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Bts Blog - Blog Posts
Please help in any way you can, ARMY! So So Important!!
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Here's a really cute YouTube video we found. Hope you like it!
Jeon Jungkook is a bit of a special case, among Bangtan. While we're sure there are haters, they're not our focus today. You've already seen with the other 6 members how they've fought through outside negativity and come through brighter, on the other side. With Jungkook, we'll focus on his kindness. Because you'd be hard-pressed to find a nicer guy.
Everyone knows JK came to BTS very young and has grown up with the other members. Basically, you could say he's a reflection of all 6. And he has said it. From his song, Begin, he lets you know that what hurts him isn't people saying mean things to him, but rather, hurting his hyungs. That's a genuinely kind person. Maybe it's because they are all a part of him, though. We know he has Jin's sense of humor and fun. There's Yoongi's calmness under pressure. He's developing Namjoon's leadership abilities. He has soaked up Hobi's skill and dedication to dancing. He's become more open and vulnerable, like Jimin. And he's certainly got some quirkness all his own, ala Taehyung. What an amalgamation he's turned out to be 😁
His kindness shows often, when they're outside. As much as he's a physical, athletic kind of guy, he's caring and gentle. From the times he's been seen helping clean up venues, to the care he takes for staff filming them, and his kindness towards fellow idols. He seems a little shy, but he'll be the first to follow support staff around and help them out. He's also just very considerate of his own members. He loves to play around with them, truthfully. But watch and you'll notice he's always careful to not hurt them. Because, let's face it, they're all smaller than he is, now! 😁
Lastly, our Golden Maknae is skilled in many ways. Singing, dancing, smart, good-looking, athletically competent... Truly "golden" for a reason. But despite every reason not to be, he's humble. He performs all his roles more than adequately, but there's no sense he feels anything but happy to be a part of BTS. He's content to fulfill his position in the group, eager to, even. We know he was devastated when he got hurt and couldn't perform in Europe. As much for letting his brothers down as for letting ARMY down. And of course no one else thought that. It was an accident. But he got to be in the position of being comforted for a change. This time, his own vulnerability may have allowed him to see that his everyday actions are both needed and appreciated.
All we can say is Jeon Jungkook is a brilliant piece of humanity. Whether he came that way already. Was molded by his real and bangtan families. Or has worked his butt off, on his own, to become this wonderful example of a man. He exemplifies our concept this week. Love Yourself, be kind to yourself and to all that's around you, and live well. That's all you have to do. Then we can be Golden ARMY, reflecting back on our group, as a beautiful example for the world. Keep trying and keep loving yourself. We can do it!
Credit/Sources: Eat Jin VLive, @dawnwith_u, MBC Star Show 360, HoneyJoonie94, Tension Up
V stands for Victory
From the Merriam Webster dictionary: 2) achievement of, mastery or success in a struggle or endeavor against odds or difficulties.
Taehyung had 3 options when it came time to choose his stage name, and he chose V. He was named Taehyung by his Grandfather, meaning "all wishes come true, everything will be alright even if facing a difficult situation".
How could his Grandfather know that the name given to Tae at birth would also describe his chosen stage, when the time to choose came? Was it fate that V accompanied his friend to the auditions that day? He was the only one selected among everyone that auditioned. He started his career being victorious in a contest he didn't intend to compete.
Tae's path was never easy though. Not during trainee days and not after. As you may know, BTS was originally debuted as a group that focuses only on hip-hop, forcing the members into a mould, to present themselves a certain way. Tae's quirky personality though, may have often seemed out of place where hip-hop is concerned. Especially at BTS' early TV show appearances. From being mocked by hosts and "fans" alike, to becoming the most ridiculed member for his appearance in American Hustle Life, V has had to face it all.
