K-pop group BTS made its live U.S. television debut on the American Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater on November 19th. The group performed “DNA,” taken from their record-breaking album, Love Yourself: Her, which topped both the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 charts.
Not only was the night a milestone for the group’s seven members, but also for K-pop music overall, as BTS has officially become the first K-pop boy band to ever perform on the American Music Awards. Additionally, their performance also marks the first live performance by a K-pop group on American television.
American DJ duo The Chainsmokers introduced BTS by saying, “To be honest, I’m a little bit nervous to announce this next performance. To call these guys international superstars honestly feels like an understatement.”
After their performance of “DNA,” the Microsoft Theater erupted in screams, with fans shouting “BTS! BTS! BTS!”
Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto then came on stage to announce the nominees for Artist of the Year. He took a moment to express his thoughts on BTS, saying “I need a moment to recover from that performance. That was incredible.”
Shortly after the award show ended, BTS’ seven members then went back to their hotel to film a livestream on VLive. They shared their thoughts on their historic performance, as well as thanked their fans for getting them to where they are today.