[with ARMY ⑫] "They Brought Us Closer": Mother and Daughter Share Their BTS Journey at MetLife

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Among the nearly 80,000 fans who filled MetLife Stadium on Aug. 1 for BTS' long-awaited return to New Jersey were 14-year-old Riley and her mother, Jessica, who had traveled from upstate New York to experience the concert together.

Although it was Riley, who's main bias is Jimin, who first introduced BTS into their household roughly three years ago, the group has since become something they both share, strengthening their relationship in unexpected ways.

"I wanted to learn their names," Riley told K-POPIT with a laugh. "Then I realized what their personalities are like, and I really began to love the message they have for their fans. ARMY is just so nice."

Both Riley and Jessica had come to the show dressed up. Riley had made a belt out of various photocards which was layered on top of a white skirt. She mainly paired everything with red accents but another of the main highlights was her Jimin headband which had pictures of the member inside two hearts. Her mom, Jessica had come in white with various accessories to seem more like the BT21 character RJ which member Jin had made up.

Having discovered BTS while the members were completing their military service, Riley believes the timing actually worked in her favor as it gave her enough chance to learn more about them while going through old content. "I'm glad I found them when I did, when they came back, I was able to keep up with everything," she shared.

Now preparing to see BTS live for the first time at a stadium concert, Riley said the group's message has had a lasting impact on how she views herself. "I think it's just their overall message of loving yourself," she said. "To always keep that in the back of your mind, not compare yourself to others and just love who you are as a person."

For Jessica, watching her daughter become an ARMY has been just as meaningful. Rather than creating distance, BTS became something the two could experience together. "It kind of brought us a lot closer together," she said.

Riley's passion has extended beyond just BTS' music as her mother shared that she began learning Korean because she loved the group so much. "One day she wants to move to Korea to experience all of that so this whole thing has just been amazing," Jessica added.

Riley has studied Korean, collected albums and recently begun building a vinyl collection, while her family has continued encouraging her interests every step of the way. Furthermore, Jessica admitted that while she was initially listening because of her daughter, BTS' music eventually began resonating with her as well.

"I sat down and really listened to what they were saying," she said. "Some of the songs really hit home for me. I appreciate the work they put into everything, and the fans are just amazing."

Asked what she would say to BTS if given the opportunity, Riley's answer reflected the reason she became a fan in the first place saying, "I would probably just say thank you," she said.

"Thank you for helping me learn to love myself and for helping me connect with my mom a little bit more."

Their story echoed one of the themes that has long defined BTS' relationship with ARMY: that the group's music often creates connections extending far beyond a concert stage or a streaming platform. For Riley and Jessica, what began as a teenager's curiosity grew into a shared passion, one that ultimately brought them to MetLife Stadium together to create another memory side by side.