So you just discovered BTS

Each fan of each band has, in some unspecified time in the future, been there. You have seen them carry out on the Grammys, prepare with James Corden, take over Grand Central or hang around with Joe Biden. You heard Butter on the radio, and also you have been like, “Hey, that is catchy.” You are intrigued — you want their music and so they appear to be good guys. You might be able to be a fan. So what is the subsequent step? How do you get in The group?

I’ve excellent news for you: Military (the identify of BTS followers) is a welcoming group. The prospect of becoming a member of a longtime fandom can typically be daunting – however typically, we right here at Military-land are very, very used to being inundated with curious new followers after each massive award present, hit single or different occasion that occurs. places BTS everywhere in the headlines. Come and calm down. We’re glad to welcome you.

To place one other fear apart: No, you are not too late. You’ll have heard that BTS broke up – the time period “hiatus” was thrown round by some and contradicted by others (together with Hybe, BTS’ label mother or father firm) as a mistranslation. The present circumstance is that the group continues to be performing collectively, however the members are additionally focusing extra on their solo work than they’ve prior to now. (In different phrases, we’re not at present in a One Route state of affairs.) Members are nonetheless lively as artists, songs, and movies are nonetheless being created, and there stays an in depth library of content material and traditions, relationship again to the band’s debut in 2013. , it is as much as you to discover.

A be aware of stewardship: I assume on this article that you’ve got already heard the music of BTS. Alternatively, there are all types of on-line assets breaking down the band’s discography which I encourage you to take a look at – this text is for individuals who have had a style of the music earlier than but additionally wish to join with the band in different methods.

BTS members

By listening to BTS songs and interesting with their huge array of reveals, movies, and different content material, you’ll naturally develop an concept of ​​who every member is. However I believe it helps to know, at a minimal, everybody’s identify and nicknames earlier than you dive.

Alright, here is an image of BTS.

Photograph by Nathan Posner/Anadolu Company by way of Getty Pictures

From the left we’ve got:

• V/Kim Taehyung/김태형 – Singer with an angelic baritone voice and document variety of Instagram followers. At present in a actuality present on Disney Plus with a close-knit group of buddies that features Parasite star Choi Woo-shik.
• Jungkook/Jeon Jungkook/전정국 – Vocalist and youngest member. You may hear him name ‘JK’ and ‘Kookie’ – he additionally makes brief movies underneath the identify ‘Golden Closet’. Has a behavior of doing hour-long stay streams the place he retains insisting he is about to go to mattress after which not, and we love him for it. Was lately described as “Wait, I swear I’ve seen this man in a membership earlier than” by a non-military good friend who was rewatching the Grammys with me.
• Jimin/Park Jimin/박지민 – Singer, nicknamed “Mochi”. Realized Lie, an absolute banger who lives rent-free in my head. The one BTS member my mother and father have heard of.
• RM/Kim Namjoon/김남준 – Rapper and chief of the group, additionally notable as an artwork collector. Well-known turned fluent in English by watching Buddies time and again. Lately described as “the one I might have a beer with” by my 35 yr previous good friend.
• Jin/Kim Seokjin/김석진 – Singer, oldest member and frequent purveyor of father jokes. Also known as “Worldwide Good-looking”, he tends to go viral when he makes public appearances. A good friend of mine insists she took a category with him in school, however I am nonetheless ready for proof.
• J Hope/Jung Hoseok/정호석 – Rapper and lead dancer, recognized for looking at different members after they make errors on stage and for his energetic, contagious chortle. Lately titled Lollapalooza. You’ll hear individuals name it “Hobi”.
• Suga/Min Yoongi/민윤기 – Completed rapper and producer. You may principally hear him go by the identify Suga, however he is accomplished some (nice) solo work as “Agust D.” Lately collaborated with Psy on the extremely catchy track that.

(To any ARMY studying this: I am oversimplifying. They’re very advanced people with many sides and large careers – that is nothing greater than a really, very transient introduction to the members we all know and love. )

Okay, now that you’ve got the names, here is the place you will discover everybody on social media.

BTS Social Media

You will see that numerous verified BTS accounts in the event you seek for the group on Twitter. There are two that I like to recommend new followers try. BTS_bighit is the band’s official account, managed by their label (I suppose). Right here you will note all of the totally different bulletins of the group’s tasks. BTS_twt is the place members tweet – you will see selfies, jokes, birthday messages and comparable fare. All seven tweets from this one account, however they normally put their identify on their tweets. If they do not, it is normally not too onerous to inform who the tweet is from.

