33 Keys to Decoding the Korean Wave 

#26 The Beatles vs. BTS 

 

 

 

The original British four-member rock and roll band, The Beatles, debuted with “Love Me Do” in 1962 (left). The seven-member boy band BTS from Korea debuted in 2013. 

 

The Beatles vs. BTS

-Debut Year: The Beatles - 1962 "Love Me Do" / BTS - 2013 "2 COOL 4 SKOOL"

-Billboard 200 No.1: The Beatles - 19 times / BTS - 6 times 

-Total Album Sales: The Beatles - 236 million copies / BTS - 50 million copies 

-YouTube Views: BTS - 31.47 billion views / The Beatles - 3.34 billion views  

-Grammy Awards: The Beatles - 7 wins / BTS - 0 wins

-Fanbase: Beatlemania / BTS ARMY

<As of February 2024>

 

 

On June 14, 2022, the superstar boy band BTS, celebrating their 9th debut anniversary, announced a shocking hiatus through a YouTube video (BTS FIESTA livestream).  BTS, which had been enjoying surfing at the peak of the K-Pop wave around the globe, announced that they are taking an indefinite hiatus from performing and recording. However, the band’s permanent disbandment was not the case, but rather was a temporary break for the band members to engage in individual activities and recharge.

 

On January 30, 1969, on the rooftop of Apple Corps in London, The Beatles held their last concert. On a winter day with a temperature of 7 degrees Celsius and a blowing wind, The Beatles, consisting of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, disbanded forever after a spontaneous 42-minute performance, and never performed together again. John Lennon was tragically murdered by an obsessive fan in front of his Dakota apartment building in Manhattan in 1980, and George Harrison passed away from lung cancer in LA in 2001.

 

BTS is now considered as a great group in world pop music history beyond the K-Pop phenomenon, comparable to the legendary four-member rock band The Beatles of the 1960s. 

 

In January 2019, the BBC online posted an article, “The Beatles v BTS: How do these supergroups compare?,” comparing the achievements of the two bands in terms of Billboard Hot 200 No.1 songs, YouTube views, best-selling albums, and Grammy Awards. CNN, the LA Times and Forbes also compared BTS to The Beatles. A boy band born in a small country in the Far East has become a legend of pop music. 

 

 

*BTS-Mania At The Ed Sullivan Theater 

*BTS Performs ‘Boy With Luv’

 

On February 9, 1964, the night known as the “Night That Changed America” in pop history unfolded. The British band, The Beatles, made their debut on a live broadcast of the American television show “The Ed Sullivan Show” on CBS-TV.  It was less than three months after President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated, and while the “King of Rock and Roll,” Elvis Presley, was busy shooting Hollywood movies. “Ladies and gentlemen …The Beatles!” With Ed Sullivan’s announcement, the four Beatles performed their hit “All My Loving,” and were watched by 73 million Americans. This marked the beginning of the so-called “British Invasion” of English rock and roll bands to American, including the Rolling Stones and many others.

 

On May 15, 2019, on the CBS-TV talk show “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” BTS made its own history, recreating a scene from The Beatles’ first television appearance. BTS took the stage at the Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway in New York, the same theater where The Beatles had performed 55 years earlier. Host Stephen Colbert dressed up like Ed Sullivan, and the audience was adorned in the style of 1964. BTS, dressed in suits reminiscent of The Beatles, introduced themselves individually and then performed their hit song “Boy With Luv.” The scene was aired in black and white to give it a 1964 feel. 

 

The Beatles Dolls by Remco, 1964(top)/ BTS Dolls by Mattle, 2019

 

If The Beatles, formed in Liverpool, England, are considered the original “boy band” that evolved the genre of rock and roll, then BTS, debuting over 50 years later, is a boy band that has risen to superstardom with a fusion genre, mixing and matching various styles such as rock, dance-pop, hip-hop, rap, R&B, ballad, and disco, presented through spectacular music videos.

