo on Wings (October 2016), a song he co-produced; that December he gave fans a Christmas version of it free on SoundCloud.

Under what name did Suga rap in the underground scene before joining Big Hit?

Gloss was Suga's name as an underground rapper in his home city, where with the crew D-Town he produced '518-062', a 2010 track honouring the May 1980 democracy uprising.

Which Suran song, produced by Suga, won Best R&B at the 2017 Melon Music Awards?

'Wine' began when Suran, who had sung on Suga's 2016 mixtape, visited his studio and heard his first sketch of the track; the finished single won Best R&B/Soul at the 2017 Melon Music Awards.

What was Suga's 2020 mixtape, which reached number 11 on the Billboard 200?

D-2, Suga's second mixtape, released May 22, 2020, debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200, then the highest for a Korean soloist; its single 'Daechwita' samples Korean military procession music.

Which Japanese composer appears on Suga's 2023 album D-Day?

Ryuichi Sakamoto joined 'Snooze' after Suga sought him out in Japan in 2022: Suga traces his interest in music to the composer's score for The Last Emperor, heard at the cinema with his parents as a boy.

Which singer featured on 'People Pt. 2', the first single from D-Day?

IU sang on 'People Pt. 2', the April 2023 single that led off D-Day, returning a favour: Suga had co-written, produced and rapped on her 2020 hit 'Eight'.

In which city was J-Hope born and trained as a dancer?

Gwangju is where J-Hope (Jung Ho-seok) was born on February 18, 1994, and trained in street dance with the local team Neuron before joining Big Hit in 2010.

What was the 2018 mixtape by BTS's dancer-rapper that reached number 38 on the Billboard 200?

Hope World, J-Hope's first mixtape (March 2018), entered the Billboard 200 at number 63 on less than a day of sales, then climbed to 38 a week later, at that point the best by a Korean soloist.

Which rapper featured on J-Hope's 2023 single 'On the Street'?

J. Cole joined J-Hope on 'On the Street', released in March 2023 as a send-off single: weeks later, on April 18, J-Hope became the second member to enter military service.

On whose 2012 song 'Animal' did trainee J-Hope feature as a rapper?

Jo Kwon, the 2AM singer whose solo album came out through Big Hit, put trainee J-Hope's rap on 'Animal' in 2012; another future member appeared in his 'I'm Da One' video that June.

What is Jimin's solo track on the 2016 album Wings?

'Lie' exists because Wings was the first BTS album to give each of the seven members a solo song; Jimin co-wrote his, a dramatic track that builds from cinematic strings to booming pop beats.

What was the title of Jimin's first self-composed solo song, released on SoundCloud in 2018?

'Promise' drew 8.5 million SoundCloud plays in a day, beating a record held by Drake; Jimin called it a song for himself and for his fans alike, and it closes on a pledge to be there through the pain.

What did Jimin study at Busan High School of Arts?

Contemporary dance was Jimin's major at Busan High School of Arts, where he was the top student in the modern dance department before a teacher urged him to audition for Big Hit in 2012.

With whom did Jimin duet on 'With You' for the drama Our Blues?

Ha Sung-woon, formerly of Wanna One, shared 'With You' with Jimin in April 2022 for the tvN drama Our Blues; news of Jimin's first soundtrack song trended worldwide before it was out.

Which song did Jimin pre-release in March 2023, a week before his album Face?

'Set Me Free Pt. 2' has no Pt. 1 by Jimin: he said the title follows on from a 2020 track by bandmate Suga, and that his own song is about setting himself free and moving forward.

On which Korean chart did Jimin's Face become the first solo album to sell a million copies on release day?

Hanteo Chart logged over a million copies of Face on release day in March 2023 and 1.45 million in a week, both records for a soloist; his bandmate V broke both that September.

Which instrument did V take lessons on in middle school with his father's support?

Saxophone lessons began for V in early middle school, backed by his father as a first step toward a music career; he had wanted to be a singer since elementary school.

Why was V kept as BTS's 'secret member' before debut?

The agency wanted him to be a surprise: Big Hit kept V out of all pre-debut publicity, and he later said that being the hidden member made him think he had been cut from the team.

What was V's first self-composed solo song, released in 2019?

'Scenery' put V in charge: he composed it, wrote the lyrics and even took the cover photograph, then gave it away on SoundCloud in January 2019.

