The wide world ofK-Popmusicis filled with overwhelming talent. No matter where you look, you’re sure to find incredible vocals, impeccable dance skills, and undeniable stage presence. It’s difficult for one artist to carry all three and more, but K-Pop idols are trained to do just that throughout their career. It’s rare for a boy or girl group to have such a permanent impact on the genre as a whole, but those who have gone above and beyond have made K-Pop a household term around the world.

Groups like BIGBANG and 2NE1 set the tone for the long-lasting impression the genre would garner, but, for anyone who thinks they’re unfamiliar with K-Pop,BTSis sure to ring a bell or two. After debuting in 2013 with the edgy hip-hop track “No More Dream,” the seven-member boy group has gone on to becomean unstoppable force that would expand K-Pop’s global reachwith their vocals, raps, and lyrics that touch anyone who listens.

The year 2025 marks BTS’s 12th anniversary, a feat that shouldn’t be overlooked in an industry where most groups find it difficult to break the “seven-year curse.” As we move closer to the members of BTS completing their mandatory military service, it’s as perfect a time as ever to reflect on their unbelievable discography. They’ve dipped their toes in just about every sub-genre you can think of, released some of the most successfulsolo music in K-Pop, and they don’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

Every artist has songs that are more underrated than others. With a group like BTS, you could argue that more than half of their vast catalog deserves more appreciation, but this list focuses on just 12. In honor of their 12th anniversary, let’s appreciate 12 songs that showcase the diverse sounds and the musical dominance BTS has had over K-Pop for over a decade now.

12First Love

Wings (2016)

TheWingsalbum, released in 2016, is a concept album that centers around the themes of growth and coming-of-age. The promotion for this album included interconnected short films for each member that coordinated with their solo songs on the track list. Rapper and producer Suga’s solo track, “First Love,” isa vulnerable examination of how music provides comfort, even after ignoring that passion for years.Gentle piano chords flow under his emotional rap delivery that builds in volume as the song progresses.

Back then when I fell into a pit of despair

Even when I pushed you away

Even when I resented meeting you

You were firmly by my side

You didn’t have to say anything

So don’t ever let go of my hand

I won’t let you go ever again either

Suga remembers the image of the piano in his childhood home and the love of playing that faded as he grew older until he leaned back on that memory when he needed it most. He personifies the piano as a consistent figure in his life, someone he turns to in his darkest moments and encourages him to pursue his dreams. Most notably, the song is bracketed by its first verse that’s repeated at the end, bringing everything around in a full circle moment.

11Could You Turn Off Your Cell Phone

Dark & Wild (2014)

BTS showed their impressive sonic range early on withDark & Wild.Released in 2014, this album includes the rebellious “War of Hormone,” the cut-throat “BTS Cypher Pt.3: Killer,” and one other song that made this list. “Could You Turn off Your Cell Phone” falls at track nine and is about exactly what the title says. Suga’s rap during the pre-chorus sums up the meaning of the song pretty well:

Could you turn off your cell phone?

Or put it in your pocket? Everyone says it’s smart

And the times have gotten better

But we’re rushing twice as much

Sometimes, I miss the times when people talked face to face

Communication increased but there is only a noisy silence between us

2014 was a time when the majority of people, including teenagers and younger kids, had some kind of smart device. Although it was just over a decade ago, the lyrics in this song are still relevant today.BTS longs for connection; they long for a time before everyone’s noses were buried in their phones while sitting across from one another, something that permeates members of each generation to this day.

10Film Out

(2021)

Japanese releases are very common in K-Pop. In order to reach a wider audience, groups will often release a Japanese single or an EP full of Japanese versions of their Korean songs and travel to Japan to promote them.This particular Japanese single is part of the soundtrack forSignal, a film based on a Japanese TV series that BTS also wrote the theme song for (“Don’t Leave Me”).

“Film out” is a devastating ballad of love, loss, and remembrance. The rap verses are filled with regret, while the vocalists deliver their lines with enough precision to give you goosebumps. As a whole,the song conveys the pain of looking back on memories that are filled by someone who’s no longer in your life.It ends on what feels like a cliffhanger with the lines, “As if you are right there / But I reach out my hand / And you suddenly disappear.” It’s enough to make anyone reminisce.

9Take Two

(2023)

“Take Two” is the most recent song released by BTS as a group since their subsequent enlistment. By the time it came out, Jin and J-Hope were already enlisted, and the five remaining members' enlistment dates loomed over fans. In an attempt to ease their fandom, ARMY’s, anxiety about their eventual hiatus, this single was released in June 2023.“Take Two” begins with the line “Will you stay?,” a question that was surely on the members' minds when considering just how long they’d be away.