Don't get us wrong, people with similar personalities, as Tae's, are some of the most adored celebrities, in South Korea. But, the "strictly hip-hop" image, BTS, were trying to present in the beginning of their careers, was what made Tae look so out of place. It wasn't until BTS started meddling with other genres and sounds, that people started understanding Tae better. He is a soul with a kaleidoscope of beautiful spectrums.
Although he is capturing everyone's hearts nowadays, this is a knife with two edges all on its own. He is no stranger to prejudice and mockery, to people's obsessive behaviour and ignorance. He has been on both sides of the spectrum. From being disliked because he was misunderstood to being liked too much.
Yet, Tae has never been anything other than himself. From his debut days, until now, V has grown, from a playful quirky boy, into a mature man, with the tender soul of a child. His talents and passions have shone through the shade of prejudice. V, has conquered all challenges. From developing his vocal skills, to learning how to play various instruments. Tae composes his own music and then produces the videos. We witness his ever evolving dancing skills. He fulfilled a life goal, by staring in the historical drama, HWARANG.
Most recently, V has been nurturing his passion for photography and painting.
Within every artistic medium, he shows us his true self. A person that's VICTORIUS!!!
"If you are concerned about something, tell [someone] anytime and let [your troubles] out~ If you keep it to yourself, it will become an illness."
— V , August 2019
We applaud BTS for their ongoing partnership with UNICEF to help children and young adults of our world.
"LOVE YOUR SELF"
For more information please go to:
love-myself.org
Team Karamel 🍮
⇩
Credits:
NUNA V
Winter Bear MV
Park Jimin describes himself as, " cutie, sexy, lovely". He says this with all the confidence of a man that knows and loves who he has become. But, this self confidence is the result of a hard fought battle within himself.
We will speak of Jimin today, as to how he's grown from someone, who was battered by the pressures of an idol, to a stronger member of BTS. His personal struggle speaks directly to our message all week.
Loving himself became vital for our Chimmy to learn. The ways he's blossomed since he has taken this path are powerful to see.
Most people that have seen Bangtan's debut, are aware that Jimin took center stage. But not everyone knows that he took on the challenge of showing his abs. All seven menbers were requested to do so, but couldn't get it together. This was a hard thing for a very private young man to do. He was embarrassed to be showing his stomach. But, he diligently took on the task of bringing attention to BTS, right away. Anyone that has watched their debut video, can see the results of his dedication and very hard work. Since he'd been a trainee less than a year, and was questionable to debut right to the end, the pressure to achieve this task, was tough on him.
Fast forward a year or so, and Jimin still has an amazing build, but the baby fat has yet to fade from the youngster's face. This bothers him because there are comments of him being "fat". Also, since he was the shortest, his height begins to become a constant joke among the members. This translates, naturally, to fandom too. But, what is cute teasing from friends and fans, becomes fodder for those interested in making him feel bad. And use it, they do. To the point that he feels so badly about his appearance, he begins a drastic diet, that he stayed on for a year. As in all else, he's very diligent in this as well, to the point of making himself sick. The members take notice and become concerned that his self- esteem is not recovering from the attack from the nonsensical haters.
Luckily, there were, and are, six brothers with him, to repeatedly let him know that he is, in fact, enough. Weird enough to see, in the industry they're in. But, he still needed to be able to love himself. Thankfully, the catharsis came to him. He hasn't revealed that particular process, but he did tell us that army helped him realize how he really is loved by us all.
The transformation has been simply breathtaking. Jimin's stage presence is powerful. His dancing is still brilliant, as always. We can see the happiness in his eyes, and the love shining out from him, back to ARMY and his Bangtan family.
Whatever he's done, we support it. And honestly wouldn't mind learning the secret *wink, wink*.
Jimin you beyond nice! Keep going!!
We applaud BTS for their ongoing partnership with UNICEF to help children and young adults of our world.
