On April 4, 2025, @WORLDMUSICAWARD announced a historic milestone: BTS’ album Proof reached an astounding 16 billion streams on Spotify, making it the first album by a Korean artist to achieve this feat. This landmark reflects not only BTS’ immense popularity but also the global impact of K-pop as a whole.
Released in June 2022, Proof encapsulates the remarkable journey of BTS, showcasing an eclectic mix of their most celebrated hits, unreleased tracks, and new songs. Standout tracks include “Tony Montana,””Quotation Mark,””No More Dream,””Born Singer,””I NEED U,””DNA,””Fake Love,”and several demo versions of songs such as “Epiphany,””Seesaw,”and “Still With You.”
This anthology album features 48 tracks and is available in a physical format that includes three CDs. Impressively, it sold over 2 million copies on the Hanteo chart within the first day of its release. Additionally, Proof topped the iTunes Worldwide Album Chart across 18 countries including the UK, Australia, Germany, and Japan, signifying its global appeal and resonance.
Fans got an exclusive preview of the album during BTS’ Permission To Dance concert at Allegiant Stadium on April 16, 2022. This event followed their memorable live performance of “Butter”at the 2022 Grammy Awards, where the song debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2021.
Remarkable Achievements of BTS: 2015–2025
From 2015 to 2025, BTS has achieved a remarkable series of milestones that have cemented their status as global icons. Notably, they are the first and only Korean act to receive Grammy nominations on three occasions, underscoring their influence and recognition within the music industry.
The group’s record-breaking success includes being the only Korean act with six songs that have reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. These chart-toppers include “Butter,””Dynamite,””Life Goes On,”their collaboration “My Universe”with Coldplay, “Fake Love,”and “Permission To Dance.”
In June 2022, BTS announced a temporary hiatus to allow members to pursue solo projects, marking a new chapter in their journey. The first to enlist for military service was Jin, who served from December 2022 until June 2024. Remarkably, upon his return, he released his debut solo album Happy in November 2024, making him the last of the group to launch a solo project at that time. Interestingly, he was able to return just in time to celebrate BTS’ 11th anniversary.
Moreover, BTS members have set records as solo artists as well; for instance, Jimin debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with his single “Like Crazy,”making him the first Korean and Asian solo artist to top the chart. Following suit, Jungkook reached this prestigious position with his track “Seven,”becoming the second Korean soloist to achieve such a ranking and marking a historic seven-week reign at No. 1.
Despite their ongoing military commitments, as of February 2025, BTS remains the most streamed group on Spotify, highlighting their enduring popularity worldwide.
Here is a timeline of BTS’ significant achievements from 2015 to 2025:
2015
- First Music Show Victory: BTS clinched their inaugural music show win for “I Need U”on SBS MTV’s The Show.
- Debut Album: They debuted with their first album in the HYYH trilogy series, The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 1.
2016
- Album Release: Their album Wings became BTS’ first million-selling record in South Korea.
- MAMA Awards: BTS received their first ‘Artist of the Year’ (Daesang) at the Mnet Asian Music Awards.
2017
- Billboard Music Awards: They made history by winning the ‘Top Social Artist’ award.
- First Top 10 Album: Love Yourself: Her debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 chart.
2018
- Billboard 200 No. 1: Love Yourself: Tear debuted at No. 1, making BTS the first Korean act to achieve this.
- UN Address: They became the first Korean group ever to speak at the UN, launching the ‘Love Myself’ campaign with UNICEF.
- Cover Feature: The group featured on the cover of TIME Magazine, marking a significant cultural presence.
2019
- Grammy Presenters: BTS were the first Korean group to present an award at the Grammy Awards.
- Third Consecutive No. 1: Map of the Soul: Persona debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
- TIME’s Influence: They were recognized in TIME’s ‘100 Most Influential People of 2019’ for a second consecutive year.
2020
- Virtual UN Speech: BTS delivered a speech during a virtual UN Assembly meeting due to COVID-19 outreach efforts.
- ‘Dynamite’: This English-language single debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking their first U.S. chart-topping single.
- Grammy Nomination: BTS received their first Grammy nomination as a K-pop act.
- Cultural Recognition: TIME named them ‘Entertainer of the Year,’ marking three consecutive cover features.
2021
- Back-to-Back No. 1s: “Butter”and “Permission to Dance”each hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- AMAs Achievement: BTS was awarded ‘Artist of the Year’ at the American Music Awards, another first for a Korean act.
- BBMAs Dominance: The group consistently won Billboard Music Awards from 2017 to 2022.
2022
- Release of Proof: The anthology album received critical acclaim and commercial success.
- Hiatus Announcement: BTS announced they would take a break to focus on solo endeavors and military service.
- Solo Projects Begin: Members began releasing solo albums, with j-hope launching Jack in the Box and RM releasing Indigo.
- Military Service: Jin enlisted on December 13, 2022.
2023
- Solo Releases: Jimin released FACE, SUGA dropped D-DAY, Taehyung released Layover, and Jungkook unveiled GOLDEN.
- ‘Take Two’ Release: The group released “Take Two”to celebrate their 10th anniversary as a final group song before enlistment.
- First Solo World Tour: SUGA conducted his D-DAY tour, significantly breaking records for solo acts in the U.S.
2024
- Disney+ Documentary: BTS Monument: Beyond the Star premiered, chronicling their decade-long journey in the industry.
- RM’s Solo Project: RM released his second album, Right Place, Wrong Place, along with a related documentary.
- Military Returns: Jin and j-hope returned from military service in June and October respectively.
2025
- Group Reunion: The members plan to reconvene after completing military service to initiate new group projects.
- Solo World Tour: j-hope is set to embark on his first solo world tour, HOPE ON THE STAGE, introducing new singles in the process.
In recent developments, BTS members Namjoon (RM), Taehyung, SUGA, Jimin, and Jungkook are expected to return from military service by late June 2025. While HYBE has yet to confirm the details regarding a comeback album for 2025, numerous reports suggest the group may plan a world tour towards the end of the year.
In the meantime, their agency has announced an exciting project titled BTS 7 Moments, which promises to showcase exclusive moments and unseen footage of the members from their solo album releases.