BTS made their debut on stage on M Countdown on June 13, 2013. Their lead single at the time was “No More Dream,” but they were also promoting “We Are Bulletproof Pt.2.” During the song’s dance break, j-hope b-boys and then leans all the way back as Jimin uses his tumbling skills to spin right over him, then turns and tosses his hat to Jung Kook, and the audience cheers. When that first performance was broadcast, it was a taste of what was to come in the future. Their practice studio may have been small at the time, but their ambition for the stage was immeasurable, and the bigger the stages they got to, the more amazing their performances became. They were still finding their footing when they took the stage at the 2014 MBC Music Festival, and while they performed some of their typical numbers, they also donned marine uniforms and put on a Sea Scout show with a huge number of backup dancers. That same year at MAMA, they turned heads with their “Boys In Battle” group dance-off against Block B, a rare format for the Korean stage. People who tuned into the year-end performance were drawn in by this new group and their unconventional style, and all this momentum led them straight into their Most Beautiful Moment in Life series the following year, marking the true beginning of success for the group that’s since become a legend. And when BTS finally won Artist of the Year at MAMA in 2016, they put on a performance that shared the same name and themes as Boy Meets Evil, the comeback trailer for their WINGS album they had put out earlier that year, reinterpreting shots from the original and bits from the single “Blood Sweat & Tears” in unbelievable ways. It opens with Jung Kook suspended in midair, gives j-hope a chance to blend b-boying and contemporary dance, and it’s topped off with a solo dance from a blindfolded Jimin. They followed up “Blood Sweat & Tears” with a massively scaled-up version of “FIRE” complete with backup dancers, leaving no shred of doubt that they had earned Artist of the Year. The group saw crucial venues like awards ceremonies as more than places to receive recognition for their accomplishments; they were opportunities to challenge themselves even further and put on fresh, dazzling performances—the kind of self-one-upmanship that has never failed to help them find new fans. 2017 was the year BTS first attended the Billboard Music Awards and the American Music Awards. They also suited up for a performance of “MIC Drop (Steve Aoki Remix Ver.)” at MAMA, filling the sparse stage with their passion and energy through dance and vocals. In 2018 they achieved global superstardom when they topped the Billboard 200 chart; that year, they performed “IDOL” at MMA (Melon Music Awards) with an awe-inspiring blend of modern song and dance and traditional Korean styles like fan dancing and lion dancing. Their performances are more than just flashy production and attention-grabbing moves—they also document, year by year, what it is about BTS that excites people so much and what the group’s trying to convey to their audiences. In 2020, the group was once again at MAMA, this time performing their song “ON” with the inclusion of a full marching band—at a Seoul World Cup Stadium completely devoid of any audience. The “ON” performance, originally conceived for a stadium brimming with an audience, transformed into a ritual yearning for the end of the pandemic within the confines of an empty stadium. BTS was back to performing in front of a live audience at the 64th Grammy Awards, ringing in their return with a performance of “Butter” where they played spies infiltrating the event. Practicing for the performance proved to be an uphill battle due to some unfortunate injuries and COVID-19 infections, and there was an element of luck to the choreography, including a move where they had to take off and tie all their jackets together. But there was no stopping them once they got up on stage, and they made every moment of the perfect performance look like magic. Even in times as important as those, unexpected issues are bound to arise. And yet, despite everything else, they put on an incredible show. When the dust had settled and they had a moment to look around themselves, BTS saw they were standing tall atop the world’s stage.