BTS’ First Book Shoots Up to No. 1 on Best-Seller Lists, Hours After Release

Beyond The Story: 10-Year Record of BTS was released July 9, immediately soaring up to the top of Amazon’s best-seller charts, reaching No.1 on the overall book charts in a number of hours.

A preview of the book shows BTS‘ origins, structured into chapters: “Seoul,” “Why We Exist,” “Love, Hate, Army,” and more. The cover was also released, showing a sleek navy blue background with multi-colored laser stripes.

Amazon currently has the book on sale for $27, a 40% discount from its original price of $45. Beyond the Story can be purchased now as a hardcover book, but you can also download it as an audiobook. The chapters are read by Kim Young-Gi and Park Chan-won, two voiceover artists who were chosen by the group themselves to narrate the book.

BUY BEYOND THE STORY: 10-YEAR RECORD OF BTS $27.00

Previously, when the contents and theme of the book were unknown, it set off an explosion in another fanbase. Fervent speculation over what the book could be fueled rumors that a Taylor Swift book was in the works — turns out, it’s a “blockbuster” memoir on K-pop powerhouse BTS.

When Flatiron Books announced that an anonymous celebrity would be releasing an untitled book in July — “4C Untitled Flatiron Nonfiction Summer 2023” — Taylor Swift fans pre-ordered it in droves, skyrocketing the mystery book to No. 1 on Barnes and Noble and Amazon. But the immediate bestseller was revealed to be by another musical juggernaut: BTS.

The New York Times reported that the nonfiction title was actually Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS, an oral history of BTS written by journalist Myeongseok Kang. The K-pop group’s memoir arrived on July 9, a nod to a big day in the BTS history: The Army, the group’s dedicated fan base, was founded on that date, which will be the fan group’s 10th anniversary.

Another anniversary will be celebrated this summer, as solo documentaries J-Hope in the Box and Suga: Road to D-Day will begin playing in theaters on June 17 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of BTS’ debut.

BUY BEYOND THE STORY: 10-YEAR RECORD OF BTS $27.00

The U.S. edition of the book is translated by Anton Hur with Clare Richards and Slin Jung, and rings in at a formidable 544 pages, including exclusive photographs of the band. Check out the book now, available on Amazon.com.

From Rolling Stone US.