ARMY

Adorable Representatives For Youth


Crash Course for new ARMY:
BTS 101

Please note: I am constantly tweaking and updating this page. So please save the Home URL instead and try not to SS as some content will become out of date and links will change without notice.
I hope this gives you a good start on your journey down the Bangtan rabbit hole💜

"I just wanted to know their names!" - every ARMY ever 😉

CHAPTER 1

Get to know the group BTS through ARMY’s perspective

Great introduction video to BTS as a group and ARMY their fandom (information accurate as of 2020)
 ▶️THIS IS BTS | Introduction to BTS (YouTube)


Another great introduction video which goes into a bit more detail for each member of BTS and an overview of their musical eras and achievements close to the end of "Chapter 1" 2022

▶️The Most Beautiful Life Goes On: A Story of BTS (2022 Update!) (YouTube)


For more fan made introduction videos, go through this playlist

▶️BTS - GUIDES AND INTRODUCTIONS (YouTube)

An ARMY-made documentary series offers a deep dive into the history of BTS from the perspective of their fans, using primary source material from BTS's videos and media content. Though the series is unfinished, it spans 21 episodes and covers events up to 2018 and early 2019. This series is crucial for understanding who BTS are as artists and individuals, as well as gaining insight into the history and motivations of the fandom.
▶️Rise Of Bangtan (YouTube)



Get to Know BTS Through Their Own Content

BTS’s music


One of BTS’s standout qualities in the music world is their ability to write some of the most relatable, captivating, poetic, and sometimes savage lyrics. RM, the leader and main lyricist of BTS, is known for his poetic and philosophical insights, as well as his skills as a rapper and musician. However, BTS is composed of seven supremely talented musicians, singer-songwriters, performers, and producers who all actively participate in their craft. This level of artistry and dedication sets them apart from many pop acts globally.


BTS does not stick to a single style or genre. Their expansive discography of over 36 albums and a multitude of singles, both as a group and in solo projects, covers nearly every known musical genre. They are not known for half-hearted efforts or production. Therefore, it is worth your time to deeply explore the musicality and artistry of their music, where they speak their truth in the most beautiful and visceral ways.

 

Almost all of BTS's music videos, most of which include subtitles, are available on their label's official YouTube channel, HYBE LABELS.

Watch this playlist - ▶️BTS (방탄소년단)


 For listening - Spotify’s playlist 🎵'This is BTS' has a good sampling of BTS across all their eras and solo projects.

For a comprehensive guided tour of BTS's massive discography, I suggest using ARMYBTSguide's ℹ️'BTS Music Guide'. 

Highly recommended ARMY TRANSLATOR Websites for a deep dive into all their lyrics.

BTS’s Massive Content Archive

BTS has an unparalleled content library amassed over their more than 11-year career. This includes but not limited to concerts, interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, documentaries, variety shows, reality shows, and special seasonal packages.

Here is a brief run-through of their content and by no means is this a complete list

 MEMORIES OF YYYY
BTS released annual packages chronicling the biggest events of their year in packages called 'Memories of YYYY' these were released in 2014 all the way up to 2021. Many of these packages have runtimes from 5 hours to nearly 12 hours of footage in total per package. So you can just imagine the number of memories we have chronicled over the years. These are complete physical packages as they also include photo books and other collectable paraphernalia.  A couple of the latter years may still be available for purchase via the 🛍️Weverse Store.

CONCERTS AND FAN MEETS
BTS has an extensive catalogue of concert stages and fan meets called 'Musters', available for viewing, spanning special showcases from 2013 to high-production extravaganzas up to 2023. Starting with their debut concert tour 'The Red Bullet' in 2014, which showcased their early hits and raw energy, they moved on to larger venues with 'The Most Beautiful Moment in Life On Stage' and 'Epilogue' tours from 2015 to 2016.

In 2017, BTS saw another increase in audience attendance and venue sizes with 'BTS Live Trilogy Episode III: The Wings Tour.' Each tour brought more elaborate stage setups and impressive performances. The record-breaking 'Love Yourself' world tour in 2018 and its stadium extension 'Speak Yourself' in 2019 marked a significant leap, featuring massive production values and intricate storytelling through their music and visuals.

The pandemic era saw the innovative 'Bang Bang Con: The Live' and 'Map of the Soul ON:E' ticketed online concert events, pushing the boundaries of virtual performances and broadcasting to millions of homes over 193 countries worldwide.

