Then VS Now: BTS's Lives In January 2014 VS January 2019

These days, it’s hard to imagine BTS as anything but global superstars, but this comparison between their first January (post-debut) and this year’s January reveals just how far they’ve come.

First though, let’s go way back and see what BTS was doing in January 2013, five months before their destined debut. At this time, Jin, RM, and Jimin all uploaded logs to BangtanTV that detailed their progress, hopes, and worries about their debut.

In January 2013, V was still a hidden member. His identity wouldn’t be revealed to the world until later that year.

V’s Confession About Being BTS’s “Hidden Member” Will Break Your Heart

Fast forward to January 2014. During their first year in the spotlight, BTS started dropping their iconic “Bangtan Bombs” regularly. In January, they uploaded their first New Year’s greeting…

…V‘s special birthday episode…

…this clip of Jimin dancing like BIGBANG‘s Taeyang, and much more.

January 2014 was a month of many firsts. BTS shared footage from their first-ever appearance at the Golden Disk Awards, where they won the award for “New Rising Star Award in Disc Album”.

BTS also took part in the annual athletic competition, ISAC, for the first time.

BTS had just dropped their first Japanese studio album, Wake Up, in December 2013 and were preparing for the release of their hit song and MV, “Boy in Luv”, as well as their 2014 album Skool Luv Affair, which would drop on February 12.

Let’s not forget that BTS also took home their first award from the Seoul Music Awards, the “New Artist Award”.

Five years later, BTS has 12 awards from the Seoul Music Awards under their belts, among hundreds of others. This year they won three awards: a Bonsang and a Daesang, along with “Best Album” for Love Yourself: Tear.