The lyrics includereferences to previous releases and symbols from their past. For example, the line “Even the lonely whales, we’re singing like them now” calls back to “Whalien 52,” a track off ofThe Most Beautiful Moment in Life Pt.2. Even the choruses state “Oh, we young forever,” a reference to their 2016 album of the same name. It’s a beautiful tribute to their fans and the impact they’ve had so far.

82!3!

BTS has their fair share of warm tracks that comfort listeners whenever they’re feeling down, and"2!3!" is one of their most authentic. It starts with a verse from rapper and leader RM where he acknowledges wanting to promise only good things while also not wanting to lie to their fans and anyone listening. Not even your favorite song can prevent negative events or emotions, and he knows that.

The rest of the sound is an encouraging melody to let go of negativity and embrace the moments we have together.

Suga’s verse takes a different route, directly quoting those who falsely accused them of wrongdoing in their early days and thanking them for allowing him to prove himself as something more than their accusations. The rest of the song is an encouraging melody to let go of negativity and embrace the moments we have together. With BTS’s full reunion happening soon, the lyrics hit harder than ever.

7line!Pt.2 - Ano Bashode -

Wake Up (2014)

Another one of their Japanese tracks that has stood the test of time is “line!Pt.2 - Ano Bashode -” off of their first full-length Japanese album,Wake Up. This hypnotic track features everything a listener could want from a love song by a young BTS. The rap verses flow just as seamlessly as the vocals, with J-Hope standing out after every listen.

It’s less of a love song and more of a break-up song, where the girl has already moved on with someone else while the boy pines hopelessly over her. He can’t wrap his head around how she could be happy without him, so he waits at their favorite spot for her to inevitably appear and declare that she wants him back. “Ano Bashode” is a song that continues to age to perfection year after year.

6Look Here

The other track fromDark & Wildto make this list is “Look Here,” a mesmerizing song about the lengths someone might take to make the person they’re interested in attracted to them. With an instrumental reminiscent of “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke,it sounds just as tantalizing.

The lyrics push the narrative that the meeting between the narrator and their love interest is too perfect to be coincidental. There’s no reason for the love interest to turn them down, so they can’t understand why they’re feeling so unsure. It’s a song that fits perfectly on the same album as “War of Hormone.” After all, who could turn someone down who says “Us meeting isn’t just coincidence / Meeting you was what I wanted” and sounds so sure about it?

5Am I Wrong

When BTS released “Am I Wrong” onWingsin 2016, there was enough political turmoil to go around. People all around the world were on edge, including those in South Korea, and,in typical BTS fashion, the boy group didn’t shy away from these issues in their lyrics.With “Blood Sweat & Tears” as the album’s title track, they promoted “Am I Wrong” as the B-side. The performances see the members moving in slow-motion and smiling cheekily for a minute less than the actual song’s runtime.

In the lyrics, they acknowledge the feeling that the world is on fire, but also state that they still want to find something to believe in despite the circumstances. Unsurprisingly,Suga doesn’t hold back in his verse. The lines “We’re all dogs and pigs / We get mad and turn into beasts” directly quote a South Korean government official who used similar wording to describe South Korean citizens. Overall, “Am I Wrong” is just one of their songs that proves how in tune they are with the world around them.

4Boyz With Fun

The Most Beautiful Moment in Life Pt.1 (2015)

Of all the songs including the word “fun” in BTS’s discography, this one lives up to its name the most. “Boyz with Fun” is on the same album as the heartbreaking yet addictive “I Need U,” but it falls into an entirely different category in both sound and energy.The funky hip-hop instrumental pairs perfectly with the energetic vocal delivery of each memberand the bouncy choreography.

Of all the songs including the word “fun” in BTS’s discography, this one lives up to its name the most.

As the title suggests, BTS are boys who have a lot of fun. The lyrics touch on just about every aspect that makes them this way, from the way they move to the confidence that flows through them. In short, they can’t help that they were born this way, and who would want it any other way? It’s a song that will have you dancing from start to finish whether you want to or not. It’s best just to give in.

3Ma City

The Most Beautiful Moment in Life Pt.2 (2015)

Every K-Pop group needs a song like “Ma City.” Predominantly a rap line song with the vocal line coming in for the pre-chorus and choruses,“Ma City” sees BTS’s rappers proudly representing their hometowns of Ilsan, Gwangju, and Daegu. RM marks Ilsan as “the place I wanna be buried,” and praises its natural scenery that brings him back to himself every time he returns.

J-Hope recounts Gwangju’s summer heat fondly, speaking directly to those still living there about how highly he still regards his hometown even at his level of fame. Suga regularly mentions Daegu in his lyrics, and he even calls himself out here, saying, “This dude mentions Daegu on every album / And doesn’t seem to get bored of it.” Jin’s pre-chorus lines are even sung in the dialect of his hometown. The details are what matter in this song, and listeners come away from it knowing more about the members than they did before.