"LOVE YOUR SELF"
For more information please go to:
love-myself.org
❄️👸🏼
Credits:
TheStar
jmsupercute
VT x BTS
MINToYou
pieces of mind
Kim Namjoon, we know him as RM, the leader of BTS. To keep focus on this amazing human, I will let him introduce himself. In his speech to the United Nations on 24th of September, 2018 he described himself. "I would like to begin by talking about myself. I was born in Ilsan, a city near Seoul, South Korea..."
"I was just an ordinary boy. I would look up at the night sky in wonder and dream the dreams of a boy. I used to imagine that I was a superhero, saving the world.... "
"Looking back, that’s when I began to worry about what other people thought of me and started seeing myself through their eyes..."
"Soon, I began to shut out my own voice and started to listen to the voices of others."
"I had one sanctuary, and that was music... But it took me a long time to hear music calling my name."
"Even after making the decision to join BTS, there were hurdles. Most people thought we were hopeless. Sometimes, I just wanted to quit..."
Yes, strong and confident RM was bullied and slandered by his peers. In 2013 when, Suga and RM appeared on Kim Bong Hyun’s Hip-Hop Invitational 1st Anniversary Broadcast. A fellow rapper said. "You guys could have taken the road towards becoming rappers, but you couldn’t beat that temptation. Is BTS’s music hip hop? Is wearing makeup on stage like a girl hip-hop?" BTS as a group endured criticism and disappointnents from the very beginning of their young careers.
July 2015 BTS concert, "The Red Bullet" in NY was abruptly stopped because of death threats towards RM. Again on July 29 in Mexico RM received another death threat. As one of the main lyricists, RM accepted the blame for misogyny in their songs lyrics. RM was quoted as saying, “The most controversial things came from what I wrote. I thought ‘I was so ignorant’.
RM became depressed after this. But, he went to correct his errors with positive actions. He read lots of newspapers and books to study social phenomena. After he finished writing lyrics, he would get experts such as a professor of women's studies to objectively examine the lyrics. These are just a few examples. Of course, being a writer, RM used his talents to answer and confront his critics thru music. Kim NamJoon said it best in his own words. Again, quotes from his UN speech:
"...think I was very lucky that I didn’t give it all up.
"I’m sure that I, and we, will keep stumbling and falling. We have become artists performing in huge stadiums and selling millions of albums."
"But I am still an ordinary, twenty-four-year-old guy..."
"I’m Kim Nam-joon, RM of BTS."
"I’m a hip-hop idol and an artist from a small town in Korea."
"Like most people, I made many mistakes in my life."
"I have many faults and I have many fears, but I am going to embrace myself as hard as I can, and I’m starting to love myself, little by little.. .."
We must remember, he and BTS are just human beings like you and I. They have given of themselves to show us their true selves. Please, let's follow their example of kindness and respect to all we encounter in this life. Love yourself so you may love others.
To learn more about the partnership of BTS and UNICEF, please go to Love-myself. org 🌜🦎
Credit/Sources: Kenyabuzz
Baidou RM Bar
In case you were wondering, hate directed at BTS has been around as long as they have. From before their debut they've been criticized for their concept, their talents, their looks, their personalities, you name it. Usually this is from outside the fandom, but not always. One of the worst examples is about our J-Hope. In late November 2014, there were several anti member hashtags circulating online. Unfortunately, one started trending... Kickoutjhopebts. This was after they'd been noticed as rookies of the year and were doing alright for themselves. Our Hobi had been practicing late, apparently, and tweeted this "Late at night when everyone is asleep, this is J-Hope. I was monitoring myself and practicing my dance for the first time in a while, and I'm feeling a lot of things.. I'm really lacking still... I feel like I should work harder , so I'm tweeting a fighting tweet. Fighting, Hope!"
Now if this doesn't break your heart...
Jin and RM were also receiving hate hashtags at the time, and RM responded to J-Hope by tweeting "Let's have strength - RM". Then Jimin tweeted a post of himself spelling out JHOPE with his body. He wrote, " I'm posting a hope tweet for the Hope-hyung that I love that's become exhausted with practice early in the morning!
