What is BTS? Meet the members, songs and more about 2026 World Cup halftime performers
What is BTS? Meet the members, songs and more about 2026 World Cup halftime performers originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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BTS made headlines recently as the K-pop band became one of four major participants in the first-ever World Cup halftime show.
Halftime shows, although extremely popular at major American sports events, are not as common around the world. FIFA swung for the fences in landing talent, and the seven-man group that is BTS was a great addition in order to garner global attention.
While most fans can pick a familiar name or two from the list, not everyone is knowledgeable about BTS before they perform on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Here’s the rundown on the seven artists that make up BTS.
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What is BTS?
BTS, which is an acronym of Bangtan Sonyeondan or “Beyond the Scene,” is a Grammy-nominated South Korean boy band that first debuted in June 2013. Seven separate artists make up the collective group that has achieved worldwide stardom.
In 2020, BTS was nominated for the Grammy Award in Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. This earned them the title of the first South Korean pop artist to be nominated for the award, according to Yonhap News Agency.
According to Kworb, BTS has garnered over 53.1 billion streams on Spotify alone. Their top song, “Dynamite,” has totaled 2.3 billion streams since its release in 2020. The group’s most recent album, “ARIRANG”, came out on March 20, 2026.
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BTS band members
BTS currently has seven members in their K-pop group. Here is a little bit about each member who makes up the group:
Jin
Jin, whose full name is Kim Seok-jin, was born on December 4, 1992, in Anyang, South Korea. The 33-year-old primarily serves as one of the four vocalists in the group.
He is also nicknamed “Worldwide Handsome,” according to his Spotify page, and many fans are drawn to his smooth voice.
His most notable solo song, “Don’t Say You Love Me,” has garnered over 970 million streams on Spotify.
Suga
Suga, also known as Min Yoon-gi, was born on March 9, 1993, in Daegu, South Korea. The 33-year-old primarily serves as one of the three rappers in BTS.
The rapper has appeared on numerous other songs as a feature from notable artists around the world, including Juice WRLD, Halsey, and PSY. He has also helped produce the official ringtone for Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy, “Over the Horizon.”
According to Kworb, Suga has accumulated over 1.5 billion solo Spotify streams across his discography.
J-Hope
J-Hope, whose real name is Jung Ho-seok, was born on February 18, 1994, in Gwangju, South Korea. The 32-year-old is also one of the three rappers in BTS.
According to his personal Spotify page, J-Hope is the lead dancer for the group. In 2022, j-hope made history as the first South Korean act to headline a main stage at Lollapalooza, a major annual music festival in Chicago.
J-Hope currently has 4.4 billion solo Spotify streams to his name, according to Kworb.
RM
RM, whose real name is Kim Nam-joon, was born on September 12, 1994, in Seoul, South Korea. The 31-year-old is also one of the three rappers in BTS and is regarded as the leader of the group.
RM, which has been said to stand for both “Real Me” and “Rap Monster,” was the winner of the Favorite K-Pop Artist accolade at the 2025 American Music Awards.
His most popular song, “Wild Flower,” has been listened to over 435 million times and has made up a sizeable chunk of RM’s 3.3 billion solo streams on Spotify, per Kworb.
Jimin
Jimin, also known as Park Ji-min, was born on October 13, 1995, in Busan, South Korea. The 30-year-old primarily serves as one of the four vocalists in BTS.
The Busan native serves as a hybrid in terms of his talents as a singer and dancer. In March 2023, his first solo album, FACE, made him the first South Korean solo artist to top the Billboard Hot 100, per his Spotify page.
Jimin has 8.4 billion solo streams on Spotify, according to Kworb. A total of 2.4 billion of those streams came from his song, “Who.”
V
V, whose real name is Kim Tae-hyung, was born on December 30, 1995, in Daegu, South Korea. The 30-year-old is one of the four vocalists in BTS.
Along with making music for BTS, V has written some of his own songs in his discography. He has also participated in original soundtracks for various Korean TV series, such as “4 O’CLOCK,” “Scenery,” “Winter Bear,” “Blue & Grey,” and “Snow Flower,” according to his Spotify page.
His most popular song, “Love Me Again,” has been listened to over 1.1 billion times, and has made up a sizeable chunk of V’s 5.8 billion solo streams on Spotify, per Kworb.
Jung Kook
Jung Kook, whose full name is Jeon Jung-kook, was born on September 1, 1997, in Busan, South Korea. The 28-year-old primarily serves as one of the four vocalists in the group.
The singer comfortably puts up the top numbers across the BTS group on a solo medium. Per his personal Spotify page, Jung Kook is known as an “all-rounder” due to his versatility in vocals, rap, and dance.
He has four songs that have garnered over a billion streams on Spotify, according to Kworb, including three billion from “Seven.” In total, Jung Kook has accumulated 11.2 billion solo Spotify streams.
BTS most popular songs
Prior to the World Cup halftime show, BTS has either been a primary or featured artist on 319 total songs, according to Kworb. The K-pop group has found a plethora of success since it first began in 2013, including over 53 billion total Spotify streams.
Here are the top songs from BTS in terms of streams on Spotify, per Kworb:
RankSong TitleSpotify streams (as of 7/16)Daily streams1.Dynamite2,303,765,728528,4182. My Universe1,627,172,256344,5833.Butter1,482,344,956333,8794.Boy With Luv (feat. Halsey)1,408,973,383326,5795. Left and Right (Feat. Jung Kook of BTS)1,194,842,963255,116
*: Appeared as a feature
Why is BTS so famous?
BTS has made a name for itself around the world. The group was the first in K-pop history to have a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 charts, according to Teen Vogue.
Before their fame put them on another level, many fans fell in love with their lyrics and performing abilities. BTS performances usually feature sharp dance moves with a high-level of energy, perfect for being part of the first-ever World Cup halftime show.
Here’s a look at the mental reasoning as to why BTS has grown so popular around the world:
When is BTS performing at World Cup?
BTS will be one of the four performers who will take the stage during halftime of the World Cup final. The K-pop group will join Shakira, Madonna, and Justin Bieber when Spain vs. Argentina takes a brief pause.
The halftime show should begin preparations around 3:50 p.m. ET, as the first half spans 45 minutes with additional stoppage time.
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