Hello.
This is your resident ARMY (BTS) fan, Reena.
It’s around this time that I became an ARMY and seeing that 7 is such a special number I decided to sit down and think about my journey here.
I often say that I became an ARMY in 2014, but my exposure to BTS started before. The very first BTS content that I ever saw was the Dance Practice of No More Dream. I was very skeptical about them. I was already into K-pop and was not intrigued. I kept on asking myself “what’s so special about them?” At the time, it seemed like good enough question to turn me away from them no matter how good their music or their dancing was. Looking back now, I could see that I was not ready to have them in my life yet and I had much to learn before I was ready.
Fast forward to 2014 sometime between March 8th-April 14th. By magic, my sister found the MV to N.O. Recognizing the bands’ name, we clicked on the video and my life changed forever. The style, the meaning and the intensity of the song moved me. I recognized the message of the song and it seemed that BTS were different from my initial impression. I was still skeptical about them and what they could mean to me. Did I want to get into a band? Will I regret it? I didn’t know what I was getting into, but 7 years later I can say that becoming an ARMY was the best decision I could have ever made.
7 years is a long time. Somethings have changed, but some things have stayed the same. What’s different is me. I’ve changed, and so has my relationship with BTS and ARMYS. My love for both has increased every day. My curiosity and interest in BTS’ message turned into admiration and inspiration to live a life with kindness and passion. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to meet the bigger community of ARMYS and when I felt like I was ready, I reached out to them. I found a community full of bright, vibrant, and driven ARMYS. The work being done is inspired from the same emotions I feel when I listen to BTS. We are motivated purely by our love & respect for the band. We learned the music charts, have accounts dedicated to specific fields, many fundraising accounts, positive Armys accounts to brighten your day and more.
BTS have grown and shifted their style with every new song and era. What has stayed the same is their passion for their art. Even after 8 years into this industry, they work just as hard as they just debuted. That perseverance has propelled them to work hard with much struggle. They are, at their core, good people who deserve good things to happen to them. They are my role models, my inspiration, my voice, my companions, and more. I cannot imagine my life without them.
I can’t predict what will happen in the next 6–7 years. My only hope is that the Tannies are happy and that they are able to achieve all their goals that they could possibly imagine. I will support them through it all for however many years they will continue forward
