#bts unicef korea

[aricastmblr]

Desde hace 2 años tienen grabación para army membresia y de unicef

1er foto

BTS (방탄소년단) 2024 ARMY MEMBERSHIP Renewal Message

bts_bighit X 4 jul.2024

[공지] BTS GLOBAL OFFICIAL FANCLUB ARMY MEMBERSHIP Renewal 상세 안내 (+ENG/JPN/CHN)

(https://x.com/bts_bighit/status/1808727471392706865)

bts_bighit X 4 jul.2024

#BTS 2024 ARMY MEMBERSHIP Renewal Message (https://youtu.be/vEyE2YutxYU) #ARMY_MEMBERSHIP #방탄소년단

2da foto 28nov2022

[유니세프] LOVE MYSELF 캠페인! 방탄소년단과 함께 캠페인 5주년을 축하해주세요!

BTS (방탄소년단) LOVE MYSELF Campaign 5th Anniversary Message

bts_love_myself 

BTSLoveMyself campaign celebrates its 5th anniversary! Thank you for continuing to support "LOVE MYSELF"

[kactors-kpop-kdrama]

Donation angels - BTS @ BigHit Music

[lokisasylum]

[keehomania]

U are so weird for liking Jay Park 😂 but then again ur a ARMY so I am not surprised...zionists racists sang the curry song and said nword...so much more...

u coo hoe? get ur head out of your ass with this misinformation lol antis like you are the reason i wanna put one finger in my pussy and one in my ass like a fucking bowling ball and throw myself into a ditch. hop off my meat with this jay park shit lol like i said, 90% of the industry, if not more, has said controversial shit. either they apologize and mean it or they don't and unlike jay, most of ur favs haven't apologized and decide to play dumb like they grew up on sentinel island and not a fucking first world country

as far as bts goes, i genuinely hope you're fucking around like this has to be satire. curry song? stray kids? yes. ateez? yes. gfriend? yes. bts? tell me why i looked up “bts curry song” just to make sure, and the only damn thing i found was a video of yoongi and stephen curry bffr now. calling them zionists is also insane. for what? drinking starbucks and eating mcdonalds? let's be so astronomically realistic for a second, starbucks and mcdonald's are global corporations, and their operations in south korea generally contribute to the overall profitability of the company. however, the profits from these INTERNATIONAL locations don't directly go to any funds for israel. instead, they're usually distributed among shareholders, reinvested in the company, or used for other business purposes. america = america. america ≠ rest of the fucking world? unicef has been helping palestine for more than three decades, and bts have donated 8.9 billion won (6.5 million dollars). they have also shared instagram stories of works of art done by palestinians that symbol peace and unity which i will attach below. as far as the n-word goes, namjoon used it years back, reflected, apologized, and never did it again. he has owned up to the questionable things he said when he was either a trainee, or simply young and immature, and has apologized. don't spread misinformation unless you want people to know that you live in 28205 hartland circle, 4711, charlotte, north carolina thx!!

[akookminsupporter]

“Big Hit Music has decided to donate 1 billion won to the UNICEF Korea Committee as a thank you gesture to BTS and the fandom ARMY.” 😳

[jmdbjk]

Hello dear❤ I hope that you are doing fine & can you plz do a prediction about bts's 2025 comeback? like will it be a huge success or no? will they get so many paks on kcharts? Will they top the hot 100 or no? And thank you

Hello there, @jchhzgkgznlc-blog!

"can you plz do a prediction about bts's 2025 comeback?"

Yes, absolutely.

"...will it be a huge success or no?"

Yes.

I predict they will be so radical, through the roof, through the stratosphere successful, it will reverse climate change. It will make all the trash in the ocean levitate and float up in the air and then disintigrate...disintergrate...disintegrate. It will change the color of the daytime sky to purple and it will make all who hear it think they smell freshly baked cookies no matter where they are.

A rocket launch will be incomparable. Their comeback will shake the earth. Birds will fly backwards and everyone will suddenly have the urge to donate to UNICEF.

"will they get so many paks on kcharts?"

