Really guys this is just the compendium of reasons why I love BTS like you can disagree but there’s a lot of aspects of this group that people don’t appreciate / seem to forget even as ARMY and it’s important we think about them, bc it defines who BTS are, and why they’re so incredible. COME WITH ME ON THIS JOURNEY OF APPRECIATION AND LET US ADORE THE SEVEN MEMBERS OF BANGTAN.

#1 They’re humble

In many ways I guess this is an odd point to start with, but it’s something I think is incredibly important. BTS are very grounded, hard-working and down-to-earth people; they don’t use their fame for unfair gain, and don’t seem to elevate themselves above others, and this is clear in the way they treat their fans.

#2 They are so respectful and kind towards their fans

This is important, as there is a tendency for celebrities to somehow treat their fans as people they “own”, or people that can be manipulated, or people that would do anything for them, and often-times they might expect that. There are also situations where celebrities or idols may almost ignore their fans, or may not acknowledge them, but BTS are truly the opposite of this, and you can almost see the concern they have for ARMY, tangible every time they speak. They thank us for what they have achieved, even if so much of it was their own doing, and act like they owe us – even though we feel like we owe them. Even though many of us have never interacted with BTS, we still feel somehow appreciated by them – and it shows the extent of their love towards us that we can feel this way.

#3 They have a heavy input in producing, writing and composing their own music

This is extraordinarily important, considering BTS are artists. I could talk about the importance of this for hours, truly, but I want to condense it now. The fact that BTS have such an input in their songs has ensured they have the strongest albums of any K-pop group (in my opinion) that I have stumbled across. They rap/sing with passion and intensity, dealing with important issues that they have spoken about and used their own words to address, and you can literally hear that in their voices. Moreover, they’re very talented musicians in that regard, and it shows every time we get a new album, and every time we can say that the songs on it are amazing. LY: TEAR is the most recent example of a culminated master-class of their talents, and as a fandom we should appreciate how much work went into it, but also how much artistry (just look at some of the lyrics).

#4 They promote equality and show respect for everyone regardless of background

Okay, so I have heard this phrase used about several idols and more-often than not it’s for merely the slightest thing – yet, with BTS, they do so in a way that you can clearly see their understanding and respect for people. It’s on a constant basis, whether through the lyrics of their songs, through Jungkook and Jimin performing to Michael Jackson’s Black or White, or Namjoon simply ending heteronormativity (interviewer: do you have a girlfriend? Namjoon: we don’t have a boyfriend or girlfriend note: that was paraphrased >.<). Taking a look upon the LGBT+ thing specifically, there’s no doubting that it’s still in many ways a taboo subject in south Korea – however, that doesn’t faze BTS, who outwardly approach the issue, who support celebrities identifying in the LGBT+ community, and treat all their fans with equal respect.

#5 They literally don’t seem to care about gender normativity

This is almost a continuation of the point above, but what I mean by this is that they treat fan girls and fan boys with equal respect – and honestly, that is important. We can’t guess the ual orientation of the members but statistically it’s true that there will be straight members – and many straight males would likely be made uncomfortable by the notion of a “fan-boy.” But BTS? They literally don’t care. Just search up fan-sign interactions they’ve had with fan-boys, and you’ll see there’s no difference between how they treat them and how they treat their female fans. It’s so heartening and incredible to see, and it shows the maturity and understanding of these men.

#6 Each individual member has a strong and compelling backstory, and helps promote messages that are incredibly important in today’s society

-Yoongi: He teaches about perseverance and strength, determination and courage. He was an underground rapper who literally was penniless in his quest to achieve his dream and sacrificed many things to reach it. Alongside this, he’s battled mental illness and faced a lack of support in his journey, yet his art (and that’s what Yoongi creates, art) meant so much to him that he battled through each of these hardships, and showed that you truly can achieve something, that people can be strong and that people can do it. He’s incredibly inspirational, and regardless of whether you like BTS or not, you cannot deny that fact.

-Namjoon: Of course, one of the first things people learn about Namjoon is that he is incredibly intelligent (this kid taught himself English watching Friends? Wow), and this shines in his musical talent and his lyrical artistry. However, people tend to forget Namjoon could have used that intelligence to pursue a career path that would have been more “stable.” With any art career, there is nothing certain – yet, he gave up the conventional path simply because he was so damn dedicated to his art, so damn dedicated to his music, and couldn’t see himself doing anything other. For all artists, whether they’re musicians or dancers or writers or painters, whatever they dabble in, that’s an inspirational vote of courage. However, moreover, there’s something incredible about Namjoon’s resilience. During his youth, he had periods of incredible illness, and overcame them – and now, with his injuries, he still grits his teeth and powers through. This is the man who wrote his Cypher pt. 4 rap in five minutes. He’s gifted, strong and leading BTS with such dignity and sophistication that we really need to appreciate that. It’s down to Kim Namjoon that we have BTS (note: he was the reason Jungkook chose BigHit, because he’d received offers from several agencies, including much larger ones), and it’s down to him that they’ve become the worldwide phenomena they are today.

