BTOB band appeared in 2012 in Seoul. The lineup includes seven young men Eunkwang, Peniel, Changsub, Ilhoon, Hyunsik, Minhyuk, and Sungjae. Initially, one more member was part of the lineup. However, Lee Minwoo left the band right before the debut due to health problems.
The band debuted on 21 March 2012 when the artists uploaded a track “Insane” to their YouTube channel. It became a lead single for the first EP, which the musicians called Born to Beat. The album featured four songs. It was officially released in April 2012. Singles "Insane", "Monday to Sunday", and "Imagine” earned popularity. The latter sold about 170,000 copies. Later, the artists released a special edition of the EP, which featured eight songs. The album climbed to the 3rd spot of South Korea Gaon Album Chart and came in 19th on Taiwan G-Music Weekly J-POP Charts.
In 2012, the band released one more EP, Press Play. It came in 4th on the national chart and settled on the 15th spot of the Taiwanese chart. The single “WOW” became a big hit in South Korea.
In 2013, the group worked on another EP, Thriller. It came in third on South Korea Gaon Album Chart and settled on the 16th position of Taiwan G-Music Weekly J-POP Charts. Singles "When I Was Your Man", "Catch Me", and "Thriller" became hits.