[with ARMY ⑯] "Representation Is Everything": Three Friends Share Why BTS Matters to Them

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — For three childhood friends originally from Georgia, attending BTS' ARIRANG World Tour together at Gillette Stadium was more than simply seeing the group perform. Each had their own reason for becoming ARMY, from family influence and dance to Korean representation, but BTS had ultimately become something they could share together.

Mackenzie, Yuna and Caitlin grew up together in Georgia, though Yuna now attends school in Boston. Ahead of BTS' Foxborough concert on August 5th, the three reflected on how they first discovered the group and what had kept them listening over the years.

For Yuna, BTS initially came through her family explaining, "My mom is the one who liked BTS first, and then I liked BTS."

Eventually, that introduction influenced Yun beyond just simply listening to the group's music. Yuna explained that as now a dancer herself, she credits a lot of the reasons she became interested in it to BTS saying, "I do dance now, so lowkey the reason I dance is because of BTS."

For Caitlin, however, seeing a Korean group achieve success on such a massive international scale carried another meaning. "They were also the first Korean group to kind of pop off like that," she said. "As a Korean-American, I feel like representation is everything."

BTS' ability to maintain their Korean identity while reaching audiences around the world was something the friends continued to appreciate about the group.

"There's the Korean culture that they keep alive," Yuna explained, adding that she also connected with the way BTS address topics such as mental health through their music. She also specifically pointed toward RM and his continued interest in art and culture as another example of how the members have used their platform to introduce different ideas and interests to their audience.

Having followed BTS for years, the friends were now finally getting the opportunity to see all seven members together again following the group's period of individual activities and military service.

When asked what they would want to tell BTS after waiting for their return, their answers were simple.

"I think just maybe keep up what they're doing," Yuna said. "I like what they're doing and making sure that people are happy, and even though maybe they don't know they're helping either, they're doing good." Caitlin added with a laugh and said, "Make more music. Keep it up."

Their different connections to BTS could also be seen through their favorite songs. Mackenzie named "Autumn Leaves," while Yuna said her current favorite was "Where You From." Caitlin chose "Spring Day," a song she was also hoping might appear as the surprise song during the Foxborough concert.

Before heading into the show, the three threw around several other possibilities they hoped to hear that night, including "Butterfly," "I NEED U" and "House of Cards."

For Mackenzie, Yuna and Caitlin, BTS had entered their lives in different ways. One was introduced through her mother, another found inspiration in their performances and dance, while another saw a level of Korean representation that had rarely existed on the global pop stage before them.

Years later, those individual reasons had become something the childhood friends could experience together, this time among thousands of other ARMY waiting to see BTS return to the stage.