BTS: The Ultimate Underdog Story Behind Their Rise To Stardom

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It's no secret that BTS has come a long way since their less than the glamorous debut. When BTS first took the stage, they said that they wanted to become "as successful as Big Bang." The public scoffed. Big Bang's domestic and international success had been impressive, to say the least, and it was difficult to imagine any group - worse yet a group not affiliated with the top 3 entertainment agencies (YG, SM, JYP) - living up to their standards.

Against all odds, the boys worked their way up the ladder - all the way to the top.

But as we now know too well, BTS proved everyone wrong and made history by reaching highs that even Big Bang hadn't. The most notable part of their journey is their humble beginnings. Unlike many, if not all, k-pop groups that obtain this degree of popularity, BTS started from essentially nothing, having come from 'BigHit,' a small entertainment agency with not only limited resources and funds but also no previous record of creating a successful k-pop group.

That's how we know that these boys' success is accredited to nobody but themselves. It was hard work, persistence, resilience in addition to the love and support the members had for each other which led them to where they are now.

Watch how BTS made their way up to stardom, one step after another:

Tours & Concerts

2014 - Yes24 Live Hall (1,000 seats)

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2015 Seoul Olympic Park's Olympic Hall (3,000-4,000 seats)

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2015 Seoul Olympic Park's SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium (5,000-7,000 seats)

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2016 Seoul Olympic Park's Gymnastics Stadium (15,000 seats)

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2017 Gocheok SkyDome (20,000 seats)

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Overwhelmed, the boys burst into tears during this concert.

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2018 Citi Field Stadium, New York (42,000 seats)

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2019 Wembley Stadium, London (90,000 seats)

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And last but not least, the legendary...

2019 Rose Bowl stadium, California (92,000 seats)

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Time Taken To Get 100 Million Views On YouTube

Just One Day (하루만) 1663 days
Boy In Luv (상남자) 1125 days
Dope (쩔어)490 days
Save me 384 days
FIRE 265 days
Spring Day (봄날) 156 days
Blood Sweat Tears 134 days
Not Today108 days
DNA24 days
Fake Love8 days
IDOL 4 days
Boy With Luv37 Hours 35 Minutes - setting the world record for fastest video to reach 100M views