V's 2021 soundtrack single 'Christmas Tree' was recorded for which Korean drama?

Our Beloved Summer stars Choi Woo-shik, a close friend of V, who sang 'Christmas Tree' for its soundtrack and released it on Christmas Eve 2021.

For which talent show did BTS's youngest member audition in 2011, drawing offers from seven agencies?

Superstar K3, Mnet's audition show, was where Jung Kook tried out in 2011; though cut, he drew offers from seven agencies and picked Big Hit after being impressed by RM's rapping.

Which rapper featured on 'Seven', the 2023 solo debut single by a BTS member?

Latto, the Atlanta rapper, guested on 'Seven' (July 14, 2023), which debuted atop the Hot 100; '3D' with Jack Harlow followed in September and reached number five.

What streaming record did 'Seven' set on Spotify in October 2023?

Fastest song to one billion streams was the Spotify record 'Seven' set in under four months; it stood for about a year, until 'Die with a Smile' got there quicker.

Which solo debut album includes the explicit version of 'Seven'?

Golden, the debut solo album released on November 3, 2023, includes the explicit version of 'Seven' alongside the singles '3D' and 'Standing Next to You'.

Which fabric softener brand sold out in South Korea in 2019 after Jung Kook said he used it?

Downy sold out within a day of Jung Kook telling a fan-club chat in January 2019 that he used its Adorable scent; one retailer said two months' worth of stock had gone in a single day.

Which song did BTS perform at the 2017 American Music Awards, their US awards-show debut?

'DNA' was the song BTS performed at the American Music Awards on November 19, 2017: introduced by the Chainsmokers, they were met from the opening notes by fans shouting the members' names in a Korean-style fan chant.

Which American rapper featured on the August 2021 remix of BTS's second English-language single?

Megan Thee Stallion rapped on the remix released on August 27, 2021, but only after a Texas court cleared it: her label had tried to block the release, saying it would not be good for her career.

Which Bong Joon-ho film inspired a 2017 BTS music video that also nods to Ursula K. Le Guin's Omelas?

Snowpiercer, set on a train circling a frozen Earth, shaped the video's carriage scenes, while a sign reading Omelas points to Le Guin's city whose happiness depends on one child's misery.

Which US label serviced 'Fake Love' to American radio in June 2018?

Columbia Records sent 'Fake Love' to American pop radio on June 12, 2018, and the Korean-language single climbed to number 34 on Billboard's pop airplay chart by late July.

What was the remix of 'Fake Love' on the 2018 compilation album titled?

'Rocking Vibe' recast 'Fake Love' as alternative rock, pushing electric guitars and drums to the front; it arrived with an extended cut of the music video and was carried over to that August's compilation.

Which Ellen DeGeneres Show regular joined the 2018 'Idol Challenge' dance craze?

Stephen 'tWitch' Boss, the Ellen DeGeneres Show's resident DJ, posted his take on the #IdolChallenge in 2018, weeks after BTS launched the dance craze with 'Idol'.

Which artist co-wrote 'Louder Than Bombs' for BTS's February 2020 album?

Troye Sivan and his regular co-writers made the song years earlier as 'Hologram Hots', the first thing they ever wrote together; it sat forgotten for six years before finding its way to BTS.

How many album-equivalent units did Map of the Soul: 7 earn in its first US week?

422,000 album-equivalent units in its first US week sent Map of the Soul: 7 to number one on the Billboard 200 in March 2020; IFPI later named it the world's best-selling album of 2020.

On which US morning show's 2019 summer concert series did BTS perform?

Good Morning America opened its 2019 Summer Concert Series in Central Park with BTS on May 15, playing 'Boy with Luv' and 'Fire'; the same day they taped The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Which recurring Late Late Show segment did BTS film with host James Corden in 2020?

Carpool Karaoke squeezed the seven members into James Corden's car; he has said the segment works because of the joy of seeing someone very famous sing in an ordinary situation.

BTS's Map of the Soul albums drew on the theories of which Swiss psychiatrist?

Carl Jung's ideas reached BTS through Murray Stein's primer Jung's Map of the Soul; Big Hit's shop was recommending the book to fans three months before the first album in the series was announced.

At which Las Vegas venue was Proof's release date teased at the end of a BTS concert in April 2022?