By paks you mean perfect all-kills? or something else? Like KKBOX and Billboard Korea? Melon? Circle or Gaon Chart? I think some of those charts are in flux right now. I don't know enough about the charts in Korea.

No matter... at this point who gives a damn about k-charts? Some of those charts are owned by entertainment companies anyway. Conflict of interest. We're learning a lot about conflict of interest right now, aren't we? At least I hope we are. Separate lawyers for everything!

BTS has stepped out of the kpop box a while back and they stand on the global stage now with the likes of Taylor Swift, Ariana, Usher and Drake.

They've all told us charts and awards are not why they do what they do, however, when they do win major awards it does give them tangible evidence that the music they create is substantial and impactful. Their hard work IS being noticed. Their time is coming. Their time is yet to come? I'm digressing...

Their earth-shattering comeback will win awards and yes, all-kills of all kinds are in their future.

Nevertheless fan-voted awards are the best and they always appreciate those. They will rake in more of those. Why? Because we have a job and we're very good at it. Next.

"Will they top the hot 100 or no?"

Yes. That's a no-brainer.

Incidentally, you know if you play Life Goes On backwards on a turntable, it sounds like Benny Blanco casting a spell on Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas ... I mean... if you believe in that kind of stuff... (that was mostly a joke, people... it's humor... twisted humor but nonetheless.)

And you're welcome! My pleasure!

This image seems appropriate these days:

[94erz]

UNICEF Korea revealed Hoseok and Jimin made donations to earthquake relief in Turkey/Syria. 

Yet again organizations do the revealing of the members philanthropy work because they never say so directly. Just like with Joon and his art donations, Hoseok with his flood donation, when Hoseok, Namjoon, and Jimim gave to girls schools, or when BTS gave to BLM.

[bangtanpurplearchive]

June 2023 part 4 June 24th - June 30th

24 June Yoongi D- Day Seoul, Jamsil indoor stadium- Day 1

Twitter: Big Hit 1. 

230624 | SUGA X VOGUE JAPAN Interview 1. 2. 

230624 | Yoongi D- Day Seoul, Jamsil indoor stadium- Day 1.  1. 2. 3.

230624 |Minna Seo x Tae  1. Jang Yi-jeong/El Capitxn 1. 

230624 | UNICEF instagram reel 1. 

230624 | SimInvest x Tae 1. 

25 June Yoongi D- Day Seoul, Jamsil indoor stadium- Day 2

Twitter: Big Hit 1.  Big Hit Music 1.   Instagram: RM 1, 2. 

230625 | Yoongi D- Day Seoul, Jamsil indoor stadium- Day 2 1. 2. 3.

230625 | Domoto Tsuyoshi's Instagram 1. Ryu Jae Joon 1. Psy 1. 

230625 | Yoongi x ENDRECHERl MlX AND Y0U interview air date (filmed 230601)

26 June

 Instagram: Big Hit 1.  RM 1.

230626 |RM, Jimin & Jungkook won 4 Awards at the 2023 SEC Awards. 1. 2.

230626 | 슈취타 EP.13 TEASER 1. 

230626 | notice [공지] SUGA | Agust D TOUR ‘D-DAY’ THE FINAL 오프라인 공연 상세 안내 (+ENG/JPN/CHN) 1.

230626 | SUGA I Agust D 애옹주간달력 (D-DAY Calendar) 1. 

230626 |  Japan Fanclub BTS CORNER Wallpaper #25 JK. 

27 June

 Instagram: RM 1, 2. Tae 1.

230627 | Lim Seul Ong 1.  Danielle Kang 1. instagram Story

230627 | SUGA | Agust D D-DAY TOUR DIARY in #Seoul 1. 

28 June

 Instagram: RM 1. Tae 1, 2.

230628 | Valentino instagram story 1. 

230628 | Artists with the most loyal Fanbases of All Time #1 BTS (1). (2).

230628 | Jimin was the 2nd Biggest influencer during Paris Men's Fashion Week S/S 24 despite not being in attendance 1.

230628 | Yoongi xVogue Japan 1. 

29 June

Instagram: Big Hit 1. RM 1, 2. Yoongi 1.

