Home Music Music Lists

Every BTS Solo Song Ranked

Together they’re a pop-music force of nature. As solo artists RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook have created an equally amazing catalog.

BTS backstage at the 2019 Grammys

JOHN SHEARER/GETTY IMAGES/THE RECORDING ACADEMY

There’s a saying among ARMY — BTS’ famously loyal fandom — that the South Korean supergroup’s songs find you when you need them the most. Feeling a bit melancholy? “Spring Day” is here to put things into perspective. Need something to pep up your spirit? “Dynamite” understands.

The solo careers of the band’s seven members have produced many similarly beloved moments. RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook have all been incredibly prolific, with each creating his own artistic profile and unique discography.

In 2022, Jin became the first BTS member to enlist in the South Korean army — a requirement for all able-bodied South Korean men. That year, Rolling Stone published the 100 best BTS songs. By June 2025, the rest of the group had completed their military requirements and reunited back in Seoul. As the band enters into a new chapter of its career, we felt now was the perfect time to make this ranking of every BTS solo song so far.

With a subject this vast, we need to establish a few ground rules before jumping into the list:

This is not a list of every single thing each member of this band has ever done throughout their entire lives. This is a list of songs by the members of BTS released after the formation of BTS. We are not including any songs released before BTS debuted in June 2013, which means songs like 14-year-old RM’s “Collabo” and “Fuck Cockroachez” were not eligible.

We are only counting songs in which a member of BTS is credited or co-credited as the main artist on the track. Features do not count, but duets or any other kind of collaboration where the BTS member gets equal billing as the main artist on the track do count. So, “Stop the Rain”  by Tablo and RM made the list, while “That That” by PSY, which is credited as “(prod. & feat. Suga of BTS),” did not.

Solo versions of songs that had already appeared on BTS albums or had been previously recorded by the group were not eligible. But, of course, all songs on their mixtapes and solo albums were included.

Love Music?

Get your daily dose of everything happening in Australian/New Zealand music and globally.

BTS has made many television appearances where they performed one-off songs as subunits. They also made an iconic guest appearance at the legendary Seo Taiji’s 25th-anniversary concert, where he proclaimed BTS as his musical successors. As great as they were, those appearances aren’t included. Songs released on social media are not included.  Covers that were released as singles or uploaded onto BTS’ official channels are included.

Since their 2013 debut, some of the members — particularly RM and Suga — have gone by different stage names. For clarity’s sake, we are sticking to the names they currently use within BTS: RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook.

The BTS universe is vast and rich and unlike anything else in the history of pop music. The seven musicians are prolific as a group and as individuals, creating smart, fun music that encourages listeners to think and dance, laugh and cry, bliss out and emit primal screams. While these artists mesh together beautifully as BTS, there’s something really special about what they are creating separately. This list is a celebration of that story.

9

Jin, ‘The Astronaut’

Jin co-wrote this soaring pop song with Coldplay. “The Astronaut” showcases the eldest BTS member’s vocal range and his ease with conveying emotions through storytelling. Jin is no stranger to exploring the universe paradigm (“Moon”), but this song was an emotional release for both him and ARMY. As the first group member to enlist in the South Korean military (which is mandatory for all able-bodied Korean men), this is the song he left for fans to remember him by, promising them, “You and me, a never-ending history.”

8

Suga feat. Ryuichi Sakamoto and Woosung, ‘Snooze’

Suga’s collaboration with the late composer Ryuichi Sakamoto and the Rose’s Woosung is hypnotic. Doubt weaves its way in before the protagonist gently reminds the listener that everything will be OK. “Snooze” rings of harmonic complexity and has a catchy hook, but it also has a sense of urgency that is lulled into place by its dreamy instrumentals. Sakamoto’s understated piano line sets the tone, while Woosung’s raspy vocals add angst. But it’s Suga who propels the song with his fluid rapping, working through the shackles of his success.

