2017 was BTS' year -- but the band has even more planned come January.
As 2017 comes to a close, ET is looking back and counting down the best moments of the year -- check back here every day for the latest!
2017 was BTS' year!
The K-pop boy band made their mark on America and proved they came to slay this year, achieving numerous milestones and even setting a world record.
The group's seven members -- V, RM, Jimin, Jin, Jungkook, Suga and J-Hope -- brought their energetic dance skills, irresistible pop hits and charming personalities to the U.S. and ET was lucky enough to talk to the megastars every step of the way -- from their Billboard Music Awards debut and their chart-topping album, Love Yourself: Her, to their Beatles-like arrival at LAX and first interview ahead of the American Music Awards.
So, without further ado, here are BTS' eight biggest moments of the year.
1. Billboard Music Awards
BTS was already one of the hottest acts in Korea, but shocked the music industry when they beat out names like Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez for Top Social Artist at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards in May. The band became the first K-pop group to win a Billboard Music Award, but their appearance at the awards show was about more than just making history.
The band made good use of the night, rubbing shoulders with Desiigner, Camila Cabello and Halsey -- and even set up a collaboration with The Chainsmokers' Andrew Taggart.
2. Love Yourself: Her
The group released their fifth album Love Yourself: Her, in September to much fanfare. The release shattered records with over one million pre-orders before its release, and topped the iTunes Albums chart at No. 1 in 73 countries, the largest debut release for any South Korean artist. The lead single "DNA" also broke records with its colorful music video becoming the seventh most watched YouTube music video in 24 hours, besting Taylor Swift's "...Ready for It?" and "Bad Blood" and even Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda."
"We're surprised at the huge response when each album is released, but it is beyond our expectation and overwhelming this time," RM told ET in September. "We are grateful to our fans worldwide for appreciating our music and video."
3. Touchdown at LAX
Two months later, the band returned to the U.S. -- with a welcome akin to early Beatlemania. Hundreds of fans (and ET's Denny Directo) flocked to Los Angeles International Airport to greet V, RM, Jimin, Jin, Jungkook, Suga and J-Hope ahead of their performance at the 2017 American Music Awards.
"We never expected so [many] fans in the airport," RM told ET on the red carpet at the AMAs. "There were some photos of us and the fans were [excited]. Yes, it was so nice."
4. BTS Takes Over Daily Denny
A day after the group touched down at LAX, they joined ET's Denny Directo for the Daily Denny on YouTube -- their first interview stateside in the days leading up to the AMAs. The guys really opened up to us -- especially when it comes to dating.
"When we don't have a boyfriend or girlfriend, we always say, 'Oh, I'm so lonely. I want a date,' or something like that," RM candidly explained. "But I think the biggest love we're all searching for is the love for one's self."
He added, "If you want to love others, I think you should love yourself first."
The guys also answered fans' biggest questions!
5. American Music Awards
Days later, BTS nailed their first televised U.S. performance, as they rocked the AMAs stage with "DNA."
"It's going to be a new opportunity to reach out to the new fans and show them that our music and performances are something they can relate to, even if it’s in Korean," RM told ET ahead of the performance -- which no doubt fulfilled the band's hopes.
"It was like there was millions of people standing and fans were screaming in front of us," he said after their high-energy number. "We cannot forget it for a [lifetime].
6. Twitter World Record
7. "MIC Drop" Remix
BTS continued to break records with the release of their Steve Aoki "MIC Drop" remix. Just hours after the song, featuring Desiigner, was released, the band became the first K-pop group to peak at No. 1 on the US iTunes Top Songs chart -- and "#MicDropRemix" became the top trending hashtag on Twitter.
As for whether their U.S. breakthrough would continue with an English language album, RM told ET that the remix represented "an English version of something."
"I think we will try some version of that later," he added.
8. Late-Night Domination
From Jimmy Kimmel Live to The Late Late Show With James Corden, BTS hit up all the biggest late-night shows in town -- and even daytime talk shows, too.
RM, Jimin, Jungkook, V, Jin, Suga and J-Hope turned each host into a new member of ARMY, and offered enlightening interviews along the way.
2017 has been an amazing year for BTS, but it looks like 2018 might be even better. The group told ET in September that they were already planning their return to the U.S. -- and more countries -- in a huge world tour.
"We just finished this tour named Wings, and I think it is going to be, like, a new series for the tour, so of course including United States, it'll happen, I think. I hope it will happen everywhere, every continent," RM explained to ET last month. "We want it too."
"We will visit more cities, and I think we will definitely be, like, adding more stages. I don't know the particular time of when we will be coming back [to the U.S.], but it will definitely be doper and bigger," he continued. "It's gonna really happen."
See more on BTS in the video below.
RELATED CONTENT:
