BTS 2020 in Review: 23 Major Milestones and Moments

In 2019, Teen Vogue rounded up our favorite BTS moments from the year in a scrapbook collage of sorts: the historic moments, the funny memes, the style statements, the great music. In 2020, BTS’s story has only grown, as the Korean septet continued to smash barriers with music that was joyous, introspective, and pure comfort in a hellish year. 

Inside the massive world that BTS have built, it only makes sense to focus this 2020 edition on the group’s continued flood of accomplishments and records, as well as their positive platform — and some of the songs that further cemented their legacy in global popular music.

Whether you’re a 2013 ARMY or just fell down the rabbit hole this year, enjoy a chronological journey through BTS’s landmark 2020 (and an accompanying Spotify playlist!).

BTS Ringing in 2020 With the Ultimate NYE performance

Before we knew what 2020 had in store for us, BTS kicked off the new year with a blast — quite literally. The group flew all the way to New York City to usher in the new year with a serotonin-inducing performance at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest. The septet joined in (and took over) Times Square’s iconic NYE celebrations with a live rendition of their hit single “Boy With Luv” as well as the first performance of “Make It Right” with choreo.

Per NME, BTS became the first Korean act to perform at the annual event from NYC. (They had previously participated with a pre-recorded performance of "Mic Drop" and "DNA" back in 2018.) Whether it was still 2019 or already 2020 in their time zones, ARMYs from around the globe joined in on the celebrations, without knowing it would be one of BTS’s last pre-COVID live performances. The night gave us memorable moments (who can forget Jimin’s cute jacket mishap?) and was rounded off with BTS’s reaction to the traditional ball drop, which Suga promptly shared via Twitter. We later got to see the full picture with an 18-minute Bangtan Bomb, which was released in August. — Sara Delgado

Younha’s “Winter Flower” feat. RM

Just six days into 2020, Korean singer-songwriter Younha teamed up with BTS leader RM for a power-pop ballad with an enduring message: even in times of trial and hardship, hold on, and find solace in those who stand by you. In “Winter Flower,” Younha’s gorgeous vocals are juxtaposed against RM’s plaintive deep rap, and the result is a comforting exploration of emotional wellbeing. Add to that RM’s concise exploration of the marathon that is life and work, and this song was truly ahead of its time. —P. Claire Dodson

Grammys 2020 Performance With Lil Nas X

When Lil Nas X performed at the 2020 Grammy Awards, he honored the many remixes of his chart-dominating song “Old Town Road” by asking featured artists BTS, Billy Ray Cyrus, Mason Ramsey, and Diplo to join him on stage. The Korean septet’s rendition of “Seoul Town Road'' made history, placing BTS as the first Korean artists to perform on the Grammys stage in the Recording Academy’s nearly 63-year history — just one year after becoming the first K-pop artists to present at the Grammys in 2019. —Natasha Mulenga

The Creation of Connect, BTS

As part of the release of Map of the Soul: 7, Connect, BTS was a massive art project that highlighted artists around the world, across all different mediums. Connect was an investment in culture, with pieces commissioned by BTS and the project's art director Lee Daehyung. Seeing ARMYs dive into the meaning of contemporary art pieces was delightful, and hearing from artists about the methodology behind their work was inspiring. It was the BTS ethos at its best, art made accessible but no less thought-provoking and sincere. At the opening of New York City’s edition of Connect, “New York Clearing,” artist Antony Gormley said of his aluminum tube sculpture, “It's more of a verb than a noun. It's a field to be felt." Sounds familiar. —PCD

Map of the Soul: 7’s Victorious Entrance

Map of the Soul: 7 came in roaring like a lion, following an intricate release schedule and much BigHit build-up. The self-referential album, a sprawling 19 tracks including some from Map of the Soul: Persona, featured sub-units and solo songs galore, giving each member space to explore their own musical identity and reunite back with the team. The final track before the outro, “We are Bulletproof: the Eternal,” spoke directly to ARMY, incorporating them into the story right where they belong: “We are not seven with you,” Jungkook concludes in the song.