 

The Beatles, consisting of John Lennon (guitar and vocals), Paul McCartney (bass guitar and vocals), George Harrison (guitar), and Ringo Starr (drums), became legends in pop music history. Similarly, RM (Kim Namjoon), Jin (Kim Seokjin), Suga (Min Yoongi), J-Hope (Jung Hoseok), Jimin (Park Jimin), V (Kim Taehyung), and Jungkook (Jeon Jungkook) of BTS are in the process of creating new legends in the history of pop music.

 

 

The Beatles Vs. BTS 

 

Fifty years after The Beatles disbanded, BTS captivated global pop fans around the world and shook up the popular music industry that had been dominated by performers from the US and UK. Media outlets, music magazines, and bloggers worldwide have compared BTS to The Beatles, dubbing BTS as the “21st-century Beatles” or “The Beatles of our time.” Debates comparing BTS and The Beatles, such as “BTS vs. The Beatles, who is bigger?” are lively discussion topics among BTS fans and netizens.

 

 

BBC, LA Times, Forbes, and CultureSonar have compared BTS and The Beatles.

 

The Beatles debuted as recording artists in October 1962 with the single “Love Me Do.” During the hiatus of Little Richard and Elvis Presley, two performers who had a great influence on them, the Beatles evolved rock and roll music into various sub-genres such as pop ballads, psychedelia, hard rock, folk rock, progressive rock, and baroque pop, building on the foundation of rock and roll. The name “The Beatles” was a play on words, a combination of "beat" with a musical connotation and “beetles.” 

 

BTS debuted in 2013 with the song and music video “2 COOL 4 SKOOL.” The group name, BTS (Bangtan Boys/Bulletproof Boys Scouts/Beyond The Scene), was chosen to signify protecting the young generation from prejudice and oppression, just as bullets are blocked. BTS has explored various genres of music, including pop, hip-hop, R&B, EDM (electronic dance music), rock, funk, disco, Latin pop, ballad, country, and gospel. The members of BTS don’t play instruments like the Beatles did, but instead incorporate into their performances intricate dance movement and choreography. BTS adopted the name BTS, meaning, “Like the bulletproof vests protecting against bullets, we will boldly face the hardships and prejudices faced by teenagers and those in their 20s, protecting our musical values throughout our lives.”

 

# No. One on Billboard Chart Hot 100 & 200 

 

 

The chart published by the American music magazine Billboard is a reliable ranking that can measure the popularity of the two bands. The Billboard Hot 100 is the main chart that determines the ranking of a single song by adding up single sales in the U.S. (audio + digital), the number of radio broadcasts, online streaming, and YouTube views. The Billboard 200 is ranked based on album and EP sales (audio + digital).

 

 

 

 

Billboard Hot 100 No. One

Billboard Hot 100 No. One

 

The Beatles had their first UK number one single with “From Me To You” in 1963, and went on to record 16 more UK number one songs as a group (with one more record, “Now and Then,” created from a tape of a John Lennon recording, reaching number one on the UK charts in November 2023). During the week of April 4, 1964, five Beatles songs took the first five places on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart (1. “Can't Buy Me Love” / 2. “Twist and Shout” / 3. “She Loves You” / 4. “I Want to Hold Your Hand” / 5. “Please Please Me”), and an unprecedented feat of ranking 12 songs in the top 100. The Beatles held the record for the most songs that reached #1 on the Billboard 100 singles charts for the United States from 1963 to 1970, with 20 number one hits in the USA.

 

Beatles: 20 #1 songs

I Want To Hold Your Hand (1963), She Loves You (1963), Can’t Buy Me Love (1964), Love Me Do (1964), A Hard Day’s Night (1964), I Feel Fine (1964), Eight Days a Week (1965), Ticket To Ride (1965), Help! (1965), Yesterday (1965), We Can Work It Out (1965), Day Tripper (1965), Paperback Writer (1966), Penny Lane (1967), All You Need Is Love (1967), Hello Goodbye (1967), Hey Jude (1968), Get Back (1969), Come Together (1969), Something (1969), Let It Be (1970), The Long and Winding Road (1970)

 

BTS: 6 #1 songs

BTS enjoyed explosive popularity even during the coronavirus pandemic. In September 2020, they became the first Korean performers to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with their first English song “Dynamite,” and stayed at the top for three weeks. The previous highest record was Psy’s “Gangnam Style,” which ranked 2nd in September 2012. They then rose to first place again with “Savage Love” and “Life Goes On.”  In 2021, they occupied the first place for 10 weeks with “Butter,” and then regained the first place with “Permission to Dance” and “My Universe” recorded with Chris Martin.

