I am no longer an avid fan of BTS. What I mean is, I still like their music but have grown out of the fangirl phase. But here is how I became an “Army,” aka a fan of BTS, the K-pop boy band otherwise known as Bangtan Boys/Bangtan Sonyeondan/ 방탄소년단.

It all goes back to year 2015.

The Beginning

2015 was one of the more fabulous years in K-pop history. It was when SHINee, BIGBANG, EXO, Apink, Red Velvet, Girls’ Generation, IU, SISTAR, and other big names of K-pop were simultaneously active. As an avid listener of K-pop, I was checking out the Itunes Top 100 (K-pop Category) one day and spotted a name I’ve never seen before: BTS.

And their song, “I NEED U” was ranking #1. Out of pure curiosity, I clicked on the title to get a preview of the song, and I remember liking it after hearing the chorus. I heard the song again out in the streets and cafes, and soon I liked it enough to look it up on YouTube to listen to it by myself.

Here are some beautiful stills from the official music video:

And that’s how I started with BTS.

The Significance of “I NEED U”

They won their first-ever win in the music show M! Countdown on May 7, 2015, their first win at Music Bank on May 8th, and their first win at Show Champion on May 13th.

The Vibe

I remember watching the official video of “I NEED U” and thinking that it was great – it went well with the tune. But when I clicked on other music videos (as I was hungry for more) I was completely hooked. I watched “Boy in Luv,” “Danger,” “N.O,” “War of Hormone,” and by the time I finished “DOPE,” I knew that there were seven different members with distinct looks (the occupational costumes helped a lot) and voices.

In addition to the catchy songs like “I NEED U” and “DOPE,” I think what really set BTS apart from other K-pop groups was how their initial concepts were very rebellious with “bad boy” vibes:

*Dear BTS fan, if you don’t know already – visit HERE for more official photos.

There’s nothing wrong with soft-looking, handsome men holding out flowers for women. But the energy BTS brought was kind of refreshing (in my opinion) when most boy groups and bands in the industry acted like gentlemen or pretty boys. There were groups and bands with bad boy vibes, for sure (i.e. BIG BANG), but I think BTS brought it to a new level with the members rapping out discontentment and really embracing the hip-hop attitude, if it is correct to say so.

Their label company, Big Hit Entertainment, even sent the seven members to L.A. to learn from African American artists and they even recorded a show about it way before their massive world-wide fame:

Hard Working Rookies

Anyways, not only were they good-looking, talented, and giving off bad-boy/energetic/manly/rebellious vibes when others really weren’t, but also they were such hard-working rookies.

I watched different variety shows they filmed while they tried to publicize themselves in South Korea and beyond. They really felt like underdogs as they competed with the more popular groups and bands formed by major record labels. Variety shows really showed the members beyond their names, looks, and talents. And one couldn’t help but root for them.

By this point, I was listening to “Just One Day,” “Rain,” and “Coffee,” dancing to “Paldogangsan,”and “Boyz with Fun,” and just consuming and enjoying everything they produced: their music, videos, and shows. I had become a true BTS fan, a full-fledged Army.

The Point of No Return

Now, from my experience, if there is a “point of no return” on the journey to becoming an Army, it’s when you watch/listen to “DOPE,” “FIRE,” “Blood Sweat & Tears,” or “Not Today.” After watching the music videos of the said titles, I responded to even the intros music with ecstasy. I mean, just the aesthetics and beats and everything about those videos are outstanding! Here are some stills from “Blood Sweat & Tears” and “Not Today.”

Plus their live performances were as incredible as their music videos. This was their live performance of “FIRE” on the Inkigayo show in 2016.

And so began my Army era, when my playlists were jam-packed with BTS songs, when my heart jumped even at the sound of the Big Hit logo playing, when I baked cookies in the shape of BT21 characters, and when I screamed like an ecstatic banshee at their World Tour Love Yourself: Speak Yourself back in 2019. That’s how I became a BTS fan.

Dear Armys, what are your stories?

P.S. More posts on BTS coming soon… ‘Cause I haven’t even talked about “DNA,” “Fake Love,” “MIC Drop,” “Airplane Pt.2,” “IDOL,” “Boy With Luv,” and more!

P.P.S. Happy 8th anniversary of BTS’s album, Skool Luv Affair! 💜✨✨