What BTS Helped Me Learn About Strength, Self-Love, And Restart In Life
New Delhi:
What does music mean to you? For some, it is just music - a good beat. For others, it is something deeper. It becomes a companion of sorts that helps you find company when you are alone, comfort when you're hurting, and strength when you need it the most.
For some, it may feel like an exaggeration, but others think of it as a way to find solace, and that's what BTS became for me. They showed me that music not only transcends entertainment, but also transcends language.
Before I dive into my story with BTS and their music, here's a little background for you.
Who Is BTS?
BTS, which is an acronym for Bangtan Sonyeondan, roughly translates to Bulletproof Boys. The legendary South Korean band includes the leader RM (Kim Nam-Joon), alongside Jin (Kim Seok-Jin), SUGA (Min Yoon-Gi), J-hope (Jung Ho-Seok), Jimin (Park Ji-Min), V (Kim Tae-Hyung), and Jungkook (Jeon Jung-kook).
The septet was officially introduced in the K-pop industry in 2013 and has since rocketed to global stardom. While songs such as Idol put them on global charts, their fan group - called ARMY - have loved them way before that.
The First Encounter
I first came across BTS in 2016 on a cold afternoon at home when my cousin nudged me to listen to this K-pop band. I didn't know they would become such a big part of my life. At the time, it was casual - a YouTube video here, a song there. I was drawn in by their rhythm, charisma, and of course, the sharp choreography that made my dance-loving heart race.
I didn't know their names, the stories behind the songs, or the language. But the sound, it stayed with me.
Once I started peeling back the layers of their music, I realised that they weren't just a K-pop band. Their lyrics held meaning when I understood the meaning through translation, something deeper than what I used to listen to. Songs like Blood, Sweat and Tears spoke of growth and making choices even in difficult situations.
Year after year, their songs became more relatable and I became a part of their "Universe". They were talking about themes I wasn't used to hearing about in music - self-love, anxiety, burnout, loneliness, and healing.
A Newfound Love And Companion
What began in 2016 as just another music lover chasing good beats, soon became a BTS ARMY who couldn't stop listening to their music. Their each lyric gave me strength through tough times, enouraging to just 'trust myself' and 'love myself'.
An advocate for mental health, BTS has always been vocal about their personal experiences and struggles. Out of their amazing discography, it is difficult to pick one that resonates with me.
In 2018, I lost someone close to me. Grief is hard to deal with as it is, but putting it in words is even harder. Talking about it was not easy, I couldn't openly share what I was feeling. There was this silence that crept in. But BTS's music, oddly enough, kept playing. Their voices filled the emptiness, not as a cure, but as company.
Songs like Paradise and Whalien 52 spoke directly to feelings I hadn't yet figured out how to talk about. "Butterfly" felt like a warm hug.
While their songs didn't promise instant healing, they acted as a way forward - even if it meant inching forward at my own (slow) pace.
The Beginning Of Loving Myself With Each Passing Day
Around the same time of dealing with grief, a health condition that I always struggled with started deteriorating. The condition demanded more rest than I could afford. My job was physically demanding, and there were days when my body just couldn't keep up. While I was always chubby, I gained more weight at the time. I was struggling to make peace with what was going on. I was exhausted, frustrated, and tired.
In those days, BTS songs such as Reflection from their album Wings or Epiphany from Love Yourself - Answer, among others, became my friends who never judged me. Their song Not Today kept me going - "If you can't fly, then run. Today we will survive". That defiance in the face of exhaustion fuelled me.
Mental health awareness and self-love are recurring themes in BTS's music. Their "Love Yourself" series and the "Love Myself" campaign, in partnership with the UNICEF, are examples. A lot of their songs emphasise one's flaws and loving oneself first to be able to love others. Their message was loud and clear. Like many of their fans, I also found BTS at a time when I needed them, probably the most.