 

As of June 2022, BTS has ranked 25 songs on the Hot 100 chart. Additionally, they topped the Artist 100 chart for 21 weeks, setting a record for the most number one positions among a duo/group.

 

 

 

The Beatles

 

Billboard 200 No. 1 Album 

 

Beatles: #1, 19 different #1 albums in the United States.

Meet the Beatles! (1964), The Beatles’ Second Album (1964), A Hard Day’s Night (1964), Beatles ‘65 (1964), Beatles VI (1965), Help! (1965), Rubber Soul (1965), Yesterday and Today (1966), Revolver (1966), Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), Magical Mystery Tour (1967), The Beatles (WHITE Album, 1968), Abbey Road (1969), Let It Be (1970), 1967-1970 (BLUE Album, 1973), Anthology 1 (1995), Anthology 2 (1996), Anthology 3 (1996), 1 (2000)

 

BTS: 6 #1 albums in the United States.

“Love Yourself: Tear” (2018), “Love Yourself: Answer” (2018), “Map of the Soul: Persona” (2019), “Map of the Soul: 7” (2020), “Be” (2020), “Proof” (2022)

 

 

The Beatles placed a total of 19 albums at number one on the Billboard 200 US album charts from 1963 to 2000. Meanwhile, BTS has had six albums ranked first from 2018 to June 2022. BTS became the band to place four albums at number one on the Billboard 200 in the shortest period of time (1 year and 9 months) since the Beatles. 

 

 

#2 YouTube views

 

BTS, DNA Music Video 

 

In the 1960s, during the Beatles’ era, musicians primarily engaged with fans through record sales, TV and radio broadcasts, and concerts. In the 21st century, musicians such as BTS directly connect with fans through internet-based platforms like YouTube and social media, sharing music videos, behind-the-scenes content, and glimpses into their daily lives.

 

BTS: 31.47 billion views (*official YouTube channel, as of February 2024)

Number of BANGTANTV subscribers (77.5 million) BANGTANTV

 

Beatles: 3.34 billion views (*official YouTube channel, as of February 2024)

Number of subscribers to The Beatles (8.13 million) The Beatles

 

 

 

 

A total of 169 major Beatles videos have been uploaded to YouTube since 2011, showcasing their enduring popularity. As of February 2024, the total number of views for Beatles videos on YouTube is 3.343 billion, with an average of 1,264,000 views per day. The most-viewed video is “Don’t Let Me Down” (482 million views), followed by “Hey Jude” (380 million views).

 

On the other hand, thanks to YouTube and social media, BTS has accumulated 31.52 billion video views, with an average of 7,508,038 views per day, as of February 2024, ranking second globally among artists. Bad Bunny (31.93 billion views) is in first place, and Justin Bieber (29.33 billion views), Ed Sheeran (28.82 billion views), and Taylor Swift (27.67 billion views) follow.

 

The official music video for “Dynamite,” uploaded in August 2020, is BTS’s most-viewed video, surpassing 1.798 billion views. Among the 209 BTS videos on YouTube, 74 have garnered over 100 million views. 

 

Notably, Psy’s “Gangnam Style” made history by reaching 1 billion views on YouTube in December 2012. As of February 2024, the official music video for “Gangnam Style” has approximately 5.05 billion views, ranking 5th in YouTube's all-time music videos.

 

 

#3 Bestselling Album

 

Beatles: Total of 183 million copies (*as of 2022), bestseller “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (1967), 32 million units (*as of 2022).

BTS: Total of 33.9 million copies (*as of March 2022), bestseller “Map of the Soul: 7” (2021) with 4.78 million copies (*as of March 2022).

 

According to 2019 statistics from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the Beatles ranked as the best-selling musical recording artists globally, with a total of 183 million albums sold (not counting single record sales). Their best-selling album, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” released in 1967, has sold 32 million copies. This record, recipient of the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, features iconic tracks such as “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and “She’s Leaving Home.”