To mark and celebrate the end of a long period parted from ARMY due to the global pandemic, at the end of 2021 and the first half of 2022, BTS embarked on the limited 'Permission to Dance: On Stage' shows in LA, Seoul, and Las Vegas.
▶️Permission to Dance On Stage in LA (December 2021) on Disney+

Their final concert as a group before their mandatory military service enlistment hiatus came as a surprise in mid-October 2022 with the 'Yet To Come: Busan' concert, organised and held for free to a stadium of 55,000 in-person audience, 20,000 more live screenings at Busan Port, and overflow screens set up in various locations around Busan, as well as free broadcast of the entire concert on WEVERSE to millions around the world.
▶️Yet To Come in: Busan (October 2022) on Amazon Prime

Since BTS's debut in 2013 all the way to 2021, they have held annual fan meetings called 'Muster' for their official fan club members. Similar to concerts, these events feature BTS members playing games with ARMYs and performing songs from both their older and more recent releases. The term 'muster' traditionally refers to a gathering of soldiers, which is a playful nod to the fandom name, ARMY, highlighting the bond between BTS and their fans as their dedicated 'soldiers.'

Each concert tour and live stage not only highlighted their evolving musical journey but also deepened their connection with fans worldwide through unforgettable live experiences.

"CHAPTER 1" DOCUMENTARIES
2017 – Burn The Stage – covering THE WINGS trilogy album era tour
▶️MOVIE (YouTube Original)
 ▶️DOCU-SERIES (YouTube Original)

 2018 – Bring The Soul - covering the LOVE YOURSELF tour
▶️MOVIE & COMMENTARY PACKAGE (WEVERSE)
▶️DOCU-SERIES (WEVERSE)

2019 – Break The Silence - covering the SPEAK YOURSELF stadium extension tour which is still part of the Love Yourself trilogy of albums.
▶️MOVIE & COMMENTARY PACKAGE (WEVERSE)
▶️DOCU-SERIES (WEVERSE)

2020-2023 – Monuments: Beyond the Star – this documentary briefly covers BTS's rise to the pinnacle of the global music industry, how the world was at a sudden standstill during the pandemic and how this affected them and their future plans. The latter part of the docu-series introduces their "Chapter 2" projects. This phase explores their solo endeavours as group activities paused due to South Korea's mandatory military enlistment for all able-bodied Korean men.
▶️DOCU-SERIES (DISNEY+)

VARIETY GAME SHOWS
BTS have their very own variety game show called Run BTS which started on August 2015 on a platform called VLive. Later this video streaming platform was bought by BTS’s company and merged with their own platform, ▶️WEVERSE.  A large majority of their content is available to stream via the Weverse platform.

REALITY TRAVEL SHOWS
On top of music, documentaries, and variety game shows, BTS also have their very own reality shows. Their travel reality shows are called 'Bon Voyage' and there have been 4 seasons of these filmed in the years ▶️2016 in Northern Europe, ▶️2017 in Hawaii, ▶️2018 in Malta and ▶️2019 in New Zealand. Available on Weverse.

REALITY SHOWS
 Their other reality show is called 인더숲 'In The Soop' ('Soop' means forest in Korean), there have been 2 seasons of 'In the Soop', as these were filmed during lockdowns in the pandemic of ▶️2020 and ▶️2021. Available on Weverse.

 

ANNUAL SPECIAL PACKAGES
Apart from the annual 'Memories of YYYY' packages, BTS also had other annual content and special packages - Summer (2015 to 2019), Winter (2020 to 2021) and Seasons Greetings (2015 to 2022). These packages take you along for the ride behind the scenes of the photoshoots and BTS play games/quizzes during this time away for these packages. These were all physical packages. Only the 2022 Seasons Greetings package may still be available for purchase and can be streamed on 🛍️Weverse Shop.

BOOK

In July of 2023, BTS released their first book and only official autobiography, 'Beyond The Story: 10-YEAR RECORD OF BTS'.

🎵Audiobook (SPOTIFY)

🛍️Purchase the hardcover  (AMAZON)

CHAPTER 2

This era of BTS has been dubbed their “Chapter 2”. The reason for this is BTS’s leader RM, spoke of the release of their anthology album PROOF (May 2022) as turning the page to the end of their Chapter 1.


Watch the PROOF collection of MVs on ▶️YouTube.

Listen to PROOF on 🎵Spotify.

 

Despite all members of BTS having entered the military. As at the time of writing this, 6 members are currently still serving. The eldest member Jin, who first entered in December of 2022 was discharged on June 12, 2024.

