BTS. One of the most popular Korean groups, and with that comes one of the biggest fandoms. The name ARMY is one known by many—for good or bad. However, it's easy to pigeonhole a fandom based on the antics of a few loud voices on social media. For those in the fandom, it’s difficult to attempt to try and describe the connection between BTS and ARMY. Ask any fan, and they could easily speak at great length or write wonderful think pieces on how, as a fandom, they counter the negative portrayals with strength, using humour, creativity, and unity to address misunderstandings. The continued underestimation of the impact of BTS’s message often comes down to the typical put-downs of them being a boy band and, of course, the root being a societal bias towards women, who make up a significant portion of ARMY.
The fandom is actually full of people with a great passion for music, decoding lyrics (check out Doolset Bangtan, who breaks down the Korean to help understand the lyrics), and analysing the production style of their music—organised and creative individuals who have stepped out of their comfort zone thanks to the group. The connection isn’t limited to music; it extends to social initiatives. For example, BTS’s collaboration with UNICEF’s "Love Myself" campaign resonated deeply with fans, inspiring them to take part in positive actions. Their recent charity effort arose when j-Hope performed in Paris Le Gala des Pièces Jaunes at La Défense Arena. Fans took it upon themselves to promote the event across social media with flyers and QR codes encouraging global fans to help raise money and donate to the cause.
After the 2022 Festa uproar created by some media outlets, the inside joke is that it has now become the hiatus that never truly happened. Starting with j-hope’s solo album Jack In the Box in July 2022, vocalist Jin was the latest to release his solo album, Happy. In between, we’ve seen documentary releases, solo tours, showcases, books, and never-ending unreleased OT7 content. To say the fandom is well-fed would be an understatement.
However, Generation BTS is out to dive into the music discussions with their podcast discussing the extensive discography spanning over 12 years. They’ve lately begun putting on fun events for fans to gather and get creative, including zines and quizzes.
At the root of BTS and ARMY, it comes down to a shared love for art and music. Being able to explore the ins and outs is something the fandom becomes experts on when comeback days roll around. I spoke to the trio about their BTS journey, their own creative process, and the hardest question of all: which album has had the biggest impact on them?
Let's start from the beginning. How did the three of you first discover BTS? Whenever I talk to ARMY, it always seems everyone has a fun story about how they fell for them!
Kristine: I was bored watching TV one night in the summer of 2021, and in the past few months, I had heard so much about BTS and their amazing music videos from an ARMY who was on a pop culture podcast I listened to at the time. I’ve always loved music videos, so I had been meaning to check them out, and that night I decided to do so. The first one I remember watching was 불타오르네 (FIRE), and I really just fell in love overnight. I watched so many of their videos and decided that I really had to know everything about them.
Leanne: I lived with Kristine when her obsession started in 2021, and despite having taken my cousin Natasha to see them at Wembley in 2019, I didn’t get the hype at the time. It wasn’t until Kristine and I both got COVID in December 2021, and Kristine had gotten a BTS advent calendar, that a daily highlight of our joint quarantine came to revolve around opening up the various merch items that she received. At first, I really couldn’t tell them apart, so I resolved to just learn their names (Kristine quizzed me every day), and the result was as you would expect. Kristine was also watching their content at the time, including Run BTS, and I was so charmed by their humour, humility, and respectful demeanour that a couple of months later I was part of a BTS podcast.
Natasha:I was first introduced to K-pop through a close friend back in September 2016, when I was 13. It all started by discovering GOT7, I then found BTS through them, and I was there for the Blood, Sweat, and Tears comeback. The first Music Video I ever watched was Dope, and the first member who caught my attention was RM. But as I dived deeper into their music and personalities, Jungkook became my bias.
You’re three generations of ARMY reviewing all of BTS’s albums. Firstly, what inspired the idea to start the podcast?
Generation BTS: We had heard different podcasts going through the albums of other, mainly Western artists, in a similar way, though they did theirs in a chronological fashion and without analysing the lyrics in so much detail. We thought that, as an international (non-Korean speaking) ARMY, it would be beneficial to translate the lyrics but also to look for the hidden meanings and throughlines that we knew existed across BTS’s oeuvre and in which we had a particular interest.
We also wanted to share our opinions and reflections around the lyrics, music videos, performances, and the theories they brought up, as well as our superficial thoughts on the album overall, including the best/worst song, MVP, etc., which is why we added an awards section per album. We tried to create something that was both educational, opinion-based, and fun for fellow ARMY’S.