If you cannot learn Korean, there are a variety of Twitter accounts that translate all BTS messages into English. I like to recommend new followers to observe and observe a number of of them – Here is something good those.

On Instagram, members have their very own accounts with distinct vibes. RM posts lots of inventive stuff, J-Hope has a mixture of private content material and promotions of his work, V is extra on the edgy facet with the occasional thirst entice, Jin has been into tennis content material currently, Suga posts lots of selfies, Jimin appears to be dwelling his finest life in varied locations, and Jungkook principally hides however typically pops up for lengthy Q&As. (Once more, I am oversimplifying.) There’s additionally an official Instagram group, which I discover principally helpful for maintaining with new To run! BTS the discharge of episodes (extra on that beneath).

However the perfect place to start out in the event you actually wish to get to know members is Weverse. Weverse is a social community developed by Hybe that caters particularly to musicians and followers. It is constructed very similar to Fb – artists can put up textual content, photographs, movies and different media together, and there is an ephemeral stories-like characteristic as effectively.

In my expertise, members are a bit of extra private and fewer organized on WeVerse than on Instagram (and so they have more room to precise themselves than Twitter offers them). It is also the one place you are doubtless to have the ability to work together with them — they commonly reply to fan feedback on this platform.

Photograph by VALERIE MACON/AFP by way of Getty Pictures

BTS TV Exhibits

BTS has an entire bunch of video content material, which is one other nice technique to get to know the members. The quantity will be formidable to a brand new fan, so I am going to attempt to advocate some good locations to start out (however these are simply my opinions – different followers might very fairly disagree, we’re all doing our greatest right here, and so on. .).

Personally, I like to recommend new followers to start out with Run BTS. This present is obtainable on VLive, however you may also discover most episodes on YouTube. It is one of many dumbest reveals BTS has accomplished, however that is why I believe it is such a fantastic introduction to how entertaining and likable these seven individuals actually are.

The premise of the present is that the members compete in a wide range of video games, a few of which you have heard of earlier than (mafia video games, escape rooms, tennis tournaments) and a few of that are simply nonsense ( there was an episode during which the producers hid taking part in playing cards throughout a Obligation Free, BTS went by means of the Obligation Free to seek out the playing cards, and the member who ended up with essentially the most playing cards gained a check- reward for Obligation Free. my favourite episodes).

Not solely is the present nice enjoyable (BTS takes even essentially the most ridiculous challenges very severely), however watching every member compete, strategize, trick, gloat, rage, endure, and throw in their very own distinctive means provides you with a fantastic introduction. who all of them are, their strengths, their relationships with one another and their mind-set.

One other good first choice, if that does not sound such as you, is BTS within the soop. This can be a extra relaxed actuality present that follows the band on two distant holidays. You watch them hike, learn, swim, work out, paint, fish, prepare dinner, jog, fly kites, race distant management boats, set off fireworks, apply guitar, carve wooden, play Avalon, and all the things else individuals do on trip. It is a good way to see BTS stay like individuals with out the glitz and glam – whereas the members are clearly conscious that they are making a present, it actually appears like watching them hang around (and members have mentioned they felt the identical throughout filming).

There are a variety of different reveals and flicks you possibly can try, particularly if you’re eager about BTS’s historical past and profession. These embrace (however are usually not restricted to):

• have a pleasant journey – a actuality present that follows BTS on varied worldwide journeys of their free time
• Burn the stage – a docu-series on BTS’s 2017 Wings Spherical
• convey the soul – a docuseries about BTS’s 2018-2019 Love Your self World Tour
• break the silence – a sequel to convey the soulpersevering with to observe the Love Your self World Tour
• rookie king – a spread present created in 2013, BTS’ first yr, the place the members parody totally different TV codecs
• BTS Gayo – a spread present much like To run! BTS during which the group does varied Okay-pop associated actions

After which there’s every kind of content material on BTS’s official YouTube channel, BangtanTV, together with Vlogs, choreography practices, stay efficiency recordings, interviews, covers and behind-the-scenes footage from main shoots. and occasions. Should you simply wish to see the members chill and chat, you possibly can watch hours and hours of previous stay streams within the VLive app. I believe you will get a bit of extra out of it as you get to know the members and their work – however be happy to look at them everytime you need. You’re the boss!

There are numerous methods to attach with this group, and the packages described on this article are simply the tip of the iceberg, however I hope they’re a helpful start line for anybody who needs to be taught extra. Good luck. I hope these artists convey you a similar pleasure they’ve dropped at so many different individuals world wide over the previous 9 years.