Music Rewind 2022: BTS Continue To Build Their Historical Legacy

2022 has been a crucial year for BTS and ARMYs, with many amazing releases, performances that left us speechless, and more unforgettable moments we’ve shared together. So many things have happened in our purple world, so we’ve decided to compile them all into this great list to look back at it and remember all of the milestones we’ve achieved with our favorite seven. Let’s get all cozy to go through this year’s memory lane!

PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE: Seoul & Las Vegas

BTS reunited with Korean ARMYs at their PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE: Seoul shows, and we saw how excited they were to see their home crowd again! Although the shows were a bit unique due to COVID restrictions, the members performed the amazing group setlist, gifting us fun and iconic memories that will always remain in our minds. If you were one of those ARMYs that witnessed one of the shows at the movie theater, you know that special feeling can’t be replicated elsewhere!

These special concerts concluded with PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE: Las Vegas, where the members turned the famous city purple and kept having fun with ARMYs while performing live. The last show had something truly special for us: a video teasing Proof that compiled all of their eras and made the crowd go wild. That reveal will remain a core memory forever!

The GRAMMYs

The awards happened right before PTD ON STAGE: Las Vegas (and in the same venue as the Live Play viewing of those shows), and BTS were the best performers on the GRAMMYs 2022 stage. Their performance made everyone get up for a standing ovation, and everyone witnessed their professionalism once again while performing the GRAMMY-nominated single! One of the best ‘Butter’ performances for sure!

The members will continue to make history at the GRAMMYs in 2023. They have been nominated 3 times with ‘Yet To Come’ for Best Music Video (their first Korean song to be nominated!), ‘My Universe‘ for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, and Music Of The Spheres for Album of the Year, as BTS’ rapline and the group as a whole have been credited in Coldplay‘s most recent body of work.

PROOF

This incredible BTS anthology assembled all the essential songs from their discography into a single gift for ARMYs. Proof includes the title tracks that the group released throughout the eras (including a re-recording of the iconic ‘Born Singer’), tracks selected by the members and some demos that were produced along the way. The album also included three new tracks we’ve kept in our hearts since their release: the amazing ‘Yet To Come,’ the banger ‘Run BTS,’ and the incredibly emotional ‘For Youth.’ They’re absolutely incredible!

With Proof‘s release being in June (BTS’ month), the members shared so many moments with ARMYs, such as performances in Korean music shows and a special Proof Live showcase on YouTube for everyone to enjoy their 9th anniversary (with a special appearance by Anderson .Paak!).

BTS’ Collabs

BTS has collaborated with some amazing artists in 2022! We’ve been enjoying all the great joint releases that have kept us fed throughout the year.

These include: ‘That That‘ a PSY track produced, featured, and danced by Yoongi, ‘With You‘ a beautiful OST by Jimin and Ha Sungwoon, the pop hit ‘Left and Right‘ by Charlie Puth and Jungkook, the summer bop ‘Bad Decisions‘ with benny blanco and Snoop Dogg having fun with the vocal line, ‘SEXY NUKIM‘ a classic in our playlists by Balming Tiger and Namjoon, and lastly, the World Cup anthem ‘Dreamers‘ by Jungkook and Fahad Al Kubaisi. Such an incredible assortment of songs!

White House Visit

The group met with Joe Biden to discuss Asian inclusion and representation, and addressed anti-Asian hate crimes as they took the stage at the White House press briefing, giving more insights about their stance on the rise of these crimes, as they have previously expressed their concerns about them. BTS demonstrated once again that they’re aware of the important role they have in shining a spotlight on crucial issues, as their impact keeps getting bigger and bigger. They continue to be youth ambassadors with their core messages and encourage others to be hopeful about the future. 

2022 BTS Festa

Festa is always a great time to celebrate BTS, and this time was no different. From dance practices that brought us back in time to Jungkook’s amazing vocals in ‘My You,’ this 9th anniversary was truly special.

ARMYs will remember this Festa thanks to the Bangtan Dinner. We were able to see the group as honest as ever. The members expressed how they need to release music individually to come together as a stronger group, as well as give love and respect to each other, their craft, and their fans. This dinner made us proud and emotional for being able to support such an incredible group of caring artists, and it marked the end of BTS’ “Chapter One.” We encourage everyone to watch the video to understand the members’ wishes and hopes for the future.

Jack In The Box & Hobipalooza

BTS’ “Chapter Two” welcomed us through j-hope‘s amazing assortment of songs in his latest body of work, Jack In The Box. This album told us a story from beginning to end, and it’s still one of our favorite 2022 releases. We enjoyed Hobi’s artistry and storytelling to a whole new level. Jack In The Box has helped him become an even greater artist and performer through his incredible verses and stage presence. Getting chills while listening to this album is the greatest experience ever!

