[with ARMY ⑬] "Why Not BTS?": Fans Share the Hope, Healing and Family They Found Through BTS

Ahead of BTS' first of two sold-out ARIRANG concerts at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, K-POPIT met ARMY members Faith, Para, Ruthie and Nounu, who had traveled from South Carolina and Minnesota to welcome the group back to North America.

Although each fan discovered BTS under different circumstances and at different points in their lives, they all shared one belief which is that BTS' message extends far beyond music.

When asked why they had chosen BTS, the group barely hesitated saying, "Why not BTS?" before another explaining that what keeps them coming back is the sincerity behind the group's message. "They love their fanbase and they're always about loving yourself," Faye said.

They also added that BTS has never been afraid to speak honestly, whether for themselves or for others explaining, "The message that they send out is so real and so raw."

"They're not scared to stand up for themselves and for the world," she added.

For Ruthie, who has followed BTS for over a decade, that message became part of her childhood, "I started listening to them when I was little," she recalled. "Especially when you're younger, that's such a good impact on you." She believes that one of BTS' greatest strengths is that their music reaches everyone, regardless of age or background.

"It's not just for older people or younger people. It's everyone in general," she said. "No matter your race or your color, they have a message for everyone. They want you to love yourself, to treat everybody equally and to know it's okay to be you. Who wouldn't love that?"

For another member of the group, however, BTS became something even more personal.

While she only discovered the group around three years ago, during the height of her cancer treatment, their music arrived when she needed it most. "I'm a cancer patient," she shared. "When I was going through the roughest time of my life, going through chemotherapy, they gave me hope and faith."

Holding back emotion, she added simply, "That's why I'm here. They really are my lifesaver."

Beyond BTS themselves, the group also credited ARMY for creating a community unlike any other they had experienced.

When asked what makes the fandom so unique, they immediately pointed to the kindness shared between strangers saying, "Everyone is so nice, with all the freebies and everything, it just makes it seem like everyone's a family. That's why I love it. It's like another family.” Exactly as they said that we were stopped multiple times during the interview to be given freebies and many fans complimented the girls as well who had on BT21 resembling outfits with homemade hats.

Furthermore, others described ARMY as living up to BTS' own name which is Bulletproof. "They protect BTS," one fan said. "I've never seen any fandom as big as ARMY. It's crazy, and I have so much love for them because they always protect BTS."

With BTS finally reunited after years of military service and beginning a new chapter together, K-POPIT asked what message they would like to leave the seven members. The answers were immediate, and full of laughter.

"We'll follow you until whenever," one fan said. "We'll support you through everything until the end," another added. One even joked that she would still be supporting BTS decades from now. "For 70 years we'll be here," she laughed. "If they go another five years, another 10 years... my grave will have BTS on it."

Their answers reflected something heard repeatedly throughout MetLife Stadium that weekend. For many fans, BTS is more than the music they create. Through messages of self-love, resilience and acceptance and especially through the community that has formed around them, the group has become a source of comfort that continues to accompany fans through every stage of life, no matter where their journey begins.