BTS may have changed gears but the Pakistani ARMY is still crazy about them

Fans of the band shared their thoughts on members focusing on individual projects

South Korean boy band BTS (Bangtan Boys) is loved by their fans globally. Affectionately referred to as ARMY, these K-pop aficionados carry within them an unrivalled and unparalleled sense of pride for supporting the band.

The group consists of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, with a massive worldwide following. They have broken numerous records and won numerous awards, including four Billboard Music Awards, four American Music Awards, and seven MTV Europe Music Awards.

The band, however, announced breaks in 2019 and 2021 to allow its members to rest and focus on individual projects. The announcement was made during their streamed annual dinner, with rapper Suga breaking the news. However, their entertainment company, Hybe, later clarified that BTS will continue working on projects as a group and individually. This move has been met with support from the band's devoted followers. Some K-pop watchers have speculated that South Korea's military service requirement may have been a factor in the decision, as Jin, the oldest member of the group, was due to begin almost two years of service.

Pakistan ARMY at your service

The ARMY in Pakistan is also a significant part of the band's fanbase, with thousands of fans eagerly following the group's every move. They too, like the global cosmopolitan fanbase of the band went through a flood of bittersweet feelings, about the break, the follow-up music, and the band’s eventual reuniting.

Hina Gul Roy recalls feeling “lonely” when the news first broke. “We all were expecting it but that did not lessen the effect in any way,” she told The Express Tribune. “I suddenly felt that I’m all alone without my support group”

M, another devoted follower of the band who wished to be referred to as thus, shed light on the same. “I didn't feel great at first, but being in the ARMY and listening to them for a long time made me appreciate them more. I have seen how they struggled in the past, and now that they were getting an international audience and being nominated for Grammy a couple of times, it wasn't a great feeling at all.”

When asked about how the ARMY generally felt about each of the seven members releasing individual music, Shaheen* stated, “I am absolutely in love with their individual releases because they all have distinct skills and personalities which translate into their art. I have always been [appreciative of] their decision of focusing on solo projects because I think this has been the best route a band has taken instead of breaking up to go solo.”

Going into a bit of detail, Syeda Izzah, another BTS devotee, said, “Their [individually] released songs are kind of artistic and aesthetic as they convey messages in a different way. Jin’s Astronaut album was dope - especially the [music video]. It had a loving message that comforted me, [essentially saying] that he loves his fans on a deeper level. Same is the case with his other songs, like Moon and Abyss. Recently, RM's album Indigo was also dope. One of my favourite songs from his album is Wild Flower as it gives a valuable lesson to not give up on yourself, love yourself, and accept your flaws. Jimin's recent album, Face, is one of his greatest works, along with his other songs.”

BTS’ many shades of love

Touching further upon the idea of messages in the song - for which the band is adored - Shaheen* added, “I think the messages have evolved but not changed in BTS’ music. Their initial self-love, motivation and friendship messages have remained the same, [However,] now [with] their individual albums, they have started including more of their own struggles and feelings in the music which they didn’t explicitly [do] before.”

“Secondly,” she continued, “[they’re] sort of shedding the boy image now that they are all full-blown adults, [which] has also added to them being more seriously inclined to talk about darker things [that] they have gone through. Their individual albums now are putting forward the humanness of celebrities because K-pop is generally heavily criticised for its dehumanisation of idols.”

Injie Anis, yet another fan, added, “Whatever message they are giving is THEIR own message. If they are doing solo releases, it will be about them. It doesn't change their message as a group. But it gives more insight into them on an individual level. For me, personally, it's a chance to learn more about them individually (as artists and human beings).”

Mahrukh Shaikh, an ARMY member and the Head of Content at Symmetry Group, shared her take on the changing soundscape of the band and the divergence of the members. “The band’s music was mainly and largely a marriage between Bang Si-Hyuk’s (the founder of Big Hit Music and Hybe Corporation) vision and the member’s ideas. However, they as individuals just shone enough through the ‘brand’ that is BTS. Not that they weren’t ‘artists’ before. They were (and are) a ‘group’ of artists. But Jhope (Jack In The Box and On The Street), RM (Indigo), Jin (Astronaut) and Jimin (Vibe and Face) coming out with their solos and albums is just more of the members we have come to love and adore.”

“Suga’s collab with the legendary PSY (That That), Charlie Puth featuring Jungkook in Left and Right, FIFA being headlined by Jungkook in Dreamers, Benny Blanco’s song Bad Decisions featuring Snoop Dog and BTS’ vocal line, V’s Friendcation, brand endorsements and variety show appearances – it all goes to show just how diverse and experimental and true to their own voice the members are on an individual level and I can’t get enough of it!”

“From the lyrical to the emotional sensitivity – it is just oh so diverse,” Mahrukh continued. “They are talking about their fears, inhibitions, aspirations and longing as individuals; which we all struggle with in our 20s, 30s, even 40s. The circle of constant self-exploration just keeps on going. The nature of it changes but the need to keep finding oneself remains. As BTS, the members collectively sang about the system, the hopelessness of the youth amidst their predecessors waiting to see them fumble and fall. And in all of that uncertainty, BTS sings about people (youth and others alike) finding the light within themselves through their words. They urge for us to see them, hear them, and root for us to not give up on our dreams, hopes and above all, ourselves. Their individual sound is a quasi-departure from the members as BTS.”

Despite the change in sound and diversification of each of the members of BTS, the ARMY remains steadfast in its support. “I love both their individual projects and collective work equally,” stated Arsh Khan, who has also written about the band in local media. “It’s not only helping us view each of them in a different light but will also redefine how we see them when they do get back together. And I’m sure their individual branching out will not only help them grow but we might just see them do something as a band that they’d never thought of doing before, and like always, it’ll blow us away.”

“I think the broken records speak for themselves,” stated Jumanah Hansrod, a die-hard fan of the band. “ARMYS are very passionate when it comes to any and everything BTS.” When asked about whether or not she had a preference when it came to the two varying soundscapes, she added, “I don’t think they are mutually exclusive, although it might seem like it. It’s like asking do you prefer living in the universe or on the earth? The latter doesn’t exist without the former. It’s an extension of it.”

Even though the ARMY is revelling in the glory and business of the new music individual members are dropping, and their anticipation for the band to reunite was palpable. The South Korean group is expected to reunite in 2025 despite their varying ages. To fulfil their mandatory military service, the members will enlist between 2022 and 2024, as confirmed by their agency, Big Hit.

“Two years seems like a lifetime away, but they never let us feel it,” stated Arsh. “From Weverse Lives to Instagram posts to their own personal interactions and seeing their shaven heads as they leave for their respective services, it’s never a dull day in this fandom. With that being said, we can’t wait for them to come back as a septet again “

“It’s like (and as cheesy as it may sound) waiting for your family to return home,” added Jumanah. “Or that last wave of [feeling homesick] that you experience just before you reach home after a while. It’s like nostalgia and anticipation fused into one!”

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