Map of the Soul: 7 also sold en masse, debuting at no. 1 on the Billboard 200 and birthing the raucous, confident single “ON,” which reached a then-highest ever peak for the group at no. 4. It bested Persona as the best selling album ever in South Korea’s history, and in the U.S. was one of the top-selling albums of the year. The records they broke with this album are basically unending, as is Map of the Soul: 7’s impact. —PCD

Jimin and Jungkook Feature on Lauv’s “Who”

BTS and Lauv have long been mutual admirers. In 2019, Lauv cropped up on a “Make It Right” remix. In 2020, he returned the favor with BTS members Jimin and Jungkook, who added their voices to his track “Who.” In the song, a plucky low-fi number about not being able to recognize the person you’ve been in love with, Jungkook and Jimin trade lines during the second verse; Jungkook’s unique smooth vocals with Jimin’s higher harmonies are a perfect musical match. —PCD

V’s Emotive “Sweet Night” Single for Itaewon Class

Itaewon Class enthusiast V was so inspired by the popular K-drama (which stars his friend and Wooga Squad member Park Seojoon) that he contributed a song for its soundtrack. Composed entirely in English, “Sweet Night” lives up to its name: a soft, gentle recounting of a love that may not ultimately work out. “How could I know/One day I'd wake up feeling more,” he muses, melancholy. “But I had already reached the shore/Guess we were ships in the night.” Hopefully, 2021’s best BTS moments will include the long-awaited KTH1. —PCD

Bang Bang Con, BTS’s Nostalgic Virtual Concert Marathon

Following the first cancelations of the Map of the Soul world tour, BTS embarked on their first virtual concert effort with Bang Bang Con. Announced barely a week in advance, the concert marathon took place in mid-April across two content-packed days. The concert livestream, held via YouTube, lasted for almost 24 hours and gave fans a chance to revisit Bangtan’s past eras, from 2014’s Red Bullet Live trilogy and HYYH to 2018’s Love Yourself tour and various yearly fanmeets (know as “musters”). According to a press release sent by Big Hit, Bang Bang Con garnered a total of 50.5 million views worldwide, with a peak of 2.24 million simultaneous viewers. To make the experience more concert-like, Big Hit offered fans the chance to connect their lightsticks via Weverse. According to the company, 500,000 ARMYbombs across 162 regions connected during the marathon. The experience brought forth a much-needed communal feeling among fans and definitely set a precedent for the group’s subsequent virtual ventures. –SD

IU’s “Eight,” feat. Suga

In May 2020, Suga and IU released one of the most anticipated collabs of the year with “Eight,” which was also produced by the Daegu wordsmith in tandem with EL CAPITXN. A timely exploration of youth and longing, the narrative pop track immediately resonated with listeners across the globe for its introspective theme and synth-backed melody, which, in turn, made “Eight” skyrocket on the charts. The single achieved a perfect “all-kill” on South Korean music charts the week of release. What’s more, not only did it debut atop South Korea’s Gaon Digital Chart, but it also claimed the first spot on Billboard's World Digital Songs chart. “Eight” has since been certified platinum by Korea’s Music Content Association (KMCA) and won “Best Rock Track” and “Best Collaboration” at the 2020 Melon Music Awards and 2020 Mnet Asian Music Awards, respectively. —SD

Agust D’s Royal Ascendancy on D-2

BTS member Suga (Min Yoongi), writing as his longtime alter ego Agust D, presented us with one of the strongest solo efforts of the year in the form of D-2. The follow-up to his previous self-titled mixtape, D-2 is contemplative and confident from start to finish. “People” is a masterpiece, as is the ghostly “Set Me Free.” Meanwhile, the music video for “Daechwita” is history-infused art, placing Agust D against himself in a fight to the death in a Joseon-era setting. So many metaphors can be extrapolated from it: history vs. modernity, old vs. new, and perhaps most of all the idea that, at the end of the day, the person you’re fighting is first and foremost, yourself. —PCD

Bang Bang Con: The Live, the First Virtual BTS Concert

Right after the annual Festa celebrations, BTS held its first-ever all-virtual concert on June 14. Announced in May, Bang Bang Con: The Live brought BTS and ARMY together for the first time this year. Spanning six multi-view displays, Bang Bang Con: The Live allowed fans to watch BTS perform songs from February’s Map of the Soul: 7 live for the first time. (Namely, the sub-unit stages). In just 90 minutes, the septet managed to not only connect with fans and put on flashy performances but also break records. According to Big Hit, 756,600 fans from 107 regions across the world congregated online for the event, which made Bang Bang Con: The Live “the biggest audience for a paid virtual concert” ever — a feat that is now commemorated on the Guinness World Record list. –SD

