BTS

 

Arguably the biggest musical group in the world right now, BTS has taken the world by storm, and it seemed like there was no stopping the group from reaching new heights, with only required military service being their roadblock. Debuting in 2013 with their single album 2 Cool 4 Skool alongside lead single "No More Dream", BTS soon became a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. By 2017, they had three Korean studio albums to their name (Dark & Wild, Wake Up and Wings) and had crossed over into the United States and the global market, with the Platinum-certified album by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) by a South Korean act with their fourth Korean studio album Love Yourself: Tear.

Their dominance only continued into the 2020s, as they started off the decade by becoming the first K-Pop act to sell more than 20 million albums worldwide, in April. Later that year, BTS would release their first English-language single "Dynamite", which would end up being one of the biggest hits of the year. Debuting at #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, the group earned their first chart-topping single, and they became the first all-South Korean act to achieve a number-one single in the United States.  The song would be even nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards, being the first Korean pop act to be recognized by the Recording Academy. Later that year, they would feature on a remix of Jason Derulo and Jawsh 685's "Savage Love (Laxed - Siren Beat)", debuting at #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, their second in a row within the same year. In November, the group then released their 5th Korean studio album Be, along with the lead single "Life Goes On". The song debuted at #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, now becoming their third in a row in three months. They were named the IFPI's Global Recording Artist of the Year for 2020, becoming the non-English speaking act to ever do so. 

2021 saw no stopping of their dominance either as they achieved their fourth number-one hit within nine months, with "Butter", their second English-language single. They became the quickest act to achieve 4 number-one singles since Justin Timberlake in 2006, and the fastest group to achieve it since The Jackson 5 in 1970. "Butter" also ended up being nominated for the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance award at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. Between November 27 and December 2, BTS held their first live performances before an in-person audience since before the pandemic. The band played four sold-out shows at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles as a continuation of their Permission to Dance on Stage concert series. 

In 2022, the group announced that the group would be going on a hiatus, as under South Korean law, all able-bodied males must complete between 18 and 21 months of military service, usually by age 28. The band's oldest member, Jin, 29, had enlisted into the military, officially going into hiatus, with a planned reunion in 2025.

While current events see them with an uncertain future or even a reunion, the group made its mark in the music industry and made the K-pop genre a mainstay across the globe. Even currently, they are the most streamed group daily on Spotify, and constantly sell physical albums, in a day and age where music streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music are most popular. Love them or hate them, there is no doubt that BTS is undoubtedly one of the biggest musical acts in the world today.