Magazine
News, BTS stories, and useful things for ARMY.
Jungkook's Birthday at SoFi Stadium
BTS's first Los Angeles show landed right on Jungkook's 29th birthday, and the rest of the members and a full stadium made sure the day didn't go unnoticed.
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Jin, Gucci, and an unexpected link to Zagreb
Gucci unveiled a new Primavera campaign with Jin as one of the ten faces representing it, and its short film was unexpectedly shot in Zagreb.
Chicago prepares a special welcome for BTS
BTS returns to Chicago on August 27 and 28 for the first time since 2019. Illinois has declared both dates BTS Days, and the Willis Tower will glow purple during the concerts.
BTS and SWIM in the running for two MTV VMAs
SWIM landed BTS two MTV VMA nominations, Best K-Pop and Song of the Year, with an extra BTS connection through j-hope's feature on LE SSERAFIM's SPAGHETTI.
BTS arrives on Gemini, and it all starts with the number 7777
Google has launched four new interactive BTS experiences inside the Gemini app, from discovering their prompts to learning Korean.
All four BTS Los Angeles concerts are streaming live on Weverse
All four BTS concerts at SoFi Stadium will be available to watch live on Weverse, and the first one, on September 1, falls on Jungkook's birthday.
Ten years of Agust D, and one very laid-back Yoongi live
The first Agust D mixtape came out exactly ten years ago, and right on the anniversary Yoongi went live on Weverse, relaxed and talking about a bit of everything, from food to Tang.
The surprise songs that make every ARIRANG concert different
After "Dynamite" at every ARIRANG concert comes a part of the show even the members don't know in advance, two surprise songs that make the setlist different every night.
Jin and Jungkook: some things never change
Jin shared new photos from the ARIRANG tour on Instagram, relaxed and playful with Jungkook as always. Their dynamic has stayed the same for as long as ARMY can remember.
Why BTS never performed "Paradise", and what happened when it was finally picked as a surprise song
Eight years after its release, Paradise had never made it to a concert stage. Then on August 5, at Gillette Stadium, the DJ picked it as the surprise song, and the members had to figure it out live.
BTS Oreo cookies in Croatia
The limited-edition Oreo cookies made in collaboration with BTS have started showing up on Croatian shelves, confirmed so far at a Müller in Zagreb, and also announced as a Konzum product nationwide.
ARMY proudly stands behind BTS after their Grammy decision
A few days after BTS announced they were withdrawing from the Grammys, support from fans around the world is only growing, and the Academy's response has fanned the story even further.
An auction to remember: all seven members' outfits topped the bidding
Jimin's jersey from the World Cup final sold for $110,000, but it wasn't the only one, items from all seven members together brought in nearly half of the entire charity auction's total revenue.
BTS is withdrawing from the Grammys this year
All seven members posted the same message on the same day: BTS isn't submitting music for the Grammys this year. The reason is a new Asian pop performance category, which many see as segregation rather than recognition.
BTS played dress-up in the lyric video for the Korean version of NORMAL
BTS could have shot a slick lyric video for the Korean version of NORMAL. Instead they act like the camera isn't even there, and the result is the most fun part of the whole release.
Arirang is back in the Billboard Top 10 after the World Cup performance
Some albums burn out fast, and some simply refuse to leave. Arirang climbed back into the very top tier of the US chart in late July, proving BTS's comeback wave is still going strong.
RM mounts an exhibition at one of the most important modern art museums
RM has quietly been collecting art for years. Now his collection leaves a private space for the first time and moves into one of the most respected modern art museums in the world.
From 5,000 to 92,000 people: how BTS's audience grew
From three nights in front of about 5,000 people at AX Korea in Seoul in 2014, to 92,000 people in a single night at the Stade de France in 2026. The numbers that show just how much BTS's concert story has changed.
BTS made history at the World Cup final
BTS performed at the FIFA World Cup final on July 19, the first-ever halftime show in the tournament's 96-year history, becoming the first musicians to ever do it.
The European leg is done: how ARIRANG looked on the old continent
BTS's ARIRANG tour finally reached Europe. A short but intense leg across five cities, with city-wide activations, before the whole caravan moved across the ocean.
Following BTS's footsteps through Seoul
A guide to the Seoul spots tied to BTS, from the restaurant and home from their trainee days to Myeongdong and the Olympic complex in Jamsil, plus tips on checking what's currently open.
FESTA: BTS's annual debut anniversary celebration
FESTA is the annual celebration of their debut anniversary, a time when BTS marks another year of their story together with ARMY through special content, music, and events.
From tears in the crowd to Artist of the Year: BTS's journey at the American Music Awards
At the American Music Awards, BTS both debuted in front of America and became Artist of the Year twice. The story of one stage that sums up their entire journey.
A guide to ARIRANG: the album that brought BTS back to their roots
After almost four years without a new group album, ARIRANG didn't feel like an ordinary comeback. The title alone, Korea's most famous folk song, carries a lot of meaning.