While their songs made a difference in my life, their variety show RUN BTS made me laugh when nothing else could. Whether they were failing cooking missions or getting competitive over games, their goofy and genuine side seemed relatable. It brought a sense of joy, which at the time, didn't come easy or naturally to me.
I don't listen to BTS every single day anymore, but I carry their message like mantras tucked away in my soul. BTS didn't fix my life but they made me believe that it was worth showing up for.
Like in his 2018 speech at the United Nations for their #ENDviolence programme to protect children and young people all over the world from violence, RM said, "No matter who you are, where you're from, your skin colour, your gender identity: speak yourself."
After completing their mandatory military service, BTS is preparing to reunite and embark on a new chapter. The septet is set to celebrate the 12th anniversary of their debut in the K-pop industry on Friday (June 13).
The ongoing BTS Festa 2025 marks the group's comeback after their 18-month military service. The theme of the year draws inspiration from the group's 2020 track Zero O'clock. This is a song about healing, resilience and the beginning of something new.
For fans like me, it is much more than a comeback, it's a promise of hope.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
37 minutes ago
- News18
BTS Suga Pens Emotional Note For ARMYs After Military Discharge: 'I Really Missed You'
Last Updated: Suga expressed gratitude to ARMYs from across the world and admitted that even he missed them a lot. BTS Suga is back! The last member of the globally popular K-pop group got discharged from his mandatory military service on Saturday. Hours after walking out of the military service, Suga took to Weverse and penned down an emotional post for his fans. He expressed gratitude to ARMYs from across the world and admitted that even he missed them a lot. 'Hello, everyone. Nice to meet you. It's a SUGA. It's been about two years. How have you all been. It's been a long time since I was called off today. It's a day I've been waiting for and it's been a long time, so I had a lot of thoughts on how to say hello. First of all, I wanted to say thank you to the fans who have been waiting for us. I really missed you," Suga wrote. 'I think I had two years to think about myself. In particular, I wanted to take a step away from what I had been doing for a long time. In the meantime, I have not been able to look back on myself because I have been running forward, but this time has been an opportunity to look back on myself," he continued. OMG YOONGI VIA WEVERSE 😭😭😭Hello, everyone. Nice to meet you. It's a been about two years. How have you all been a long time since I was called off a day I've been waiting for and it's been a long time, so I had a lot of thoughts on how to… — BTS Charts Daily (@btschartsdailyc) June 21, 2025 'Dear ARMY, thank you for your patience and thank you very much. And I'm sorry for making you disappointed and worried about what happened last year. Above all, it was so upsetting that it hurt the fans' hearts. I felt sorry for the members who must have felt heavy in their seats because of me," the rapper added. Suga concluded by talking about his future plans and shared, 'We will try our best to repay the love you have given us. I love you. Everyone, I'll keep you posted from time to time." With Suga, all seven members are now back and are no longer serving in the South Korean military. Therefore, fans are now eagerly waiting for the group's reunion and comeback. It was recently reported that BTS is also planning to make a mega comeback next year. Reportedly, BTS is set to make its long-awaited full-group comeback in March 2026. 'BTS' comeback date is set for March next year," a HYBE official told The Korea Herald's source. 'While the exact date is unknown, I think it will be mid-March. I heard BTS is returning in the same month as their brother group Tomorrow X Together," another insider added. While BTS' agency, BigHit, has not issued any statement as of now, industry insiders see a possibility of a prerelease single or other project dropping before the group's official return next year. First Published:
Pink Villa
43 minutes ago
- Pink Villa
BTS' SUGA greets ARMY after military discharge in new update, apologizes for ‘disappointing' with scooter DUI case