Jungkook’s Thank You to ARMY

In June, Jungkook cheered fans up with a Festa solo track shared to SoundCloud. Titled “Still With You,” the song was not only a balm for ARMYs who missed seeing BTS in person, but an indicator of Jungkook’s ever-growing aesthetic and music style. While we await JJK1, the jazzy “Still With You” is further proof that BTS’s youngest member has fully come into his own. —PCD

An Inspiring YouTube Class of 2020 speech

On June 6, BTS were amongst several prominent celebrities who were asked by the Obamas to give words of encouragement to the Class of 2020, who did not get a traditional graduation send-off due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Not only did the group give eloquent speeches in Korean and English about their own graduations, but they also performed their hit singles “Boy With Luv” and “Spring Day” at the National Museum of Korea. —NM

MOTS: 7 The Journey Singles “Stay Gold” and “Your Eyes Tell”

The Japanese version of Map of the Soul added two new must-haves to BTS’s discography, “Stay Gold” and “Your Eyes Tell.” It’s just a fact that “Stay Gold” is a perfect pop song with a rising dramatic arc of a chorus that honestly deserved more general public attention. “Your Eyes Tell” is its soaring, heart-stirring complement, a song created largely by Jungkook, who originally co-wrote it for his solo mixtape. Both singles are among the best work BTS released this year. —PCD

A Return to the United Nations

On September 23, 2020, BTS were asked by the Group of Friends of Solidarity for Global Health Security to address the 75th United Nations General Assembly, and talk about the struggles that future generations will face because of COVID-19. During the speech, all seven members of BTS — RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook — shared a message of light and hope, all the while relatably describing their own feelings of loneliness during the pandemic. This was the second time BTS had addressed the United Nations General Assembly; the group previously gave an address at the launch ceremony of UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited at the 73rd U.N. General Assembly in 2018. BTS had also worked with UNICEF on the “Love Myself” campaign to end violence against youth, raising more than $1.4 million for UNICEF. To conclude the speech, the seven members ended with the phrase, “Life Goes On.” Little did fans know that the phrase would be the title of their next single. –NM

The Virtual Concert to End All Virtual Concerts — MOTS ON:E

With the enormous success of Bang Bang Con: The Live behind them, BTS held their second virtual concert Map of the Soul: ON:E on October 10th and 11th, reuniting BTS and ARMY once more. Spanning two days, for two hours, Map Of The Soul: One enabled fans to watch never seen subunit performances of “Ugh”, “Zero O’clock” and all the members solo songs from their hit album Map Of The Soul: 7. While the offline portion of the concert was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, the septet still managed to connect with fans through their dazzling performances and heart-warming speeches. According to BigHit, the two-day fiesta drew a total of 993,000 viewers from 191 countries. —NM

The First No. 1: “Dynamite”

BTS’s first entirely English song came in the form of “Dynamite,” a colorful, lavish disco-pop earworm with a global impact. As of December 16, it has sold more than 2.5 million units in the U.S., per Chart Data, and it’s also been a ubiquitous soundtrack to commercials and sports promos. In short, this song has been everywhere, and it never gets less fun. It became BTS’s first no. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, but the song holds a special place for the group beyond the charts. “When things were difficult and frustrating for us, this was a sort of ray of light, a sip of sweet water,” RM told NME. “We call this our own recharge project and we hope that it will be able to recharge your own batteries, even if it’s only for a moment.” —PCD

The Second No. 1: Jawsh 685, Jason Derulo, and BTS’s “Savage Love”

The combined power of BTS, TikTok, Jawsh 685, and Jason Derulo resulted in milestones all around. With “Savage Love,” Jason Derulo got his first no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 11 years; for Jawsh 685, it was his first no. 1 ever. Meanwhile, the success of BTS’s addition to the “Savage Love (Remix)'' led it to beat out “Dynamite” for the top spot, setting another record in motion for the South Korean group — BTS became the first group to occupy both no. 1 and no. 2 on the Hot 100 since the Black Eyed Peas in 2009. And in a major chef’s kiss moment, Suga and J-Hope also became the first Korean artists to have songwriting credits on a Hot 100 no. 1 song. —NM