With 12 years of content and so many albums, you don't follow a set order, which I think makes for an engaging listen. How do you decide which album to discuss next?
Generation BTS: We have a randomised picker wheel of eras that we spin at the end of each album we complete. Based on what it lands on, we pick the next album from that era that we haven't done yet. This brings an element of fun and excitement for us, as well as for our listeners, as we move through the eras and piece together the story of BTS’s output.
How do you go about creating your content, and with such a vast catalogue of music to explore, how do you stay motivated and keep your creativity flowing?
Generation BTS: We use remote recording software to record our episodes (mostly because Natasha lived far away from us) and a free editing software called Audacity to edit, but we really struggled to get the audio quality to where we wanted it to be.
When we first started the podcast, we aimed to cover one album every two weeks, which we quickly realised was not feasible in terms of how thorough we wanted to be with our deep dives. We then reduced it to one episode per month, and eventually, we also split our album reviews into three separate parts (usually with three to four songs per part) to avoid the episodes being too long and to make it easier to release them more regularly. We also added quickfire reaction episodes of the solo albums the boys dropped in the summer of 2022.
As our listeners will know, we ended up taking an unplanned break in the last 10 months, as life changes happened to all three of us and affected our ability to take the time to record and edit episodes. But, we are hoping to sit down and figure out how to get back into a rhythm. We are all going to be living together for a while, which should hopefully also make things easier.
As you review each of their albums, what have you found to be the most common challenge? And what has been your favourite episode of the podcast so far?
Generation BTS: We have had many arguments over who the best rapper is (laughs). Leanne is an RM bias, and Kristine is a SUGA bias, so that has caused some very real controversy. A more serious answer would be getting through the massive amount of content associated with each album and ensuring that you’re not missing something super obvious when looking over a particular song, era, or album. It’s not just the music and lyrics, but also music videos, teasers, trailers, short films, highlight reels, universe content across the cartoons, mobile games, notes, books, artwork, mythology, political/historical events that inspired them, clues given in live performances, choreography, social media posts, and mysterious blogs. One random word is written on the back wall of a music video—the list goes on and on!
Not to mention all the different fan theories we also like to look into, so knowing where to stop or how much research is too much research for each episode is definitely challenging! As for a favourite episode, we really enjoyed and were very proud of our Map of the Soul: Persona episode. Though it’s an early one, we felt it really struck the right balance between educational and funny, and it had an entertaining awards section (though we might have argued a lot!).
Many of us love to dive in and analyse the lyrics of BTS and the depth of their various concepts. From their OT7 discography, which era or album has had the most personal impact on each of you?
Kristine: For me, it has to be the Wings era, with the addition of You Never Walk Alone. Although I had already researched the Jungian theory around Map of the Soul Persona seeing as we did that earlier, I felt like Wings had made the origins all fit together. I had read Demian and did so much research on the short films, how they related to the book, plus the behemoth of references to art, mythology and theory that is the Blood, Sweat and Tears Music Video.
The core of the Wings concept can essentially be boiled down to recognising that everything has both a light/good and a dark/evil side. It acknowledges the dark side and a young person’s first meeting with evil gives the album quite an ominous vibe. But the addition of You Never Walk Alone beautifully shifts this and turns the message into something hopeful, it says that although darkness exists within everything, we will be able to face it together and lighter times always lie ahead, and I just thought that all tied together was both incredibly clever and really beautiful!
Natasha: I think I would have to see the Wings era as well- particularly You Never Walk Alone as it was my first comeback and it includes my favourite song Spring Day. I remember quite well the release of the Spring Day Music Video. I was at my grandparent's house, waiting excitedly for the 3pm release. I ran upstairs, watched the music video, and cried so I ended up watching it multiple times. I got so invested in learning the message behind it that I went down a rabbit hole of watching explanatory videos and fan reactions.
As Chapter Two seems to be coming to an end—we assume—what has been the most enjoyable part for you as a fan? Especially since many of us thought that we’d finally have time to catch up on content?
Kristine: For me, the D-Day tour was probably the highlight of Chapter Two. Leanne and I flew out to New York for it, but I had VIP with soundcheck on the first day, and I have some incredible videos of my bias performing from such a close distance. I pretty much blew through all my savings, but it was all worth it!
Leanne: One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about Chapter Two is how all the members have been able to pursue their own passions, each suited to their own personal taste. I loved j-Hope’s Jack in Box for its gritty, grunge-rock vibe, while Indigo was a beautifully curated collection of songs that RM had been working on for years. Seeing Yoongi take D-DAY on tour, and I loved that V was able to put out something in the Jazz genre with Layover! I’ve enjoyed seeing so many new and different sides to all the members!
