BTS bow out with a Bangkok spectacular.
BTS are now the biggest K-pop group in the world, reaching heights that no K-pop act has managed before. The septet won Top Social Artist two years in a row at the Billboard Music Awards and this year has been nominated for the Top Group Award for the first time.
Their concert BTS World Tour: Love Yourself, promoting their Love Yourself album series, has seen them perform at several enormous stadiums around the world, including the 40,000-seat baseball park Citi Field in New York City and the 380,000-seat stadium Tokyo Dome in Japan.
On April 6 and 7, the K-pop sensations held their final show of the tour at Thailand’s biggest stadium Rajamangala, making them the first K-pop group to attract an audience of 84,000 for a two-day show in the Kingdom.
K-POP IDOLS
The septet — RM, 24, Jin, 26, Suga, 26, J-Hope, 25, Jimin, 23, V, 23, and Jungkook, 21 — kicked off the show with the international hit “Idol”. This was an appropriate choice, as it echoed the shows title “Love Yourself”. In “Idol’, the guys sing that it doesn’t matter how people criticise them, they don’t care because they know who they are. One of the reasons that BTS’s music has become so popular is because of their relatable lyrics, which talks about the struggles and confusions of young people.
But even if you can’t understand their lyrics, they still put on a fantastic show. The guys performed more than 24 songs over three hours. And there wasn’t a dull moment. Catchy, fun dance numbers such as “DNA”, “Fake Love” and “Mic Drop” got everybody up on their seats, jumping around and dancing along. Their slow tracks were melodious and touching. Adding to their impressive performances was a great light and sound system and special effects featuring confetti, fireworks and water.
SOLO STARS
When singing as a group, the guys demonstrated impeccable teamwork and a powerful stage presence. Their solo performances gave the show more variety and colour. At the shows of other K-pop artists, there’s usually one solo performer who stands out from the rest. Not so with BTS.
All seven members were equally impressive. Suga’s “Seesaw” showed that the band’s main rapper is also a great singer. J-Hope’s “Just Dance” and Jimin’s “Serendipity” displayed their effortless dance moves and terrific voices. V’s “Singularity” demonstrated his creative choreography. Jungkook revealed what a talented all-round performer he is on the pop track “Euphoria”. Jin wowed the crowd with his piano playing on the emotional ballad “Epiphany”. And leader RM enthralled the audience with the sharp and dynamic rap song “Love”.
SINGING IN THE RAIN
BTS’s fan club Army make for a wonderful crowd. They created such an enjoyable and vibrant atmosphere by singing along to every song. Almost everybody in the stadium carried official BTS official light sticks which changed colour in sync with the beat.
On the second day, the rain started to pour down on RM as he performed “Love”. Despite the intense downfall, he continued. None of the fans moved away. Impressed, RM told his fans: “It’s raining and I still love you!”
SONGS OF GOODBYE
Before the last two songs “Answer” and “Outro”, the band members took turns to address the audience. Jin and Jungkook said they were very happy to spend time with their fans. Jimin said being in Thailand reminded them of their first visit to Bangkok in 2013. They weren’t well known yet, but Thai fans gave them a great welcome. Because the support of their fans had got them this far, they would never forget their fans’ love. RM thanked everybody for helping them finish the tour beautifully, saying it was an unforgettable summer’s night. He then gave the fans a blessing for Thai New Year. Finally, V asked the fans to wait for them, promising that they would come back.