Have strength, hyung-nim! Let's have strength, Bangtan kekeke". Jin joined the exchanges by tweeting, "Give me strength too, since I'm the oldest hyung ??".
As you can see they gained strength from each other. Hoseok told us that he'd left the group, pre-debut. But he came back because he had such faith in the other 6 guys. Together they can do anything, especially with our J-Hope in the middle. He is Bangtan's rock, our amazing choreo leader, rapper, vocalist, award -winning dancer, and mood maker. He always references his family; mother, father, sister... and his puppy, as his most precious things, but we know his 6 brothers are included in that, too.
Don't worry about that horrible time now, but know that our Hoseok can overcome many things because of the strong, wonderful man he is. Despite the many fears he professes, he's balanced by the love around him. His family, and that includes us by extension, will always have his back and he knows it. The responding hashtag ARMY used back then was #JHopeYourePerfect. And that's still true today.
Side note: let's try not to join in on these hate tags, ARMY, for anyone. Whether it's another group, member, person... it's destructive. No matter the reason or circumstances. And we've seen the results of too much pressure on other idols in the past. 💜💜
Credit to Allkpop, Nov 29, 2014 for BTS tweet info
Pic credit/sources: eternal diamond, MBC1 Under Nineteen, HOPIED
We all know that Suga is an amazing rapper, lyricist and producer. He has often put his most sincere feelings and thoughts in his music. Although he is an amazing artist and performer, many still don't acknowledge him for being anything more than an idol. And that's a title that still comes with a lot of prejudice in South Korea. From being called talentless, assumptions about his sexuality, all the way to being blatantly called crazy, Suga has faced it all.
Suga says he started writing music at around 13 yrs old. By 17 he was working at a record studio part-time. He learned to compose and arrange music, while rapping in underground performance spaces. He's told us, in words and through lyrics, that he's battled depression and mental issues for many years. He's said that he had experienced anxiety about performing to the point where he hid in a bathroom stall. His music, both solo and through BTS, have related his struggles. He's been so brave to talk about this in a country that frowns on mental health discussions. He's shared his highs and lows, while bringing a spotlight to this problem in his country. For many, he's voiced what they couldn't bring themselves to say.
Yet there are people who still find reasons to hate him. But what has Suga done about it? He takes it all, using it as energy. Then he puts it through a filter, makes it into lyrics and transforms it into music. And success! If only Suga had a dollar for every time someone sent hate his way. Oh, wait...
We recommend listening to his solo mixtape, Agust D, if you've somehow missed out. And if you want further proof of how well he handles his haters, we'd recommend DDAENG.
Credit/Sources: SUGA CRUSH, KBS1, OMG - OH MY SUGA, FU** THAT
We'll start this week with our mathyung (oldest brother) Jin. He's been a terrific example for BTS and for all of us, so no better place to begin. It's hard to believe that anyone would want to hate our good-looking, funny, lovable Kim Seokjin, but it has happened. So let's talk about that.
We know that Jin was recruited off the street by a BigHit rep because he was handsome, as many idols are. But his focus in life, to that point, had been acting. With no background in dance or singing, he had a huge learning curve, compared to some of our members. Nonetheless, when Bangtan debuted as a performance based hip hop group in 2013, he came under fire in several ways. It's obvious to anyone that his incredible hard work has brought him to the level of superstar. But even at debut, he could dance rings around 99% of us. And that was due to his hours of practice and his dedication to the vision of BTS they all shared.
There was also the issue of his given position of "Visual" in the group. That does often mean, in the world of kpop, that this member has no skills so they're being included as the handsome one. But Jin was just new to the game, not without ability. So with no "hip hop swag" he was asked to be the cool, quiet, alluring member. Now if you know our Jin, you know this isn't exactly his true personality. He's gotten hate for his position, skills and personality, all the same.
