BTS Gives Us Hope Amidst the Pandemic

BTS has done it again.

For the past x years, many of my friends have asked me why I am obsessed with love BTS so much, but I've come to realize I can't really put it into words. It's something you need to experience in order to understand.

Many of my friends think I like BTS because of their good looks. While it may be true that they are drop-dead gorgeous and their songs are hella catchy, it's their lyrics that first got to me. The more I learned about them, though, the harder I fell in love with them. I love their fierce support for the causes that they believe in, their undying passion for their craft, their intense motivation and dedication to their art, and their ability to use their humongous reach to empower people and give them hope. And that's exactly what they did at the United Nations last night.

This isn't BTS' first visit to the UN, but it is one that matters a lot right now. At least for me. I don't know about you, but I've begun to sadly accept that this is the world we now live in - that nothing is going to change, that we'll all die in our homes as the pandemic rampages around our country - and trust me: seeing, hearing, and experiencing how people I know deal with COVID-19... it's just... it has sucked out all of the hope in me. But BTS rekindled that hope last night.

If you're not a fan, you probably didn't watch, but here are some of the best quotes from their speech that really hit a chord in my being:

"We needed time to mourn for the things that we lost to COVID-19, and time to discover how precious the moments that we took for granted were," Suga said as they talked about the youth who were robbed of graduation ceremonies and other important celebrations in life.

And as if speaking directly to how I was feeling and hoping to cheer me up, V said, "I hope we don’t consider the future as nothing but darkness. We have people who are concerned for the world and are searching for the answers. There are still many pages left in the story about us, so I hope we don’t just talk about it like the ending is already written."

Jungkook added, "Sometimes the world seems stopped in place even if we’re ready to go. Sometimes it feels like you’ve lost your way. There were times when we felt the same way."

RM also brought up how the youth is currently being called the "COVID lost generation" because of their missed opportunities and their many challenges along the way. And then he reminds us, like the great leader that he is, that "just because adults cannot see the road for themselves, it doesn't mean they've lost their way."

Jimin then pointed out how the youth still continued to meet their friends online, learn new things, and have tried to live more healthy lives. "Rather than looking lost, they've found new courage and are taking on new challenges," he said, focusing more on the positive side of the pandemic than on the depressing parts of it.

Jin then spoke up to urge people to call the youth the "welcome generation" rather than the "lost generation" because "instead of being afraid of change, this generation says 'welcome' as they walk forward into the future." RM added, "If we continue to believe in possibility and hope, we will not lose our way but discover new ones." Suga also chimed in: "We will not always make perfect choices, but that will not mean that there is nothing we can do."

And they didn't stop there, ladies and gentlemen! They also talked about vaccination! J-Hope stated, "What's important are the choices we make when faced with change" before taking the opportunity to announce that all seven BTS members are, in fact, vaccinated. He also points out that this was their ticket to meet ARMYs and to stand at the UN last night. What's better than BTS? Fully vaccinated BTS! :p

V continued to try to instill more hope into the masses by reminding us that people are still continuing to make move this new reality forward. "I believe the day that we can meet face-to-face is not far away," he said. "I hope that until that day comes, we can continue to fill each day with positive energy." AMEN!

RM adds, "We thought that the world had stopped, but it continues to move forward. I believe that each choice is the beginning of change, not the end. I hope that in this new world, we can all say to each other, 'Welcome'."

This is just one thing I love about BTS: them talking about relevant issues and saying the right things to make us feel better. If you know me at all, you'll know how important it is for me to surround myself with the right people: people who know what to say when I'm at my lowest, people who know how to lift me up when it matters the most. And I guess that's why I love BTS. Even though I don't know them personally, they are able to do these things with their words, their lyrics, and their music.

And they don't just say the right things, either. They let us know that they are going through the same things, that it's okay to feel a certain way sometimes, and that we aren't alone in those bad days. They remind us of how amazing we are, how strong we are, and commend us for things that some of us only wish people in our lives would actually commend us for.

BTS has honestly saved me in more ways than one, and I hope that one day, they'll be able to do the same for you.

BTS Incorporates the Penrose Steps in Their PH Commercial and I am Beyond Ecstatic

I am an ARMY - loud and proud! But more on that another time. Today, I'd like to rave about the beauty of their new Smart television commercial. Although it was just launched two hours ago, the video already has more than 210,000 views:

The boys look amazing and I love the messages behind it! What really stood out for me, though, is that they incorporated one of my favorite elements in the world, which made me feel like the TVC was made for me. :p Lol.

In case you haven't heard of the Penrose steps yet, they are symbolic of defying impossible situations. I fell in love with these steps as a child when they were used in the movie 'Labyrinth' starring David Bowie and again when I was in high school and discovered MC Escher's artwork on it. These steps were also seen in one of my favorite movies, 'Inception', and more recently, in an episode of 'Kimetsu no Yaiba' ('Demon Slayer'). Seeing it in a TVC featuring BTS made these steps all the more special to me.

In the TVC, we see BTS walking up and down seven iterations of these steps with wise and powerful words flashing around them:

Jungkook goes up and down a staircase that appears to represent the entrance to a recording studio with the words KEEP INSPIRING.

RM is seen opening a book in the impossible stairways set with the words KEEP LEARNING.

J-hope is dancing in a dynamic disco set with the words KEEP MOVING.

Jin goes up a garden stairway set with the words KEEP CHASING YOUR PASSION.

V is seen at a subway escalator with the words KEEP EXPLORING.

SUGA is in a musical-inspired staircase set with the words KEEP LIVING YOUR PURPOSE.

Jimin is seen in a building’s fire exit with the words KEEP CONNECTING.

Jin reflects, “Smart decisions have always been important to us and seem to have produced good results for us. I will encourage you [to live smarter and live with purpose] so you can only walk the path of happiness.”

“When you have a purpose, you have a reason to [live] and it becomes your driving force,” says J-hope.

To this, V adds, “No matter how many times you fall, don’t give up and challenge yourself to break [big walls] in your life.”

For a group whose passion and purpose are to create music and perform around the world, staying put in South Korea for more than a year now has only made them look forward to better times. “What makes us move is the ARMY waiting for us,” SUGA shares, eager for when seeing fans face-to-face is possible again.

Meanwhile, Jungkook has everyone’s best interest in mind: “I’ll be rooting for you. Please stay healthy.”

“We know very well that you are always sending us messages through social media, uploading videos that cover our songs and dances, and participating in competitions,” says Jimin.

Smart has also shared that they really want to bring BTS to the Philippines soon and that they would also like to set up a live event for Philippine fans at the very least, but that will have to wait until the pandemic ends or the boys' schedule frees up.

What is your message for BTS? Share it with me. Also, check out my unboxing of Mattel's BTS V Idol doll here: