A Look Into BTS-ARMY Connection
It has been nine years since BTS' debut – June 2013 – and as their anniversary draws closer, the anticipation for a new album and a new 'era' starting has ARMY on the edge of their seats.
Back in 2013, no one had the slightest hint about the storm through which BTS would take not only the Korean music scene but the Global music industry. With their roots in Korea and their branches spreading all over, BTS' success keeps growing – and rightly so.
On July 9th, ARMY (아미), a moniker chosen by Big Hit Entertainment, was announced. Since then, ARMY has never left BTS' side. The name (short for Adorable Representative MC for Youth) then went on to be the extremely dedicated, organized, and kind fanbase we know today.
Currently, ARMY makes for a substantial presence whether that be through their digital footprints via checking in at a following of 44M on Twitter, 59.9M on Instagram, and 19M on Facebook. As if that was not already enough, the So-Fi concert tickets for multiple nights were sold out on October 7th, 2021 with the purchase of Verified fans alone, never making it to the general public, showcasing ARMY’s support for their artist.
All BTS fans are collectively brought together as ARMY through BTS’ music and their message giving them resonance – sometimes even life-saving resonance. ARMY has always been quick to show their love and gratitude, always keeping in mind the humble place where the boys began.
“It is because ARMY exists that we exist,” Jin had once said, echoed by all members at different occasions, showing that they were equally grateful for their fans.
From their first win with "I NEED U" in March of 2015 to their latest award at the AMAs in November 2021 as Artists Of The Year, they have not once left out ARMY in their acceptance speeches. Even in their not-so-grand moments, when they didn’t win the much anticipated 2021 Grammy Awards, they chose to share the disappointment with their fans first – even then, with hopes for the future.
On Twitter, one may often find either compliments for the dedicated fanbase or contempt for them. However, no one can deny the massive impact that BTS and ARMY have collectively developed. Nor can one deny the love and respect that ARMY has shown towards BTS and vice versa, not simply through words but their actions, as well.
While ARMY have appreciated BTS with words of encouragement, by putting up special birthday projects and voting to get them the awards they rightly deserve, BTS have done the same by taking out time from their busy schedules to interact with their fans.
The Welcome Generation: New Beginnings
The one thing that caught ARMY's ear when BTS delivered their acceptance speech for Artist Of The Year at the 2021 AMAs was their “focus” on new beginnings.
In recent months, BTS have hinted at new beginnings with a new album a number of times. During their UN speech on the 20th of September, 2021, they kept their optimism up for future generations too. COVID, which caused an entire generation to graduate from home also caused their abilities to be questioned by others, and so, BTS taking a stand for them through their words made an impact on many:
“We think that instead of the ‘lost generation,’ a more appropriate name would be the ‘welcome generation,’ because instead of fearing change, this generation says, ‘Welcome!’ and keeps forging ahead,” said Jin.
With their two humongous hits “Dynamite” and “Butter” in 2020 and 2021 respectively, they have clearly embraced their new tone in music too – extending to their song “Permission To Dance” that was curated to give hope to people for a new beginning and a better future. Thus, also showing their new tone to their musical style.
The same message of hope resonated through Taehyung's words at the UN:
At a separate occasion, the Jingle Ball, iHeartRadio asked the members, “If you are preparing for a new album, please blink twice at the camera.” Upon hearing this, BTS responded by constantly blinking their eyes. The next question being, “If you are preparing for a world tour in 2022, please blink three times.” This time, all the members blinked again and V even blinked without stopping, which made everyone burst into laughter.
Even with such small antics, BTS have made ARMY smile at the thought of new music. And while the beginnings may be new and so may the music, what remains is the bond BTS and ARMY share.
With the much larger fanbase that they have garnered in the last two years, in the case of a full-length album, the impact will undoubtedly be massive. A mere glimpse into this was the success of "Stay Alive" by Jungkook, produced by Suga, a simple OST for their webtoon Chakho.
And so, it surprises no one that BTS continues to have ARMY's support as they enter a new era; they always will.
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Written By: Rose
Edited By: Aury
Checked By: Juju