Beyond the Story – Everything About the Book That Celebrates BTS’s 10 Years

“Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS” is a biography that celebrates a decade of BTS history.

Released to mark the South Korean group’s 10th anniversary, it’s a deep dive into the journey of the seven members — RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook.

To start with, “Beyond the Story” is a must-read for every ARMY. For many reasons — here are just a few:

• It’s complete. It looks back at BTS’s history from the pre-debut days up to 2023, the year the book came out.
• It’s official. The information comes straight from the source: the BTS members themselves.
• Even though it’s official, it isn’t a whitewashed biography. We already know BTS’s honesty from documentaries and interviews, and their biography is no different.
• It’s a book to read, not just to look at. Sure, it has photos, and they’re beautiful, but it’s full of text and information.
• It’s a multimedia book, with countless QR codes that complement the reading with videos related to what’s being described. My advice is to read it slowly, enjoy the videos and take this trip through BTS’s 10 years calmly, savoring every hour, every minute, every second…
• It’s a guide for those just discovering BTS, but it also has new information for those who think they know everything. ARMY knows there’s always something to discover when it comes to BTS…
• It’s a great way to relive the whole story, now that BTS is back together as a group.

“Beyond the Story” is BTS’s official, authorized biography, written in collaboration with journalist Kang Myeong-seok. One of its biggest draws is the members’ exclusive testimonies and details never shared with the public before. Organized into seven thematic chapters, it goes from the group’s first days to the most recent moments of their careers, from early financial struggles to international recognition like the Grammy nominations and the Billboard Music Awards.

The book topped sales charts in South Korea, the United States, Japan and other countries. It was released worldwide on July 9, 2023, the anniversary of ARMY’s creation.

Let’s Explore Beyond the Story, Chapter by Chapter

As you’ve probably gathered by now, “Beyond the Story” is divided into chapters that take us on an emotional journey through BTS’s history. Let’s explore each one and the key moments of that path!

Chapter 1 – Seoul

Jung Hoseok, before becoming j-hope, was lost in Seoul, trying to find the Big Hit building. Min Yoongi, anxious, waited for producer Pdogg to take him into the dorm. Inside, both would meet a young man who went by the name Rap Monster, Kim Namjoon. That was it. The rap core of what would become BTS was formed.

The book takes us back to those first days, when BTS was just a dream. We learn details about the simple dorm where the trainees of Big Hit — a small company with no weight in the Korean music market — would live for the next months. And about the arrival of other boys, like Jeon Jungkook, who could have gone to bigger agencies but stayed at Big Hit, impressed by RM. And there was Jin, who until then was thinking of becoming an actor, but “life had other plans”.

V‘s arrival was strange: he and his father were ripped off by a taxi driver. Jimin also arrived nervous, since he was the last to join the fearless crew.

“I got to the dorm and there were so many shoes at the entrance… The hyungs were trainees, but to me they already looked like celebrities. RM especially already looked like a celebrity. And V was a classic idol. Very handsome, with a red cap on backwards.”

You’ll find testimonies like this throughout the book. Although the journalist leads the narrative, it’s the seven members’ words that bring color and life to it. Believe me: it’s a BTS journey — you’ll laugh, you’ll cry.

This first chapter is full of beautiful memories. And funny ones. Like finding out that SUGA “only ate to survive”. Jin was the one who spilled it:

“He ate chicken breast for the protein, but even that was too much work for him, so he’d blend it with grape juice and banana and drink it straight from the blender cup. I tried a little and, ‘No, no way’. I would cook a few things and then pour hot sauce or some other ready-made sauce on them.”

Jin literally put the house in order!

Chapter 2 – Why We Exist

Ah, the debut… Can anyone imagine how nervous those seven boys were, with a brilliant future ahead that no one could even dream of back in 2013?

This chapter tells us in detail about BTS’s debut and, above all, the many, many difficulties they would face. To begin with, the initial hip-hop concept didn’t make them instantly accepted in the K-pop scene. It wasn’t pop enough. On the other hand, the hip-hop scene looked down on them for “not being authentic”. There was no place for BTS, Big Hit had no money for promotions, TV shows didn’t give them a chance — but resilience is the word that defines BTS.

From this chapter on, whenever a mini album or full album comes out, the book includes a fact sheet, with QR codes to music videos, dance practices, interviews — a whole historic audiovisual archive to follow along. A delight!

Try not to get emotional with the description of June 13, 2013, BTS’s debut date!

Chapter 3 – Love, Hate, ARMY

If pre-debut was complicated and the debut anything but calm, the group’s consolidation also didn’t start without stumbles. Lots of them! You could even say BTS had everything NOT to work out. But it did, and we see the secret was the union of seven minds and hearts that, despite being completely different, complemented each other almost magically.

