New Delhi, June 20 (PTI): There’s a popular saying in the fandom of BTS, the South Korean music sensation celebrating the 10th anniversary of their debut: “You don’t find BTS, they find you when you need them most.”
Indian fans of the group who turned into an ARMY, a term used for the South Korean band BTS’ fan following, agree to this saying.
Shreyansh Ankit, a BTS fan pursuing a diploma course in Korean language from Delhi University’s Ramjas College, and Nausheen Tickoo, a California-based healthcare professional, remember how BTS helped them cope during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ankit said he found BTS around 2020-21, a period when everybody was frustrated due to the pandemic-induced lockdown.
Primarily an English honours student at Delhi University, he credits the band’s performance on their English song “Dynamite” at the 2021 Grammy Awards for prompting him to take up the Korean language course.
“Back then, there was confusion all around. We were continuously scrolling YouTube and reels on Instagram and that was when I discovered BTS,” he added.
“There has been such a significant change in my mindset and approach to life since discovering BTS and their music. 2020 was a horrible year for me and COVID-19 only made a bad situation worse,” Tickoo told PTI.
It has been a week since BTS turned 10 and the two-week celebration FESTA 2023, an annual event to mark the debut of the septet, are in full swing in Seoul, the South Korean capital.
BTS or Bangtan Sonyeondan (Bulletproof Boys in English), formed in 2010 under Big Hit Entertainment, released their first single album ‘2 Cool 4 Skool’ on June 12, 2013.
Indian admirers are also not behind in showing their love for the group, comprising RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook.
Tickoo, who has memorised several BTS songs such as “Awake” and “DNA” by heart, recently attended Suga’s ‘Agust D Tour’ in Los Angeles. Last year, she travelled all the way to Las Vegas to see BTS perform live on stage for their ‘Permission to Dance’ tour in the US.
“That is the beauty of their work, it feels like we are running together towards our dreams, our happiness. Laughing together, comforting each other when we might need a break or motivating each other when we might need a push.