Allegiant Stadium hosted BTS's four Las Vegas shows in April 2022; the final night ended with a clip reading 'We are bulletproof' and the date 2022.06.10, Proof's release date.

What is Jung Kook's solo track on the 2016 BTS album Wings?

'Begin' tells how he left home for Seoul as a boy and grew up among the older members who looked after him; it is the only Wings solo its singer had no hand in writing.

Which 2018 BTS album track was paired with 'Fake Love' as a Japanese double A-side single?

'Airplane pt.2' joined 'Fake Love' on the November 2018 Japanese single; a planned third song, with lyrics by the producer behind AKB48, was dropped after Korean fans protested.

On which platform did BTS's long-running variety web series premiere in August 2015?

V Live, a live-streaming app Naver had launched that same month, carried the series free from August 1, 2015; the app closed at the end of 2022 and the show lives on elsewhere.

Which 2020 BTS reality series showed the members resting at a lakeside retreat?

In the Soop gave the seven no schedule at all: for a week at a lake house in Chuncheon they cooked outdoors, fished and pursued their hobbies, showing another side of the group.

Which boy band did Big Hit launch in 2019, six years after BTS?

TXT, short for Tomorrow X Together, debuted on March 4, 2019, the first act Big Hit had introduced since BTS six years earlier; within three days the five had signed with a major American label.

Which first-generation group's hits, produced by Bang Si-hyuk, earned him the nickname 'Hitman'?

G.O.D's run of hits in the early 2000s, among them 'One Candle' and 'Road', both arranged by Bang Si-hyuk, won him and his songwriting partner a name as hit makers, and Bang the tag 'Hitman'.

Where did Bang Si-hyuk earn his degree in aesthetics?

Seoul National University gave Bang Si-hyuk his degree in aesthetics; while still a student there he won the 1994 Yoo Jae-ha Music Contest and began writing songs for a living.

Whose company did Hybe buy in 2021 for about one billion dollars?

Scooter Braun, who discovered Justin Bieber and managed Ariana Grande, sold Ithaca Holdings to Hybe in April 2021 for about US$1.05 billion and took a seat on the Korean company's board.

Which colour has symbolised BTS and their fans since V coined a phrase with it at a 2016 fan meeting?

Purple took over once V told the crowd "I purple you". UNICEF later borrowed the phrase for its anti-bullying campaign with BTS.

Which fast-food chain sold a BTS Meal with Sweet Chili and Cajun dipping sauces in fifty countries in 2021?

McDonald's drew crowds so large in Indonesia that many outlets had to close temporarily. Fans later listed the BTS packaging for resale online.

Whose six-year winning streak at the Billboard Music Awards did BTS fans end with 300 million votes in 2017?

Justin Bieber had 100 million Twitter followers and still lost. The upset made BTS the first K-pop group to win a Billboard award and put their fandom in headlines worldwide.

At a London stadium concert, BTS's Jin led the crowd in an 'ay-oh' chant in tribute to which British band?

Queen shaped BTS early on: the members said they grew up watching videos of Live Aid. The chant Jin borrowed was Freddie Mercury's.

Which rapper brought BTS, Billy Ray Cyrus and Diplo on stage for a medley at a January 2020 awards show?

Lil Nas X turned 'Old Town Road' into a group number that night. The cameo made BTS the first Korean act ever to perform at the ceremony.

Which veteran rapper teamed up with producer Benny Blanco and BTS on the 2022 single 'Bad Decisions'?

Snoop Dogg let the news slip months early, telling a magazine backstage at American Song Contest that his part of the track was finished.

Which Coldplay ballad did BTS cover on their 2021 Unplugged special, months before the two bands recorded together?

Fix You came first: the February cover set off rumours of a collaboration, and that September the two bands released 'My Universe' together.

In 2020 BTS became the fastest group to chart four US number-one albums since which 1960s British band?

The Beatles did it across 1966 to 1968. BTS needed less than two years, starting with the first album from South Korea ever to top the Billboard 200.

Which toy company's 2019 dolls of BTS, dressed in outfits from the 'Idol' music video, lifted its global sales?

Mattel saw its international sales rise 10 percent in late 2019 on the back of the dolls, and its share price climbed along with other BTS-linked companies.

BTS named Arirang, their first album after military service, after what kind of traditional Korean work?