Just boys back then, but with so much passion and talent, the kind you perhaps hadn’t seen in one group since… the Beatles?

But at the time, they had no way of knowing that.

Things began to improve with the release of “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life” series, which took the group to what could already be called stardom, with international reach. But not without challenges, since it was a bold shift from the initial hip-hop concept to something more danceable and pop. Could the fury of rap mix with the sweetness of love stories? Can strong social and personal themes live alongside the lightness of dance and pure joy? With BTS, yes.

Although success was showing up here and there, BTS was still a group outside the “Big Three”, the agencies that dominated K-pop on their own and are still industry giants: SM, YG and JYP. That’s where the need to invest in self-produced content came from. BTS’s now-historic vlogs were born from a lack of money and the lack of interest of traditional TV shows in featuring the group.

It’s simple: if you won’t make content with us, we’ll make our own. Little did BTS know they were setting what is now the rule in K-pop: producing hours and hours of content about the members, their daily lives, what they eat, what they think, how they have fun, how they make music. YouTube and what was then Twitter were chosen as platforms. It was a unique way for ARMY to relate to their idols, one that still holds today. After all, how many times have you woken up to a pile of Weverse notifications? Exactly. BTS doesn’t forget the lessons of the past.

This is also where one of ARMY’s treasures was born: “Run BTS!”, their own variety show. If TV won’t come to BTS, BTS makes its own TV. Simple as that.

This chapter also shows ARMY’s strength, not only in promoting BTS but in protecting them from the relentless waves of hate that seemed to chase the group from the start. Well, nothing a passionate ARMY can’t handle, right?

Chapter 4 – Inside Out

The chapter opens with the “dumpling incident” — know it? It’s that famous argument between Jimin and V. V wanted to eat a dumpling (“mandu”) during rehearsal because he was hungry after filming the drama “Hwarang”, which he was part of at the time (watch it!). Jimin wanted to eat afterwards. That was all, but it turned into a fight between the two and went down in BTS history as one of those stories that start serious and quickly become comedy.

This is the chapter of the WINGS era, perhaps the first collective meltdown in ARMY history, with theories and interpretations that still spark texts, videos and long discussions in the fandom today!

If you were already ARMY back then, how could you forget the release of the concept videos? And the sleepless nights trying to figure out what on earth BTS meant with all of it? Wow, that was intense.

WINGS was also important because it brought, for the first time, the members’ solo tracks. On top of that, the darker concept was a surprise too. And it worked really well, because this was the start of a series of big awards that never stopped.

Chapter 5 – A Flight That Never Lands

Ah, the LOVE YOURSELF era…

The importance of this era for music is well established, but do we understand how much the focus on deep psychological themes makes BTS a unique case in pop history?

BTS had already addressed mental health before, but the focus on self-love made them rethink their own lives.

“We were going through an emotionally difficult time, and everyone was completely exhausted,” Jimin recalls. “We were working on Love Yourself, but we couldn’t love ourselves,” V adds. “We were at our limit, and seeing each other like that, we ended up worrying and wondering whether we should continue.”

Yes, it’s true, and the book makes it clear: BTS seriously considered splitting up, the famous and dreaded “disband”.

That’s one of the reasons “Beyond the Story” is so precious. At its core, it carries BTS’s way of being and acting: with honesty. Even when it hurts.

But the challenge of dealing with unprecedented success, the exhaustion, the fear and the uncertainty only cemented what BTS has that’s most precious: their passion for music and the love between the members. And ARMY, of course.

Chapter 6 – The World of BTS

The MAP OF THE SOUL era deepens BTS’s dive into psychological themes even further.

It resonated strongly with the public, taking the group to even bigger success. The launch of ARMYPEDIA also stirred up ARMY: a kind of treasure hunt organized by Big Hit, with teasers in several countries. ARMYs everywhere went looking for the 2,080 pieces of the puzzle. A collective meltdown…

The group’s success, already huge, reached the stratosphere with its worldwide reach. The West started comparing it to Beatlemania. It was unmatched. Concert tickets sold out in minutes in countries like the United States, Saudi Arabia and Brazil. The “LOVE YOURSELF: SPEAK YOURSELF” world tour was exhausting, but it catapulted the group to a level of exposure never before seen for Asian musicians. The world wasn’t ready for it, but ARMY was, and answered with its well-known passion.

Chapter 7 – We Are

Maturity… The boys hadn’t been boys for a long time, adult worries weighed on them, and that always showed in their music. At the same time, the pandemic was a huge blow. How do you deal with not even being able to leave the house when you’re part of a group whose essence is the stage?

