The fans of BTS, known as ARMY, had a collective breakdown since June 13, which reverberated all over the world.
What would have been a joyous occasion marking the ninth anniversary of the internationally-famous South Korean group BTS turned into shock and disbelief, followed by woeful cries from fans, as the seven-member group announced they were going to focus on individual projects, and go into hiatus as a band, or so the English translations made the fandom believe.
The word ‘hiatus’ was like a knife that was thrust into every heart of the 40-million strong fandom. ‘Hiatus’ meant no more appearances and performances as a group, and more significantly, no world tour which ARMYs all over the world hungrily await for.
Describing the demand for BTS in the worldwide arena as “hungry” is by no means an accident. BTS is so insanely famous that their most recent three-day concert run, their first in their home country in two and a half years, reached 2.46 million fans worldwide, and grossed over US$90 million in ticket sales.
Selling out stadiums in the US and Europe with seating capacity of 50,000 or more have become a walk in the park. Tickets usually sell-out in less than three hours. The struggle to get one has been described as literally, The Hunger Games.
BTS’s Love Yourself World Tour in 2019 averaged US$5.8 million, and 48,814 tickets per show. The tour’s revenue grossed US$115,749,851, with total attendance topping out at 976,283 tickets.
As of March 2022, the net worth of BTS is US$ 3.6 billion, with an annual income of US $60 million.
Their impact on South Korea’s economy is estimated at US $4.9 billion annually. The members’ individual worth is estimated to be between US$20 to $30 million.
Earlier this month, BTS members visited the White House to discuss with President Biden the burgeoning hate crimes against Asians in America.
All these tell of one thing alone. They have reached the top of the world. They couldn’t get any higher than that.
So why the hiatus? Why stop now?
It turned out to be a comedy of errors, so to speak. There was a misuse of the term ‘hiatus’ in the English translation. That was the culprit that shook the entire fandom.
No, they hurriedly assured the fans, there isn’t going to be a hiatus, and definitely no disbandment, as most ARMYs feared. They would still perform as a group but this time, they would like to focus more on their individual careers and interests. I could almost hear the collective sigh of relief.
But this incident revealed something else which caused every ARMY more pain. The members confessed, in not so many words, that they are no longer happy despite the worldwide adulation that they receive.
They tried so many times to tell ARMYs about this through their songs and their lyrics, but I guess, nobody really wanted to hear that.
Almost everyone wanted to go on with the fantasy that they were still those hungry-eyed little boys from nine years ago, who would practice their dance routines for 18 hours straight per day, eagerly awaiting what comes next as they built their dreams on pure blood, sweat, and tears.
So many among us didn’t want to accept the reality that they have grown up, and that they are tired, and that their fame no longer sent shivers down their spine.
More importantly, having reached the pinnacle of their career as a group, each one of them is ready to grow as an individual artist this time around.
They spoke to us, their fans, and loudly at that, through their songs. Black Swan immediately comes to mind. In that song, they quoted American dancer Martha Graham who said, “A dancer dies twice – once when they stop dancing, and this first death is the more painful.”
These were the lyrics which the members wrote in that song:
“[Verse 1: SUGA]
Ayy, the heart no longer races
When the music starts to play
Tryna’ pull up
Seems like time has stopped
Oh that would be my first death
[Verse 2: RM]
If this can no longer resonate
No longer make my heart vibrate
Then like this may be how
I die my first death
But what if that moment’s right now
Right now.
[Pre-Chorus: V, Jimin]
Heartbeat pulsing slow in my ears
Bump, bump, bump
Trying to escape with no avail
Jump, jump, jump
No song affects me anymore
Crying out a silent cry.”
I knew right away they have lost their passion for their art. The fire which drove them when they first started had gotten dimmer through the years.
Furthermore, they tried to tell us through the Black Swan Art Film how caged they felt, and how they longed to escape, and live freely just like everyone else.
Despite their massive wealth, they could no longer enjoy eating street food without being mobbed. Indeed, they live in a gilded cage from which they saw no escape.
Seven young boys started with a dream. And they saw that dream come true. But it turned into something much bigger than they ever imagined. Was that what they thought they wanted? A member asked in one of their songs, what if the realization of that dream that we dreamed of isn’t exactly what we dreamt it to be?
Their success demanded too high a price from each one of them, taking away their independence and their freedom, and this includes something as mundane as dating a girl openly and unreservedly, and living an ordinary life just like everyone else. Behind their bright smiles, they suffered quietly.
As for the fans, the dilemma is equally heartbreaking. It’s like a vicious cycle where one’s love and adulation is hurting somebody else. Seeing that pain causes unbearable pain on one’s self as well. To make them happy, one has to let go, but that in itself is a whole new world of pain.
This brings me to the end of this article with my inevitable conclusion that, at the end of the day, happiness and contentment is not about money or fame, but about the little things that so many of us take for granted.
And for ARMYs like myself, it’s like letting go of a beloved child, where amid tears, you want to watch them soar to new heights of their own choosing.
Non-ARMYs will never understand the culture within this fandom. Suffice it to say that it is not only about the idol and the fan, it’s like a planet-wide family where love and support is the language that everyone speaks.
I guess that a point must come where this love is subjected to the harshest test, where letting go is the standard, because only by freeing them from that love can one say that one has truly loved them with a love that knows no bounds.
But is ARMY ready?
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Author’s email: olgaluciauy@yahoo.com