-Seokjin: I think many people tend to dismiss Seokjin and don’t focus on the qualities that make him such a kind and wonderful role-model for people today. I mean, there’s no denying that if to look at his life in a blink, you would see him as someone brought up in a world of privilege and opportunity (his father was the CEO of a major company, his mother a former Miss South Korea, he’s the manager of restaurants etc and now he’s part of one of the world’s largest boy groups). Yet, the thing is- do you ever actually know that about Seokjin? Honestly, these facts are things I did not know until recently, despite being part of the fandom for quite some time – he doesn’t boast his privileges, doesn’t hold the view that they elevate him above others, and is incredibly down to earth, kind and motivational. Seokjin is a pillar for the members, and always has been, and practically helped raise some of the younger line and created the glue that has bound BTS together today. Moreover, this man preaches some of the most positive and uplifting messages ever. In a world where idols are constantly forced into diets and intense training regimes, we have Mr. Kim Seokjin coming to us with Eat Jin, showing us that food is okay, that we don’t need to go on extreme diets – and he promotes this message, and helps change the perception that starving ourselves is the only way to achieve beauty (note: by this, I mean beauty both inwardly and outwardly). Moreover, through his casual self-confidence and aloof demeanour, he shows us that it’s okay to be content in oneself, that self-love is an important thing – not something that makes you cocky or over-confident, but something that helps you come to terms with yourself, and helps you aid those around you. Seokjin was also never headed for an idol lifestyle and was cast without any prior dancing or singing training (he was working to be an actor, I think). This shows what hard work and determination can achieve, as he is now singing and dancing in a group that have won awards based on their choreography. He also graduated from one of the best universities in the country. Crazy-smart? I think so.

-Hoseok: A multi-talented king? I think yes. Jung Hoseok is known as the sunshine of BTS, but the thing about him is that he is human, he will have times where he is upset, tired, angry, confused – and yet he channels all of his strength into being a shining light and guide for both BTS and ARMY alike. Namjoon spoke once that when he first met Hoseok, he had never seen a kid who looked more depressed – and it shows the incredible journey this man has been on. Though we must be aware that Hoseok is human and should express his feelings truthfully, his strength in keeping up his cheerful image is so amazingly beautiful and refreshing. I worry about him and the pressure he puts upon himself in this regard, and sincerely hope he knows that he doesn’t have to push this image to an extreme – but I am so proud of him, so incredibly proud, for being able to look positively and view things with optimism and hope (after all, it’s in the name), and he’s provided such a support for ARMY and BTS. Moreover, Hoseok writes, choreographs and composes for BTS, and his standards are incredibly high. We have him to thank for a lot of the power in BTS’ music, and we have him to thank for helping create music that allows each of the members to fulfil their potential.

-Taehyung: Honestly, Taehyung is just a little… whacky, and I mean that in the best and the warmest way possible. Of course, his role in the group is officially “the visual”, but if you have ever seen Taehyung, you know that he acts freely and like a complete idiot (in the best way possible), and doesn’t adhere to the strict idol confines surrounding “proper conduct” or limiting his personality. He’s literally an explosion of oddity and creativity, and he’s so, so odd but it’s really amazing. He isn’t trying to be anybody but himself, and he doesn’t care that his pictures might look silly and ruin his image, or doesn’t care about the fact he puts on multi-coloured clown wigs and jumps around like a maniac when doing karaoke. He doesn’t care. This is important because it’s a clear message that it’s okay to be yourself, even in a world where there are so many societal pressures – we must look this way, we must act like this etc. – he just… doesn’t care. It seems like such a simple thing but realising his role as a member of BTS, realising the extent of his public image, you’ll see that it’s so much more. This is the man that started a v-live simply to show us his Pingu impersonation. Moreover, much like Seokjin, Taehyung had very little practice in terms of dancing and singing before being cast by BigHit, but here he is now, releasing things as captivating and entrancing as Singularity, showing us all what hard-work and determination can achieve. His voice is certainly one of the most unique and recognisable in the industry, and his persona on stage radiates a charisma that many cannot match.