It wasn’t easy for any of us. The feeling of uncertainty back then was agonizing. For BTS, besides not being able to perform, there was the huge frustration of having to cancel their next world tour. But to deal with the sadness, BTS could count on ARMY, who, even without seeing their idols in person, never once thought of letting go. And BTS answered in kind, with bright songs to bring comfort in hard times. “Dynamite” and “Butter” were the colorful answer the world needed in dark times.

And, well, “Dynamite” was a worldwide craze. The song was released in several versions and used in films, ads and TV. Being in English made it easier to catch on around the world. BTS definitely burst the K-pop bubble and paved the way for Korean groups to succeed all over the world.

That’s BTS magic: is the world sad? Then let’s turn it into an opportunity to create something good. BTS then released a unique anthology full of their biggest hits and unreleased versions of memorable songs. “Proof” was their last release as a group before the break for military service, and a perfect finale to 10 years of unprecedented success. j-hope closes the book:

“Until now, our group, how should I put it… We still try really hard. We don’t give up, and we think of the fans who support us. We’ll try, whatever it is. And that’s also scary. Because you can’t help thinking it could all fall apart one day. But we’re very proud of each other. We always give our best, and we keep trying even harder. I think that’s something to respect.”

It is, dear, and we, as ARMY, respect and love it.

Now that BTS has made the biggest comeback of all time, I think “Beyond the Story” will need a sequel in another 10 years…

Memorable Quotes from Beyond the Story

Here are some memorable lines you’ll find in “Beyond the Story”:

• “Even today, I remember the first row of people in the audience, near the cameras.” – Jimin
• “But now I found myself in front of so many fans, people who loved me. Imagine how breathtaking that was for a kid like me. That’s when I understood everything: I have a duty to give these people what they want.” – SUGA
• “It’s like… with every new album, new challenges and new things come up. Wow, there’s so much I don’t know, so much I can still learn. And I’ll keep doing that in the future.” – j-hope
• “It was like… It felt like a miracle. To be honest, just being nominated was already amazing. But when we got the award (talking about their first daesang at MAMA), I thought, ‘I knew Bangtan would win. No matter what other people say, Bangtan will win.'” – V
• “It was the first time I sang a melody of my own (talking about “Awake”), and it was my first solo song. It was as if I was on stage and everything had been prepared by me. That’s when I understood how the other members felt. How good it was to sing your own song for an audience.” – Jin
• “But thankfully my idol self and my real self aren’t very different. The work I do now is something I chose to do, and what you see is who I really am.” – Jimin
• “I said it was the beginning of a new chapter, and at that point, I really felt it would be. I couldn’t see very well what would happen next, but I felt it. Something more is going to happen after this.” – Jung Kook

Highlights and Fun Facts from Beyond the Story

Among the many topics covered, a few stand out:

• Behind the scenes of the Grammys: the book details the members’ emotions when they received their first Grammy nomination.
• Connection with ARMY: moving stories of meeting fans and how important that relationship is to the group.
• Symbolic references: the book explains the whale symbolism present in songs like “Whalien 52”.

BTS Symbolism and References in the Book

The book goes into the symbolism running through the group’s history:

• The BTS whale: represents loneliness and the search for connection, the theme of “Whalien 52”.
• The BTS logo and name: the expansion from “Bulletproof Boy Scouts” to “Beyond The Scene” reflects the group’s growth.
• Butterflies and flowers: often used as metaphors for transformation and rebirth.

BTS and Other Media: Documentaries and Films

“Beyond the Story” complements other BTS productions, like:

• “BTS Monuments: Beyond The Star” (docuseries on Disney+)
• “Break the Silence” and “Burn the Stage” (documentaries about their world tours)

These works explore moments told in the book, making for a complete multimedia experience.

Where to Buy Beyond the Story

You can find “Beyond the Story” at bookstores and online stores like Amazon. It was published in several languages, so look for the edition available in your country.

Frequently Asked Questions About Beyond the Story

Have questions about the book? We gathered the most searched questions and answered them clearly and directly. 😉

What does Beyond the Story mean?

The title makes total sense in BTS’s context. It isn’t just an ordinary biography with dates and facts thrown in — it’s a deep immersion in the group’s journey, with details and behind-the-scenes stories that go far beyond what we already knew. It also echoes the expanded meaning of BTS: “Beyond The Scene”.

Think of it this way: it’s as if BTS were opening a personal diary, full of memorable moments, challenges and achievements, and inviting us in. For anyone who thinks they already know everything about the group, this book shows there’s always something new to discover!

Is Beyond the Story available in other languages?

Yes! Besides the Korean original, the book was published in several languages, including English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Beyond the Story: Essential Reading for Every ARMY

“Beyond the Story” is more than a biography: it’s a love letter from BTS to ARMY and a testament to their inspiring journey. If you want to understand what makes BTS a worldwide phenomenon, it’s a must-read.

Share this article with other ARMYs and tell us in the comments: what’s your favorite part of the book?