Hey! Hallie here!
Within just the last couple of days we’ve gotten tons of BTS content worth discussing. They’ve been blowing up social media in the best way possible. It feels like the members get more impressive every time we see them. Although, I did see one piece of very important information slide under the radar. Or rather, under Twitter’s trending list. So with all of the new footage to watch over and over again, and all of the important news we still have to keep an ear out for, let’s get into this!
Seoul Travel Promo:
BTS, as part of their position as honorary tourism ambassadors for South Korea, released a video for this year’s promotional efforts. The promotional content will continue throughout the entire month of September and all of it seems to be going under the name “Eo-Gi-Young-Cha” which is an expression shouted in unison to give each other strength. This sentiment is meant to support everyone struggling under the effects of the pandemic. Amongst the content is behind the scenes footage for the official video and other extras featuring BTS. We’ll have to wait for those, however. What we do have, is the official video and all of the amazing shots of BTS that came with it. Throughout the video we see all of the members chant the name of the project dressed in gorgeous outfits. From Taehyung and Namjoon we can see simpler and more classic suits, Namjoon’s with tighter black pants and a more fitted jacket whereas Taehyung’s brown suit lays looser. Yoongi’s suit has some added character with large flower designs decorating the bottom half of his jacket and sleeves. Jimin and Hoseok have matching blue feather designs, Hoseok’s taking up his entire suit design whereas Jimin matches his pants with a black, loosely fitting shirt and connecting scarf. Jungkook’s suit has beautiful gold detailing and a striking red undershirt and Jin is dressed in a blue robe that gorgeously accentuates his movements. There’s a traditional feel to all of these outfits that very much reflects the traditional places advertised in the video. Between all of the individual shots of BTS, and an epic few seconds of Jungkook playing some traditional drums, we see others walking around famous places in Seoul and joining in on the chant. It definitely succeeds in making me want to go. Though maybe not during the pandemic. In any case, I really love the message of togetherness this video sends to every viewer.
Megan Thee Stallion “Butter” Remix Dance:
This is probably my favorite thing I’m talking about in this post. It’s always a pleasure to watch J-Hope, Jimin, and Jungkook dance. But having just the three of them do an insanely intense and impressive dance to one of the best collaborations BTS has ever done? Perfection. This video feels very casual. They’re dancing in their studio and they move so fluidly that they make the dance look easy. But the quick pace of every single move betrays how difficult it is and makes it addictive to watch. I love how they incorporated moves that not only show how well they move in sync but also how well they move as extensions of one another. Other things worth pointing out are J-Hope’s unnaturally flexible ankles and how adorable all of them looked sticking their tongues out. Just go watch this one. Right now.
BTS Interview With Chris Martin:
Just around an hour ago as I’m writing this, BTS released a reaction to the “Permission to Dance” challenge that’s been going on for the past few weeks. In between the group viewing select entries from the challenge, they were interviewed by Chris Martin of Coldplay fame! It was impressive enough that they got Chris Martin to agree to let them cover “Fix You”. He’s famously protective of his work. But now he’s interviewing them as well! It shows the power of BTS’s message that even the cautious want to join in to support them. In the video the members watched videos from all over the world, including a dancing video by two Russians who made their crazy reflective costumes themselves, and a video made by a blind woman and a deaf woman who spoke about what the song meant to them. They also answered questions about what it felt like to have such a huge cultural impact and how seeing the challenge videos effected them. They were humble as always and frequently managed to turn the conversation back to praising ARMY. There was even a cute moment where Namjoon and Chris Martin got into a bit of a complement war. It wasn’t as natural as most interviews are, but it was still very enjoyable.
BTS’s Military Service:
This is less fun news but still important to talk about. Yesterday was supposed to be the day that BTS’s military service was discussed by the National Defense Commission. They were even supposed to come to a final decision. As most probably know considering how little everyone has been talking about this, there was no decision announced. Evidently the National Defense Commission didn’t get to this matter as discussions for other matters of more importance went longer than expected. The discussion of BTS’s military service is now expected to happen later in the year. I’ve seen a lot of people comment on this subject. Antis have yelled about how unfair it would be if BTS didn’t serve. ARMYs have yelled about how unfair it would be if BTS had to serve. What I will say here is, this isn’t a matter of a K-Pop group getting exemptions. This is a matter of a K-Pop group who contributes to a large portion of South Korea’s economy and now represents South Korea officially as Presidential Envoys, getting exemptions. This will not, and can not, apply to every K-Pop group if it’s enacted. But I’m not from South Korea, so my say on this matter isn’t important. Either way, ARMY should keep their eye out for more information and support the members regardless of what happens.
This is only the news from the last few days. It feels like we’re always getting more BTS content and I love all of it! I enjoy talking about BTS and they definitely gave me tons to talk about this week. Sometimes it feels like the more serious news surrounding BTS can be overwhelming, but they always come out with wholesome and entertaining content to balance it out. They’ve made the entire pandemic better and I’m grateful that they continue to spread so much positivity.
Don’t do anything fun until I get back!
Hallie
Oreos & Peanut Butter 