[with ARMY ⑧] "BTS Saved Me from Alcoholism": Middle-Aged Swedish ARMY Proves the Power of Music

BTS is truly showing the essence of their music. Two ARMYs who flew all the way from Sweden to Paris, confessed that BTS's music helped them overcome and rise above their deepest emotional pain.

On the afternoon of the 17th, Stade de France in Saint-Denis was bustling with fans who had gathered to see BTS. Among the crowd, some were spotted sitting on the roadside, grabbing a bite to eat and taking a short rest. Among them, two middle-aged female fans who said they had flown in from Sweden caught this reporter's eye, leading to a brief conversation.

Ulrika, 51, and Ulrica, 49, have been friends for 35 years. Both said BTS helped them get through painful chapters in their lives. Ulrika, who used to work as a horse handler, said a shoulder injury forced her to stop. "It was the moment my dream fell apart," she recalled.

"I became a fan of BTS in 2019, and their songs felt like my own story," she said. "'The Truth Untold' especially. It's about the pain of not being able to be honest with yourself. Even through that kind of struggle, their music gave me the courage to try something new. So I studied veterinary science, and now I work as an animal handler. I feel hopeful."

Ulrica nodded along as her friend spoke. "BTS changed my life too," she said. "They're the friends who healed me." She then shared that she used to struggle with alcohol addiction. "BTS tells you through their music to love yourself, right? Now I feel like I'm enough as I am. I realized I don't have to please everyone. I haven't had a drink in three or four years."

Ulrica also works as a teacher for teenagers, and said the group's music has become part of how she connects with her students. "There's nothing better for teaching self-love," she said. "Their songs also show you how to be kind to other people. That's what I love about them."

She said the group's message even reached small parts of her daily life she once held back on. For years she wanted to dye her hair but held back because she worried about how others would see her. Becoming a BTS fan, she said, gave her the push to stop caring.

"My hair is completely pink right now," she said. "Back when I was trying so hard to fit in, I didn't have the confidence, so I would only dye it a little bit at a time. Now I don't think about it anymore. Whatever anyone says, I'm okay."