There aren’t many K-Pop groups in music on the same level as BTS. There isn’t much that can be said about the effort it took for the group to get to where they are today or the monumental trajectory their career took when they broke into the global market that hasn’t already been said. Instead, I’d like to take a look at the incredible journey BTS has taken through the music they released at key points in their career.
If you’re a longtime BTS fan, you’ll remember where you were when they achieved things like receiving their first music show win or getting their first number one on the US Billboard charts. These milestones are nothing to brush aside, and I hope to examine each of them with respect and awe. The 10 songs listed below are just some of the songs that I believe have shaped BTS into the biggest boy band in the world through their sound, reception, and how they continue to stand today.
10 Cypher Pt.3: Killer
Dark & Wild (2014)
Of all the songs on this list, «BTS Cypher Pt.3: Killer» may feel the most self-indulgent, but hear me out. BTS easily has one of the best rap lines in K-Pop, so I needed one of the 10 songs to show you just how great they are without their equally impressive vocal line to distract you. Every time I listen to «BTS Cypher Pt.3: Killer,» I think RM’s verse is my favorite until J-Hope comes in, but then Suga grabs my attention as soon as he starts.
While you guys play around, we’re going around the world
Hyungnims who gained age carelessly
From my standards, you’re at the level of a kid too
Even if I’m wack or if I’m fake if I’m this or that
I’m the new standard of the music industry
This rap will throw a slap an endless slap at their ears, chop, chop, chop
RM, Suga, and J-Hope’s delivery on this particular rap cypher, one of four from their discography, is cocky and matter-of-fact in a way that forces you to not only listen to them, but to really hear every word they’re saying. Despite Dark & Wild being one of BTS’s first albums, that doesn’t affect the quality of their music whatsoever. The rappers go in on those who have doubted them in the past and those trying to get to where they are without the authentic skills to back them up.
9 I Need U
The Most Beautiful Moment In Life Pt.1 (2015)
If there was ever a song that set the stage for BTS to become a global sensation, it’s «I Need U.» Compared to their earlier music, The Most Beautiful Moment in Life Pt.1 marked a significant shift away from their hip-hop sound and into the pop world they would lean more into in the years that .
If there was ever a song that set the stage for BTS to become a global sensation, it’s «I Need U.»
The larger-than-life bridge of this song mixed with the pure desperation in their voices make «I Need U» one of those perfect K-Pop songs that give the fans exactly what they want. This combination gave BTS their first South Korean music show win on May 5, 2015. Music show wins may not look like much, but once an artist receives their first award, they usually see an uptick in domestic success and wider recognition. The emergence of domestic popularity for BTS was just the start of their rise, but it’s a point in their career that can’t be overlooked.
8 Blood Sweat & Tears
Wings (2016)
«Blood Sweat & Tears» is the lead single from Wings, and it’s a track that’s sound has been described as trap, tropical house, and moombahton. Whichever way you describe it, it’s a mesmerizing song that will simultaneously have you dancing and swaying gently from side to side.
The music video for «Blood Sweat & Tears» was one of the first BTS music videos I remember watching while getting into their music. It pairs classical imagery, featuring statues and unreal landscapes, with references to literature and art to create a layered visual for one of their most layered songs. Along with its unavoidable visuals, this music video is one that many fans recall as their first step into the world of BTS. In K-Pop, there always seems to be one song that was responsible for luring fans in, and this appears to be one of those for BTS.
7 Spring Day
You Never Walk Alone (2017)
The themes of longing, grief, and moving on in «Spring Day» make it one of BTS’s most highly-acclaimed songs to this day. It took the number four slot on Rolling Stone‘s list of the 100 best Korean pop songs of all time, and received universal praise upon its release for its production, lyrics, and vocal delivery.
Past the edge of this winter’s cold
Until the spring day comes again
Until the flowers bloom again
Please stay there a little longer, stay there
This song holds a specific interpretation in South Korea, where it won Song of the Year at the 2017 Melon Music Awards. The Sewol ferry incident of 2014 was a tragedy that included the deaths of hundreds of teenagers. Symbols like yellow ribbons and mountains of clothing are used in the music video as visual representations of loss, but the ribbons were something that was specifically used by South Korean citizens to honor those lost that day. BTS often leave their songs up for interpretation, so it’s no surprise that «Spring Day» has taken on such an important meaning.
6 Pied Piper
Love Yourself 承 'Her' (2017)
«Pied Piper» is easily one of my favorite BTS songs. In terms of defining a particular aspect of their career, you need to look no further than the lyrics. They reference the haunting legend of the pied piper from the Middle Ages to spin a tale about the pros and cons of connecting with your fan base as a performer. It’s a story of seduction, loyalty, and adoration that is still one of the most direct K-Pop songs I’ve heard.
the sound of the pipe, this song
It’s a bit dangerous but I’m so sweet
I’m here to save you, I’m here to ruin you
You called me, see? I’m so sweet
There are hints of humor that flow through its hypnotizing instrumental and bouncy backing beat. For example, the first verse sees RM rapping, «Stop, now stop watching and study for your test / Your parents and boss hate me,» something that makes me laugh but also feel a bit embarrassed by how many times I’ve procrastinated schoolwork or important tasks to focus on my current obsession. The metaphor of their own music luring fans to ruin is incredibly smart, and something that impresses me with each listen.