BTS' SUGA has officially completed his mandatory military service as of June 21, having served as a social worker for 21 months. While he had already wrapped up his last day at work on June 18, using his remaining vacation days on the last 2 days of his service, his official discharge day remained the same. On the morning of June 21, he dropped a long update on his Weverse account, returning to the fans with a heart filled with love and apologies. His agency, BIGHIT MUSIC, confirmed SUGA's military discharge plans and asked fans to refrain from visiting the site. SUGA returns to ARMY and BTS members Taking to his solo Weverse account for the first time since stepping away for alternative military service, excluding his 2 updates during the electric scooter DUI incident, the rapper addressed his fans in a lengthy note talking about his time away from the BTS fame, reflecting on himself and carrying on as a civilian. Check out what he had to say. 'Hi everyone, it's nice to see you. It's SUGA. It's been about 2 years. Have you all been living well? As of today, since I've been discharged [from my service], I am greeting you after a long time. Since it's a day I waited for a long time, and since it's been so long, I worried a lot about how to greet you guys. More than anything else, firstly, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to all the fans who waited for me all this time. I missed you so much. For the last 2 years, I believe I have spent time thinking about myself. Especially, I also had the thought that I should look at all the work I've done for so long from a little bit of a distance, by taking one step away from it. So far, while only looking right ahead, I wasn't able to look back; this time became an opportunity for me to look back at myself again. ARMY, I'm so grateful that you waited for me. Thank you. And I'm sorry for causing you all disappointment and concern with what happened last year. I was very sorrowful about the fact that I hurt the feelings of the fans above everything. I also felt apologetic towards the members who, because of me, must've had heavy hearts from their respective places. In future, I'll try even harder to repay all the love you have given me. I love you. Everyone, I'll keep updating you occasionally.' With the return of SUGA, all of BTS have completed their military hiatus and are gearing up for a group reunion soon. The team was recently spotted at J-Hope's HOPE ON THE STAGE encore concert in Goyang on June 13. The day also marked BTS' 12th debut anniversary, so the fans were extremely delighted to see the septet celebrating together with them. It was previously reported that a full-group comeback is expected in March 2026, while talks of a world tour have been in the news for a long time. It remains to be seen how BTS changes after their military break.
Pink Villa
43 minutes ago
- Pink Villa
Ju Haknyeon controversy: Kirara Asuka speaks out against 'misinformation' over meeting ex-THE BOYZ member
Ex-THE BOYZ member Ju Haknyeon and former Japanese AV actress Kirara Asuka are currently all over the internet due to their secret meet-up getting exposed. They were seen being visibly cuddly during and a K-media report even alleged that they engaged in pr*stitution. The information, which the parties involved claimed to be false, spread like wildfire on social media. On June 20, Kirara Asuka finally responded to the allegations. Kirara Asuka denies involvement in pr*stitution with Ju Haknyeon Kirara Asuka finally presented her side of the story in the ongoing narrative surrounding her being involved in pr*stitution with Ju Haknyeon. The Japanese p*rnstar-turned-influencer took to her X (formerly Twitter) account to deny the allegations, calling them false rumors. She wrote, "There is a lot of speculation going around, but we have yet to see an article from Shūkan Bunshun [Japanese weekly tabloid]. Please do not spread misinformation." Shūkan Bunshun was the media outlet that claimed to have obtained photos of Kirara Asuka and the former THE BOYZ member, displaying affectionate behavior. The photos were from their meeting at a private bar in Tokyo's Roppongi district on May 29, along with a few other acquaintances. Addressing that, the accused said that it was another woman present there who actually took the photos and "sold it to Bunshun." As per Kirara Asuka, the woman did so because she apparently liked Ju Haknyeon when she saw him at the bar. That was the beginning of the entire scandal, which ultimately led to the unilateral removal of Ju Haknyeon from THE BOYZ by their agency, ONE HUNDRED. Regarding engaging in intimate acts with the K-pop artist, she stated, "I have never in my life engaged in a paid sexual act (prostitution) in private. Of course, this is one of those times [when such allegations were made]." Fans appreciated her being brave enough to speak up and showed their trust in her. They also sympathized with her for being dragged into such an unwanted situation, where her past and private life were being digged up. They asked her to stay strong and face the situation head-on.