So how does this all relate? Well, needless to say, all of the members have experienced hate for one reason or another. But we'd like to focus on how they've handled it and, in some cases, turned it around. With Jin, his incredible hard work means not only have his skills advanced to a level to be proud of, he's doing solo songs while playing the piano! He learned the guitar well enough to play during concerts while the vocal line sings! He's brought stadiums to tears with his singing. And his dancing has always improved, while competently keeping up with BTS' choreography needs. He's achieved so much that there's no reason anyone should want to speak negatively of his contributions to BTS.
As the visual position suggests, Kim Seokjin is one handsome man! But rather than using that to avoid developing himself in the group, he's done the opposite. Jin is the first to say he's World-Wide Handsome and throw a hand kiss to fans in a self-aware, half-joking way. He knows his looks may call attention to himself, but he'd prefer you know he is a funny guy. And he'll tell you some silly dad jokes to prove it. He's the first member to approach strangers and make them feel comfortable. His list of idol friends from other groups is long. And he helps his brothers feel comfortable when they're in new situations by cracking jokes and keeping the atmosphere light. This is the real value of allowing Jin to be himself. Anyone thinking he can be hated for conceit has no idea who Jin is.
Lastly, it may be that Jin, himself, has thought he was the "weakest link member". But he's never been that, in any way. He's openly supportive of all the members, but we know Namjoon has said he feels better just knowing Jin is with him. Jungkook wouldn't have had to come to Seoul if Jin weren't there to raise. Jimin has learned how to take things less seriously because of Jin's influence. Suga may not have made it with a different roommate all those years. Jin's example of self confidence may help Hobi when his fears threaten to overwhelm him. Or they can cower together from ghosts. And Tae could use him as the shining example of a big brother that he is. His strengths are things for them all to aspire to and his care for the members has been invaluable.
Hopefully we can all look at our Kim Seokjin and recognize not only what a great part of BTS he is, but what a great person he is. He's learned and grown into an amazing man before our eyes. And we should all be thankful he lets us see into his journey. Look no further for a good example of how to overcome negativity with a beautiful outlook. Per Amino: BigHit's email: bighit@ibighit.com Protect@bighitcorp.com
Pics credit/Sources: Dandelion, Radiant, SBS' Law of the Jungle, Bangtan Bomb on YouTube
We've got this!!
Sharing Time
Once upon a time...
We've all heard that magical line. It usually started a fairy tale. It would take us to a wonderful place in a fantasy world.
Stories, we still love them.
Let's imagine we are entering the Magic Shop. We don't really know what we will find. We've never been here before. It's all so very exciting and new. We have entered the world of BTS. This is the beginning of ARMY'S story..........your story. A love story for sure.
We want to hear your story. Don't be shy. Every one's relationship with BTS is a story to be told. Some fell in love with the first song. Some fell in love with the first video. With some, it just took awhile. But, eventually love was inevitable.
This is my story. My journey with BTS was gradual. I didn't know I was going to land down the rabbit hole. I just thought I was listening to new music. It started back in 2011. My very sweet Granddaughter started asking, "Can I listen to KPop?" Me: "HUH?... What's that? (yes, I'm a noona ARMY) She wasn't into BTS, at first, because she thought they were too young. ( She's the same age as V and Jimin) By the time they debuted, we had been listening to KPop for awhile. We traveled from Arkansas to NYC to attend a KCon. BTS was there but she missed the fan meeting. (Something she regrets to this day) I was still, just along for the ride. I didn't really know much about them at this time. ( OK, I now, regret not seeing them too😟) BTS was still very new. My daughter and Granddaughter were both becoming fans. Me? I started listening closer to their music, watching some music videos. Yes, they were very cute. I couldn't tell them apart. Seven members in one group!?..... Isn't that a lot? WOW!! Could they dance!!
Fast forward to 2018, we all have traveled to Chicago to see them in concert. Me, just going for the fun of the trip. By now, I know their names. I have a favorite member; well, maybe two.
