APOBANGPO – ARMY Forever, BANGTAN Forever!
This pact has been proven again as K-pop supergroup BTS renews their contract with BigHit Music is promising more years as a septet after concluding their military service in 2025.
But wait—there’s more! The group also simultaneously made a billion-dollar donation toUNICEF, under ARMY’s name! Now this is love.
Media chatter, Twitter trends, and solos’ and antis’ tears aside, September 20th truly is a part ofARMYs’ hall of fame. Aside from the obvious affection the boys are giving their ARMYs, their movements on this day are a passive-aggressive “power move” and here’s why:
MANNER. There wasn’t any media play regarding the matter. It was such a tight-lipped renewal process that nothing spilt until BTS broke the news themselves. How exactly did the world know? RM, the BTS leader, first posted about it on his Instagram in a two-part story, breaking the news to everyone. IG is a worldwide app. If RM only wanted ARMYs to know first, then he could’ve gone to Weverse – this was intentional.
BTS wanted ARMYs to trust them and them alone—something they asked for since Festa 2022 dinner. The leader himself speaking about the renewal first served as an assurance that BTS will always keep ARMYs in the know.
It is also a counter-punch against the media, which tends to put words in BTS’s mouth. This time ‘round, no one got any exclusive information about the matter beforehand, as they were all forced to just take what BTS gave everyone else.
BTS – 1 : Media & Co. – 0
CONTEXT. Ever since the news of BTS’s temporary hiatus broke, various media outlets painted it in different ways, under different lights. They didn’t just report it; they each made their own narratives. Apparently, “BTS is disbanding,” as per numerous articles like Billboard’s, but the boys didn’t get the memo. A little over a year after the entire fiasco, BTS took the media and the world by surprise by personally guaranteeing their return as OT7 after their military duties.
Not only did the group disprove all those narratives, but they also proved that they, alone, have the power and influence over the career.
BTS – 2 : Media & Co. – 0
CIRCUMSTANCE. When the news about the contract renewal broke on September 20th, two members are already on active duty and one was about to serve in two days.
The majority of BTS is in the middle of wrapping up their various individual projects in preparation for their enlistment.
BTS enlisting at the peak of their career is already a strong power move. Announcing their renewal in the middle of the group’s enlistment is another.
It reflects the sheer trust BTS has in each other and in ARMYs. That trust is prevalent enough that no article, media, nor industry can stop BTS from moving forward as SEVEN, even after a two-year hiatus.
BTS – 3 : Media & Co. – 0
Korea’s “mandatory enlistment” takes nearly two years of idols’ life and career, and causes them to face uncertainties following their discharge. Idol groups are trickier. Their bond, synergy, and priorities can change within a two-year span.
BTS, however, is family. Their priorities lie in becoming ARMY’s forever artists,” and both the hiatus and contract renewal are proof of such.
You do trust them, don’t you?
BTS – WINNER : MEDIA & Co. – K.O!!!