 

In contrast, BTS, debuting in 2013 with “2 COOL 4 SKOOL,” has released studio-recorded full-length albums like “Dark & Wild” (2014), “Wings” (2016), “Love Yourself 轉: Tear” (2018), and “Map of the Soul: 7” (2020), along with mini-albums (EP) and singles.

 

BTS’s best-selling album is “Map of the Soul: 7,” having sold 4.78 million copies. This album includes popular tracks such as “Boy With Luv,” “On,” and “Black Swan,” with 595,000 copies sold in the U.S., 2.05 million copies in Korea, and 3.25 million copies in Asia alone. According to Korea’s music chart GAON, BTS has sold a total of 33.9 million units as of March 2022 since their debut in 2013. 

 

Forbes magazine noted BTS’s achievement with “Map of the Soul: 7,” writing in July 2020 that “The Beatles and BTS Are The Only Groups To Sell 1 Million Album Units In 2020.” “Map of the Soul: 7” sold 1.417 million copies in the first half of the year, surpassing the Beatles’ 1969 album “Abbey Road,” which still sold 1.094 million copies in the first half of 2020. BTS’s “Map of the Soul: 7” was recognized as the best-selling album of the year in 2020, with over 500,000 copies sold in the U.S. alone in the first half of the year, more than twice the sales of the second-ranked artist, Kenny Chesney.

 

#4 Music Awards 

 

 

<GRAMMY AWARDS>

 

 

Rolling Stone, a renowned American music magazine, criticized the exclusion of BTS from the 2020 Grammy Nominations, noting that their album “Map of the Soul: Persona” outsold Beyoncé’s “Homecoming” and achieved significant Billboard rankings. The Rolling Stone article, “BTS Are Shut Out of 2020 Grammy Nominations,” emphasized that BTS, despite their commercial success comparable to The Beatles, was not nominated for major categories like Album of the Year or Best Pop Vocal Album. This raised questions about the Grammy Awards’ recognition of K-Pop and the discrepancy between the industry’s perception and the genre’s global impact.

 

The article pointed out that despite K-Pop groups’ superior dancing skills and record sales, they often face oversight in major U.S. music awards. Meanwhile, major American record labels have recently expressed their efforts to embrace K-Pop artists, underscoring the evolving landscape of the music industry. The magazine pointed out that “The music industry is historically slow to adapt, but it’s beginning to acknowledge that it must think globally” in an era when Americans are fascinated by singers not only from Korea but also from Nigeria, Colombia and Spain. — Listeners in Indonesia or India might be every bit as important for breaking a new artist as listeners in Illinois. But the Grammys, as per usual, lag behind.”

 

USA Today also paid attention to BTS’ lack of recognition at the Grammy Awards. In an article titled “BTS Are Shut Out of 2020 Grammy Nominations,” the newspaper said: “This demonstrates the ongoing challenge for K-Pop acts: They consistently outsell — not to mention out-dance — their American counterparts, and they are just as consistently ignored at major American awards shows.”

 

 

 

 

On the other hand, BTS holds the record for the group with the most awards at the Billboard Music Awards. They clinched the Top Duo/Group (2019) and Top Social Artist (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021) awards, in addition to Top Duo/Group Artist (2019, 2021, 2022) and Top Selling Song.  As of May 2022, they have secured Billboard Music awards in a total of 12 categories, including Top Selling Song (2021, 2022) and Top Song Sales Artist (2021, 2022). The previous record of 11 awards was set by Destiny’s Child, a female trio with Beyoncé as a member.

 

Moreover, BTS received nominations in 11 categories at the American Music Awards (AMAs) for five consecutive years since 2018, and emerged victorious in all of them. They took home awards in categories like Favorite Social Artist (2018, 2019, 2020), Favorite Duo/Group Pop/Rock (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022), Tour of the Year (2019), and Artist of the Year (2021). They also won awards in newly established categories such as Pop Song (“Butter,” 2021) and Favorite K-Pop Artist in 2022. Notably, this marked the first time an Asian singer was nominated for and won the Singer of the Year category, the grand prize of the AMA, which was founded in 1974.