Each BTS member worked continually to prepare music and content to be released during this period of their career and life. Their projects have been tag-teaming ARMY’s calendar since the start of "Chapter 2" in June 2022.


It is important to note the significance of BTS having pre-recorded content to be released while they complete their civic duty. This strategy marks a significant departure from the norm, as previous male idols in their industry often had to put their successful careers on hold during their military service and struggled to regain their former level of fame afterward.


Several factors underpin BTS's approach. First, they wanted to ensure that their loyal ARMY was kept entertained during their nearly 2.5 to 3-year group hiatus. Second, these solo projects allowed them to explore creative freedom beyond the existing image of 'BTS,' which has worked in their favor as new ARMY join the fold every day after discovering BTS through different mediums during these "group hiatus" years.


Third, and perhaps most importantly from a business perspective, BTS are major shareholders of HYBE, the company they helped build into what it is today. Even during their group hiatus in 2022 and 2023, BTS and their solo projects were estimated to contribute approximately 60% of HYBE's earnings.

TALK SHOWS

Suga created his very own talk show, '신동엽 (Suchwita)', short for 'time to get drunk with SUGA' in Korean. The show includes SUGA carrying out in-depth conversations about music and more with special guests over drinks. The series has 27 episodes, roughly 30-45 mins in length.

CONCERTS AND FAN MEETS
Continuing from their concerts and live stages in "Chapter 1". "Chapter 2", saw BTS venture into their solo projects for “Chapter 2,” all the members chose different ways to showcase their live stages.

J-Hope became the first Korean artist to headline a major US music festival, Lollapalooza, affectionately dubbed ▶️Hobipalooza.

Before entering the military, Jin joined Coldplay on stage in Argentina for the then-only live stage of his single ▶️'The Astronaut' (co-written by Chris Martin of Coldplay).

RM returned to his underground roots and celebrated the release of his album ▶️'Indigo' with an exclusive stage for 200 lucky raffle winners at Rolling Hall in Hongdae, Seoul.

▶️Jimin, ▶️V, and ▶️Jungkook chose music show stages, international talk shows and various showcases with relaxed formats to present their respective albums.

Suga, toured his album ▶️'Agust D - D-Day Tour' across the US and Asia.

MUSIC

BTS’s members have released the following albums over the last 2 years. I won’t list the singles as there are too many to list here😂




Along with these albums, there is a plethora of supplementary video content as well. A majority of these can be found on the official BTS YouTube Channel ▶️BangtanTV and of course ▶️Weverse.



"CHAPTER 2" DOCUMENTARIES

RM, J-Hope, Suga, and Jimin have released "Making of" documentaries that showcase the process of creating their albums and performances.


VARIETY SHOWS (not related to music releases)

BTS's V has starred in a couple of variety shows. In ▶️'In The Soop: Friendcation,' July 2022 (Disney+) he and his famous friends enjoy a relaxing getaway together. In ▶️'Jinny's Kitchen,' March 2023 (Prime) V and four other celebrities attempt to run a restaurant in Mexico.

REALITY TRAVEL SHOWS

An upcoming travel reality show by Jimin and Jungkook will be set to release in August 2024. This series will follow their journey to 3 different countries. Filmed at various times during 2023 before they enlisted into the military on December 2023.



...Watch this space for more updates to this page...


BTS has an extensive array of official channels across various platforms where updates from the members and their team and label are shared. Click the button below to access my curated list of all official BTS channels.

With every community that grows and expands, BTS and ARMY build up our jargon & there are many who are new to this community who could be easily lost in it all. So, I pulled together a short list of specific words you're going to come across frequently.

Most are self-explanatory but sometimes I know some people want to make sure of the meaning anyway. Click on the button below for a  Glossary of Important frequently used terms in ARMY Twitter and other social media platforms.

If you are in a position financially, I strongly suggest that you support BTS by purchasing their music from chart registered retailers and content directly from their site on Weverse or streaming from official platforms such as - YouTube, Disney+ and Prime.

I know, first-hand, what it is like to come into this fandom and have absolutely no clue how to access so much of their full-length content. Though BTS continue to provide so much free-to-access content to all ARMYs, it is understandable that a portion of their content is behind a paywall and/or simply that their older content is almost completely unavailable for purchase or even streaming through official channels.
So I have been working on making as much of their content available to a wider audience.

Click the here ▶️🙊  to access my secret content library.

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