BTS Week on The Tonight Show

Months after their powerful “ON” stage inside New York City's Grand Central Station, BTS launched an epic week-long stint on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon with pre-recorded performances, interviews, and skits in a triumphant post-”Dynamite” victory lap. According to NBC, The Tonight Show had its most “social” week ever, with numbers up 1300% from the previous week’s set of episodes. During the week, fans were, of course, treated to performances of “Dynamite” with Jimmy and legendary band The Roots singing alongside BTS. But newer fans, and the general public, also got to see so much of what makes BTS the global heavy-hitters they are beyond the imminently lovable “Dynamite.” The week’s gorgeous stages covered a broad spectrum of their discography, including “Idol” and “Mikrokosmos” performed at Seoul's Gyeongbok Palace, “Black Swan,” and “HOME.” —NM

The Third No. 1: “Life Goes On” and Release of BE

BTS’s latest single “Life Goes On” is an alternative hip-hop track with a “heal the world” message. According to Billboard, the song sold 129,000 in digital downloads, 20,000 physical copies and drew 14.9 million US streams, earning BTS their third no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in three months. To add to their Billboard accolades, the group has continued to maintain their Billboard Artist 100 no. 1 streak, setting a record for the most weeks at no. 1 for duos and groups. “Life Goes On” was the lead in to self-composed, self-produced BE, the fifth BTS album to reach no. 1 on the Billboard 200, with every song on the album charting on the Billboard Hot 200. Not bad for an album that received little to no radio play. —NM

The Long-Deserved Grammy Nomination

BTS’s history with the Grammys goes way back, and yet it was only this year that they earned their first major nomination. On November 24, the Recording Academy announced the nominees for its 63rd ceremony, and among the lauded bunch was BTS. Bangtan got the nod in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category for “Dynamite,” nominated alongside Justin Bieber and Quavo’s “Intentions,” Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande’s “Rain on Me,” Taylor Swift and Bon Iver’s “Exile,” and J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny and Tainy’s “Un Día (One Day).” With the news, BTS became the first South Korean act to earn a major Grammy nomination. The cherry on top of a historic year, it’s no secret the septet has longed for this acknowledgment, and their elated reaction was proof. –SD

Jin’s Birthday Gift to Fans, “Abyss”

Just hours before his 28th birthday, Jin surprised fans with the release of a new solo song, titled “Abyss.” Jin teamed up with BUMZU to put complex feelings of burnout and anxiety onto paper, and ultimately, into song form. The result was a poignant and raw ballad that put inner exploration at the center. The track was accompanied by a heartfelt letter from the singer, where he touched upon his experience with the all-too-familiar impostor syndrome after what’s been BTS’s most historic year to date. “I received congratulations from many people … but I wondered whether I deserved to receive such things,” Jin wrote in his message. “I received counselling regarding this issue and spent each day as they were before having a conversation with Bang PD who suggested whether I’d like to express such feelings through music.” –SD

TIME’s Entertainer of the Year: “They’ve Become the Biggest Band in the World”

On December 10, TIME magazine crowned BTS the 2020 Entertainer of the Year. In 2019, the septet made the magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list, with a blurb written by “Boy With Luv” collaborator Halsey. In 2018, they were part of the Next Generation Leaders package. “BTS isn’t just the biggest K-pop act on the charts. They’ve become the biggest band in the world—full stop,” the publication wrote about BTS’s latest inclusion. Alongside a series of portraits shot by Mok Jung Wook in Seoul during late October, the members opened up persevering in the face of adversity, their relationship with fans, and the unexpected wins of 2020. The septet also offered an exclusive performance of their chart-topping and now Grammy-nominated single “Dynamite” during the Person of the Year reveal broadcast.

Rapper J-Hope summed up BTS’s mission succinctly in the interview: “I always wanted to become an artist that can provide comfort, relief and positive energy to people. That intent harmonized with the sincerity of our group and led us to who we are today.” —SD