 

At the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), considered one of the four major American music awards along with the Grammy Awards, Billboard Music Awards, and American Music Awards, BTS received nominations in a total of 21 categories as of 2022, securing the Group of the Year title in 2022 and winning in 10 categories including K-Pop/Group (2021) and Choreography/K-Pop/Group/Pop Video.

 

The VMAs introduced a new K-Pop Video Award in 2019, and BTS secured the award for three consecutive years starting in 2019 with “Boy with Luv,” “On,” and “Butter.” In 2022, Lisa of the girl group Blackpink won the Best K-Pop Award for her debut solo song “Lalisa.” The AMA introduced a new Favorite K-Pop Artist category in 2022, with the first nominee being BTS, who competed against Blackpink, Seventeen, Tomorrow X Together (TXT), and Twice.

 

Additionally, the Billboard Music Awards introduced new categories like Top Global K-Pop Artist, Top Global K-Pop Song, Top K-Pop Album, and Top K-Pop Touring Artist. The Top Global K-Pop Artist went to the 5-member girl band NewJeans, Top Global Pop Song was awarded to BTS’ Jungkook for “Seven,” and Top K-Pop Album was given to the 8-member boy band Stray Kids for “5-Star Kids.” The top K-Pop touring artist was won by the four-member superstar girl band Blackpink. 

 

However, some K-Pop fans have criticized the new K-Pop category, expressing concern that it isolates the genre from major awards such as Artist of the Year and Video of the Year.

 

#6 Lyrics

 

The Beatles

 

In the 1960s, the United States was undergoing political and social turmoil. Amidst the upheaval caused by the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., the civil rights movement, and the Vietnam War, the Beatles emerged as a significant cultural force. Their philosophical lyrics covered a range of themes including love, heartbreak, forgiveness, friendship, happiness, wisdom, death, peace, and the human rights movement, providing a source of comfort during this tumultuous era.   

 

"And when the brokenhearted people/ Living in the world agree/ There will be an answer, let it be"(Let It Be)

"Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away/ Now it looks as though they’re here to stay/ Oh, I believe in yesterday"(Yesterday)

"And any time you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain/ Don't carry the world upon your shoulders/ For well, you know that it's a fool who plays it cool/ By making his world a little colder"(Hey Jude)

"There's nothing you can do that can't be done/ Nothing you can sing that can't be sung/ Nothing you can say, but you can learn how to play the game/ It's easy/ All you need is love"(All You Need Is Love)

"Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see"(Strawberry Fields Forever)

"Doesn’t have a point of view/ Knows not where he’s going to/ Isn’t he a bit like you and me?"(Nowhere Man)

"And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make"(The End)

 

 

 

BTS

 

Hip-hop and rap singers, who have dominated American pop music since the 1990'’s, primarily address social issues, racism, and personal anger. On the other hand, the songs of popular artists like Adele and Sam Smith often tell stories about love and heartbreak.

 

In contrast, BTS captivates with its charismatic members, addictive music, captivating dance routines, and emotionally charged lyrics. The content they produce is notably profound. Each album and music video is crafted with a clear concept, and the lyrics draw inspiration from literature and movies. For instance, the “WINGS” album is influenced by Hermann Hesse’s novel “Demian.” “In the Mood for Love” takes inspiration from director Wong Kar-wai’s film of the same name, “4 O’Clock” borrows from a line in director Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight,” and other representative examples include “Serendipity,'” paying homage to “Flowers,” by Kim Choon-soo and the inn in the “Spring Day” music video, derived from Ursula K. Le Guin’s short story “The Leaving Omelas.”

 

Moreover, BTS addresses a range of universal themes such as the pressure to study, an uncertain future, confidence, dreams, and the trials and challenges faced by individuals in their teens and 20s. This is why young fans worldwide take the effort to learn Korean lyrics and enthusiastically sing along to BTS’s songs.