Natasha: For me, it would have to be my boy JK’s Seven era- and, of course, those Calvin Klein campaign photos!
Speaking of Chapter Two, which solo album took you by surprise the most?
Kristine: For me, it might have been the very first one - Jack in the Box! When the solo albums were announced, I think I had a rough idea of what the members would do, but if I had to predict right there and then I think Hobi’s would have been furthest away from what I thought we would get from him. (Hope on the Street is probably more in line with what I would have expected).
Leanne: Jungkook’s album was probably the biggest surprise for me. Because when it was announced that his first single would be called Seven (feat. Latto) I thought it would be a really lovely Festa-style song about how much he loved his members- not an upbeat pop track about how he, well, gives “All of his sweet love” every day of the week! I was also quite surprised that his entire album was all in English.
Natasha: FACE I think was the most surprising for me. As we got the mysterious countdown with the piece of text on it and the teaser just felt so RM-coded. Then to learn it was actually Jimin’s, and that he also took part in the writing process for the album felt even more special. FACE felt like a BTS album in the sense that it had deep emotions, but were purely his own.
If you could recommend one BTS album or song with the most powerful message or theme to a newcomer, what would it be and why?
Kristine: I’d probably recommend Love Yourself: Her . On our podcast, we have a segment where we each pick a song we’d skip if you absolutely had to - and when we did that for this album, we all found it incredibly difficult as it is such a solid album. The Love Yourself message is both powerful, relatable, and easy to connect with, especially for a newcomer. Plus, that album is full of upbeat, positive pop songs, which makes it a really entry point for anyone just getting into them.
Natasha: That's so hard to pick just one! But I think I’d go with Answer: Love Myself. The message is so meaningful, and I remember it really resonated with me as a teenager at school.
When you think of a personal BTS memory, what comes to mind? Be it a performance, a song, or any memories with friends linked to them?
Generation BTS: We went together to the last OT7 concert before military enlistment in Busan. We had planned to go, whether or not we managed to get tickets, and none of us had gotten lucky in the raffle. But through a miraculous coincidence, one of our friends saw a story from a UK fan club asking for people who were heading out there just with tickets to watch the live play on the beach to email them. We assumed they were looking to arrange a meet-up, so we sent an email across. They responded saying they had a few tickets to the actual concert that had been donated by the Korean embassy in London! They had mentioned wanting the tickets to go to UK fans who could promote Busan in a positive way whilst attending the concert, so of course, we responded, saying that we had a podcast and would be more than happy to promote!
We had to send all sorts of proof- already purchased plane tickets, etc. But when we eventually received the email back confirming they had allocated us some tickets we actually couldn’t believe our luck! We managed to attend the concert, and it was incredible. We even recorded a full podcast episode about our trip, and it’s still available for anyone who would like to check it out!
It was also our first holiday together the three of us, so it felt like everything came together in a very special way. On our first night in Busan, we even went around the room, giving little speeches to each other about how grateful we were to be there (laughs)
It can often feel cliché to say a group has helped people, be it through boosting confidence or even inspiring them to go out of their comfort zones and get creative. Would you say BTS have that same impact on you?
Generation BTS:I think we all feel that the podcast and the pub quizzes we’ve organised have given us an outlet to express our interests and self-actualise. They allow us to produce something without the constraints of being in a work setting or having to fit the criteria of a manager or teacher.
We get to produce something we choose to create- that is solely focused on what we’re interested in. It’s based on our own research and takes- and that feels quite fulfilling in a world where your career and life otherwise can be a bit too rigid or too busy to pursue creative passion projects.Having this space has helped us connect with other ARMY’S and get involved in other events happening around London. So, we’d definitely say that BTS has inspired us-both creatively and in terms of putting ourselves out there.
Once again, it’s difficult to explain the connection between BTS and ARMY to those who aren’t part of it. How would you personally describe your own experience with the group and being part of a large fandom that often faces ridicule or are misunderstood?
Generation BTS: I think we’ve definitely experienced misunderstandings and occasional ridicule from some of our friends and family- unfortunately! At least in the beginning, it’s easy to get caught up in how brilliant it all is, and just want to convert everyone. But over time, I think we’ve made peace with the fact that it’s just not for everyone- and in the end that’s sort of their loss! We’ve each managed to convert at least one person, which has been really great, but at the end of the day it’s hard enough to get tickets for stuff as it is (laughs) Being part of such a huge fandom is amazing, especially being able to connect with people from all over the world who just get it-- we have made so many new friends from all over.
