Uncontrollable sobbing. Airport mobbing. Meticulous YouTube copycat dance videos. The global hysteria surrounding South Korean boy band BTS (from their self-dubbed “BTS Army”) has previously hailed comparisons to Beatlemania in the 60s. And so, unexpectedly, with the recent news that the seven-piece band will be taking a break, their fans have been, well… actually surprisingly chill about the whole thing.
The “Boy With Luv” supergroup – comprised of members Jungkook, RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin and V – have announced via their agency Big Hit Entertainment that they will be undergoing a “period of rest and relaxation”, their first official break since their debut. This “extended break” will also “provide them with a chance to enjoy the ordinary lives of young people in their 20s, albeit briefly”.
It has not been confirmed how long the break will last, but their devoted BTS Army have already taken to the Twittersphere to highlight their understanding of the situation – even urging others to respect their boundaries during this time – obviously still with a tinge of that super-fan forcefulness.
Below are the spectrum of emotions on Twitter…