This story is dedicated to a group of people that makes me fall in love again and again. Yes, it is BTS (방탄소년단).
So, how did it all begin?
So it was on May 2016, I was watching Running Man episode 300. A Monday rtual of mine since 2012. That episode had a bunch of guests, including this boyband called BTS. I knew that their leader, RM, had appeared on the show before with Super Junior Kyuhyun, somewhere in 2015. All I know that he was very smart, with an IQ 180. So back with Running Man episode 300. They didn't leave a big impression to me, I thought that they were just another boyband. But two things did stivk in my head: the names, Jin and Jungkook. Why? Because Running already had Seokjin (the oldest member) and Jongkook (my favorite). I even joked to mysef that this boyband was just borrowing names from Running Man. That was my takeaway. 😂
A few episodes later, the Running Man members were still teasing about Seokjin was getting closer to Jin. Ok, I got curious again, but that was it. So, for the next years, BTS was just "that boyband with familiar names." At least for me.
Then in May 2018, I saw Backstreet Boys posted a photo with BTS. They met at the American Music Awards (AMA), where BSB performed Don't Go Breaking My Heart while BTS performed Fake Love. I watched both performing that day, and honestly? BTS was mesmerizing!
Then things got messy. On Twitter, some BTS ARMY started attacking BSB fans because we also used the term AMY for BSB fans. They said ARMY belongs to BTS fans only. EXCUSE ME? I believe some of them weren't even born when BSB debuted. I was furious. I swore I'd never become one of them. 🙄
https://twitter.com/backstreetboys/status/997966339141586949?s=20 |
But life had other plans. In 2019, BSB and BTS met again at the Grammys. I tuned in for BSB only. But ended up seeing BTS presented Best R&B Album. I saw them on stage. RM spoke. Hey, his enlish was good, I thought. I was curious at that time and started to search about them on YouTube. Yeah, my source of information is YouTube. LOL. I saw their video performances, variety shows, and their speech on UN. The last thing made me fall in to deep. RM's speech that time was very very inspiring. I wasn't a fan but I don't know why I was really proud of him.
No matter who you are, where you're from, your skin color, your gender identity, just speak yourself. Find your name and find your voice by speaking yourself." - Kim Namjoon
A few months later, BTS were mentioned again on Running Man. This time, the members need to dance one of the BTS's song: Idol. The dance looked so hard. So I got curious and looked up for Idol on Youtube. Amd that was it. I just couldn't stop. Idol. Fire. Spring Day. Mikrokosmos. Their songs was suddenly on top my playlist.
I just couldn't stop myself watch their random clips on YouTube. Then one night Youtube recommended Dionysus. That was my official point of no return. Their performance. The energy. The artistry. I was DONE.
Then, I stumbled upon an episode of Run BTS. The universe must have known exactly how to make me fall hard for them. From one episode to the next, these guys captured my heart with their chaotic personalities, genuine humor, and the way they support each other. They weren’t just idols anymore; they felt like people I wanted to root for.
My bias? LOL. Do you know how I picked Nick as my favorite? Well, it was because he seemed around my age. And that’s pretty much how I picked my BTS bias too. I looked up their birth years, and Jin, being the oldest, instantly became my bias. Yeah, just like that. 😂
It might have been the right decision. The more I watched Run BTS, BTS Episodes, and also Bon Voyage, the more I fell for this boy. His laugh, the way he talks, his little quirks… I just love everything about him.
Then the pandemic came. BTS content filled my days like I was making up for all the time I hadn’t spent with them before. Suddenly, their music, videos, and shows were everywhere in my daily life, bringing comfort and joy when the world felt uncertain. I even watched their online concert. I was falling so hard. Really.
And just like how I collected Backstreet Boys merch back in the day, I wanted to do the same with BTS. I started buying their albums and merch. As per now, I almost done collecting their albums. Just a few old albums left. Call me crazy, and yeah, maybe I am. (Edit in 2025. I’ve learned to contain myself now. Just buying an album, not the whole set. And only merch you can actually wear, not those ridiculous things you can’t even use.)
So yeah, And so, I entered the Magic Shop door and never returns. BTS came into my life unexpectedly. Like it was finally time for a new group to steal my heart. Maybe because they’re the first K-pop group I’ve truly stanned this hard, I became fascinated by everything. I fell in love with their stage performances. The energy, the synchronization, the passion. I adore their concepts; the team behind them must be geniuses. And the choreography? I still can’t get over how seven people can move in perfect harmony while still showing their unique styles.
But what struck me the most was how loved I felt as a fan. I’ve never experienced this before, but with BTS, I could actually feel their love in return. For the first time in all my years of fangirling, my feelings didn’t feel one-sided.
Someday, who knows, I might be waving my own amibam in a sea of purple lights, screaming my lungs out while pretending I still have vocal cords. Just one tiny light among thousands, but hey, finally part of the purple ocean! Whether I ever get there or not, BTS already did their magic. They stole my heart, wrecked my bias list (more than once!), and made me feel seen. Not bad for a group I once thought was just another boyband. 😆
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추운 겨울 끝을 지나 (After the cold winter ends) 다시 봄날이 올 때까지 (Until spring comes again) 꽃 피울 때까지 (Until it blooms) 그곳에 좀 더 머물러줘, 머물러줘 (Stay there a little longer, stay there a little longer) [Spring Day - BTS]