A folk song about love and separation, 'Arirang' is sampled on the album's opening track, 'Body to Body'.

Which South Korean president appointed BTS special envoys for future generations and culture in July 2021?

Moon Jae-in put them straight to work: as envoys, BTS appeared at the 76th United Nations General Assembly to raise awareness of sustainable development.

In the main concourse of which New York landmark did BTS first perform their 2020 single 'On' for television?

Grand Central hosted the shoot for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, in what has been called one of the show's most high-production episodes.

Which BTS travel reality series began in 2016 with a trip through Norway, Sweden and Finland?

Bon Voyage later proved its pull: after season three was filmed in Malta, the island's tourism authority credited the show with a 237 percent jump in Korean visitors.

Which single did BTS release in June 2023 for their tenth anniversary, with Jin and J-Hope already in the army?

Take Two still carries all seven voices, and its title marks the group entering its second chapter. Suga produced it.

What did BTS's 2020 project Connect, BTS bring to London, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Seoul and New York?

Public art by 22 contemporary artists made up the project, which opened at London's Serpentine Galleries with a digital recreation of an ancient forest.

In which Grammy category did BTS earn their first nomination, then appear again in each of the next two years?

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance nods for three different singles made BTS the first act nominated in the category three years in a row.

Which West Coast rapper directed an alternate 'Boy in Luv' video for BTS on the 2014 series American Hustle Life?

Warren G stayed in the picture after filming: he formed a working relationship with RM and offered to write BTS a beat.

Which battle royale mobile game named BTS its global ambassadors in February 2022?

Free Fire had been the most downloaded mobile game globally in 2019, so the deal paired a chart-topping band with a chart-topping app.

In which European capital did BTS perform for South Korea's president and 400 guests at a friendship concert?

Paris hosted the Korea-France Friendship Concert, staged during a summit that celebrated friendly relations between the two countries.

BTS's Suga produced and rapped on 'That That', a 2022 lead single by which veteran Korean star?

Psy shot the video with Suga on a cold, rainy Incheon beach where the sand turned to mud. It still drew more than 30 million views in its first day.

Ryan Gosling sent BTS's Jimin a guitar from which film after wearing a costume modelled on one of Jimin's outfits?

Barbie dressed Gosling's Ken in a look inspired by Jimin's 'Permission to Dance' video, so the actor gifted him the guitar his character played.

Which 2021 Marvel film used a duet recorded by BTS members Jimin and V for a 2020 album?

Eternals picked up the track the year after its release. Jimin had co-written and co-produced it himself.

BTS's Jimin joined Kodak Black and NLE Choppa on 'Angel Pt. 1' for the soundtrack of which 2023 action film?

Fast X granted a wish for NLE Choppa, who said he had been manifesting a collaboration with BTS for a while before the soundtrack brought one.

At which US festival did BTS's J-Hope become the first South Korean artist to headline a main stage, in July 2022?

Lollapalooza gave him the final night of the festival, just over two weeks after his debut album came out. A documentary later retraced the road to that show.

BTS's J-Hope had the world's most-liked tweet of 2018 with his version of a dance challenge set to which Drake song?

In My Feelings set off the craze of dancing beside a moving car, and the same challenge helped push the single to number one in America.

Which R&B star, one of Jung Kook's stated influences, joined the BTS singer on a remix of 'Standing Next to You'?

Usher liked the remix enough to carry it onto his own 2024 album, Coming Home.

BTS's Suga re-composed 'Over the Horizon', the signature ringtone of which phone maker, in 2021?

Samsung unveiled his version at its Unpacked event that August, a year after it had released a BTS edition of its Galaxy S20+ phone.

Weeks after his army discharge, BTS's Jin took on which role for South Korea at the 2024 Summer Olympics?

Torchbearer duty followed a fan event he hosted at Jamsil Arena for the group's 11th anniversary, straight after his discharge that June.

BTS's V, the group's hidden 'secret member' until just before debut, was born with which name?

Kim Tae-hyung grew up in Geochang County as the eldest of three children. He had wanted to be a professional singer since elementary school.

BTS rapper RM, born in Seoul's Dongjak District and raised in Ilsan, has which birth name?

Kim Nam-joon began rapping in local amateur hip-hop circles as a first-year middle school student, recording his first track with the program Adobe Audition.

