Their eighth week in the military is now complete. It's time to celebrate this milestone with a look back at this week in 2020.
BTS was in Phase 2 of their Map of the Soul 7 comeback......
...starting with the first single release Black Swan on 17th January.
youtube
They flew to the US on the 18/01/2020....
..where they performed Old Town Road with Lil Nas X at the Grammys on 26/01/2020.
Cr. to Minkook Eclipse
youtube
During the week 30/01 to 06/02 they were still in the US and doing the rounds of the talk shows. These videos of them at iHeart Radio came out on the 01/02 and 06/02.
youtube
youtube
Everyone was in high spirits excited about the release of the album and the Map of the Soul tour which we now know was not to be. They returned to South Korea the next week on 10/02/20.
BONUS
On 30th January, BTS released the 2020 Winter Package in Helsinki with all these amazing Jikook photos. I've also included JK's GCF Helsinki which was released at the end of December 2019.
@westcoastgal1 , just wrote a full ass post replying to your ask regarding that clip from BTS winter package 2020, all for it to just evaporate into thin air.
So friggin annoying!!!!
So, I'm going to try this again.
You linked this and asked me if JM really called JK his Jungkookie.
BTS left Seoul on November 12, 2019 to Helsinki for filming Winter Package 2020 and came back to Seoul on November 16, 2019.
Towards the end of Winter Package 2020 we saw JK giving his gift to Tae. Right? He also gave Tae a letter and the letter he had written for Tae was composed of literally 11 words (In English) and everyone was like why the fuck is the letter so brief for? and JK answered:”The closer you are, the shorter the letters.”
(The letter:”Dear V. A-yo. Who’s the bear? V. The end! lol.”)
And even HYBE editors wrote in the caption “It’s embarrassing to go on when you are super close!”
I don’t know how and I don’t remember clearly how, but back in 2020 when In The Soop episode 6 came out on September 23, 2020 I kinda found out by going through multiple things like Tweets, articles and posts on IG and Weverse and comments that it the episode was most likely filmed on May 31, 2020. The conversation that JK and Tae had in the show I mean happened on that day.
How come you become distant from November 2019 to May 2020 when the “Distant TaeKook” narrative had been circulating around (Thanks to HYBE) for a long time before November 2019?
The whole thing is a fucking show and badly written. Full of plot holes, because you cannot always fake everything!
Even HYBE script writers and editors slip in this case!
(Super Close TaeKook: November 2019, Distant TaeKook: May 2020, First official on-screen separation: Late 2015).
Even their timeline is so messed up!
At least hire better script writers and editors because some of us use our brains!
K-Pop Idols have normally had a close relationship with the camera. Being called ‘Idols’ instead of artists or musicians is helpful in itself, as it gives more insight to what they actually are (a long conversation for another day).
They don’t start when they are on stage and stop when they are off. Their work involves a lot more than just the music.
The camera is constantly with them, their behind the scenes, their video live chats with fans, their daily vlogs, their variety show appearances, advertisements etc.
BTS are no different from the majority of kpop groups who have YouTube shows, televised series etc.
BTS have now been active for over 10 years and so it’s unsurprising that they have a long list of television appearances outside of just performing a song or two.
I’ve tried my best to put together a masterlist of just docs shows, series, episodes etc that are from Big Hit and later HYBE for the group or the members.
(Please let me know if I’ve missed something so I can update this)
Pre-debut the members would give insights into who they were and how they spent their days with short logs on YouTube, they also had different formats of keeping connected to fans and sharing their journey through Bangtan Bombs and Bangtan episodes. Starting their formatted series journey off…
Their first televised show ‘Rookie King’ in their debut year 2013
American Hustle Life & Go! BTS (2014)
BTS Memories (from 2014)
BTS Gayo & Run! BTS (from 2015)
Summer Packages & Winter Packages (from 2015)
Bon Voyage (from 2016)
Burn The Stage (2018)
Bring The Soul (2019). There is also a movie version.
Break The Silence (2020). There is also a movie version.
In The Soop (from 2020)
Youtube Shows
Tour DVDs
Tour DVDs with behind the scenes and candid clips
Not to mention their lives on both Vlive & Weverse
BTS left Seoul on November 12, 2019 to Helsinki for filming Winter Package 2020 and came back to Seoul on November 16, 2019.
Towards the end of Winter Package 2020 we saw JK giving his gift to Tae. Right? He also gave Tae a letter and the letter he had written for Tae was composed of literally 11 words and everyone was like why the fuck is the letter so brief for? and JK answered:”The closer you are, the shorter the letters.”
(The letter:”Dear V. A-yo. Who’s the bear? V. The end! lol.”)
And even HYBE editors wrote “It’s embarrassing to go on when you are super close!”
