Attention BTS ARMY: Stan your bias with these concert highlights

BTS put on a captivating two-day live virtual concert called Map of the Soul ON:E. The event was originally supposed to have both an in-person audience and an online one, but the in-person portion was canceled due to government guidelines around COVID-19 safety. 

Regardless, BTS put on a ground-breaking concert with brand-new stages and AR & XR technology. Their show included their biggest hits and new tracks from their latest album, Map of the Soul: 7. (The setlist could not have been more perfect.) 

The event brought in 993,000 views from 191 countries/regions. BTS sang 23 songs with a total of 150 minutes of performance, and we have highlights.

Hello

At the start of day two, BTS opened the virtual concert by acknowledging their fans in different languages. 

V started off by greeting fans in Chinese. Then Suga, Jin, and Jungkook said hello in English, Thai, and Japanese. RM followed in Spanish saying “Hola, somos BTS.” Soon after, “HOLA SOMOS BTS” was trending on Twitter in all caps. Jimin went the easy route by saying hello in their native Korean, but someone had to do it! J-Hope, last and unsure of what to say, hit the fans with an unforgettable, “Bonjour. We are BTS.”

The BTS solos

The solo performances of ON:E were highly-anticipated and certainly didn’t disappoint. Each BTS member had a chance to shine on the stage alone to perform their individual songs that highlight their differences and embody their personal musical aesthetic & image. 

RM killed it with this fierce performance of “Persona.” He looked very presidential standing on a pedestal. (RM for president.) 

Jungkook performed his solo song “My Time.” He’s the youngest member of BTS and joined when he was only fifteen. He’s twenty-three now and showing off his sexy side. (This performance was flawless and dare we say. . . hot.)

Fashion icon Jimin performed his song “Filter.” He was constantly changing jackets and accessories and then did a quick change into a sexy red suit. (The song’s reference to Disney’s Aladdin is too good.)

Incorporating imagery from The Little Prince, Jin performed his song “Moon” while standing on top of a moon with an enormous red rose coming out of it. He looked like a dream in a baby pink, puffy top. (If we had to sum up this song and performance in one word it would be “precious.”) 

Suga performed his solo song “Shadow.” This performance was fire. His rapping skills are top-notch and the special effects were incredible. (We wish we could have seen it in person but nonetheless, we were still hyped.)

V sang his solo song “Inner Child” to an adorable child doppelgänger while on a majestic looking carousel. It was awfully cute! That little boy looked at the K-pop star with such admiration and awe. . . (and so did we).

J-Hope’s performance of “EGO” was such a good time. Everything about it was energetic, fun, and an all around great vibe. (We adored when the rest of BTS joined him on the stage. They were having the time of their lives – we love to see it!)

BTS’s encore

Concert encores are usually one of the best parts of the performance – the encores of ON:E were no exception. On the first day, fans were brought back in time with performances of “Butterfly” and “Run.” These throwbacks were definitely a treat to the OG fans. 

On the second day, BTS gifted ARMY with fan favorite song “Spring Day.” They also performed “Idol,” during which Jungkook had a bit of fun by taking over the camera. During their performance of “Dynamite,” BTS’s only all-English song, RM threw in a Korean line. Gotta stick to your roots!

Serenade

As per usual, the concert ended on an emotional high note. BTS performed their song “We Are Bulletproof: The Eternal.” This song is the band’s love letter to their fans, ARMY. They performed the emotional song as blocks of ARMY started floating in the air. The sea of purple was meant to be reminiscent of the music video. It was a touching performance. (We might have teared up a little.)

Promise

In BTS’s closing speeches, J-Hope confessed to ARMY, “To be honest, I’m 80 percent happy and 20 percent frustrated. This online concert is a new challenge for us. It’s the result of our efforts but we’re frustrated that we cannot see you face to face.”

Sweet, sweet Jimin was very emotional during his closing remarks, saying, “From the encore song, I couldn’t really concentrate. Preparing for this concert, due to COVID-19, we had many challenges. We could not perform as a group for a while and bring happiness to you. This is what I’ve wanted for so long.”

Jimin, in tears, continued, “During the encore, when I heard your voices, ARMY, I got emotional. I’m so happy to be able to see you. I couldn’t focus so much so I’m frustrated that I couldn’t show you the best I got. Regardless, thank you for your support.” (We love how genuine and vulnerable they are with us. That’s why we love them.) 

BTS closed their show-stopping concert with a promise to ARMY saying, “We are not seven with you.” They promised fans they would meet them again. V especially meant it, saying, “I’ll look forward to the day we can meet in person again.” He claimed he’d be willing to walk (roughly 200 miles) from Seoul to Busan if only they could make that happen soon. 

The other band members teased V’s dramatics to which he replied, “I’m just saying that’s how much I miss ARMY.”He continued, “I can’t live without ARMY.” (Well V, we can’t live without you either.)

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Although we would have liked to see BTS in person, the virtual live concert was truly unforgettable. We look forward to the day we can see them in person again too. . . (probably not going to walk 200 miles, though).