When I (Kristine) went out to New York for SUGA’s concert, I travelled there alone for the first few days before Leanne joined me. I remember my parents questioning me whether it was safe to travel to New York by myself, and I just remember thinking it hadn’t even crossed my mind, because obviously, I would be with other ARMY’S!
I had joined a few chats with people travelling from the UK before going, and I was sure that once I got there, I’d meet plenty of other like-minded people. So, I never felt alone or unsafe at any point! I ended up in a group of about 25 people in the VIP queue, and we all stuck together, sharing food, drinks, and chargers.
When the mobile data on my phone stopped working after the concert (I’d hit a spending cap I didn’t realise I had whilst uploading some of the videos I took), some Canadian ARMY’S took me in their Uber to their hotel and let me use their Wi-Fi to book transport back to where I was staying. I also met up with some people who were travelling from London, and I’m still friends with them now.
It really is amazing to think that you can befriend and relate to so many nice, kind, helpful, and positive people so easily. I also see being an ARMY as the greenest flag- so it’s easy to build trust! (laughs)
As fans, would you agree that connecting with others-whether through events, the global online community, or in person—is what truly makes the fandom a unique and special space? What’s one thing you wish people knew or acknowledged about the group?
Generation BTS: Yes, definitely! I think we alluded to this in the answer above. It feels like anywhere you go - though especially at BTS-themed events or in online spaces - you can instantly make connections with total strangers over this one thing we have in common, and that is really wonderful. For us, it is especially interesting when we meet people who, either through listening to the podcast or otherwise, also have an interest in the song lyrics and the theories behind them. Those are the discussions we love to have! (We even toyed with the idea of setting up a BTS song lyrics discussion group- kind of like a book club- at one point).
We do wish the meaning and theories behind BTS songs were more widely acknowledged because, if they were, it would be so much harder for people to write them off as just another K-pop group. At times, we have been frustrated that the only songs with widespread appeal outside of the fandom - receiving attention from Western radio stations, award shows, etc. are the all-English songs that do not necessarily have that dimension.
As much as we love Butter and Dynamite, and as great as they are as good gateway tracks, we sometimes feel that they represent only a small part of what makes BTS and their message special. They don’t fully capture why BTS appeals to so many different people, so we think it would be great if that was more widely acknowledged and publicised.
Making the messages more accessible to a non Korean-speaking audience is also part of why we started the podcast. It’s so easy to think they’re just cute boys in fancy outfits doing cool dances to upbeat songs, but as fans that’s not what comes to mind when we think about BTS at all!
In addition to podcasting, you host a variety of events from pub quizzes with the recent BTS Quizine of Love on 15th February. What do you enjoy the most about organising these events?
Generation BTS: I think we saw the pub quizzes and quiz/zine (aka Quizine) events as a natural extension of the podcast- an additional way to bring people together and connect with others who share our interest in the messages behind the songs. A lot of the podcast research makes up the basis for the quiz questions, so our listeners should have an advantage. Plus, we thought that if people attended the event without being listeners, they might be inclined to listen to the podcast afterwards if their interests align with ours. Though they’re a lot of work, they’re also so much fun once they happen!
With the boys returning in 2025, what events would you dream of organizing and bringing to life for ARMY’s?
Generation BTS: We haven’t really discussed any other types of events, but we have played around with the idea of doing more collaborations with other fan clubs. For instance, we have talked to the organisers of the BTS club night about hosting the pub quiz on the same day, followed by everyone heading to the club night afterward. It would be great if we could make that happen!
We are really happy with our current collaboration with the ARMY Zine Club, which allows attendees to enjoy a relaxing two hours of creating a BTS-themed zine before our slightly chaotic pub quiz kicks off. That partnership has worked really well! People can choose to attend just one part of the day (i.e., either the zine-making or the quiz), but we’re finding that many are eager to turn it into a full, BTS-themed day of fun!
Finally, what's next for Generation BTS?
Generation BTS: We really want to get back to a regular schedule with the podcast, so we’re hoping to get that sorted at some point in the next few months. We have a couple of episodes ready to go, but ideally, we want to be able to let listeners know what to expect from then onwards. Of course, since this is something we take on in our free time, things could always change depending on our availability.
If we can find a way to improve the audio quality and editing process, it should be more than doable—we just need to properly look into how that can be done and how we can split the work.
We would also like to keep our current rhythm of roughly two quiz events per year going, if possible! Of course, we’re also hoping to get to a concert at some point… We’re also very excited for our boys to be back!