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Love them or hate them, it cannot be denied that BTS’ ARMY of fans are everywhere. With million-dollar donations being matched in a mere 24 hours, stadiums sold out in a matter of minutes and the constant trending of anything BTS related on Twitter; it poses the question: what is it really like to be a part of ARMY?
Personally, I have been a fan of the group since early 2016 - just as The Most Beautiful Moment in Life era was coming to a close. At the time I was struggling with my mental and physical health, and it was proving more and more difficult to find energy and motivation due to complete and utter exhaustion. But then, I found BTS. Or rather, BTS found me.
I was born with Amniotic Band Syndrome and diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis at 11. The combination of two, somewhat rare, conditions, both affecting my hands, has resulted in a diminished sense of self; a severe lack of confidence that has caused me to hide my hands. Through BTS and their music, however, I’ve come to learn to love these aspects of myself. Their ‘Love Yourself, Speak Yourself’ UNICEF campaign filled me with so much love and appreciation for their messages that I got it tattooed on the arm of my most affected hand, hoping that I would instead associate this powerful message of hope with what I had previously deemed a flaw. And it’s helped. Being an ARMY has taught me to love and appreciate myself for what and who I am.
Perhaps the timing of finding BTS has a lot to do with what it means to be an ARMY. As I said, I was struggling with my mental and physical health alongside studying for my A-Levels, an extremely stressful time for most students. BTS’ The Most Beautiful Moment in Life era contains 23 songs that express happiness, contentment, excitement, sadness, anger, fear, and anxiety, amongst other emotions; with the overarching message that these are the very feelings that contribute to a beautiful life. Difficult, yes. But surviving and achieving our dreams, regardless of how small or large, is the ultimate reward.
Therefore, knowing this message behind the music and seeing just how dedicated, motivated and persistent each of the members is in pursuing their dreams pushed me harder. It made me want to work harder, for myself.
There is no doubt that music is a powerful means of communication, regardless of language, and it can be argued that this is one of the main components of the success of BTS amongst fans. From their debut, BTS’ lyrics have contained social commentary on the societal expectations of young people; providing comfort, support and understanding amidst their harmonious voices, addictive melodies and immersive storylines between music video concepts.
Physically, being an ARMY is counting down the days until the next album release and waiting up to watch new music videos as soon as they drop - time is, for the most part, irrelevant when you’re a fan. It’s the childhood excitement of Christmas or a birthday when they release new music. What’s fascinating is that, for the first time, people from all around the world are basing aspects of their schedule according to Korean Standard Time and not Pacific or Central Standard Time. Being an ARMY is hoping that BTS will add your city to the tour list and, if not, hoping there’s one close by that you can travel to.
Obviously, BTS are not able to attend every single city in the world, which means that being an ARMY also means getting to travel and meet new people from around the globe. It also means that a lot of payday savings have been spent on tickets, flights, hotels and merch. I have been lucky enough to attend three BTS concerts so far, all in London, and nothing will beat the ‘BTS bubble’ that comes along with being surrounded by fellow ARMY.
I look back at past concert videos feeling the exact same emotions felt at the time: awe, excitement, and complete and utter happiness. It’s difficult to put into words what hearing arenas and stadiums full of people singing about loving themselves can do to you.
Despite the misconception that ARMY is screaming fans who spend their free time scrolling through social media and streaming music, BTS’ large following is a highly organised ‘ecosystem’ that works hard to support the group, each other and a host of social causes. With Twitter accounts dedicated to translating BTS’ content into any language, organising meet-ups in their city (pre-COVID, of course), paying for advertisements and running a range of successful media campaigns, is there any wonder that the dedication behind ARMY is practically feared by those outside of it?
In June 2020, BTS donated $1 million to the Black Lives Matter movement in the U.S. and, in a mere 24 hours, ARMY crowdfunded to match that under the hashtag #MatchAMillion. It’s rare to find a fandom that is as influential as the artist they look up to.
In a world that maintains such strong criticisms of young people, seven individuals from South Korea have inspired millions to work hard for their dreams. They’ve brought attention to the stresses of young people in a way that allows those affected to feel understood. Their passion for creating a positive, safe space has been reflected by their fans as ARMY support one another using their own qualifications. It has become evident that, through their music, BTS has inadvertently created a community of like-minded individuals who come from an array of backgrounds and professions.
It’s been just over 5 years of being a part of ARMY and I remain in continuous admiration of the talent, dedication and impact of both BTS and fans. With BTS’ music transcending boundaries, those willing to truly listen are offered a full spectrum of emotions that instil hope. Honestly, BTS helped me to regain life before facing the stresses of young adulthood; they’ve provided me with a home away from home. That is what it’s really like to be a part of ARMY.