In an article by Medium, author Lily Low said that “BTS has made a positive influence not only through their own actions, but simultaneously inspiring their fans to do good as well.” It is no lie that BTS and ARMY go way beyond the usual artist-fan relationship. Of course, it’s typical for fans to love their favorite artist’s songs and for the artist to show their appreciation for their fans — and the BTS-ARMY relationship definitely has that dynamic. But there is something deeper BTS and ARMY share that other artists and their fans do not.
BTS never shies away from talking about societal issues in their music, building a reputation as one of the most socially conscious personalities in South Korea. One such topic is mental health, which became the main highlight in their Love Yourself era. Through their songs, BTS made ARMY feel as though they were never alone in their struggles.
The band inspired ARMYs to change their perspective on life, and it cannot be denied that BTS play a large role in many ARMY’s journeys towards loving themselves. Yet, here’s a fact that might surprise you, dear reader: we are the ones who make ourselves change, not BTS. BTS are catalysts who spark the flame, but ARMY are the ones who keep the fire burning.
The Importance Of Giving Ourselves Credit
BTS has created quite a number of songs which inspire ARMY to become better individuals. From voicing exactly what ARMY feel in their everyday lives, to making ARMY feel that their emotions are valid, to reminding ARMY to love themselves, BTS has gone far beyond simply instilling the importance of self-love. Aside from their music, BTS’ advocacies also inspire ARMY to love themselves.
The BTS Love Myself Campaign the band has created with UNICEF Korea aims to #EndViolence against the youth while hoping to make the world more liveable for children and teenagers through their music. The campaign has raised more than $1 million, through a portion of Love Yourself’s album series revenue, the members’ own earnings, and donations from ARMY. BTS also delivered an inspiring and powerful speech at the launch of UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited. Of course, this speech was on the main advocacy that they are spreading — self-love.
It’s completely fair to give them a huge amount of credit. After all, BTS pushed ARMY to learn how to love themselves. BTS were there for ARMY in good times and in bad. BTS taught ARMY to be socially conscious of events happening in the world. However, despite all of the things BTS have done for ARMY, not all the credit goes to them. The actions made by ARMY should not be credited to BTS only, despite them being the catalyst. In fact, the majority of the credit goes to YOU.
BTS served as an inspiration for ARMY to create virtual communities such as ARMY Academy, One In An ARMY, ARMY Protection Squad, Borasaek Vision, and many other groups that aim to make an impact in the ARMY community and the whole world. Through these communities, ARMY were given a sense of purpose and were also given an avenue to hone their skills, be it online communication skills, or organizing online events. These ARMY communities also helped ARMY realize their talents and the positive influence they can give to other people, may it be ARMY or the general public.
BTS also influenced ARMY to participate in charity work and fundraisers. ARMY are known for doing good deeds during a significant BTS or ARMY related day - such as a member’s birthday. ARMY organizes food drives, donates different kinds of goods, and helps numerous victims of any form of violence. Through these charity works, ARMY have been able to make a progressive effect on the lives of the people they’re helping. BTS taught ARMY the importance of giving a helping hand to people who are in need through their actions, and ARMY, as attentive students, followed their example. The resulting charitable actions were by ARMY, inspired by BTS.
Most importantly, ARMY learned how to love themselves. Most ARMYs have struggled to deal with their own dark clouds and expressed how BTS have given them sunshine. With the inspiration of BTS’ music, ARMY has taken little steps to appreciate every bit of themselves. It hasn't been an easy task — it will never be an easy task — but ARMY continues to survive day by day. ARMYs always mention how BTS have saved their lives, but if put in a different perspective, it was ARMYs' decision to save themselves which saved their lives.
It is important for ARMY to give credit where credit is due. BTS tweet ARMY words of encouragement to help them get through the day. Through social media, BTS have been able to foster a close relationship with their fans. However, ARMYs tend to give all the credit to BTS when in reality they should be crediting themselves too.
BTS created music to inspire ARMY to serve as a reminder that everything will soon pass. BTS only gave ARMY the motivation to live, but ARMY chose to live, then went a step further and did something with their lives. Lots of ARMY changed to be better people, and the ones who made the change in their personal lives are to be lauded for it, not only BTS.
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Written By: Euni
Edit By: Aury
Checked By: Caitlin
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