“방!탄! 안녕하세요, 방탄소년단입니다.”

As the current biggest boy group in South Korea – and perhaps the world – BTS’s meteoric rise to fame is nothing but astounding. Once a largely unknown group from a small agency, they slowly gained attention for their self-produced music, genuinely relatable lyrics, inventive storytelling, and willingness to tackle difficult topics (all of which are still true). They started to become a big name group in South Korea around 2016 – a few years after their debut – but everything changed when they caught the attention of U.S. media just a year later, setting them down a path of unparalleled success. Since then, BTS has continually set and broken their own records for K-pop groups both within and outside of Korea. They’ve been largely responsible for bringing K-pop to the American music market, as evidenced by their hit English single “Dynamite.” And they’ve had so many incredible achievements along the way – speaking at the United Nations (twice), being named TIME‘s Entertainer of the Year, and being nominated for a Grammy are just a few examples. It’s truly amazing when you see where BTS started and where they are now, and they prove every year that there’s no telling how high their star will rise.

Basic Information

• Members: Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, Jungkook
  • Suga is currently on hiatus recovering from a shoulder surgery, and is not participating in most of BTS’s end of year activities.
• Member Age Range: Members born from 1992 (Jin) to 1997 (Jungkook)
• Agency: Big Hit Entertainment
• Debut Date: June 12, 2013
• Name Meaning: “Bangtan Sonyeondan” (방탄소년단), literally translates to “Bulletproof Boy Scouts.” In 2017, they added “Beyond the Scene” as an additional meaning.
• Twitter: @bts_bighit
• Instagram: @bts.bighitofficial
• YouTube Channel: @BANGTANTV
  • Music videos are released on the official Big Hit Labels page.
• Fandom Name: ARMY. It stands for “Adorable Representative MC for Youth.”
• Fandom Color: Purple. This comes from when V said “I purple you” to BTS fans at an event in 2016. To him, purple is a color love, so he made up the phrase as a way to say “I love you.”

The latest version of BTS’s official light stick (known as the ARMY Bomb)