Topline
Groundbreaking Kpop act BTS had a banner year, sweeping up Guinness World Records, Billboard number ones and shattering Spotify streams with the support of their ultra-dedicated fanbase, the A.R.M.Y—here’s a look at some of the records the group broke in 2021.
(L-R) V, Suga, Jin, Jungkook, RM, Jimin, and J-Hope of BTS, winners of the Favorite Pop Song, … [+]
Key Facts
Monday, BTS surpassed 11 billion streams on MelOn, the largest streaming service in South Korea, becoming the first act to do so, according to AllKPop.
Last week, Bandmate V broke the Guinness World Records for the fastest person to reach 1 million and 10 million followers on Instagram.
BTS had three of the 10 top best selling songs in the U.S. in 2021, according to Billboard, more than any other group: “Butter” was number one, “Dynamite” was number two and “Permission To Dance” was number five.
BTS shares the record for the most number one debuts on the Billboard Hot 100 with Ariana Grande and Drake, who all have five—they accomplished the feat in October with their single with Coldplay “My Universe.”
In July, three of the group’s songs—”Dynamite,” “Butter” and “Permission To Dance”—made it to number one on the Billboard Global 200 chart this year, more times than any other act.
The premiere of “Butter” in May was the biggest song debut in Spotify history, garnering over 11 million streams in a day—until Adele’s “Easy On Me” topped it in October.
The music video for “Butter” broke four Guinness World Records on Youtube in May: most viewers for the premiere of a video on YouTube, most viewers for the premiere of a music video on YouTube, most viewed YouTube music video in 24 hours and most viewed YouTube music video in 24 hours by a Kpop group.
Surprising Fact
Despite the clear success, BTS was only ranked 12th on Billboard’s 2021 Top Artists chart, which measures the success of artists throughout the year based on sales, streams and airplay of their music. However, the group did not release an album this year, only singles, which may explain their lower-than-expected ranking.
Tangent
BTS only received one Grammy nomination last month, for “Butter” in the best pop duo/group performance category. They were nominated in the same category last year for “Dynamite,” though they lost to Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga’s “Rain On Me.”
Key Background
BTS, which is composed of bandmates J-Hope, Jin, Jungkook, Park Ji-Min, RM, Suga and V, got their start in 2010 and are largely responsible for bringing KPop into the mainstream in the U.S. Last year, the song “Dynamite” became BTS’ first number one hit and made them the first all-South Korean group to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also their first song written fully in English.
What To Watch For
Don’t expect any big moves from BTS in the next few months. The group announced they will take a “period of rest” to recharge and spend the holidays with their families, while preparing to go on tour and release a new album.
Further Reading
BTS Scores Four Of The Top 10 Bestselling Songs In America In 2021, With ‘Butter’ Hitting No. 1 (Forbes)
BTS’ V Breaks Record For Reaching 10 Million Instagram Followers In Under 5 Hours (Forbes)
BTS Collect Four New Guinness World Records (Forbes)
Adele’s ‘Easy On Me’ Breaks Spotify Record For Single-Day Streams (Forbes)