ARIRANG's records: the numbers behind the comeback
Big numbers stopped being news for BTS a long time ago. Still, ARIRANG showed from day one just how much interest was left in the group after almost four years without a new joint album.
The story behind the name ARIRANG: the album that carries Korea's soul
When BTS announced their comeback album would be called ARIRANG, the meaning of the title was immediately clear to Korean audiences. For many outside Korea, it raised a whole different question: what does Arirang actually mean?
When they seriously considered disbanding: BTS and the 2018 MAMA speech
In December 2018, at the peak of one of their most successful years, Jin admitted on the MAMA stage that BTS had seriously considered disbanding. The story of a year that looked, from the outside, like pure triumph.
What ARMY Membership is, and why it's worth it
For those of us in the region, who have to travel for a concert anyway, ARMY Membership can be the difference between a successful and a missed ticket purchase. Here's how it works and how to sign up.
How the BTS members got their stage names
If a few pre-debut decisions had gone slightly differently, today we might have Baby J and Seagull instead of Jimin and Jung Kook. The story of the BTS members' stage names, including one whose real origin SUGA didn't reveal until 2026.
BTS on Disney+: everything you can watch
Documentaries, a concert film, and reality series: a rundown of the BTS content currently available on Disney+, from BTS Monuments to Jimin and Jung Kook's travels.
The ARMY Bomb through the generations: how the lightstick has changed
Few objects give away that you're at a BTS concert as fast as the ARMY Bomb. Today's version is pretty far removed from the first one that showed up more than ten years ago.
The best Run BTS episodes for beginners
If there's one piece of BTS content that makes it especially easy to learn who's who, it's Run BTS. The series has more than 150 episodes, so we picked out a few that perfectly show why ARMY loves it so much.
Where to buy official BTS albums in our region
One of the most common questions from new fans is simply, where do I even buy an album to make sure it's real? Here's a rundown of reliable options and what to watch out for.
A guide to your first K-pop concert: getting there, rules, and the ARMY Bomb
A first concert is exciting, but it can be confusing too. Here's a practical guide to the three things that trip people up most the first time: how to get there, what you're allowed to bring, and how the ARMY Bomb works.
How to be an ARMY who respects BTS and other fans
There's no test you have to pass to be part of ARMY. But there's one thing that should hold true for everyone: behind BTS are seven real people with a right to privacy, safety, and a life off the stage.
SUGA's secret feat: a 12-kilometer race between two BTS concerts
The day after the first Stanford show on the ARIRANG tour, SUGA secretly joined the Bay to Breakers race in San Francisco, ran 12 kilometers, and was back on stage that same night.
Jin, BTS's biggest gamer
From Super Mario as a kid to a "work day" at Nexon and a collaboration that continued into 2026, Jin is BTS's most dedicated gamer, the one fans nicknamed Jintendo.
j-hope and his dance beginnings in Gwangju
Before Seoul and BTS, there was Gwangju, a dance academy, and the crew NEURON, where a young Jung Hoseok spent part of his childhood and picked up the nickname Smile Hoya.
Agust D: who SUGA's alter ego is, and the story behind his music
Agust D is "DT Suga" spelled backward, a space where SUGA speaks rawer and more personally than he does with BTS. Across three releases, from 2016 to D-DAY, you can trace how what Min Yoongi wanted to talk about kept changing.
Jungkook's ARMY tattoo
Across the knuckles of his right hand, Jungkook has ARMY tattooed, his very first tattoo. Fans spent years hunting for hidden member names in the lettering, but he gave a much simpler explanation.
j-hope conquers Lollapalooza
On July 31, 2022, j-hope closed out Lollapalooza in Chicago as headliner, becoming the first South Korean artist to headline the main stage of a major American festival.
Seven Instagram accounts, and the chaos that followed
On December 6, 2021, BTS got seven personal Instagram accounts. What followed was strange usernames, V's accidental follow of Jennie, and learning the app live in front of millions.
How "Super Tuna" became way bigger than Jin ever planned
In 2021, Jin released a joke minute-long song about fishing for his birthday. ARMY turned it into a viral challenge, and in 2024 the song got a real sequel.
The BTS members' nicknames, and the stories behind them
Worldwide Handsome, Golden Maknae, God of Destruction, Lil Meow Meow. Behind every BTS member's nickname is a story, a joke, a talent, or a habit.
How an ordinary order of McNuggets became a global event: the BTS Meal
Ten McNuggets, fries, and two sauces, and yet the BTS Meal set off lines and store closures around the world in May 2021. The purple packaging quickly ended up on the resale market.
Jungkook, kombucha, and the accidental ad that emptied the shelves
Jungkook casually showed what he was drinking during a live. Within three days, TEAZEN had sold a month's worth of stock, and soon even he couldn't get his hands on his own recommendation.
BTS and the Grammys: a story of nominations and the fight for recognition
From their first appearance on the Grammy stage in 2019 to three nominations in a single year, BTS went on a run once unthinkable for a K-pop act. The award itself, despite it all, never came.