5 DNA
Love Yourself 承 'Her' (2017)
The song that officially and irrevocably pushed BTS into the global market was «DNA.» This EDM pop track was their first entry on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #67. The music video was also their first of many to pass one billion views, and was the first by any K-Pop boy group to do so. The milestones didn’t stop there, though.
The song that officially and irrevocably pushed BTS into the global market was «DNA.»
BTS made their US television debut with «DNA» when they performed at the 2017 American Music Awards. In most fan-recorded videos, you can barely hear the group because of how loud the crowd is. This was undoubtedly a defining moment in their career, and one that would alter the years to completely. Global fame on this scale isn’t something that every K-Pop artist sees, so, when you have it, you have to take advantage of it. To cement its success, «DNA» was inducted into the Korea World Music Culture’s Hall of Fame in 2023.
4 IDOL
Love Yourself 結 ‘Answer’ (2018)
The -up to «DNA» was «IDOL,» and they continued to bring power and energy to the stage and the studio. The sound of «IDOL» is marked by its use of traditional Korean instruments and music, as well as incorporating elements of South African dance music. Together, they form an infectious dance track that radiates excitement.
The music video for «IDOL» became the most watched music video on YouTube in 24 hours at 45.9 million views, surpassing Taylor Swift’s «Look What You Made Me Do.» An alternate version of this track featuring Nicki Minaj was the first of many collaborations with Western artists, and one of fans’ most loved collaborations. This song also won two of BTS’s total four wins at the 44th People’s Choice Awards. «IDOL» continues to stand out in their wide discography, and serves as proof that K-Pop music doesn’t have to cater to a certain audience to make waves worldwide.
3 FAKE LOVE
Love Yourself 結 ‘Answer’ (2018)
When BTS released «FAKE LOVE» as the lead single from 2018’s Love Yourself 結 ‘Answer,’ they seemed to build directly off the success they found with «I Need U,» tapping back into that angst and desperation that leaned even more into the pop sound. They found a style that not only worked extremely well for each member, but was also successful domestically and globally, so why not double down? If you thought the crowd at the American Music Awards was loud, just wait until you hear the crowd at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards.
Even in the video that was uploaded to their official YouTube channel, you can’t help but be overwhelmed by the blaring cheers and fan chants. I have vague memories of watching this performance on TV after working tirelessly to vote online for 5 Seconds of Summer against BTS, and it’s a miracle they didn’t immediately reel me into their world. Every video makes it look like they’re at a solo concert rather than an American award show, and that alone says enough about where they were in their career at the time.
2 Life Goes On
BE (2020)
One of their more understated songs is «Life Goes On,» a melancholic b-side from 2020’s BE. If it were released any other year, it would still be a warm hug of a song, offering comfort to anyone listening, but it was released in 2020, a year when just about everyone needed a little more comfort than usual.
One day, the world stopped
Without any warning
Spring didn’t know to wait
Showed up not even a minute late
Streets erased of footprints
I lie here, fallen to the ground
Time goes by on its own
Without a single apology, yeah
The lyrics of this song are almost poetic in their ability to capture exactly what it felt like to live in a time when every town felt like a ghost town and every interaction involved an underlying sense of anxiety. Despite all these uncomfortable feelings and circumstances, life continues to happen. We can’t stop living no matter what life throws our way. «Life Goes On» also debuted at #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, marking their third song to do so.
1 Dynamite
BE (2020)
The list of achievements that «Dynamite» brought BTS is too much to even write a 3-page essay about, so I’ll try to get straight to the highlights. This was their first fully English single in a trio of English tracks that were released in 2020 and 2021. «Dynamite» was their second Billboard Hot 100 #1 debut after a remix of Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo’s «Savage Love» they were featured on.
This song’s success in South Korea and Japan shatters the narrative that their English tracks were created with the sole purpose of winning over English-speaking audiences.
To this day, «Dynamite» holds the record for the song with the most music show wins at 32, beating their previous record of 21 held by «Boy With Luv» in 2019. This song also saw widespread success in Japan, making BTS the first Korean act to achieve an RIAAJ Platinum streaming certification. This song’s success in South Korea and Japan shatters the narrative that their English tracks were created with the sole purpose of winning over English-speaking audiences, specifically in the United States.
By 2020, BTS had already won over the general public all around the world. It didn’t take much to push that narrative just a bit further. As we all wait patiently for BTS to return from their mandatory military service, it doesn’t hurt to reflect on the songs that lifted them up to where they comfortably sit as the biggest boy band in the world. When they finally reunite to release music as a group, I expect even more records to be broken.