I don’t know how and I don’t remember clearly how, but back in 2020 when In The Soop episode 6 came out on September 23, 2020 I kinda found out by going through multiple things like Tweets, articles and posts on IG and Weverse and comments that it the episode was most likely filmed on May 31, 2020. The conversation that JK and Tae had in the show I mean happened on that day.
How come you become distant from November 2019 to May 2020 when the “Distant TaeKook” narrative had been circulating around (Thanks to BigHit) for a long time before November 2019?
The whole thing is a fucking show and badly written. Full of plot holes, because you cannot always fake everything!
Even HYBE script writers slip in this case!
(Super Close TaeKook: November 2019, Distant TaeKook: May 2020, First official on-screen separation: Late 2015).
At least hire better scrip writers because some of us use our brains!
I agree, anon. You know what would be better? If there were no scripts at all, just some natural, spontaneous moments.
If it weren't for moments where the company and/or staff had actively separated 🐰 and 🐯 on-camera then the narrative that 🐰🐯 have become distant even in the span of a few months (because if I'm being honest, relationships can be quickly severed as much as they can be forged in a short amount of time) would actually be quite convincing considering that two people who have a closely knitted bond have suddenly become cold and distant with each other.
But we have. We Taekookers have witnessed those moments since 2015. Not only that but moments off the company camera and/or behind the scenes say otherwise. We don't call taekook moments 144p Microwave Content for nothing 🤷♂️ The Distant Taekook narrative will never make sense to me, and as a 2016 ARMY and Taekooker... well... trenches, man.
It still baffles me that to this day, BH would still use tactics such as mistranslating English subtitles and putting strange, out-of-place cuts on their shows (take for instance the preview for Are You Sure: Jeju Island Trip)
(I'm not sure if this ask is really meant for me but I'm still giving my thoughts on this one)
Am I the only one who’s not really enjoying chapter 2 so far? I feel a tad guilty for saying it but apart from Jimin’s album, none of the solo work we’ve seen so far has really made it for me 😕 Objectivity I found Indigo really good but I realize I never really reach for it. Face has been the only album I’ve listened to loads of times. I like Layover, but I know it won’t be to the point of listening it again and again. I was a bit sad because I was excited for Jungkook’s album but I really don’t like Seven at all. I miss Jin and Hobi’s humour and energy. I guess I’m much more a BTS fan as a group rather than the members separately. Jimin is my bias, I have a soft spot for him, but I would still choose the band as a whole over him as a soloist. I feel a bit bad for saying it.. I hate the way the fandom is right now, all the competitiveness, and oftentimes I catch myself thinking I want this chapter to be over so we can get the band together again. I just want to see them live at least once, as I became a fan at the beginning of 2020 and as I live in Europe I didn’t have the opportunity to see them. I’m also bored about how they tend to focus so heavily on the US market now..of course I understand why, but still, it’s annoying. I don’t know if there’s anyone who feel the same? I just want the solo area to come to an end.. sorry for the rant, I know I’m being selfish but I’m getting bored with this area😫
I understand where you're coming from. I miss BTS like crazy. Nothing tops how much fun they are together and how their love for each other is a balm to the soul. I miss them dropping music and their performances. I miss the excitement of a BTS comeback. It's really not the same with them solo. Nothing is as exciting, everything is rushed, and we have no time to even anticipate or feel excited about new music dropping because it happens too often.
Indigo is a great album but I haven't listened to it much either, V's debut was my least favorite in many ways, I didn't like JITB as a whole, I didn't care about Face either. I like Seven but I've many, many complaints about it, and am feeling very apprehensive about JK's next single and debut album. I would've been happier if I had more performances to look forward to. When BTS have a comeback, they perform their title track so much that we get tired of it. But Hobi and Suga were the only ones who performed more than a handful of times, and doing a tour isn't the same as having performances uploaded to BANGTANTV every week. I miss group performances, Bangtan Bombs, Run BTS, the random promotional videos for Chuseok or whatever, Bon Voyage, Winter and Summer packages, ITS, etc. Photoshoots and variety shows aren't the same, I don't care for them... I miss the excitement of waking up and seeing them all at a certain event or at the airport. Nothing is as fun with only one of the members, and I know they're all looking forward to 2025 as well!
It's insane that it feels like BTS was an hallucination. Before 2021 the idea of the members not being seven was just fucking crazy, but now BTS don't even feel like a group anymore. I can't even imagine them together now. You're definitely not the only one who prefers them as a group. Most Armys do. It's okay to be bored by their solo ventures. It is what it is. It's not selfish. You're allowed to not like the way things turned out. I'm sure you're not blaming BTS and that you understand their current situation.