Dynamite: the song that took BTS to the top of the American charts
On August 21, 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, BTS released Dynamite. Ten days later, the song debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, the first all-South Korean group to ever pull it off.
How the song "Dynamite" came to be
Dynamite reached BTS as a finished demo from British songwriters, in the middle of a pandemic that had wrecked their whole 2020. It was the first song the members didn't write themselves, and their first entirely in English.
Map of the Soul: the album left without its own tour
It was supposed to be their biggest tour yet, 37 shows in 17 cities. Instead, the Map of the Soul Tour sat postponed for a year and a half before finally being officially canceled in 2021.
Why the number seven is special for BTS and ARMY
OT7, "One True 7," is a sign that BTS isn't complete without any one member. Through the album Map of the Soul: 7, seven years, and seven tattoos, the number seven has become one of BTS's most recognizable symbols.
BTS and "No More Dream": how they look back at their debut today
Black clothes, thick gold chains, heavy makeup, and choreography they used to prove what they could do from the very first minute. How BTS looks back at their No More Dream debut today, and why they've never disowned the song despite it all.
RM and his superpower: destruction on contact
RM writes thoughtful lyrics and gives speeches at the UN, but things just don't survive in his hands. He's carried the unofficial nickname God of Destruction for years.
When SUGA promised ARMY meat, and kept his word four years later
In 2014, he promised ARMY meat at a fansign. On his 2018 birthday, SUGA really did send ten kilograms of hanwoo beef to 39 children's homes, in the whole fandom's name.
When BTS stopped accepting gifts from fans
In 2018, Big Hit decided BTS would no longer accept gifts from fans. The decision wasn't the result of an incident, but a feeling that the members had already received more than enough, and the rule still stands eight years later.
BT21: when idols draw their own mascots
When BTS and LINE FRIENDS sat down together in 2017, the members didn't just approve finished characters, they drew the sketches themselves that KOYA, RJ, SHOOKY, MANG, CHIMMY, TATA, COOKY, and VAN grew out of.
"Sea": a story about a desert and an ocean
"Sea" is a hidden track from the album Love Yourself 承 Her, with no music video and no promotion. In it, RM sings about a desert of fear and an ocean of success that, even once you reach it, can still turn back into a desert.
What the name BTS actually means
BTS is short for Bangtan Sonyeondan, and in 2017 it also gained the English meaning Beyond the Scene. Behind those three letters is a story about protecting young people, and names that were almost completely different.
Jin, "third from the left": how the internet accidentally discovered Worldwide Handsome
At the 2017 Billboard Music Awards, part of the internet wasn't interested in the award, just in who that third guy from the left was. It was Jin, and he later gave himself the nickname Worldwide Handsome.
RM learned English by watching the show Friends
RM didn't learn English by living in the US, he learned it from DVDs and the show Friends, which his mother bought him. He told the story to Ellen DeGeneres in 2017, and he's been translating for the whole band ever since.
Jin and V's backstage fight: the moment BTS chose to show ARMY
Jin and V got into a fight minutes before a 2017 concert in São Paulo. Instead of hiding it, BTS showed the scene, and the conversation that followed, to ARMY in Burn the Stage.
How BTS filmed their own "Spine Breaker" music video in a hotel room
For a song that never got a real music video, BTS filmed their own version in a hotel in Chile in 2017, no budget, no set, with Jin as director.
Borahae: how "I purple you" came to be
Purple and "borahae" were never planned. V came up with them on the spot at the 3rd Muster in 2016, and almost ten years later it's a phrase Korea's intellectual property office officially recognizes as his.
Why "2! 3!" is a special song for BTS and ARMY
"2! 3!" was the first song BTS officially dedicated to ARMY, released in 2016 on the album Wings in the middle of a period of pressure and criticism. The message isn't that everything will be fine, it's that bad things don't have to be the only thing waiting for us.
The dumpling incident: the fight over mandu that brought VMin closer
V and Jimin got into a serious fight in 2016 over whether to eat mandu during a dance rehearsal or wait until it was over. The story later ended up in two songs, Friends and 4 O'Clock.
BTS Universe: the hidden story woven through the music videos and albums
The recurring motifs in the music videos aren't accidental. BTS Universe is a fictional story about seven friends and a time loop, told through music videos, short films, The Notes, and the webtoon Save Me.
BTS before their debut: how the final seven came together
BTS took several years to come together, through a shifting concept and a rotating cast of trainees, before the final lineup of seven members debuted on June 13, 2013.
The time j-hope almost left, and how it could have changed BTS
During their trainee days, j-hope decided at one point to leave Big Hit. Jungkook begged him to stay, RM argued to the company that they needed him, and Hoseok ultimately came back because he believed in the members.
The banana incident: how j-hope threw a banana at Jungkook
Jungkook got a fruit basket, the others emptied it fast, and j-hope ended up throwing a banana at the youngest member. A story BTS still loves retelling to this day.