We enjoyed a summer full of Hobi’s talent as he performed at Lollapalooza! Jack In The Box live was an insane experience, and we verified once again that Hobi’s passion while being on stage is truly unique. It was such a serotonin rush to see him perform the album, alongside some signature songs (‘HANSANG’ live with a full crowd cheering and singing has changed our lives), and Chicken Noodle Soup with Becky G! Hobipalooza was one for the books!

Yet To Come in BUSAN

This concert was a dream for BTS and ARMYs, as they were able to make one of their wishes come true: perform in front of thousands of fans for free and be able to connect with everyone else around the world online. With over 49 million total views, it’s more than safe to say that the show was absolutely mind-blowing. Yet To Come in BUSAN featured staple songs from their discography and performances that left us speechless, such as ‘Cypher Pt.3: Killer,’ ‘Ma City’ and, of course, the first-ever performance of ‘Run BTS!’ It was such a special time that we will remember forever, and seeing our seven together on stage was meaningful and absolutely amazing. 

After the concert, Big Hit announced the members will fulfill their military service, and they are looking forward to reconvening as a group around 2025. BTS will use this time to explore their individual projects and colors by learning new things to incorporate into their joint releases. Our greatest wishes go to them as we allow them to serve peacefully and support their future individual releases as much as we’ve done this year.

‘The Astronaut’ & ArJINtina

We can’t help but cry admiration tears while listening to ‘The Astronaut.’ This single represents how Jin is grateful for finding his dream through ARMYs, as the lyrics contain verses full of meaning and love. The song also helped to strengthen Coldplay and BTS‘s unique bond, as they helped Jin through the creative process. ‘The Astronaut’ is such an incredible song, and we feel extremely lucky for supporting Jin every day.

‘The Astronaut‘ came alive in Argentina, as Jin shared the stage with Coldplay to perform this song on a unique concert filled with fans that helped to create an incredibly memorable moment for him. Witnessing this song live brought us to tears, and we’re so proud of Jin for always being so honest with us. His vocals while singing the last “And I love you” will keep replaying in our minds, along with his big smile and the joy he continues to bring us!

Indigo

What better way to close such an important year than with an incredible album? Indigo, Namjoon’s first solo album, was released in the last month of 2022 to give us the greatest tunes to add to our playlists that will remain there for a long time. We feel like Indigo is a perfect way of showing Namjoon‘s musical versatility and lyricism. This album has become a staple listen for us. Going through it from the first track until the last makes us feel grateful for being alive in this very moment.

Indigo helps us to picture his thoughts throughout the past and his hopes to move forward and welcome the next chapter of his life as the best version of himself. If you would like to get more into Namjoon’s creative process, we recommend the Indigo Album Magazine Film. It’s a great way of learning about how he created the last archive of his twenties. We will keep treasuring this album to enjoy Namjoon’s art until the end of time.

Awards & More Records

BTS has continued to gain awards this 2022 by being the act with more daesangs in history, with a total count of 70, and the MAMA Platinum Award, making them “the one and only artist who created a global cultural phenomenon beyond K-pop, marking a breakthrough in pop culture of the 21st century.”

In addition to expanding their daesang record, the group also became the first artist in history to win Album of the Year for five consecutive years at the Golden Disc Awards, the first act to win Musician of the Year three times at the Korean Music Awards, and the foreign act that has received the most awards at the Japan Gold Disc Awards (with 10 wins).

BTS also won seven awards at the 2022 Fact Music Awards, two awards at the 2022 Genie Music Awards (Best Male Group and Global Popularity Award), the Top Duo/Group and the Top Selling Song at the Billboard Music Awards (extending their record of winning at least an award every year since 2017), the Favorite K-Pop Artist and Favorite Pop Duo or Group awards at the American Music Awards (making them the act with the most all-time wins in the category, and entering them in the Top 10 of the most awarded artists in AMAs history), and three wins at the 2022 People’s Choice Awards (making them the most awarded group in the Group of the Year category). True legends!

Other Fun Content!

Not only BTS has helped us through the year with great musical releases, but they have also participated in different projects through other mediums, such as the Webtoon story 7FATES: CHAKHO (and ‘Stay Alive,’ the gorgeous soundtrack single that combined Jungkook’s gorgeous vocals with Yoongi’s master producing skills), the return of Run BTS, our favorite YouTube series, the fun game BTS Island: In The Seom (with another soundtrack made by Yoongi), and the collaboration with Cookie Run: Kingdom. We have loved to see them being involved with such fun content, and they have definitely made our days better!

No matter how you look at it, 2022 has marked new endings and new beginnings for both BTS and ARMYs, as we continue to grow together and support each other. We are so proud of everything they’ve accomplished this year, and we are so excited to see what 2023 holds for them! The best moment is, indeed, yet to come.

What was your favorite BTS moment of 2022? Let us know in the comments below, or tell us on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! And for more coverage on our favorite legends, click here!

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