Our ARMY fandom is a global phenomenon — as deep as the ocean, as wide as the sky, as breathtaking as the first blossoms of spring. The recent glow-up of @researchBTS’ Trendsmap is a silent witness to this as we see the world light up in hues of purple in response to the call of #BANGBANGCON21.
“ARMYs, Tell Us Who You Are” is our regular monthly blog that shares the narratives of ARMYs becoming ARMY. Each story is unique in its own right, sharing insights, reflections, and lived experiences. Some ARMY stories are raw and emotional, while others are light-hearted and fun. What brings them all together and unites them collectively is BTS. This month, we share three ARMY stories. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we enjoyed sharing them.
Our first story is from Rin of America, who shares their experiences of discovering BTS and listening to BTS’ music over a period of time, before finally becoming ARMY.
“Yeah we are EXTRA
But still part of this world
Extra + Ordinary”
(BTS: “Not Today”)
I discovered BTS in 2017 when a promotional copy of You Never Walk Alone came across my desk at my community College’s radio station. Prior to this, I was into K-pop. I had discovered K-pop through an FBE video where I got into BIG BANG’s “Fantastic Baby” and Girls Generation’s “Gee.” At this point, when I got the CD, my interest in K-pop was fading and I wasn’t into stan culture. Our radio station plays alternative and college rock so when I saw the sticker that said ‘for fans of K-pop,’ I jumped at the opportunity to take it, which I did. When I got the CD, I went to the BTS subreddit to talk about it. I listened to that CD in my car so much that I got burnt out on “Not Today.”
It wouldn’t be until October 15, 2019, that I would get into BTS and stanning them. That’s when I started playing BTS WORLD as a way to learn more about BTS. In the game when you meet J-hope, he is street dancing, and it starts to rain. The crowd leaves but you stay. When he is done street dancing, he says “you stayed to watch me street dance in the rain?” I instantly went ‘yup’ that’s my bias and haven’t looked back since. In the beginning of 2020, Suga also became my bias. While the lyrics from “Not Today” may have drawn me in, I should point out that my all-time favorite song is “Spring Day.”
Next up is ARMY member ‘zed’ from Sri Lanka. Just like the previous story that celebrated You Never Walk Alone, this story feels like an ode to Dark & Wild, another reminder of how much BTS’ music has enriched the lives of ARMYs. I first heard about BTS from a Twitter friend back in August 2014. They were, and still are, a BTS fan and were gushing over the music video for “Danger” that had just dropped that week, and the Dark & Wild album. I was intrigued and went on YouTube to check it out, and the rest is history! The beats, their vocals, and raps, their dance moves: Yoongi with a basketball, Tae’s deep voice, KIM SEOKJIN, the emo/angsty vibe — everything drew me in. Later, once I had time, I listened to Dark & Wild, and wow! It’s still one of my favorite albums — from the intro to the outro, I enjoyed and still love every single one of the 14 tracks.
Even though I didn’t become an ARMY ‘that’ day, and only learned their names four years later, that MV and album ensured that I would always keep checking for new music by BTS and the members, so the “Danger” MV and the Dark & Wild album have a special place in my heart and my journey to becoming ARMY.
Our final ARMY story comes from Linda, also from America, who reached out to Borasaek Vision after reading one of our blogs. Linda’s words may seem familiar to many ARMYS who have ever had to extract themselves from a toxic relationship.
Before and during 2020, I’d been in a toxic, on-again-off-again relationship with someone who basically triggered all of my childhood traumas. He was covertly emotionally abusive, but I didn’t know I was being stripped of my sense of self-worth and gaslit until several friends pointed it out. I never thought I could be vulnerable to such things because I was independent and strong and yadda yadda, and it was sobering to realize that I was as vulnerable as anyone else to being lulled into a sense of safety by words of false love.
When the pandemic hit, I was relegated to just coping with the stress of the pandemic, ugly politics, civil unrest / national reckoning, rising violence against Asian-Americans, and of course, the continual toxicity of my partner’s actions. But it all came to a head when the wildfires engulfed the west coast and truly locked us in without a breath of fresh air or the sight of clear skies. That was the straw that broke me.
I hermited. And I desperately wanted an escape. So, I looked up K-pop reaction videos, and “Boy with Luv” popped up. The reactors seemed so happy. It made me happy to see their joy. So, I watched other BTS reaction videos. Then ARMY-made videos of the boys. Then BTS music videos. Then Tiny Desk Concert, which introduced me to “Save Me.” I was intrigued. Then “Mikrokosmos” hooked me. Then the Cyphers basically made me an ARMY for life.
I was struck by how different BTS was from any Korean group I’d listened to before (on and off since I was a toddler), and how incredibly positive & resilient they were. I instantly felt intense affection for and connection with all of them. Their bright light and ability to endure hardships (while acknowledging them and expressing how broken they’d felt at times) nudged me out of my own brokenness. They reminded me of what it had felt like when I’d had hope and self-love… neither of which I’d felt for a long, long time.
So, I embraced BTS. I began to work harder. I broke up with the toxic partner for good. I started writing again (gotta match the boys’ amazing work ethic and fearless dream-chasing!). Started exercising and eating right. And exclaimed my love for BTS to whomever would listen. Now, I am in a wonderful emotional space, am writing every week, have a wonderful partner (who wooed me with a gift of BTS socks!!), and have a deep, abiding love for BTS.
I can’t begin to express how much BTS means to me. What they mean to me. But beyond what they did for me, I love them for themselves. I love them for their brilliant music, their fighting spirit, their difficult journey, their togetherness, their comedy, their poetry, their affection and love for each other and ARMYs, and just…for being exactly who they are.
ENDING MENT:
As ARMYs, we are many things to the members of BTS. At times we are their wings, helping them to rise and to soar. Most times, we are their traveling companions, walking alongside them. To be a member of the ARMY fandom holds different meanings for every ARMY, but it is a space where many of us feel accepted and acknowledged, valued, and loved. “ARMYs, Tell Us Who You Are” is a space that we here at Borasaek Vision created to celebrate the diversity and richness that exists within the fandom and to celebrate the journeys that each person has taken as an ARMY. Thank you for sharing this journey with us.
If you would like to share your ARMY story of ‘becoming,’ please feel free to contact us on any of our social media platforms. We always look forward to hearing from you.
DISCLAIMER: We do not own any audio & visual content in this video except for the editing. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THE RIGHTFUL OWNERS. No copyright infringement intended.
Written by: Shelley Edited by: Vera Checked by: Aury