Grandly signing off their “Permission To Dance On Stage” concert on December 2nd, 2021, BTS is now ready to embark on the next chapter of their journey as global superstars. The concert that kicked off on November 28th attracted fans from all over the world; according to one article, more than 800,000 people attended the concerts either in-person at the SoFi stadium, the streaming events at the nearby YouTube Theater, or as part of the Day 4 global live-streaming event. This number doesn’t even include the tens of thousands of viewers who watched the concerts as a result of fans who live-streamed every day. If it had, then viewer numbers would easily have broken the one million mark.
The excitement of meeting one another after two whole years was high for both BTS and ARMYs; and although many, including the BTS members, felt nervous on Day One, the excitement levels continued to grow over the four-concert days. Seeing the concerts come to life after two years must have been a dream come true – not just for local fans, but also for those who traveled in from all parts of the US and from other countries around the world.
Permission To Dance Press Conference
In the midst of all this excitement, BTS scheduled a press conference where they talked about the frustrations of living through a pandemic and how their struggles motivated them to keep working hard and stay focused to improve as artists. The issue of Asian hate was raised by the press, to which RM responded, acknowledging the heaviness of the responsibility that BTS feels about the ‘wall’ (sometimes visible, sometimes not), that it can’t (sufficiently) be described in words.
The highlight of the press conference, however, came from a question asked by journalist Liam McEwan about how BTS stays true to themselves throughout all of their successes. RM’s wisdom once again shone through when he broke it down to percentages. 50% of their success is attributed to the ARMY fandom. Each member gives 5% and the remaining 15% goes to HYBE and BigHit. This means that “success is not all ours, and I always try to realize that, and it helps me keep myself down to earth, and I think it’s really important to survive in this crazy industry.”
Reducing the Distance
Despite their long-drawn separation from fans physically, BTS made sure there was enough high-quality content for fans to binge on in hopes of reducing their distance. From “Dynamite,” the song of the summer in 2020, to this year’s summer bop “Butter,” and In The Soop 2 this fall, BTS has continued to deliver content even in difficult times. Also, we now know that BTS had other projects running at the same time, such as their “My Universe” collaborative masterpiece with Coldplay the same month that “Butter” was released, various solo projects like Jung Kook’s cover of “Falling,” as well as marketing projects with Hyundai, Samsung, and Louis Vuitton.
'What Comes After SoFi?'
BTS has always been prompt with their content. One event after the other, the members have never really taken a full-fledged break from doing things for ARMY. So what is next? Could there be more concert dates added to their schedule? With “RUN BTS!” expected to be paused for the next two years, could a new program arise?
It’s safe to say that many consider BTS to be at the pinnacle of their career now; the only thing still missing from their HYBE trophy case is the elusive Grammy. In a recent post-concert VLive with Jung Kook, RM light-heartedly let ARMYs know that BTS remains hopeful of winning this award. For now, though, we can only wait and see.
Now that the LA concerts are over, fans are a little more up-to-date with BTS’ schedule. They successfully finished their US schedule with the 2021 Jingle Ball at the Forum Theater in Los Angeles. While the event was not live-streamed, fancams and photos on social media once again showed BTS shining on stage as the opening act. In addition to their US schedule, the preview of the 2022 Season's Greetings has kept us all on our toes; for ARMYs, that is surely something to look forward to as well. But surely that's not all. Even though their 2021 concert might have come to an end, as Jungkook said 'This is just the beginning,' and this was made very clear to fans when it was announced that there will be a “Permission To Dance On Stage” concert in Seoul in March 2022.
As for now, fans are still not 100% sure about what the future holds, especially with the most recent announcement of BTS’ extended break. So, we can only hope that as this year comes to an end and a new year begins, that the BTS members find time to relax and rejuvenate with their friends and families. In the meantime, BTS will continue to hold our hearts and hands as we head into 2022 with a bright reminder that we don’t ever need permission to dance.
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Written By: Rose
Edit By: Esma
Checked By: Aury