Though they are only seven-years-old in terms of their ‘방탄소년단’ identity, this South Korean septet of global superstars, who debuted when the oldest member was just 21-years old, has been praised by their nation’s President for writing “a new chapter in K-pop history.” Interestingly, this newest chapter in their career has witnessed the return of a few classics in terms of musical genre, dance moves, fashion, and set design. At the same time, we have seen BTS take their newest single to dizzying heights, such is the magnitude of BTS’ ability to attract and influence — not just fans, but the general public as well.
In their newest venture, BTS stepped outside of their comfort zone to take on a variety of new challenges. “Dynamite” is an example of one of those challenges. Debuting their first-ever single entirely in English became an unexpected addition to their schedule this year and yet, the rewards for doing so have propelled them to new heights, including four weeks in the top echelon of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Even more exciting for ARMY is the knowledge that BTS will soon be back in full comeback mode with their first self-produced album in the last quarter of 2020.
Starting a new chapter isn’t always about breaking records or re-writing history. Sometimes it’s about finding new ways to walk the path that you’re on. Other times it’s about finding new paths to travel on. Fortunately, in BTS’ case, it’s not necessarily an either-or situation. Whether it’s featuring as a guest speaker, an online ‘concert’ performance, or breaking into the gaming world of Fortnite, BTS continues to expand their horizons.
Photo credit: Screenshot courtesy of Fortnite @FortniteGame
For BTS, expanding horizons can both be a collective endeavor or individual pursuit. Mention the word mix-tape and ARMYs will openly share how excited they are at the thought of BTS members V and Jungkook releasing their first-ever, long-awaited mix-tapes. V all but confirmed the release date of his mix-tape, after a recent episode of “In the SOOP” shared footage of J-hope encouraging V’s progress to date, especially as this will be the first mix-tape to be released by a member of their vocal line. After listening to V express his reservations, J-hope gave him some timely advice, “I don’t think you should feel too pressured about a mix-tape. Just do what you want to do and show the music you want to show.”
Pages turn as BTS provides ARMY with new content experiences. Recently, BTS members returned to our screens as ambassadors for youth, when they appeared as guest speakers for the 75th UN General Assembly and South Korea’s inaugural National Youth Day hosted by the Blue House. On both occasions, they reminded us of the importance for today’s youth to remain hopeful for their futures, despite the uncertainty that surrounds us all in 2020. From the intimate corners of their ‘small rooms,’ to the four corners of our ARMY globe, BTS acknowledged that we all have the ability to re-imagine our futures and explore the limitless potential that exists within each of us.
Photo credits:
Screenshots courtesy of Youth Day speech: Arirang News & 75th U.N.G.A speech: BANGTANTV
Maintaining high-energy performances without the fans being physically present to boost energy levels can be daunting for any artist, Korean, and non-Korean alike. Yet to their credit, BTS continues to out-perform themselves every time, boasting a variety of stunning performances, both live and pre-recorded, over the past month. Coupled with captivating stage sets and head-turning outfits, it is not surprising to say that BTS have been “shining through the city with a little funk and soul” since the official “Dynamite” MV released in August.
Virtual concerts are now a normalized component of social distancing with many artists and musicians, including BTS, live-streaming from the intimacy of their homes and studios. In fact, BTS’ first excursion into the domain of virtual performances resulted in the achievement of a new Guinness World Record for the “most viewers for a music concert live stream” when they performed "BangBangCon: The Live" earlier this year.
Looking back to the beginning of 2020, when Borasaek Vision attended the BTS Conference hosted by Kingston University, it seems like such a long time ago. No-one at that time had the slightest inclination that a global reset would soon redefine the way that human beings socialize. Likewise, BTS were not prepared for the cancelation of their world tour or forewarned that they would become beacons of hope with an English single. Yet that is exactly what happened.
BTS’ newest chapter, the one that saw them accept new challenges and create new memories, has been the silver lining of 2020 for millions of ARMYs worldwide. What is their priority now? To be reunited with ARMYs once again and to show a better version of themselves when that moment does arrive.
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Written By: Shelley
Edit By: Ash
Checked By: Esma
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