230629 | SUGA X VOGUEJAPAN Special movie.

230629 | M COUNTDOWN - ‘Take Two’  2nd win 1. 

230629 | SUGA_VLOG] D-DAY TOUR in Jakarta 1. 2. 

230629 | 'Lilith (feat. SUGA of BTS) (Diablo IV Anthem)’ Photo Sketch 1. 2.

30 June JK song Seven announced

Twitter: Big Hit 1.  Instagram: RM 1, 2. Tae 1, 2.

230630 | JK song Seven announced 1. Geffen Records 1. 

230630 | JK Weverse live. 1. 

230630 | Xylitol Gum x BTS 1.

230630 |DEPARTURE V (BTS), Incheon International Airport 1. 

230630 | Yoongi x Vogue Japan 1. 

230630 | UNICEF Korea 1. 

230630 | JHOPE has  won the Best Star Award at the 3rd Korea Children's Awards 1. 2. 

[lmaoitsyuuji]

Cue the music!

Has any fandoms you’re involved in been part of any protest or acts of social activism (e.g K-pop and Black Lives Matter)?

I have the power of God and K-pop on my side!

Fandom?

A fandom is a term used to describe a subculture of fans who are immensely devoted to a particular area of entertainment, such as music groups, TV shows, movie series and more (Later c.2024). Fandoms are communities of people who share the same enthusiasm and passion towards a piece of media or pop culture. Social media platforms serve as a place for these communities to express their enthusiasm, discuss and share content and connect with others who have similar interests. Fandoms also create hashtags on social media related to their favourite topics to boost visibility for their interest and create discourse online (Later c.2024).

OMG fangirl alert!!!⋆｡𖦹˚.★

Everyone is a fan of something. Take me for example: I’m in tons of fandoms (Jujutsu Kaisen, Ace Attorney, K-pop, etc) and being in fandoms are a lot of fun!! We engage in interesting discourse online, fangirl about our interests, cussing out any lowlife haters, and literally just enjoying life as a fan.

Of course, being a part of a fandom can be exhausting as there’s bound to be toxic fans lurking in every fandom. However, being in a fandom also helps us become our better selves as many fandoms engage in social activism. Fans often unite around causes that resonate with their favourite artists and the messages in their music, channelling their passion to advocate for social change. We can see these sorts of engagements happening with K-pop fandoms.

When K-pop meets social activism

Now, when it comes to K-pop fandom and social activism, I can only think of one group and their fanbase regarding this topic: BTS. BTS (방탄소년단) is a 7-member boy group from South Korea which debuted under Big Hit Music (KProfiles 2024). I’m sure everyone and their grandmas know who BTS are and honestly, I’m quite proud to say I’ve been an ARMY (that’s what they call their fandom—plz don’t think I’m in an actual army) since 2015 until now.

BTS is mostly known for their catchy songs, meaningful lyrics and impressive choreographies and their fandom, the BTS ARMY, is known for their hardcore dedication towards the boy group. Their devotion to the group manifest in countless ways, from streaming their music and voting for them in award shows to organizing charity events in their name and engaging in social acts. Groups like BTS and their fandom, ARMY, have been particularly influential, using their platform to promote messages of love and acceptance and they are known to promote and advocate for social justice online. Due to BTS’ profound influence on their fans, the group had partnered with UNICEF to launch campaigns such as the LOVE MYSELF campaign aimed at combating violence against children and teenagers worldwide. UNICEF’s partnership with BTS leverages popular culture to raise awareness and funds for critical issues concerning children’s mental health (unicef 2024).

Additionally, both BTS and their fans have come together to raise and donate over $2 million in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement was formed in 2013, dedicated to fighting racism and anti-Black violence, especially in the form of police brutality (Britannica 2024). K-pop fans gained widespread media attention for their active antiracist work in support of the BLM movement during the Covid pandemic in 2020 (Kim & Hutt 2021, p.8). After BTS donated $1 million to the BLM movement, their fanbase ARMY matched the million-dollar donation using the Twitter hashtag #MatchAMillion in under 24 hours. The fundraise, which was led by the fan-formed ‘One in an ARMY’ charity project, began the next morning after the boy group donated $1 million for the cause and hundreds of thousands of fans followed suit to support the movement (Madden 2020).

