ARMY MOST PRECIOUS TO US: BTS
‘We miss our fans’, says the K-pop group, gets candid about the starting point of BTS, their bond with ARMY and visiting India
BTS — these letters have transformed into a phenomenon, turning members of the K-pop boy band into global superstars. Now, the pop icons of the 21st century want to give back the love through their music and performances. BTS made their debut in 2013 and embarked on a journey of making history. They’re the first K-pop act to get a Grammy nomination, and also to debut at the top of Billboard’s Hot 100.
As the South Korean septet — RM, Jin, SUGA, V, Jimin, j-hope, and Jung Kook, continue their world domination, they hope to come to India to celebrate the music and fandom.
Your track, Butter, stayed on No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks in a row. How do you rejoice these special moments?
RM: First thing we do is to celebrate with ARMY, our fans. When we topped the Hot 100 chart for five weeks in a row, we did a livestream to celebrate it with our fans.
You’re the 21st century pop icons with so many accolades. What dreams did you start off with when you walked into the music world?
SUGA: When we debuted, our dream was to have our own concert. But thanks to the love and support we received from ARMY, we’re where we are today. So, we want to give back that love through great music. That’s exactly what artistes loved by so many people should do, no matter whether it’s called a role or responsibility.
You’ve been paving your way to world domination. What has been your way to deal with the ups and downs?
j-hope: Now when I look back at the journey, it was just us delivering music and messages that we wanted to, and ARMY listened to them. All of this has been possible thanks to ARMY.
The lyrics of your songs reflect reality, touch on the themes of mental health, school-age issues and anxiety. Does delving into personal emotions take a toll on you?
SUGA: We value sincerity when it comes to music, so we talk about our personal stories and touch upon various topics. For me, personally, as time goes by, delving into those emotions is getting less hard. Releasing music helps me relieve those emotions.
At what point did you decide to narrate your real life stories through music? Has it helped you form a stronger bond with fans worldwide?
Jung Kook: From the very beginning! These thoughts aren’t limited to those who live in Korea, but can be shared across regions and generations. We expressed these emotions, stories through music and performances. That brought us and ARMY closer.
What sort of pressure does global fame come with while making music?
V: It’d be untruthful to say that there’s no pressure. But as always, we will focus on what we like and can do. Then, I’m sure everything
else will follow.
What role does BTS ARMY play in your life, and in the process of making music?
j-hope: ARMY are the most important and precious people to us. When we create music, we think about what ARMY would like to hear and we prioritise that.
There’s a huge BTS ARMY in India as well. Any message for them? Also, do you plan to visit India for a live show?
Jin: We can’t thank you enough for listening to our music. We hope the situation gets better soon. Please stay strong and we hope you get some energy from listening to our music!
Jimin: If the opportunity comes, we would, of course, like to perform in India.
How important is it to stayed connected with fans amid the pandemic?
Jimin: We haven’t seen each other in person for over a year. We know our fans are having a hard time. So, we need to do our best to keep showing them our performances, whether through live gigs, and give them the energy to navigate through this.