BTS Hits 10 Million Followers on Twitter, Gets Their Third Emoji on Twitter
By Caitlin Kelley, Billboard
November 13, 2017
BTS hit another milestone on Monday (Nov. 13) when their @bts_twt reaching 10 million followers on Twitter -- a first for any Korean artist. The accomplishment earned them a hashtag, #LoveBTS10M, which was paired with the group's third Twitter emoji.
The news reinforces their domination as our Top Social Artist, the distinction they won at the Billboard Music Awards in May.
Stan Twitter is a subculture all its own, especially when it comes to BTS’s passionate fan base, ARMY. Their mobilization sent #LoveBTS10M trending worldwide shortly after the achievement was announced.
So, it makes sense that the group’s third emoji was inspired by the official logo that represents ARMY. The symbol is an inversion of the door-shaped logo used for the #BTSxAMAS and #ARMYxAMAs hashtag, which was unveiled on July 5 as part of the group’s newly extended brand identity.
.@BTS_twt is still 방탄소년단 & BTS, but it's English name is now Beyond The Scene, for the youth who grew up, ARMY is reflecting BTS' youth pic.twitter.com/EJvxco8za3
— 방탄소년단 아미 (@BTS_ARMY_I) July 5, 2017
Symbolically, the twin logos mean that BTS and ARMY are facing each other from opposite vantage points -- and it’s meaningful that both Twitter emojis were revealed within 10 days of each other.
The accomplishment took the group 1,793 days to pull off after they posted their first tweet on Dec. 17, 2012 -- written in Korean, the text announced the group’s official Twitter launch several months before their official debut on June 12, 2013.
워썹! 방탄소년단입니다.드디어 방탄소년단 트위터를 공식 오픈하네요~짝짝짝!데뷔 전까지 상상 그 이상의 이상하고 재미난 것들이 업로드됩니다.
— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) December 17, 2012
But the account has been gaining momentum in the past few months as it recently hit 9 million followers on Oct. 12, according to Soompi -- meaning the boys earned 1 million followers within the span of a month. Twitter Korea put together a visualization of the account’s growth over time.
🎉 축하합니다! 방탄소년단 @BTS_twt 이 한국 계정 최초로 1천만 팔로워에 도달했습니다. 팬 아미의 로고 이모티콘이 자동 생성되는 #LoveBTS10M 해시태그로 BTS를 축하해주세요! Congrats to BTS on reaching 10M followers for the first time in Korea! Tweet with #LoveBTS10M pic.twitter.com/vDYZVjEUDZ
— 트위터 대한민국 (@TwitterKorea) November 13, 2017
The social media team at Twitter presented BTS with a trophy celebrating their 10 million followers. The plaque reads, "Congratulations to @BTS_twt on reaching 10,000,000 followers on Twitter."
한국 계정 최초의 1천만 팔로우 도달을 기념하기 위해 트위터에서는 작은 기념품을 준비해 방탄소년단 @BTS_twt 에게 전달했습니다. Twitter prepare a small plaque to thank BTS for the passion and interest they showed to directly connect with their fans on Twitter. pic.twitter.com/RfGj7pcFQw
— 트위터 대한민국 (@TwitterKorea) November 13, 2017
Each of the seven members sent out individual thank-you messages through a medium any ARMY would appreciate: selfies.
J-Hope cheesed it up in his photo with a hand heart.
천만스럽다😍 #LoveBTS10M #호비 pic.twitter.com/n1r1KJmxmi
— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) November 13, 2017
Jimin threw out a peace sign.
#LoveBTS10M#JIMIN pic.twitter.com/hamjJr9Njr
— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) November 13, 2017
Important note: Jungkook’s signature is definitely a reflection of his advanced drawing ability.
#LoveBTS10M pic.twitter.com/uGPYAzn1Xo
— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) November 13, 2017
RM got the winky face going.
💕💕 #RM #LoveBTS10M pic.twitter.com/oU3amQoW3n
— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) November 13, 2017
Suga is all about that finger heart.
#LoveBTS10M#천만 #고마워요아미 #아미덕분 pic.twitter.com/YvGehbusX0
— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) November 13, 2017
V brings the aegyo with his signature pose.
💜 #LoveBTS10M pic.twitter.com/lsLEXVCEkU
— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) November 13, 2017
Where would ARMYs be without Jin’s kissy face?
#LoveBTS10M pic.twitter.com/0cMnDGkcWB
— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) November 13, 2017
Then all seven members threw a dance party in this gif. The caption is accented with an animal emoji representing each member.
팔로우해준 모든 분들 고맙습니다 하튜하튜 #LoveBTS10M #우왕천만이당 pic.twitter.com/KRAtGvP7oH
— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) November 13, 2017
Here are some other noteworthy facts about BTS’s Twitter presence, courtesy of Twitter.
The group has received 1 billion mentions on the social media platform since they opened their account.
The five most tweeted about BTS songs of all time are:
1. “DNA”
2. “Spring Day”
3. “Not Today”
4. “I Need U”
5. “Fire”
The group’s second Twitter account for official updates, @BTS_bighit, amassed an impressive 6.9 million followers too.
Photo: Getty Images