For millions of fans around the world, June is a month of celebration and has been since 2014 when BTS first gathered to reminisce about their life since debuting. And what a life it has been for the BTS members who have worked tirelessly to perfect their craft as the boy band, 방탄소년단 (aka Bulletproof Boy Scouts). Despite the highs and lows that go hand-in-hand with the K-pop industry, BTS seems to have surpassed all expectations - including their own. Rising to heights comparable to the Beatles, the seven members of BTS have also worked hard to hold on to the essence of who they are and why they do what they do.
In fact, BTS has gone to great lengths over the past nine years to promote themselves as a highly functioning and cohesive unit of seven individuals. From their stage performances to product endorsements, the magic of “7” has been present in all that they have accomplished. That is why it was always a pleasant surprise whenever the members released something on their own, each member shining brightly in their own light and working to their individual strengths.
Recently though, BTS made their own announcement to fans during this year’s Festa dinner. They shared that the BTS members would be taking time out from their busy BTS schedules to focus more on developing solo projects in the weeks, months, and perhaps years to come. Understandably ARMYs were surprised, yet the fact that j-hope was announced a few days earlier as a headliner for this year’s Lollapalooza festival suddenly made more sense. J-hope would be leading out this new chapter in the members’ careers with his solo event at Lollapalooza and the release of his album Jack in the Box that we now know is dropping on July 15.
During the Festa dinner, we learned that the other members are all focusing on releasing albums. Even from their individual styles, we could sense that j-hope and V have taken a very considered approach to creating their albums with every song strategically placed according to the story that both members are wanting to portray. Jimin, Jung Kook, RM, and Suga all mentioned their albums briefly, even hinting at the order in which their albums might be released as well. Jin finished off the album chat by confirming that his would probably be the last album to be released, with many fans speculating that his military service would take precedence. Despite the sad undertones that naturally come with the ending of chapter 1, the members sounded excited about their futures and what the next chapter would bring for them as individual artists, for BTS in general, and for ARMYs who continue to love and support them.
Taking breaks has never been an easy feat for the BTS members. Every now and then, they’ve managed to spend quality time with their friends and families; however, when you consider the duration of their careers, those moments have still been few and far between. And yet, one thing that ARMYs have learned over the past two years is that when BTS takes a “break” life suddenly seems to get busier for fans. Content prepared weeks and months prior is released during the breaks and new merchandise still finds its way onto Weverse.
In hindsight, fans now know that a break for BTS does not equate to a break for ARMYs. If anything, life gets busier for unsuspecting fans and the chaos plays out in real-time on social media. FOMO (fear of missing out) returns as does the dreaded ‘12am KST drop,’ and no matter which timezone you are in, someone is bound to miss a posting, especially when fans have to navigate Weverse, Twitter, and Instagram to keep up with each of the members.
Whether you’re tagging along with RM on one of his art trails or museum tours, basking in V’s new-found glitz and glamor during the recent Paris Fashion Week, or reveling in j-hope’s walk on the wild side, this past fortnight has been one of the busiest ever for ARMYs. What is heartwarming to see though is how quickly ARMYs have rallied to support the members in their newest ventures. Although it may be a while before we see the seven members performing together once more, that day will most certainly come again. In the meantime, keeping up with the seven BTS members, as they each embark on their respective journeys of ‘becoming,’ is a full-time commitment: one that millions of fans worldwide are prepared to make, willingly and lovingly.
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Written By: Shelley
Edit By: Aury
Checked By: Miranda
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