Music and More: My ARMY Story and Why I Love BTS

Black Swan at The Late Late Show with James Corden

I can hardly remember what it was, but from my faint memory, it was Fake Love that I first saw on YouTube. If I'm not mistaken, BTS was performing at an American show at that time. The guy who was always in the middle first grabbed my attention – Jungkook. Admit it, JK is one good-looking guy. I did not have the interest to look further into the group especially when I heard idol – super catchy but came out a little boastful at first few listens. Because, as you know, I did not understand the lyrics and did not even try to. I did not want to like them just because they were super famous and be part of the bandwagon. No, I am not that type.

My next encounter was probably Boy with Luv ‘cause I can clearly remember V's blue hair which caught my eye then. I know many fell in love with his blue hair. And this was probably the time my interest was piqued. Who would be able to resist singing along to that "Oh my, my, my… Oh my, my, my…" while watching them performing and having fun on stage?

Boy With Luv era. That was when I started looking into the group more – watching performances, MVs, and other clips on YouTube. Slowly my interest in the group grew. Little did I know that I would become a full-pledged ARMY (this is what you call the BTS fans for those who don’t know). I started digging deep into the lyrics of each song and watching videos about them – explaining who they were, their history, the struggles they faced, and the successes they have achieved. A few weeks later I started downloading apps because of them, including an app with all English translations of their songs. I also downloaded Vlive, Weverse, and Superstar BTS.

A lot of people probably categorize them as just some K-pop stars or pop stars with catchy tunes and nice visuals. Choosing not to dig deeper may lead to misconceptions and typical stereotypes accorded to K-pop idols or singers. Many people easily assume that K-pop music is just for teens and call you as looking like a kid for listening to such music.

I was once one of those (except for the K-pop is just for teens and looking like a kid part because I've been listening to K-pop for quite a while already). But, when I dug deeper, I saw what all the hype was about and was captivated. That was when I realized that “Hey, these are not just some catchy tunes you hear out there.” Contrary to most of the songs coming out these days, with lyrics that sometimes do not quite make sense, theirs have some deep meanings.

Their music is much more than what you hear and what you see. In one of their interviews, J-hope stated that “Bangtan (Bangtan Sonyeondan is their name in Korean) means to be resistant to bullets, so it means to block out stereotypes, criticisms, and expectations that aim at adolescents like bullets, to preserve the values and ideals of today’s adolescents.” You may say that what they tell us through their songs is anchored on this meaning in some ways. Beyond the bops and the catchy tunes are the poetry in their lyrics and their profound messages about society, struggles of the youth, self-love, finding one’s self, and many more. Past the captivating music videos and complex choreographies is their passion for music and the positive influence they want to make.

The boys are not in great pursuit of records after all. As Jin said at the conference held for their album Map of the Soul: 7, “Results and records are important, but if people draw happiness from our music, that would be the greatest result we can achieve...” Suga even said that “..purpose is more important than the goal…” This just shows how much these guys love music. As RM once said, "Music transcends language. BTS communicates with our fans by staying true to ourselves and believing in music every day."

Aside from their deep love for music, what even fascinated me was their personalities. Beyond their intensity and drive when performing are their humble and fun selves. These boys are definitely goofballs and crackheads and they are unafraid to show their crazy and wacky sides. You simply will not be able to resist their charms. Watching their weekly variety show Run BTS! (if you’re looking for a good laugh, this is for you), their travel show Bon Voyage (they will definitely show you beautiful places), and snippets of behind the scenes with Bangtan bombs and BTS episodes on YouTube will give you a taste of who they really are as musicians and as regular people. Watching their movies and documentaries will also show you that beyond the success and the fame are the struggles and hardships they have to go through to become who they are today. Despite all that they have accomplished, their feet remain planted on the ground and they continue to be the humble boys they are.

And who would forget, above all, they love their fans more than anything, and it shows. In every award speech they make, they never fail to mention ARMY and how thankful they are. Not a day goes by without them reminding us that they wouldn’t have come this far if it weren’t for their fans. They always make us feel that we are a part of them, a part of their success, of who they are now. I haven’t been to a live concert, but watching clips and fan cams will tell you that they truly treasure us ARMYs – you can see it in their eyes when they look at the crowd, you can feel it through their smiles while having fun, you can hear it when they are making their ending messages. The admiration, the gratitude, the love, the care, the sincerity, the genuineness – it's all there.

All these and more are what got me and what will lead you, too (if you give them a chance), down the BTS rabbit hole, love the boys, and make you stay in this Bangtan Sonyeondan sh*t for life.

P.S.

Whether it is the banger "Did you see my bag? Did you see my bag?" which you might have thought to be cocky but realized it’s supposed to be 'coz it's a diss track or the "Can't stop me loving myself" with the colorful mv or maybe the super catchy and LSS inducing "Oh my, my, my. Oh my, my, my." – it doesn't matter what song or when you became a fan. As RM said, "There are many people who became our fans recently. No matter when you became our fans, we are always thankful for your love. It is your love that makes us glow.”