Media, consumerism, and arts and culture are so closely studied and analyzed. People within the entertainment business are constantly looking at what’s popular now, what that could mean for the future, and how they can gain profit based on trends. And some days I’m baffled about how it seems as if people within this industry cannot fully understand the concepts of fandom. That a group of people can find a strong connection to something or someone and want to dedicate time, energy, and money to it. That they do it because it means something to them. Because it brings joy, comfort, and community to a messed up world. This is what the BTS ARMY is all about.
It’s been said that ARMY is unique and cannot be replicated or reproduced. I agree with this 100%. I say this not only as an active ARMY, but as someone who has been a part of other fandoms and has been so fascinated by the mere idea of fan culture ever since I saw it emerge in the early days of AOL chat rooms, Myspace, and Xanga blogs. I’m not an expert but damn am I passionate, and I’m here to dive into this.
I ran a poll recently asking ARMY about their personal fandom history. And the results were incredibly interesting. A total of 273 people responded and 61% said ARMY was their first fandom. 14% shared that they were a “lifelong fandom person” whereas 25% said that they had been a “stan” before but never at the level of involvement of being an ARMY. As someone who falls into the “lifelong” category, I found this so fascinating. To think that the majority of people from those who responded had never been in a fandom before, but found a place in ARMY, is incredible. To know that all of these people found something, some reason, to dive into this world and stay here is meaningful. It matters. Because fandom matters. It’s what keeps the industry afloat.
As part of the poll, I also asked respondents to share their personal thoughts and experiences as to why they answered the way they did. And it was so wonderful to hear from so many people on why they became an ARMY and have stayed. There were common themes of loving the music, wanting to support the band and do their part to help them succeed (i.e. voting, streaming, following charting information, etc), and feeling like they’ve found a community. Everything was so insanely positive and loving — a great representation of what this fandom is meant to be about. Some said they were never interested in being a part of a fandom before, even had some negative feelings towards the idea, but that changed with BTS and ARMY.
The BTS ARMY is large, diverse, and outspoken. It’s millions of people from all over the world and all walks of life. And when you look at the big picture, we are not who people assume us to be when they think of “boy bands” or “fangirls.” I’m never going to dismiss the younger fans who may fit into the age range people tend to associate with this idea (hell, I wish I had a band like BTS in my life when I was 10–17), but it is a fact that we are not the stereotype. You can watch any news story from any BTS appearance and see that we are all ages, races, gender identities, ethnicities, sexualities, religions, etc. We come from all walks of life, finding commonalities thanks to a band that is all about positivity, love, and connection.
When BTS say they love their fans, that it’s ARMY who keeps them going, or that they miss us — they mean it. It’s genuine and authentic. Our name is literally tattooed on one of their hands. Yes, other artists appreciate their fans in their own ways — I’ll never deny that and I also can’t say I know how every other major pop artist interacts with their fans. But I can say that what BTS and ARMY have is special. The members of the band know that their words can be healing and they truly want to do what they can to help their fans feel some sense of relief, no matter what they may be dealing with. We see it in their ments at concerts, in their tweets, their posts on Weverse, and in countless interviews, behind the scenes videos, etc. They physically react when they think about how they help us, and how we help them. They don’t take a single moment for granted. Because it’s been a partnership since day one. They’ve shown love and respect to their fans, and their fans have reciprocated in incredible ways.
In my 2+ years as a BTS fan, I’ve been in awe learning about the ways the fans have supported the boys since debut. People who love this band want them to succeed because they deserve it. Because they started from the bottom in an industry that is so broken, worked their way through so much negativity, and found success by staying true to themselves, their art, and their fans. We’re the best fans in the world because we really, truly, 100% believe in the artists themselves. They show us through their music and messages that they understand the power in their words. That they want us to feel as loved as we make them feel. They’re so great at acknowledging that there are so many of us and we may all never meet, but we’re all a part of something together.
ARMY fights for respect for the members not just for being artists, but for being humans. Both internally and externally, we share important reminders of privacy and balance. We support whatever the boys want to tell us or show us, and understand that they are just as entitled to their personal lives as we are. That’s important and should be said by all fandoms and all stans throughout pop culture. Along with that, we do everything we can to fight for them against the racism, xenophobia, ignorance, and toxic masculinity in this world and industry. 7 boys from Korea, singing in Korean, continue to break down the walls put up around them and ARMY helps to make that happen because we genuinely feel that it’s earned.
We stream because we love the music and we want the world to see how talented they are and that music transcends language. We buy because we’re proud to represent BTS on our clothing or in our homes. We watch because their personalities, performances, and interactions are the perfect distraction from whatever may be going on. They make us happy. It really isn’t that crazy of a concept.
People think that being a fan (especially if you’re a woman) means you’re rabid, obsessive, or crazed. That’s not what an ARMY is. We’re passionate, driven, and determined. Are we a perfect fandom? No. There is no fandom in this world that is. But we’re full of a whole lot of good. Because BTS make us good. They create music and messages that inspire us to be a part of this community that focuses on supporting the music while also supporting each other.
There can absolutely be other fandoms out there that are full of people who love the music and want to connect with each other, but there can be no other ARMY. We have been a part of the good and the bad, become an active, outspoken, supportive community, and truly believe in the artists we love. We have learned and grown with the band and will continue to do so throughout their entire career. Because we really, genuinely want to. They make us happy, we make them happy. It should be so simple. But it’s not, because there is nothing simple about BTS. They’re complex, deep, authentic, honest, and immensely talented. And ARMY will do whatever we can to make the world see that.
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