 

-“Though you are raising your thorns/ I can see your rose” (What am I to You)

-“Though I wished for tender waves/ Why didn’t I know that you are the sea” (Best Of Me)

-“Did I fall in order to greet those countless stars/ I am the sole target of those thousands of shining arrows” (Love Yourself)

-“What am I doin’ with my life?/ This moment It will never come again/ It won’t come to me again/ Am I happy right now?/ That answer is already fixed/ I’m happy” (The Most Beautiful Moment In Life)

-“Even if I sleep a shrimp’s sleep/ my dreams are like that of a whale’s/ The upcoming big praise will make me dance everyday/ Like me, Yeh, I’m swimmin’" (Whalien 52) 

-“I want money to be chasin’ me, not to become a monster chasin’ the money.” (Tony Montana)

-“Who’s the person you’ve always dreamed of being?/ Right now who do you see in the mirror?/ I gotta say/ Go your own way/ Even if you live for a single day/ Do something, anything/ Put away your weakness” (No More Dream)

 

 

#7 Beatlemania and the BTS ARMY 

 

 

BeatleMania

 

After the Beatles debuted in 1963, their popularity exploded, and everywhere they went, young female fans screamed, jumped on stage at concerts, cried, and fainted. In 1965, on the day the Beatles were knighted at Buckingham Palace in London, so many fans flocked and screamed that they climbed the iron gate, prompting the London police to intervene. These were the original “Beatlemania” fans.

 

Beatlemania, which originated in England, spread to the United States. When the Beatles made their American debut on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964, Beatles fans flocked to the hotel in New York where the Beatles were staying, so much so that the police had to set up human barricades.

 

 

  

Twitter

 

Unlike the Beatles era in the 1960s, the BTS era of the 21st century has the advantage of social media. It serves as a democratic platform that amplifies the voices of the grassroots against more conservative (and often authoritarian) media. ARMY (which is an abbreviation for “Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth”), is a fan club formed by BTS fans in 2014, which engages in exchanging BTS information, promoting music, managing popularity, and making their voices heard through social action.

 

BTS and Big Entertainment donated $1 million to the #BlackLivesMatter Foundation in June, 2020. In response, 35,609 BTS ARMY fans collectively donated another $1,026,531 to match the amount. Additionally, BTS donated an extra $1 million to concert staff who lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

 

BTS ARMY is estimated to have 90 million people worldwide, as of October 2023. BTS’s social media followers are astronomical: Instagram (74.4 million people), Twitter (43.9 million people), and Facebook (21 million people). (*As of February 2024)

 

 

 

TIME

 

 

BTS During the Pandemic 

 

 

 

During the coronavirus pandemic, BTS maintained their active presence, garnering special attention from U.S. media for their remarkable popularity and accomplishments.

 

The Indian edition of the music magazine Rolling Stone conducted an in-depth interview with BTS (“BTS: The Rolling Stone Interview”) in November 2020. The magazine commended BTS’ music for its universal appeal, addressing shared life experiences that resonate with people from various walks of life. Their lyrics were noted for delving into common moments such as school days, friendships, parental expectations, societal roles, and the inevitable journey into the challenges of life. The core message of the band was described as an exploration of what it means to be human and understanding one’s place in the grand scheme of things.

 

 

In the June 2021 issue, Rolling Stone featured BTS on the cover as the first all-Asian group in the magazine’s 54-year history, presenting their success story. The article, titled “The Triumph of BTS: How seven young superstars rewrote music-biz rules and became the biggest band in the world,” highlighted BTS’s magic, charisma, genre-defying music, sleek yet personal style, and their emphasis on harmless masculinity. These elements were portrayed as emanating from a brighter and more hopeful era.

 

Forbes, an American business magazine, published an article in October 2021 titled “The Beatles, The Rolling Stones And Now BTS: The Bands With The Most No. 1 Hits,” drawing comparisons between BTS and the two iconic bands in pop history. Shortly after the release of “My Universe,” a collaboration by BTS with the British rock band Coldplay, the song secured the top spot on the Billboard HOT 100 chart. Coldplay, led by Chris Martin, had reclaimed the No. 1 position after 13 years, by teaming up with BTS. 

