Billboard’s Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century: No. 19 — BTS
With the first quarter of the 21st century coming to a close, Billboard is spending the next few months counting down our staff picks for the 25 greatest pop stars of the last 25 years. We’ve already named our Honorable Mentions and our No. 25, No. 24, No. 23, No. 22, No. 21 and No. 20 stars, and now we remember the century in BTS — the septet that took K-pop to new global heights, and set the standard for high-level hitmaking and fan devotion over the past decade of pop music.
When you think of what it takes for a group to become pop stars, imagine having seven individual talents who can each do it all well: sing, rap, dance, and amass a love and fandom that even some of the biggest pop stars could only dream of. That’s what you have with BTS, who crashed through every door of what it takes to be a successful pop act and expanded that with a scope never quite seen before. The group has broken through ceilings for boy bands, K-pop and South Korean artists in general, all while creating a meaningful community that is continually inspired by BTS’ message of positivity, love and connection.
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The global sensations have amassed Beatles-sized success and have become the new blueprint for everything pop: When it comes to maintaining fan hysteria and consistent hitmaking, they are it. In the U.S. alone, the K-pop septet has notched six Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits and six Billboard 200 No. 1 albums. And as solo artists over the past few years, they’ve all individually created their own lane, and grabbed historic accolades of their own along the way.
It all started in 2013, when BTS (short for the Korean phrase Bangtan Sonyeondan, which translates to “Bulletproof Boy Scouts”) was created by Big Hit Entertainment. The group, comprised of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook, released the debut EP 2 Cool 4 Skool in June 2013.
In Korea, BTS was not instantly welcomed. In the band’s biography Beyond the Story, the members speak on the highly competitive genre, and being shunned by peers in the industry, and even by some fans of K-pop. But through the style of vlogging, BTS was able to create a more unique relationship with their fans. Want to hang out and cook along with BTS? You could. That was something that was far from the extremely polished K-pop norms.
Though BTS was not the first K-pop group to find huge success at home and abroad — and won’t be the last — throughout the group’s journey to global superstardom, there were numerous things that made it special.
The massive fan group ARMY (Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth) has been with the septet every step of the way. In the 2021 hit “Butter,” the group’s leader RM confidently says, “got ARMY right behind us when we say so.” BTS has over 75 million followers on Instagram and over 48 million followers on X (formerly Twitter). It has grown the group past what people normally see in boy band fandoms: ARMY boosts a diverse community of all ages, races, religions and beyond.
One of the top qualities that makes BTS stand out as pop stars is the members’ ability to bend and blend genres. This is largely due to the group being comprised of different members cast in different roles — K-pop groups will often split different members into a rap line, vocal line, and dance line — giving everybody the ability to shine. They all have their own styles and voices, yet they all blend well together. This individual uniqueness has even led fans to celebrate their “bias” as they connect with their favorite member of the OT7 (One True 7).
Being trained in the K-pop methodology prepared all seven to be strong in all areas of performance. To get to know them as great singers, take note of V’s chilling vocals on “Spring Day,” Jimin’s sweet sensuality on “Serendipity,” Jin’s flawless belting on “Let Go,” or Jung Kook’s effortless falsetto on “Euphoria”. The group’s earliest music was also heavily influenced by hip-hop — and members Suga, RM, and J-Hope’s inspiration from the American hip-hop scene and the underground culture in Korea heavily shaped BTS’ sound. By 2018, Nicki Minaj was even joining the group for an iconic verse on the Love Yourself: Answer single “IDOL”.
Of course, you can’t be a great pop star without top-notch visuals. From music videos to merchandise, everything BTS is produced to the highest quality. Take for example their song “ON”: The music video alone is a spectacle of massive dance numbers and sprawling sets. The group took that same performance to The Tonight Show in Grand Central Station and inside a stadium for the 2020 MAMA Awards. Everything BTS does is BIG. (And yes, all the BTS members are good looking: Jin is famously nicknamed by their fans as Worldwide Handsome.)
The group’s dance ability is also next-level. Choreography isn’t new to boy bands, as pop groups from the Jackson 5 to *NSYNC made it a key performance element. But look no further than BTS’ performance of “Black Swan” at the 2020 Melon Music Awards and you know what we are seeing is different here: Often members show off not just hip-hop dance skills, but aerial, ballet, and interpretive dancing. A quick dive into fan edits online and you will surely find several videos comparing the members to Michael Jackson and other greats.
It was these performances, and a new lean into a more pop-friendly sound, that really introduced them to a mainstream American audience in the late ‘10s. They brought “Fake Love” to the Billboard Music Awards in 2018, one of their first major US awards show performances, with huge (and clearly audible) ARMY support in the crowd. “Boy With Luv” featuring Halsey, released the next year off Map of the Soul: Persona, was another catchy banger and became one of their biggest hits at the time, reaching the Hot 100’s top 10. They performed that track at the BBMAs in 2019, also receiving a rapturous reception.
Though there was no denying BTS’ massive success as the septet sold out stadiums across the world by 2019, there really was no preparation for what happened with “Dynamite” in 2020. The group’s first single released in all English can only be described as pop perfection. From the sticky-sweet lyrics to the colorfully choreographed music video, the song catapulted the already massively popular group to new levels of crossover American success. The song became BTS’ first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — and the first song ever by an all-South Korean musical act to reach that spot, with only Psy’s “Gangnam Style” (No. 2) getting close previously.
BTS followed that up with even more chart-toppers, several while linking up with English-language pop acts– lending an assist to Jason Derulo for “Savage Love” and getting recruited by Coldplay for “My Universe,” which became another No. 1 for both groups. BTS even had a No. 1 co-written by Ed Sheeran – with a personal favorite, “Permission to Dance.” Which isn’t to say the septet actually needed help from any other hitmakers, though – as “Butter,” the delectable 10-week No. 1 that stands as the group’s longest-reigning Hot 100-topper to date, clearly demonstrated in summer 2021.
Songs like “Dynamite,” “Butter” and “My Universe” have been able to secure BTS five Grammy nominations. They were also invited to the stage at both the 2021 and 2022 Grammys, with highly anticipated performances that brought the awards some of their buzziest and best-received moments.
The seven members have continued that success as solo artists while BTS has paused most group activity as its members participate in their mandatory South Korean military service. (Jin was the first member to enlist, doing so in Dec. 2022, and this June, also became the first to be discharged.) In 2022 J-Hope became the first South Korean artist to headline the main stage at a major U.S. music festival when he headlined Lollapalooza. In 2023 Suga took his solo show worldwide as he completed the Agust D Tour in support of his debut studio album D-Day. Jimin made history with the release of his first solo album, FACE, as the single “Like Crazy” became the first song by a Korean solo artist to top the Billboard Hot 100. Jung Kook performed at the World Cup and notched his own Hot 100 No. 1, with “Seven” featuring Latto. V, Jin and RM have also all released successful solo music.
Meanwhile, even as they’ve become global pop crossover stars, the BTS members have continued to stay true to their hip-hop roots – as seen as recently as RM’s new feature on Megan Thee Stallion’s “Never Play” this September. He’s also worked with Erykah Badu, Wale and Anderson .Paak, while in 2023, J-Hope teamed up with a rap icon in J. Cole for the single “On the Street.”
No K-pop group — or group in general — has been able to accomplish what Bangtan has this century. From creating a global community to expanding K-pop well outside of its genre and delivering seven successful pop star solo acts, BTS truly paved the way.
Read more about the Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century here — and be sure to check back on Thursday when our No. 18 artist is revealed!
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