Also, I've no plans to seem them live. I know it won't happen and I'm more afraid of having the opportunity than not. If they go to Spain, for example, it will be relatively simple for me to see them live so I will feel pressured to buy tickets, but it's so fucking complicated to do so. Plus, there's traveling, the waiting at the venue, and all the stress that goes with it. If I don't get tickets, I'll be sad, and if I do, I'll be nervous that the experience won't live up to my expectations. I honestly prefer it that I've never had to worry about missing a chance to see them live because it's never come up. But I also get your pov haha. I hope you get to see them at least once!
Hi there, I’m a fan of your blog. Thank you for your rationality.
I got sucked down the BTS rabbit hole earlier this year. Originally, it was Taehyung that caught my eye, but I quickly focused on Jung Kook, too. From there, I consumed years of BTS and Taekook content in short order.
Taekook’s interactions give me that “first love” feeling-butterflies and all, especially from their debut through the 2020 Grammy’s. Their chemistry and visuals are off the charts (I know, you know…we all know). Truly, I have never seen or experienced anything else like it. Their duality is mesmerizing and they are both very talented.
Of the things I’ve seen, here are some of the bigger mysteries/things I think about the most:
- The “Am I your friend” comment from JK to TH during the 2018 Summer Package and supposedly TH’s reply, “Do not expose…”
- Something in Taekook’s famous embrace at GDA 2020 doesn’t sit right with me - the look in JK’s eyes when he invited TH to lean back and how they both looked like they had tears in their eyes afterwards - some see it as a declaration, but I don’t know
- Everything about the 2020 MOTS: 7 press junket, which, let’s remember, took place before the first season of In the Soop
- Namjoon saying during their 2022 Dinner Party, “The thing I want to do and the thing I wish continues is that we’ll be together and be sincere when we perform on stage (elsewhere in the dinner they all say they are exhausted) and when we gather and talk like this that we could talk and be happy without thinking about the rules of the world.” It makes me wonder what he means by “without thinking about the rules of the world.”
- The live after their Vegas concert where we see a crack in the veneer and rolling of the eyes when JM pinches JK’s leg - I get the same vibes from their post-Busan live when TH literally has to brush JM off a gaunt looking JK
Look, there are so many I could add to this list. I’m not necessarily looking for a response to these-just sharing the situations that stay stuck in my brain.
In the end, I don’t know either of these young men, but wish them individually and/or together as much happiness as they’ve brought and will continue to bring their worldwide fans.
By the way, I’m not a big user of Tumblr. Is there a way to read your Taekook tags by year versus scrolling?
Thanks!
Hi there,
I'm glad you're enjoying the blog, and of course big ole hole that is BTS and Taekook, lol.
Regarding your mysteries....
- The “Am I your friend” comment from 2018 Summer Package
To me this was simply JK pushing things. You see between 2018 and 2019 I think there was a concerted effort by Taekook to play ball with BH hide them from official content, in previous years they fought against that, I think. But this was in the early part of that process and JK was just clearly pushing back for some reason. We don't know why but clearly BH wasn't bothered by it or else they would have cut it from content.
- The GDA 2020 fan-cam embrace
I think this was obviously pre-planned. Some Taekookers have speculated that this was one of the early starts at changing the narrative of Taekook not being close in the group. They knew this moment would only get picked up by fancams and ARMY in general not the general public. But if a enough buzz occurred it might blow up in the wider KPop sphere.
- 2020 MOTS: 7 press junket
this is clearly an extension of what went on it Winter Package 2020 and Seasons Greetings 2020, where similar shippable moments occurred, and it was all very Taekook Heavy. Again, this was shift in direction and felt pre-planned and concerted in its implementation.
- Namjoon / 2022 Dinner Party, and the “without thinking about the rules of the world.”
I think this is less cryptive than you think. I just think Namjoon was merely talking about enlistment and the rules they have to follow in relation to this.
- The Las Vegas Live and Busan Live
Yeah, there were some odd moments. Again, I don't think this is jealousy, I think it's frustration that they can't be like that together on a live stream, the way JK or Tae is HWSNBN.
Also, you filter my posts by month (and other ways), if you open the archive version of my blog you can filter by month, post type and tag.
Each of the birthday pictures Jimin posted on his Instagram today tells a story of shared experience and shines a bright light on how important Jin is to Jimin. I mean perhaps we should have guessed since these have been his icons on Weverse for the last year.
04/12/2022 11/12/2022 15/12/2022
The photos he posted come from 2018, 2020 and 2021.
F: The first group you loved?
bts! 💜 haha the most common first group i think
I: answered here!
P: Your favorite photoshoot?
ahhhh this is hard.... maybe nct dream hot sauce boring jalapeño ver. ?? bts 2020 helsinki winter package ?? mingyu or nayeon for elle korea november 2022 ?? i cant decide at all
Y: The last M/V you watched on Youtube?
cotton candy by jinyoung. before that was the performance version of moonbin & sanha's incense