Billboard is the most prestigious and influential music chart system in the world, particularly in the U.S. market—the largest music market globally. For K-pop idols especially, Billboard is widely regarded as a shared dream, as it represents a global benchmark of success, a gateway into the U.S. market, and concrete proof of influence extending beyond Asia.
Therefore, simply entering the Billboard Hot 100 or Billboard 200 already signifies enormous success for an artist or song. Ranking No.1 on any Billboard chart is naturally considered an exceptionally remarkable achievement and is heavily celebrated by the media. In BTS’s case, the group even received a congratulatory letter from the President of South кσяєα when their album Love Yourself: Tear topped the Billboard 200 in 2018.
What makes the moment even more extraordinary is that, despite being on a three-year group hiatus due to military service, a song released seven years ago from Love Yourself: Tear has υиєχρє¢тє∂ly re-entered the charts and achieved No.1 on a Billboard chart in 2025—making BTS the only K-pop group to accomplish this feat this year. Notably, throughout the entire year, only two K-pop songs—Golden by Huntrix and APT. by Rosé feat. Bruno Mars—have reached No.1 on any Billboard charts.
The song currently being celebrated by fans worldwide is “Anpanman,” originally released in May 2018. On the 16th, according to Billboard, the track re-entered and topped the “World Digital Song Sales” chart in the latest update. At the same time, it also appeared at No.7 on the “Digital Song Sales” chart, drawing significant attention.
On its official social media account, Big Hit Music proudly shared a quote from a кσяєαn media article titled: “#BTS’s ‘Anpanman’ makes a surprise comeback to No.1 on Billboard, resurging 7 years and 7 months after its release.” The post was quickly flooded with celebratory comments from fans. In particular, the fact that Anpanman achieved a No.1 ranking right ahead of BTS’s full-group comeback scheduled for next spring has made the moment even more meaningful and heightened anticipation for their return.
Earlier, on the 9th of this month, Anpanman also topped the iTunes Top Songs chart in 75 countries and regions, including the U.S., the U.K., fяαи¢є, ιтαℓу, and мєχι¢σ—officially igniting a global resurgence. On the 13th, the UK Official Charts announced that the song ranked No.12 on “Official Singles Downloads” and No.24 on “Official Singles Sales,” further confirming its strong impact.
“Anpanman” likens BTS to the character Anpanman—a hero who tears off part of his own face to help the hungry, a hero without superpowers but one who stays by people’s sides for a long time. The song encapsulates BTS’s sincerity in delivering hope and positive energy through music and performance.
In particular, the lyrics, “I'll keep running towards you/ Even if I fall, even if I make mistakes/ I'll keep trying to be your hero, again and again/ I'm your hero,” clearly convey messages of solidarity and comfort. Inspired by the song’s meaning, fans launched a campaign to bring the seven-year-old track back to No.1 on the charts as a declaration that their unwavering support for BTS remains unchanged after years of waiting.
Beyond Anpanman’s success, solo releases by BTS members have also continued to show long-term strength on Billboard’s sub-charts. Jungkook’s solo single “Seven (feat. Latto)” ranked No.150 on the Global 200, while Jin’s “Don’t Say You Love Me,” the title track from his second solo album Echo, ranked No.166. On the Global (Excl. U.S.) chart, Don’t Say You Love Me, Seven (feat. Latto), and Jimin’s “Who” from his second solo album MUSE ranked No.79, No.81, and No.137, respectively. BTS’s anthology album Proof placed No.9 on the World Albums chart, continuing to demonstrate lasting popularity three years after its release, while MUSE ranked No.18.
The members’ solo tours this year have also achieved notable results. On the 15th, Billboard released its list of the “Top 10 Highest-Grossing K-pop Tours of 2025.” j-hope’s first solo world tour, “j-hope Tour ‘HOPE ON THE STAGE’”, ranked No.3, while Jin’s first solo fan concert tour, “#RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUR”, placed No.7. Notably, j-hope ranked the highest among solo artists on the list.
Even during a period without full-group activities, BTS’s position in the global music industry remains firmly intact. According to Spotify’s 2025 year-end report, released by the world’s largest music streaming platform, BTS ranked No.1 among K-pop artists on Spotify this year. The group was recognized as the most-streamed K-pop artist globally, despite having no group promotions during this period.
Beyond music, BTS continues to make an impact in other areas. Recently, the group became the first кσяєαn artist to receive a Presidential Commendation at the 5th Republic of кσяєα Philanthropy Awards. This honor recognizes BTS’s long-standing contributions through the Love Myself campaign in partnership with UNICEF since 2017, as well as their continued charitable work and advocacy on social issues both domestically and internationally.
With such powerful and enduring influence, expectations for BTS’s plans and ambitions in 2026 are higher than ever among both the public and industry professionals. With less than half a month left in 2025, anticipation for the return of the world’s leading K-pop superstars is reaching a fever pitch.