This is my fav fancam ever!

Let me explain what a K-pop fancam is: A fancam is a video closeup filmed by an audience member during a live performance by a K-pop idol group (Romano 2020). These fancams are typically posted on social media platforms like Instagram and Twittter (X) and fancams have always been a source of frustration for many Twitter users as their viral threads are often hijacked by users posting fancams to capitalize on the thread’s popularity.

However, in the case of the BLM movement, fancams was used in a positive way. K-pop stans have taken over white supremacist hashtags with fancams (Bhandari 2020).

Fans weaponize these fancams to boost the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter and bury white supremacist hashtags by redirecting their energies to post K-pop fancams on Twitter (X) and Instagram (Bibliolore 2020). Besides that, K-pop stans also spammed their favourite K-pop fancams on a Dallas police intelligence app that was trying to collect “illegal activity from BLM protesters” until the app crashed (Ekin 2020). LMAO!

He also stole my heart, officer.

Thoughts

I was there on Twitter (X) when this whole thing happened and although, I didn’t have the means to donate during that time, I did my duty of spreading the hashtags and encouraging people to show support for the BLM movement. Thinking back on it now, I’m so proud for joining an incredibly passionate fandom that supports amazing artists and advocates for good causes like the BLM movement.

(842 words)

References

Ekin, A 2020, Are K-pop and BTS fans a new force for social justice? Al-Jazeera, viewed on 20th October 2024,

< https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2020/7/1/are-k-pop-and-bts-fans-a-new-force-for-social-justice >

Bhandari, A 2020, The Mobilizing Power of the BTS ARMY, Reuters, viewed on 20th October 2024,

< https://www.reuters.com/graphics/GLOBAL-RACE/BTS-FANS/nmopajgmxva/ >

Bibliolore 2020, K-pop and political activism, Bibliolore, viewed on 20th October 2024,

< https://bibliolore.org/2020/10/26/k-pop-and-political-activism/ >

Britannica 2024, Black Lives Matter, Britannica, viewed on 20th October 2024,

< https://www.britannica.com/topic/Black-Lives-Matter >

Kim, P & Hutt, E 2021, K-pop as a Social Movement: Case Study of BTS and Their Fandom ARMY, Journal of Student Research, Vol.10 Issue 3, pp. 1-15, viewed on 20th October 2024.

KProfiles 2024, BTS Members Profile, KProfiles, viewed on 20th October 2024,

< https://kprofiles.com/bts-bangtan-boys-members-profile/ >

Later c.2024, Fandom, Later Social Media Management, viewed on 20th October 2024,

< https://later.com/social-media-glossary/fandom/ >

Madden, E 2020, The BTS Army and the Transformative Power of Fandom As Activism, The Ringer, viewed on 20th October 2024,

< https://www.theringer.com/music/2020/6/11/21287283/bts-army-black-lives-matter-fandom-activism >

Romano, A 2020, How K-pop fans are weaponizing the internet for Black Lives Matter, Vox, viewed on 20th October 2024,

< https://www.vox.com/2020/6/8/21279262/k-pop-fans-black-lives-matter-fancams-youtubers-protest-support >

unicef 2024, BTS and UNICEF celebrate LOVE MYSELF campaign with renewed support for UNICEF’s #OnMyMind initiative, unicef, viewed on 20th October 2024,

< https://www.unicef.org/partnerships/bts-and-unicef-celebrate-love-myself-campaign-renewed-support-unicefs-onmymind >

[aricastmblr]

love-myself-org oficial

https://www.love-myself.org/eng/campaign-list/

bts bangtantv 

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5hrGMysD_GulnhKgQW9gUGP9Itmt4QIc

2022 - 5 aniversario

bts_love_myself·28Nov2022 #BTSLoveMyself campaign celebrates its 5th anniversary! Thank you for continuing to support "LOVE MYSELF" Check out the BTS members' messages https://youtu.be/21kEM3eZB-g                           #BTS #방탄소년단 #LOVEMYSELF #UNICEF #유니세프

