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So my interest in @BTS_twt and #ARMY started as a curiosity about a pop cultural phenomenon. And I ended up finding new perspectives, good music, FUN and JOY, luxurious commodities in 2020. And now I've made a whole radio programme about it: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cszj9g
We talk a lot about opening ourselves to new things, but when I started telling my friends about this Korean band I met a lot of resistance in the form of our sexist and ageist ideas about what is "valid" taste in music. Even amongst the pop music consumers.
But even if you are not a pop person, it's worth keeping your eyes and ears open to what is happening in the world. And BTS has gathered around them a fandom that is quite different from what we were used to see.
And it is global. Almost in that utopian sense of globalization that we had in the early 2000s, in which people would learn each other's languages, use the internet to organize super fast and efficiently, etc. You will see petty fandom wars, yes, but I won't cater to that.
ARMY impressed me with their will to donate time and to put in the work to do good things. Educate. Counsel. Be there for one another. It was good to witness that in 2020. Because we've had to witness enough people being terrible.
The programme was made with a lot of love and the help of amazing people like @ResearchBTS, @JeeLee06767883, @kci_w, David Kim @dkdktv92, @BTS_AHC, @armymedunion, @BTSNewsBrasil, @amyandbribtsbp, @BTSArmyZA, @MomsNoonas, @BTSBEINGBTSYT, @naija0329 & more. Hope you like it