I am playing their music on my Alexia speaker. ( Alexia is learning about BTS too😅😂🤣)
When my Granddaughter gets to go to a soundcheck, I'm kinda jealous. I vow that the next time they come to the states I'm going to see them. I can now identify each member by their smiles or eyes. I'm falling HARD. I LOVE IDOL!!! OMG, can I really be in love with seven young men from South Korea?
I will admit that I'm obsessed. I'm living in the rabbit hole of BTS and very, very happy. They make me happy, their music, their beautiful souls,their love for ARMY.
BTS, how do I love thee?
Let me count the ways. (Well, there are too many)
I'll have to leave those for another day 💜
PS.
Oh yes, I saw them four times of the six concerts, in the USA, this year. Still wanting more.......
Please, share with us your story, we're listening... 🌜🦎
To send us your story, just email us at bts.armyxyou@outlook.com or message us here and we'll post it, with your permission.
Photo credit: dispatch
Guess what? We have some fun facts (we think) that we'd like to share with you, occasionally, A.R.M.Y.! The first is going back to our roots, a little bit. And it's about the name Bangtan Sonyeondan. That's 방탄소년단 in Korean. The name translates roughly to Bulletproof BoyScouts, which is why they were called the bulletproof boys, too.
JHope is in charge of explaining the name, and he's got it down cold, now. He says: "The meaning of Bangtan is to guard against something. So [our name] means that we boldly defend our music and our value/worth." Great, huh?! In the summer of 2017, BigHit released a statement saying that they were extending BTS's name to include Beyond The Scene. Since they were moving forward, and chasing their dreams instead of settling for reality. It holds the meaning of protecting youths from prejudice.
Since they are bulletproof, they originally used the image of a bulletproof vest as their logo. They changed to the current one along with expanding the name, in 2017.
Now you know! ❄👑
Let's Learn About BTS
One thing we love about being BTS fans is the fandom they've created, A.R.M.Y. We're happily part of that fandom and want to share our experiences with you. In that spirit, we would like to share some YouTube videos that we've enjoyed.
The first one gives you an idea how well our guys are being received at home now, and it's called "WHAT DO KOREANS THINK OF BTS? (2019)" by KOREA NOW. ❄👸
All ya playa haters, you should love yo self!
Hey Army! We noticed there was a disturbance in the force this weekend, and you made some fantastic responses to it. Great job!
BTS's success has led to other people's success, including previously unknown (relatively) YouTubers and web article writers. There will, unfortunately, be more instances of people using Bangtan for their own gain. I don't even think the boys would mind others getting a leg up, with them. But some people can only be envious, never appreciative. So it was wonderful to see the response from Armys all over the world, this weekend!
Surely, we were angry after certain things were said. Who wouldn't be? But to see our fandom come together in a positive way was inspiring. The #cypherparty on Twitter" and the streaming parties to raise the cyphers in the charts were brilliant ideas. And we're here for it, Armys! 👏👏 One of the truly incredible and unique things about BTS is their positive message and approach to everything. So it's amazing when that translates to fandom and our behaviours, too. Keeping in mind how they'd want to see us is probably a good idea whenever dealing with fandom issues. Thinking of constructive ways to express our unhappiness is near Namjoon-level genius. Rather than just sending hate comments, it may be as satisfying to politely request apologies. Sometimes, there are extremes and we may choose to report the problem. There are always ways to do that on any platform, correctly. Or, if you think it's warranted, to BigHit directly. Even kindly write to employers and let them know of our displeasure. There've also been outreaches, in the past, to help educate some people who couldn't understand BTS.
What kind of responses did you like? Any examples you want to share? Any ideas you have for the future? Let us know! We're happy to share ideas. Overall, it was really fabulous to see the anger and hurt turned into fun and fruitful action. We noticed, Army! You nice, Keep going! ❄️👸🏼