7

Jimin and Ha Sung-woon, ‘With You’

Jimin collaborated with singer Ha Sung-woon on this evocative song for the soundtrack of the slice-of-life K-drama Our Blues. “With You” is played throughout the series, including the climactic scene at the end that’s designed to leave viewers weeping. As Jimin’s voice crescendos to the song’s apex, listeners feel the sadness and hope in the lyrics, which reflect on the duality of romantic love and the complicated relationships within families. When it’s all over, Jimin questions, “When life is over, will we ever meet again, even in our dreams?”

6

Jung Kook, ‘My You’

“My You” perfectly channels the experience of romance: “All these lights are colored in by you/All these times are precious due to you,” Jung Kook tells us. The BTS golden maknae (or youngest) sounds like the ultimate green-flag boyfriend here, but the song is not for one woman. It’s for all women. And for men, too. It’s his love song for ARMY. Issued to celebrate BTS’ ninth anniversary in 2022, it is a fan favorite and one of Jung Kook’s best. His voice embraces the lyrics in both Korean and English, creating a gentle world made better by being together.

5

V, ‘Slow Dancing’

V of the smooth and deep vocals takes listeners back to a previous era when men wooed women with the promise of dressing up and taking them dancing. (As opposed to sending a text that says, “You busy?”) Equal parts pop and jazz, “Slow Dancing” offers romanticism, hopeful lyrics, and a flute solo (!) courtesy of Cautious Clay. There is an instrumental version included on Layover as well, but what drives the song is V’s rich, oh-so-sexy voice, which complements the languid, low-fi number. The song invites us to sway along as we contemplate a simple proposition: “Maybe we could be slow-dancing/Until the morning.” Yes, duh!

4

Jin, ‘I’ll Be There’

“I’ll Be There” is Jin’s prerelease single from his debut album, Happy. He may previously have been best known for his swoonworthy ballads (all hail Queen “Epiphany”!), soaring odes to space, and a playful song about, um, tuna, but he’s a versatile singer who is quite comfortable unleashing his inner rock star. “I’ll Be There” is both retro and fresh with its jangly guitars, clap-along percussion, and Jin earnestly promising that he will “always sing for you.” This delightful song solidifies that Jin can pop, he can rock, and he can even rockabilly (a bit) with the best of them, all while being Worldwide Handsome™.

3

J-Hope, ‘More’

Meshing trip-hop with Nineties-style alternative music, J-Hope officially entered his industrial-rock phase with a song that would’ve fit in during Nine Inch Nails’ “Head Like a Hole” era. The drum-and-bass-heavy “More” is less angry than it is contemplative. “Fame, money are not everything,“ he raps. “My work makes me breathe, so I want more.” Eschewing the sunny disposition that won over his initial wave of fans, J-Hope was a sexy beast when he performed this song in Chicago at Lollapalooza 2022, becoming the first South Korean musician to headline the main stage at any major U.S. music festival.

2

Suga, ‘Haegeum’

“This song’s a haegeum,” Suga spits out at the beginning. The rapper isn’t referring to the mournful-sounding two-string traditional Korean instrument that is featured prominently in the song. He’s using haegeum’s other meaning of liberating oneself from society’s confines, including capitalism, an overly nosy public, his own wealth, and everything else that causes the systematic disparity between the classes. Backed by heavy bass and gayageum (a Korean zither), Suga’s aggressive delivery is rapid and pointed: “This song’s simply about freeing what’s forbidden.” 

1

RM, ‘Seoul’

In this relaxed, low-fi song, RM addresses his complex relationship with South Korea’s capital. It’s a vibrant city, but one that’s become too expensive for many of its residents. Its landscape is beautiful, but marred by hazy pollution. A master of wordplay, RM references the Han River bearing too much han – a Korean word that reflects on generational trauma that encapsulates sorrow, grief, and rage. “Seoul” complements “Tokyo” — both on RM’s Mono mixtape. In “Tokyo,” he wonders, “Why do love and hate sound the same to me?” In “Seoul,” he resigns himself to his ambivalence, singing, “If love and hate are the same words, I love you Seoul … I hate you Seoul.”