Even in the far future, never forget the you of right now,” sing K-pop princes BTS (South Korea) in their single “Tomorrow”.
It’s just one of the many lines written by the record-breaking band that resonated with the international public. They certainly haven’t forgotten their ‘you of right now’, ever-changing and yet able to remain true to themselves.
This constant strive for excellence and relatability — paired to an upbeat sound and jaw-dropping choreographies — is the secret ingredient of what is arguably the hit band of the moment.
Without further ado, we are delighted to welcome BTS to our Guinness World Records Hall of Fame.
South Korea’s very own Bangtan Sonyeondan (or Bangtan Boys, which translates as “Bulletproof Boy Scouts”) are widely known by the acronym BTS and need no introduction. Ever since rising to international fame in 2018, these seven dancers, singers and songwriters have jumped from strength to strength.
Their single “Butter” started trending all over TikTok, while hits like “Dynamite”, “Boy With Luv” (feat Hasley) and “Mic Drop” (feat Steve Aoki) shattered the charts and are immediately recognized by the crowds all over the world.
Among several Billboard music awards, Asian music awards and many others, BTS have collected a jaw-dropping 23 Guinness World Records titles across music and social media – an amazing result achieved also thanks to the enthusiasm of their fans, the ARMY.
Today, they are the most streamed group on Spotify (beating the British band Coldplay) and the most followed music group on Instagram.
As for the blue bird app, BTS’ official accounts snatched the most Twitter engagements (average retweets) for a music group (a record that they have topped four times!).
Their May 2021 release, “Butter”, single-handedly snatched five records, among which we find most viewers for the premiere of a music video on YouTube (previously held by BTS’ success “Dynamite”) and most streamed track on Spotify in the first 24 hours.
More of their records comprehend, but are far from limited to:
Most viewed YouTube video in 24 hours by a K-pop group, fastest time to reach one million followers on TikTok (their current count is 669.3M followers)
Most tickets sold for a livestreamed concert (756,000)
Most viewed YouTube music video in 24 hours (“Butter”)
But these are only a few of the records collected by BTS over the last couple of years (discover all of them inside Guinness World Records 2022 and the Hall of Fame), and we are sure that they won’t be the last ones.
Despite their young age, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook have left a mark in the present cultural landscape, breaking free from the limitations of their home market and of a language, South Korean, that remains widely unknown to the international public.
At the same time – or perhaps aided by the echoes of the boyband’s music, South Korea is seeing a steady rise in popularity.
From international exposure of Netflix-produced K-dramas to Seoul’s cutting-edge beauty industry and popping viral trends like bubble tea, South Korea’s influences are all over the internet. The world has discovered a newfound passion for everything South Korean, from Gangnam’s open-air street style catwalk to the majestic architecture of the Bongwonsa Temple.
Recently, mirroring BTS’ success, the record-breaking girl band BLACKPINK opened Coachella 2019. It was the first time in history a K-pop girl band performed at a U.S. festival, a show-stopping exhibition and a true once-in-a-lifetime event for Blinks (so BLACKPINK fans call themselves).
In just a few years the country has become a global inspiration and trendsetter, and BTS are arguably the flagship of this pop revolution.
In fact, through their art, the seven artists are raising awareness around Korean culture and language (which earned them the ambitious 5th class of the Order of Cultural Merit, the Flower Crown).
At the same time, they are fighting for another cause: self-love, self-acceptance and mental health awareness.
Other than partnering up with UNICEF for their Love Myself campaign against children and teen abuse, the septet has often addressed mental health issues in their lyrics and public speeches.
Their positivity and openness towards themes that are often considered taboo kindled even stronger support from their fans – especially via Twitter.
As for their ability to have fun, amaze and communicate through music and dance moves, as well as their dedication for breaking records… that is certainly what marks BTS as the perfect fit for our Hall of Fame 2022!