2021 - 4 Aniversario

bts_love_myself·31 oct. 2021Happy 4th anniversary of the #BTSLoveMyself Campaign Thank you everyone for supporting the cause! Watch BTS’s video message and celebrate the fourth anniversary together! https://youtu.be/LB0cgXyXl88                                                                     #LoveMyself #4thAnniversary

2020 - 3 Aniversario

bts_love_myself·1 nov. 2020Happy 3rd anniversary of the LOVE MYSELF Campaign! Let's continue to discover ways to love myself, and love ourselves! Check out BTS’s video message and congratulate our 3rd anniversary! (https://youtu.be/3IdwKH9btDo)                                                          #BTSLoveMyself #ENDviolence #3rdAnniversary

2019 - 2 Aniversario

bts_love_myself·31 oct. 2019Happy 2-year anniversary of LOVE MYSELF campaign! Our journey of discovering how to love ourselves will continue. It won't always be easy, but nothing will stop us if we're together! Check out BTS's video & comment below! https://youtu.be/5EopXUF3_xg                         #BTSLoveMyself #ENDviolence

2018 - 1 Aniversario 

bts_love_myself·31 oct. 2018THANKS TO ARMY First Anniversary of the LOVE MYSELF campaign! BTS sends their thanks to ARMY all around the world who have participated in the LOVE MYSELF campaign for the past year. Join in the celebration by leaving a comment! #BTSLoveMyself #ENDviolence #unicef

2018 Inicio campaña en Japon

UNICEFinJapan【#BTS と #ユニセフ が共に目指す暴力のない世界】 世界的ヒップホップボーイズグループ #BTS (#防弾少年団)、Big Hit Entertainment社、日本ユニセフ協会は、子どもと青少年に対する暴力の撲滅を目指すためのパートナーシップを結びました。https://unicef.or.jp/news/2018/0063.html… #BTSLoveMyself #ENDviolence

bts_love_myself·13 jun. 2018BTS and Big Hit Entertainment have partnered with Japan Committee for UNICEF to launch the LOVE MYSELF campaign in Japan! Check out the BTS photos here at the official LOVE MYSELF campaign website: https://bit.ly/2y8WVYG #BTSLoveMyself

2017 Inicio campaña

unicefkorea·31 oct. 2017유니세프한국위원회가 방탄소년단과 빅히트엔터테인먼트의 ‘LOVE MYSELF’ 캠페인을 함께 전개한다는 훈훈한 소식 전달드려요! #BTS #방탄소년단

bts_love_myself LOVE MYSELF, a campaign run by BTS with UNISEF to make the world a better place. To learn more about the campaign, please refer to the official website below. https://love-myself.org/eng/about-lovemyself/… #BTSLoveMyself #ENDviolence

[ichwillkeinenblognurlesen]

#2024.04.22 #BTS #Army #ENDviolence #LOVE MYSELF #UNICEF #UNICEF Korea #RM #Kim Namjoon #Namjoon #Jin #Kim Seokjin #Suga #Min Yoongi #Yoongi #J-Hope #Jung Hoseok #Hoseok #Jimin #Park Jimin #V #Kim Taehyung #Taehyung #Jungkook #Jeon Jungkook

240422 - Kpop_Herald on Twitter:

.@BTS_twt and #ARMY are continuing to spread their love and warmth all over the world! According to @unicefkorea, BTS and ARMY have collectively donated 8.9 billion won ($6,439,991) to the "LOVE MYSELF" campaign since 2017. These donations support UNICEF's "#ENDviolence" project.

[btsfangirling]

BTS and ARMY for BLM and More

I think many people are familiar with BTS and the dedication of their fans. What some people may not be aware of is the depth of BTS's philanthropic endeavors nor just how crucial ARMY's role is in BTS's transmedia and transcultural success. Combined, they have a rather incredible impact on the world that is unmatched by any other fandom. One of the most well known examples is when, during the peak of the BLM protests, BTS made a $1 million donation to BLM organizations and it was easily matched by BTS fans from around the world in just around 24 hours.