-Jimin: This kid defines hard work and energy, determination and courage, love and compassion. Just seeing him makes me feel comforted, seeing his smile and the love he showers upon s. He’s so sweet and kind and endearing, and often-times I get such a comfortable feeling from Jimin as if I know him in reality. Despite this, however, there’s no denying the hardships he has faced. We all are aware that Jimin has had crippling battles with his self-image, with his self-judgements, and is constantly degrading himself, over-working himself, to achieve his best. It shows the grit and determination of Jimin, shows his passion and dynamic. It’s worrying, and of course we will all want him to rest well – but his hard-work is a sign of the strength and vigour of his personality, his energy. Park Jimin embodies determination and passion. He is an incredibly talented dancer, and seems to just get better and better, not settling for “second-best”, doing whatever he can do improve, for BTS and for us. He takes guilt on his shoulders and almost carries a weight of expectation on a constant basis, and though it is painful for us and for him to watch this unfold, he battles through it and shows a radiant personality nonetheless. Jimin is so strong, truly, and we sometimes miss that beneath his sunshine-persona. Beneath it all, however, there is a passionate, hard-working and motivated man, and he’s beautiful inside and out. Truly, Jimin is one of the kindest and most compassionate people, and is so on a daily basis. He almost doesn’t seem real. He sacrifices his own happiness for others constantly, and it’s so incredible… I have no words.

-Jungkook: He grew up with BTS as a central part of his life, and missed on the opportunities most other youth his age would have had in training and practicing to fulfil his dreams. There was no denying Jungkook’s talents (he was offered a place by many agencies), and yet he chose BigHit – a smaller agency, somewhere success wasn’t guaranteed if he were to make it through the rigorous trials of being a trainee. In many ways, this just proves Jungkook’s motivations weren’t for fame, nor for money – he wanted to be an idol, wanted to pursue his art, but the art meant more to him than any notion of fame ever could. I’m not charting idols who do audition into the bigger companies as fame-hungry, not at all, I am just saying we can clearly see that wasn’t Jungkook’s motivation. He chose a company where he felt comfortable with those he met, and that truly established BTS as the force they are today. Despite his talent, his personality, and his constant innocence (well, somewhat…), Jungkook is also surprising insofar as he is incredibly multi-talented, able to produce videos and songs, able to write and compose, even alongside his most well-known talents in singing and dance. We shouldn’t underestimate him. Moreover, he seems to show support for LGBT+ communities in his constant praise of artists like Troye Sivan, the use of his songs – and, although this is a small point, it’s a statement in and of itself that Jungkook promotes equality. He’s strong and passionate, and in many ways his determination to succeed in the industry shows that clearly.

#7 Teamwork makes the dreamwork

BTS aren’t just a group. They’re a family. Other idols have commented on this in the past, the fact that BTS’ bond is so exceptional and strong. Often with idol groups, there’s a tendency to forget the fact that, in most cases, these groups have been forced together. The idols would have trained together, of course, but when they were put into a group, they would have had no say in who they were with. This opens up the possibility that you could be in a group with someone you dislike, someone you clash with, thus your bond will always be forced, acted. Moreover, living around people constantly, there’s an opportunity for certain friendships to develop and certain rivalries to spring, and you can see, looking closer at several idol groups, the bonds formed between certain members and the forced ones between others. BTS aren’t like this, at all, and (other than my boys SHINee woot shout out) I have never seen a bond as strong in the industry. After all, BTS seemed to be much more of a choice (refer to how Jungkook joined BigHit because he thought Namjoon was cool), and their friendship onscreen is so natural, and can be seen off-screen in many photos or videos capturing the guys together unknowingly. It’s amazing. They have such a strong bond with each other and repeatedly say they are like a family, and you truly get the impression that there’s nothing these men wouldn’t do to help each other through difficult times. At the end of it all, only BTS will truly understand what they are going through, and thus it is each other they have for support – and that means a lot to them all, so devastatingly clearly.

#8 Their music videos are artistic and trend-setting

I don’t even think I need to elaborate on this point. Of course, they have some of the hugest production budgets in the industry, but that doesn’t necessarily ensure their MVs will be good (it’s something like a big blockbuster flop in Hollywood). However, their MVs are incredible, both visually and cinematically. Did you guys see Fake Love? DID YOU SEE IT?

#9 They’re so aware of what their fandom are doing that it’s awesome but also terrifying

I mean, don’t they know about Jungshook? They know everything. Does that mean they know are fanfics…? Um… Oh dear.

I could talk longer and longer and I will probably to a second page to this, but right now I just wanted to show my appreciation for the boys who helped change my life. Part two will come eventually. BUT COME BASK IN MY WARM APPRECIATION :3