[Source: Author, Sungmin Stella Kim]
These days, it is rare to find someone who doesn’t know who BTS is. BTS is a seven member Korean boy group who have been dominating the world with their popularity over the past few years. The group consists of leader RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, and their fanbase is called ‘ARMY,’ which stands for “Adorable Representative MC for Youth.”
They have went on many tours like Wings, Love Yourself, and now they are currently on a new world tour called Love Yourself: Speak Yourself, which was held on May 4th and May 5th at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena. Their latest album ‘Map of the Soul: Persona’ was recently released on April 12, 2019.
The competition to get tickets to a BTS concert is insane, because I myself have experienced the whole chaotic process. For this concert, my friend was very lucky enough to get good seats for us to the Speak Yourself concert and even soundcheck, in which a specific number of people are selected to watch BTS’s rehearsal before the actual concert (unfortunately, pictures or videos during soundcheck are not allowed). Soundcheck started around 4pm and the actual concert started at 730 pm.
When we arrived at the venue, long lines of devoted ARMYs were already there to line up for soundcheck and merchandise, and it was only around 10 am. The dedicated and committed fans came so early to receive a wristband with a number on it which would give them the privilege to watch the rehearsal.
[Source: Author, Sungmin Stella Kim]
At the beginning of the concert, everyone went wild and broke into loud screams to welcome the opening stage of BTS. The audience ranged from elders to adults and teens of all different ages, including people from all different cultural backgrounds. Throughout the entire 3 hours of the concert, army bombs, the official BTS lightsticks, lit up the stadium and created a beautiful scene with colors of the rainbow. As the concert came close to an end, each of the members expressed their love and appreciation for the fans. The concert ended at approximately 1030 pm.
When asked about how her second BTS concert experience was, my friend Julianne Nguyen who miraculously bought 6 floor seats excitedly replied, “It was so incredible, I thought of it as the peak of my life. I never thought this would have happened to me and I’m really happy that I got to see them with my friends. I really hope to see them again soon.”
More than 50,000 people attended the Speak Yourself concert on the first day and this shows how large BTS’s influence is globally, and among diverse groups of people.
Sungmin Stella Kim, Grade 10
Northwood High School