As one can imagine, there were certainly some people who tried to argue that BTS's donation was just a big publicity stunt. Of course, however, there were many more people who were ready to come to BTS's defense. As a group that heavily takes inspiration from Black American hip-hop and pop music, this donation is not just a lazy gesture but a conscious one that holds historical significance. It also shows that BTS is making genuine efforts to center Black voices and experiences in an attempt to to bridge the gap between races (Cho "BTS for BLM").

In general, one million dollars may also not be much for big name artists like BTS, but it is still not an insignificant number in terms of a donation. And you can't discredit the level of dedication and organization it took for their fans to match that number in a single day. The amount of effort that is put in behind the scenes by BTS fans is truly unlike any we see elsewhere and it has been stated that this highly organized structure of ARMY is "driven by a desire to see the seven members of BTS leave theirmark in territories previously uncharted by any other pop act from South Korea" (Moon).

BTS as a group and as individual members have been and have continued to donate millions of dollars to charities around the world including those that help children in Africa and children undergoing cancer treatments, on top of several various local South Korean charities.

Beyond these donations, BTS also launched their Love Myself campaign which aimed to end violence and promote the protection of young people. This was a global campaign that was in partnership with UNICEF and was trending with hundreds of thousands of BTS fans and others alike posting self-loving pictures with hashtags like #ENDviolence and $BTSLoveMyself. This campaign and partnership would ultimately bring them to the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly where the leader of BTS, RM, would give. a speech talking about his journey of learning to love himself and the purpose of the Love Myself campaign.

It's difficult to deny the positive impacts of BTS's philanthropic endeavors and the genuineness behind these actions is certainly one of the many reasons why fans love and care for the group as much as they do. These donations and campaign and BTS's consistent message of love and connection definitely speak for themselves, but I think the level of dedication and support that BTS receives from their fans across the world and their transmedial approach (use of several different platforms) is truly what sets them apart from other artists and what has led to their transnational and transcultural success.

Sources:

Acharya, Avani. “8 Times BTS Donated to Causes They Care About.” Www.sportskeeda.com, 17 Dec. 2022, www.sportskeeda.com/pop-culture/8-times-bts-donated-causes-care.

Cho, Michelle. “BTS for BLM: K-Pop, Race, and Transcultural Fandom.” Celebrity Studies, vol. 13, no. 2, Apr. 2022, pp. 1–10, https://doi.org/10.1080/19392397.2022.2063974.

Moon, Kat. “Inside the BTS ARMY, the Devoted Fandom with an Unrivaled Level of Organization.” Time Magazine, Nov. 2020.

[akubiiim]