BTS's Suga, who first joined Big Hit as a music producer, was born with which name?

Min Yoon-gi was writing lyrics and learning MIDI by the age of 13, and working part-time at a record studio by 17.

BTS's J-Hope, winner of a national dance competition in 2008, was born with which name?

Jung Ho-seok took dance classes for six years, from fourth grade into high school, and his dancing is what led him to audition as an idol trainee.

Which trot-style song did BTS's Jin post as a 29th-birthday gift to fans, setting off a viral dance challenge?

Super Tuna topped YouTube's world popular music video ranking for eight straight days and trended in 56 countries. An extended version followed in 2024.

BTS's V wrote and produced the indie pop song 'Sweet Night' for the soundtrack of which 2020 Korean drama?

Itaewon Class handed him a chart surprise in America, where the self-written song debuted at number two on Billboard's Digital Songs chart.

BTS's J-Hope has linked his stage name to which Greek myth, the basis of his first studio album's concept?

Pandora's box held one thing after every evil had escaped: hope. He wanted to be exactly that for fans and for the group.

Buchaechum, performed by BTS's Jimin at the Melon Music Awards, is a traditional Korean dance built around which prop?

Painted fans, usually decorated with pink peony blossoms, are swept into shapes such as flowers and waves. Jimin's version earned a plaque for spreading the dance abroad.

A Philippine mayor posted images of BTS's Jung Kook in 2021 to persuade citizens to do what?

Get a COVID-19 vaccine, urged Mayor John Geesnell Yap of Tagbilaran. The same year a South Korean lawmaker used the singer's photos to campaign for legal tattoos.

BTS's Suga funded a treatment centre at Severance Hospital in 2025 for children with which condition?

Autism care is hands-on work for him: he has taught music at the centre as a volunteer and co-wrote its manual on using music in social skills therapy.

Which Big Bang singer's 2023 single 'Vibe' gave BTS's Jimin his first Hot 100 entry as a credited solo artist?

Taeyang had released no solo music in more than five years, and Jimin helped compose the single that ended the silence.

What does BTS's Suga do with each guest while interviewing them on his YouTube talk show Suchwita?

Shares drinks, and talks candidly: the web series began in December 2022, a few months before his first solo album and world tour.

Which solo track by BTS's Suga is a rap serenade addressed to the piano he played as a child?

First Love speaks to the instrument as if to an old friend. Another of his BTS solos, about the up-and-down nature of falling in love, followed in 2018.

BTS's Jin, who first planned to act, earned a film studies degree in 2017 from which South Korean university?

Konkuk was meant to be his route into acting. Big Hit scouted him for his looks as he walked down the street, and he first auditioned there as an actor.

Before BTS, J-Hope belonged to which underground dance team, whose name he reused for a 2024 single?

Neuron resurfaced as the lead single of Hope on the Street Vol. 1, a special album released with a docuseries about his street dance roots.

Under which pseudonym did BTS's V photograph the cover art for his 2019 song 'Winter Bear'?

Vante is the credit on the cover photo, and V directed the music video himself. 'Winter Bear' was also his first song sung entirely in English.

Which 2024 film documentary chronicles BTS singer Jung Kook's first steps as a solo artist?

I Am Still opened in 120 territories that September, while its subject was away on military service.

Which Disney+ travel series starring BTS's Jimin and Jung Kook premiered while both were on military service?

Are You Sure?! ran for eight weekly episodes from August 2024. A second season followed in December 2025, after both singers had been discharged.

For which Nexon online game did BTS's Jin work as a special developer in 2022, a stint filmed as a web series?

MapleStory posted the two-episode series, Office Warrior Kim Seok Jin, on its Korean YouTube channel.

In which branch of the army did BTS's V serve with a special task force during his mandatory service?

Military police duty placed him with the 2nd Corps' Ssangyong Unit from February 2024, after extended training, until his discharge in June 2025.

Which second solo album by BTS's Jin arrived in May 2025 with the lead single 'Don't Say You Love Me'?

Echo reached number three on the Billboard 200 and launched his first solo tour, which visited Japan, the United States and Europe that summer.

After basic training, BTS members Jin and J-Hope were both kept on by the army in which role?

Assistant instructor posts kept both men training newer recruits: Jin with the 5th Infantry Division, J-Hope with the 36th in Wonju.