[Back to BTS①] The Unrivaled Center of K-pop… Moments That Changed History

◉ When they were called "The Beatles of the 21st century

◉ When they "Crossed the threshold into the global supertsardom"

◉ Winning the grand prize at the American Music Awards

BTS has returned as a full-group after completing their military service. Their return — as the group that placed K-pop at the heart of the global music scene — has captured the attention of the world. While the members’ solo albums were significant in their own right, the influence of BTS as a full group is far greater. The world is once again ready to be dyed purple. [Editor’s Note]

There is no doubt that BTS (RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, Jungkook) has led K-pop into a new realm. K-pop had been explosively popular in Asia but largely remained a niche genre in Europe and the Americas. BTS moved it to the center of the pop world—the U.S. and U.K.—and is thus credited with changing the history of K-pop.

In December 2022, Jin was the first member to enlist in the military, marking a pause in BTS’s full-group activities. While it's difficult to compare due to variations in album versions and sales methods, K-pop continued to thrive in their absence—moving from BTS’s previous record of 4 million album sales to an era of 5 and even 6 million units sold. Still, no group surpassed BTS’s global influence.

Winning major awards at the three biggest U.S. music award shows and filling stadiums worldwide, BTS blazed new trails — often the very first of their kind. K-pop acts that followed mostly walked the paths that BTS pioneered. Though global interest in K-pop is high, the media’s praise dubbing BTS the “Beatles of the 21st Century” belongs to them alone. Let’s look back at their journey and achievements.

When they were called "The Beatles of the 21st century"

From "WINGS" in 2016 to "Proof" in 2022, BTS ranked No. 1 in annual album sales for seven consecutive years. In years when they released two albums, they dominated both first and second place. Their "LOVE YOURSELF" series exceeded 2 million copies sold, and the "MAP OF THE SOUL" series surpassed 4 million.

Especially in 2020, "MAP OF THE SOUL: 7" became the first K-pop album to surpass 4 million copies sold. It outsold the second-highest album of the year by 3 million copies. BTS’s BE also ranked second in yearly sales, with around 2.7 million units sold—clearly dominating the market.

These sales figures couldn’t have been achieved with popularity in Korea or Asia alone. BTS had clearly entered the global center. It all began with the June 2018 release of LOVE YOURSELF 轉 Tear", which marked their first No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200—a first for any K-pop act.

With LOVE YOURSELF 結 Answer topping the same chart again in August 2018, the BBC called BTS "the Beatles of the 21st century and a global pop sensation,” while France’s Le Figaro compared them to the Beatles, stating “nothing seems able to stop their meteoric rise.”

Their influence only grew from there. Every album—"MAP OF THE SOUL: PERSONA" (2019), "MAP OF THE SOUL: 7" (2020), "BE" (2020), and "Proof" (2022)—topped the Billboard 200. That’s six consecutive albums hitting No. 1.

They also made Billboard 200 history: four albums hit No. 1 within 1 year and 9 months—the fastest for any group since the Beatles (1 year and 5 months from 1966 to 1968). BTS also achieved five No. 1 albums in record time. Of the 11 non-English albums to top the chart at that time, five were BTS’s.

In the U.K.—the other pillar of global pop—BTS broke new ground as well. "MAP OF THE SOUL: PERSONA" became the first K-pop album to top the Official U.K. Albums Chart, followed by "MAP OF THE SOUL: 7", which also hit No. 1.

After topping both the U.S. Billboard and U.K. charts simultaneously with MAP OF THE SOUL: PERSONA, BTS embarked on the LOVE YOURSELF: SPEAK YOURSELF world stadium tour. This included a historic performance at Wembley Stadium—the first for a K-pop act.

When they "Crossed the threshold into global superstardom"

BTS dominated the album charts in the U.S. and U.K. and built a powerful global fanbase. However, until 2020, they hadn’t yet released a global megahit song—a key factor in mass public appeal. That changed with the release of “Dynamite” in August 2020. The track held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks.

The Hot 100 ranks are heavily influenced by radio play—something typically limited for non-English songs—so topping this chart with fan power alone was nearly impossible. BTS had climbed steadily with "FAKE LOVE" (No. 10), "IDOL" (No. 11), "Boy With Luv" (No. 8), and ON (No. 3), but the No. 1 spot remained elusive—until "Dynamite", their first English-language song.

Dynamite debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100, becoming the 43rd song ever to do so and marking the first time a Korean artist achieved this feat. BTS also became the first Korean act to top both the Billboard 200 and Hot 100.

Critics elevated their appraisal. Forbes declared, “BTS has crossed the final boundary of global pop superstardom,” adding, “At this point, denying BTS’s place as one of the biggest acts in the world is an act of willful ignorance.”

Soon after, BTS topped the Hot 100 again — this time with “Savage Love” (Remix) by Jason Derulo featuring BTS. Forbes noted the significance: “That BTS sang in Korean makes this more meaningful than "Dynamite", and cements their status as kingmakers.”

Even more remarkable: the No. 2 song that week was also Dynamite, making BTS the first group since the Black Eyed Peas in 2009 to hold the No. 1 and 2 positions simultaneously—and only the fifth act ever to do so, following the Beatles, Bee Gees, OutKast, and Black Eyed Peas.

Then came “Life Goes On”, another No. 1 on the Hot 100 — and a Korean-language song at that. Billboard called it “the first primarily Korean-language song in the Hot 100’s 62-year history to reach No. 1.”

More records followed. Just three months after "Dynamite"'s No. 1 debut, Life Goes On became BTS’s third No. 1 on the Hot 100. According to Billboard, this made BTS the fastest group to achieve three No. 1s since the Bee Gees in 1978. Only the Beatles did it faster.

In 2021, BTS released “Butter”, which spent an astounding 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100. During its run, they passed the top spot to “Permission to Dance”, only to reclaim it again with Butter—a stunning relay of No. 1 hits.

Beating Taylor Swift and The Weeknd to win AMAs top prize

BTS’s global dominance earned them invitations to the world’s most prestigious award shows. They collected numerous trophies and, in 2021, sealed their legacy by winning Artist of the Year at the American Music Awards (AMA) — one of the U.S.’s “big three” music award shows.

BTS’s recognition at U.S. award shows began in 2017 with the Top Social Artist award at the Billboard Music Awards (BBMA). In 2019, they won Top Duo/Group at the BBMAs and Favorite Pop Duo/Group at the AMAs — their first major category wins.

From 2019 to 2022, BTS won Favorite Pop Duo/Group at the AMAs four years in a row and Top Duo/Group at the BBMAs in 2021 and 2022. They also collected awards for Top Selling Song (2021), Top Song Sales Artist (2021–2022), Tour of the Year (2019), and Favorite Pop Song (2021).

Their 2021 Artist of the Year win at the AMAs was especially significant, beating global powerhouses like Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, and Drake. BTS was not only the first Asian act to be nominated for this award, but also the first to win it.

Their Grammy journey also progressed. BTS first appeared at the Grammy Awards in 2019 as presenters. In 2020, they performed with Lil Nas X. In 2021 and 2022, they earned nominations for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and delivered solo performances.

Though they did not win, being nominated and performing at the Grammys — widely considered the most conservative and prestigious music awards — was a historic milestone in itself.

Original article: The Fact