Thank you, Mr. Secretary General, UNICEF Executive Director, Excellencies and distinguished guests from across the world. My name is Kim Nam Jun, also known as RM, the leader of the group BTS. It’s an incredible honour to be invited to an occasion with such significance for today’s young generation. Last November, BTS launched the “Love Myself” campaign with UNICEF, building on our belief that “true love first begins with loving myself.”  We have been partnering with UNICEF’s #ENDviolence program to protect children and young people all over the world from violence. Our fans have become a major part of this campaign with their action and enthusiasm.  We truly have the best fans in the world! I would like to begin by talking about myself. I was born in Ilsan, a city near Seoul, South Korea.  It’s a beautiful place, with a lake, hills, and even an annual flower festival. I spent a happy childhood there, and I was just an ordinary boy. I would look up at the night sky in wonder and dream the dreams of a boy. I used to imagine that I was a superhero, saving the world. In an intro to one of our early albums, there is a line that says, “My heart stopped…I was maybe nine or ten.” Looking back, that’s when I began to worry about what other people thought of me and started seeing myself through their eyes. I stopped looking up at the stars at night. I stopped daydreaming. I tried to jam myself into moulds that other people made. Soon, I began to shut out my own voice and started to listen to the voices of others.  No one called out my name, and neither did I. My heart stopped and my eyes closed shut. So, like this, I, we, all lost our names. We became like ghosts. I had one sanctuary, and that was music. There was a small voice in me that said, ‘Wake up, man, and listen to yourself!” But it took me a long time to hear music calling my name. Even after making the decision to join BTS, there were hurdles. Most people thought we were hopeless. Sometimes, I just wanted to quit. I think I was very lucky that I didn’t give it all up. I’m sure that I, and we, will keep stumbling and falling. We have become artists performing in huge stadiums and selling millions of albums. But I am still an ordinary, twenty-four-year-old guy. If there’s anything that I’ve achieved, it was only possible because I had my other BTS members by my side, and because of the love and support of our ARMY fans. Maybe I made a mistake yesterday, but yesterday’s me is still me. I am who I am today, with all my faults. Tomorrow I might be a tiny bit wiser, and that’s me, too. These faults and mistakes are what I am, making up the brightest stars in the constellation of my life. I have come to love myself for who I was, who I am, and who I hope to become. I would like to say one last thing. After releasing the “Love Yourself” albums and launching the “Love Myself” campaign,  we started to hear remarkable stories from our fans all over the world,  how our message helped them overcome their hardships in life and start loving themselves. These stories constantly remind us of our responsibility. So, let’s all take one more step. We have learned to love ourselves, so now I urge you to “speak yourself.” I would like to ask all of you. What is your name? What excites you and makes your heart beat? Tell me your story. I want to hear your voice, and I want to hear your conviction. No matter who you are, where you’re from, your skin colour, gender identity: speak yourself. Find your name, find your voice by speaking yourself. I’m Kim Nam Jun, RM of BTS. I’m a hip-hop idol and an artist from a small town in Korea. Like most people, I made many mistakes in my life. I have many faults and I have many fears, but I am going to embrace myself as hard as I can, and I’m starting to love myself, little by little. "What is your name? Speak Yourself"

世界中の若者たちへ BTSが国連総会でスピーチ 「自分自身のことを話して」

[0613magazine]

201002 Variety

BTS Is What the World Needs Now: Band Members Talk Going Global, the Responsibility of Being Role Models

K-pop group BTS has become a global brand. Thanks to the band’s dazzling dance moves, layered music videos, engaging social media posts, and references to everything from Erich Fromm and Nietzsche — not to mention vocal abilities on the level of the best in the current pop arena — members RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook have made the music of their South Korean roots universal to those who love pop and appreciate the genre for its sonic optimism.

But for many, the message of BTS’ lyrics is a major draw, even when delivered almost entirely in Korean. What resonates for fans not fluent in Korean? Their candor and honest reflection with issues like depression and societal pressure as well as ideas like the importance of self-acceptance.

BTS took its message to the UN back in 2018 during a speech to launch a UNICEF-affiliated campaign to improve youth education opportunities. They returned to the UN General Assembly again, virtually this time, in late September with a pre-recorded message encouraging people impacted by the pandemic to feel less alone. Said RM: “We must try to love ourselves, and imagine the future. BTS will be there with you.”

Additionally, they’ve this year encouraged fans to engage in deeper ways with contemporary art through their “CONNECT, BTS” project, which commissioned 20 artists in five cities to create public art that resonates with BTS’ philosophy.

Unlike other K-pop groups, BTS first gained momentum abroad — and in the U.S. market in particular. The band spoke with Variety about going global, how they view their Korean identity and what it’s like to bear the burden of being a role model to so many in a world where so few Asian stars have seen such massive success. 

With BTS having such a broad global footprint, it seems like a big responsibility as far as being role models. How do you see your own role, beyond the music?

RM (in Korean): We do of course feel a considerable sense of responsibility. … We understand the impact and influence that we have — it’s an impact that goes across regions and borders, because the things that young people feel and experience in Korea is not exactly the same but is probably similar to what young people feel and experience in the U.S. In full understanding of that, we are always careful of what we say and what we do. This [informs] our campaign with UNICEF and other charity efforts.

But at the same time, we want to make sure that this does not impact our creative activities — that we are not so consumed by this overwhelming sense of responsibility that it affects our creative process. Striking this balance is very important to us. So far, I think we are doing this balancing act quite well.