 

In October 2021, Billboard magazine tweeted about the duo/group with the most No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 chart. The Beatles led with 20, followed by Diana Ross & the Supremes with 12, the BeeGees with 9, the Rolling Stones with 8, and BTS tied with Hall and Oates for 5th place, each having 6. This marked a significant achievement for a pop group from a third-world country outside the US and UK.

 

BTS Solo Era: All 7 Members Ranked on Billboard Hot 100 

 

 

BTS announced a hiatus on June 10, 2022 after releasing the 3-CD anthology album, “Proof,” to celebrate the 9th anniversary of the band’s debut. The BTS members Jin, Jungkook, Jimin, V, Suga, J-Hope, and RM took a temporary break from group activities and entered a new chapter of their solo projects, exploring their individual musicality.

 

All seven members of BTS achieved solo success on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. J-Hope was the first to make a solo debut on the charts at No. 81 in October 2019 with “Chicken Noodle Soup,” a collaboration with Becky G. Subsequently, the rankings unfolded as Suga-V-Jungkook-Suga-Jungkook-J-Hope-J-Hope-Jin-RM-Jimin. In March 2023, J-Hope achieved the highest solo ranking, entering the 60th place with “On the Street,” a collaboration with rap singer J. Cole, ranking 4th. 

 

 

BTS solo project’s highest ranking on the Billboard Hot 100

<as of July 25, 2023>

#J-Hope feat. Becky G, “Chicken Noodle Soup” (No. 81; Oct. 12, 2019)

#Agust D (SUGA’s alternate billing), “Daechwita” (No. 76; June 6, 2020)

#Juice WRLD & Suga, “Girl of My Dreams” (No. 29; Dec. 25, 2021)

#V, “Christmas Tree” (No. 79; Jan. 8, 2022)

#Jung Kook, “Stay Alive” (No. 95; Feb. 26, 2022)

#PSY feat. Suga, “That That” (No. 80; May 14, 2022)

#Charlie Puth feat. Jung Kook, “Left and Right” (No. 22; July 9, 2022)

#J-Hope, “More” (No. 82; July 16, 2022)

#J-Hope, “Arson” (No. 96; July 30, 2022)

#JIN, “The Astronaut” (No. 51; Nov. 12, 2022)

#RM with Youjeen, “Wild Flower” (No. 83; Dec. 17, 2022)

#TAEYANG feat. Jimin, “Vibe” (No. 76; Jan. 28, 2023)

#J-Hope, “on the street” (No. 60; Mar 18, 2023)

#Jimin, "Like Crazy" (No. 1; Apr. 3, 2023)

#Jung Kook, "Seven" (No. 1; July 29, 2023) 

 

 

 

In April 2023, Jimin made history as the first K-pop solo artist to top the Billboard single chart with his solo song “Like Crazy,” and his album “FACE” debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200. Jungkook’s digital single “Seven” later topped the Billboard Hot 100 on July 29. With this achievement, Jimin and Jungkook became the first K-Pop singers to top the Billboard Hot 100 charts both as a group and as solo artists.

 

Despite declaring a hiatus, BTS did not halt their group activities entirely.  In October 2022, they held a free concert, “Yet to Come in Busan,” at Busan Asiad Main Stadium to support the 2030 Busan World Expo, attracting over 50,000 fans from all over the world. The concert was screened in movie theaters in 110 countries on February 1, 2023.

 

The announcement of BTS’s hiatus and Jin's military enlistment marked the beginning of a new chapter, providing each member with an opportunity to showcase their individual musical talents. The Korean people’s ability to turn crises into opportunities is embedded in their DNA.

 

In Korea, mandatory military service applies to all healthy men aged 18 to 28. Following Jin, the eldest member of BTS, who began his military service in December 2022, all seven BTS members are currently serving, with the youngest member, Jungkook, enlisting in December 2023. They are expected to complete their military service and be discharged by June 2025.

 

As of February 2024, BTS continues to dominate social media, with a staggering 74.3 million followers on Instagram (bts.bighitofficial). Individual member counts are as follows: V (64 million), Jungkook (55 million), Jimin (53 million), J-Hope (49 million), Suga (49 million), Jin (48 million), and RM (45.5 million).

 

Sukie Park