How did it feel to be on Youtube’s “Dear Class of 2020” virtual graduation event in June, sharing a stage with the Obamas, Beyonce, and so many other global figures?

j-hope: It was a very special and important event for us. We had a chance to talk to the graduates and perform. It also was an opportunity for us to remember and think about our own identity — the fact that we have this sort of impact on people, and that this is the sort of life that we are living now, and how we should have more of a sense of responsibility. It also gave us a chance to think about our own plans for the future.

BTS is indisputably a phenomenon. Do you consider yourselves more of a global phenomenon or do you consider yourselves a Korean phenomenon? How important is the “K” in K-pop to you, and to your success?

SUGA: A lot of people have said, as you do, that it’s a phenomenon, or use a lot of fancy adjectives. But we’re the same as when we started out — a group of guys just doing something that we wanted to do, something fun and interesting for us. We’re the same as we were seven years ago. … This is not something that we really obsess over. 

RM (in Korean): The ‘K’ in K-pop is, of course, important. We all grew up in Korea. None of us studied abroad or spent a lot of time abroad. It was only after we began to perform on global stages and really go outside of Korea that we really started identifying as Korean. It reaffirmed that we are in fact Korean and have a Korean identity. But of course, we live in a very cosmopolitan world. Our Korean identity is very clear, but we also increasingly have a more global mindset.

Do you see a conflict between going global and staying Korean? How have foreign markets factored into your success?

Jin: We just made music that we liked and that people liked in Korea, and then people outside of Korea began to like it — in the same way that we hear pop songs from outside of Korea and enjoy them too. We never made a conscious effort to spread globally. I think it sort of happened organically; this connection happened on its own. Can other groups or people enjoy the same kind of success? I’m sure it’s possible.

What artists are you listening to right now who are inspiring you? Who are your current dream collaborators?

Jimin: Ariana Grande!

Jin: I’d love to collaborate with Shawn Mendes — he’s great!

Jung Kook: Lauv and Rain.

V: Sammy Davis Jr. is who I’m listening to these days a lot.  Kurt Elling is someone who has the vibes I really like — someone I’d like to collaborate with.

Do you have any rituals you guys do privately amongst yourselves when you’re about to release new content?

RM (in English): We always turn livestreaming on and share the moments right before an album or single release. That’s our ceremony. We don’t do anything special, just for us. I think it’s because we always stick together and eat together [anyway].

Jimin (in English): Eat together!

You’ve said in press conferences that the English lyrics clicked better with the melody and feel of “Dynamite,” but just last year, RM said that if the band sang fully in English, it would no longer be BTS. Can you speak a bit further as to why you’re choosing to sing in English at this time? 

RM (in English): Yeah, I admit that I had an interview some time ago where I said that I think it won’t be BTS anymore if we sing in English. I admit it. At that time, that was my real, honest thing. I think I have to now admit that many things have changed: the virus and pandemic, [the fact that] we can’t be on stage and have concerts anymore. Many things have changed, and my thoughts and my mind and myself have also changed, and now we’re giving a little crazy shot called “Dynamite.” That’s all I can say.

When we first listened to the “Dynamite” demo, I actually tried different titles or lyrics in Korean. I tried to write some rap on that track, but nothing worked out really well. So, ok, well, why not keep it this way? Let’s give it a shot! It’s 2020, why not do some crazy things?

When I write lyrics, I always have these deep thoughts and different concerns and confusions about, do I have to do this in English or Korean? When you say, “I’m hungry” in Korean, you say, “baegopa.” The sounds and the waves are really different. I believe each language has its own texture, and I believe that each song has to have its own waves and texture.

Source: Variety

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#BTS #Unicef #2017.12.09 #5th anniversary #LoveMyself #LoveMyself Campaign #ENDviolence #unicef Korea

Celebrating the 5th anniversary of the #LoveMyself campaign for #UNICEF #BTSARMY

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09.13.2021

[PHOTOS]

BTS appointed as Special Presidential Envoy for Future Generations and Culture

Source: Korean Herald

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