Megan Thee Stallion (feat. RM) — "Neva Play" Release

(Image source: BTS Official X)

I don't listen to Megan Thee Stallion's music, but her verse in the "Butter" remix fucking slaps, so I'm actually quite excited to listen to this collab. Who knows, it might be the hip hop track of the year.

Unboxing: Sideshow Collectibles — Premium BTS Logo: 7 With You

This past April, Sideshow Collectibles announced their collaboration with BTS — the Premium BTS Logo: 7 With You, "a limited edition licensed BTS product inspired by 8 years of musical artistry." The Premium BTS Logo: 7 With You retails for $55 USD on the Sideshow Collectibles website and ₩84,000 or $78.03 USD on Weverse Global Shop. (It is sold out on Weverse Global Shop now, but is still available through Sideshow. I bought mine on the Sideshow Collectibles website because both the retail price and the shipping cost is significantly less.) It also comes in a purple ombré style without the emblem pattern, called The Colour of Love, which retails for $45 USD on Sideshow. They're both cute, but I decided to get the 7 With You Edition because the other one seemed just a little too plain. 

Sideshow Collectibles — Premium BTS Logo: 7 With You (Front)
Sideshow Collectibles — Premium BTS Logo: 7 With You (Detail)
Sideshow Collectibles — Premium BTS Logo: 7 With You (Back)
This replica statue "takes the iconic shape of the global superstar group's logo, visualized as set of doors opening outward to possibility, and incorporates a colourful pattern of emblems from the group's albums across different eras, from 2 Cool For Skool to Map of the Soul: 7, over a purple background. This limited-edition collectible statue rests on a simple black display base with the initials BTS imprinted on one side." It also "features the ARMY symbol on one side of the statue. The symbols exist in harmony, bringing together past and present in one elegant design." 

Sideshow Collectibles — Premium BTS Logo: 7 With You
Sideshow Collectibles — Premium BTS Logo: 7 With You
Okay, so this is totally one of those collectibles that has no real practical use aside from maybe a paperweight or book end. It is described as a statue and that is really its main purpose — to be an aesthetic piece of art that decorates a space. At the end of the day, it's cute, it's BTS, it's collectible, and it adds a nice dash of colour to my apartment, so no regrets.

BTS Birthday Event: "Kookie Rapper" for Jungkook and RM at Christie Pits Park

Our fellow ARMYs at ARMY Events Toronto hosted a 3-day joint birthday celebration this long weekend in honour of Jungkook and RM. It was actually quite a big affair — most BTS birthday events are hosted at a single cafe, where you can get a cup sleeve and some photocards with the purchase of a drink or food item. This one, however, was headquartered outside at Christie Pits Park, and partnered with three different eateries/cafes to get different items. (K Seoul Hotdog was giving out the Jungkook and RM event photo strips, and both Kung Fu Tea and The Alley were giving out the Jungkook and RM event cup sleeves.) 

BTS Jungkook and RM "Kookie Rapper" Birthday Event at Christie Pits Park
BTS Jungkook and RM "Kookie Rapper" Birthday Event at Christie Pits Park

At Christie Pits Park, there were several local BTS fan artists that set up shop there for fellow ARMYs to purchase their merch — everything from art prints to stickers to keychains to clothing. After Ying and I dropped by K Seoul Hotdog for Korean hotdogs (and to get our photo strips) and Kung Fu Tea to pick up some boba (and to get our cup sleeves), we headed over to Christie Pits Park to enjoy our drinks and take a look at the different vendors.

BTS "Butter" Tote Bag by Kait Martin
"Kookie Rapper" RM + JK Event Cup Sleeve and TinyTAN Purple Whale Keychain by Kait Martin
We stopped by to see Kait Martin first, as she was the main host of this event as well as the designer for all the cup sleeves and photo strips. Both Ying and I each bought her "Butter" tote bag (which really came in handy to hold all of our goodies), the last two that she had left. I also bought a TinyTAN purple whale keychain from her and got the last collectible event cup sleeve (there were three in total: one for Jungkook, one for RM, and one of both of them together, which you could only get from Kait with a purchase).

BTS "Spring Day," Jimin "Serendipity," and Jungkook "Euphoria" Art Prints by Aris/Astroxnot

I actually wasn't intending on buying anything else, but I perused the merch anyway because a) they were too cute to resist, b) I wanted to support local artists, and c) I wanted to support local ARMY. I ended up getting three art prints from an illustrator named Aris (a.k.a Astroxnot), one featuring a scene from BTS' "Spring Day" MV, one featuring Jungkook from the "Euphoria" MV, and the last one featuring Jimin from the "Serendipity" MV. 

BTS "We Are Together Bulletproof" Art Print; Suga "Daechwita," Jimin "Serendipity," and Jungkook "Euphoria" Memo Pads; BTS OT7 "The Journey" and "Butter" Washi Tapes by Shirley/Polyswirl
Then we saw Shirley (a.k.a. Polyswirl) there, the BTS fan artist who also hosted the Jungkook event that we went to last year! From her, I ended up getting the "We are Together Bulletproof" art print; three memo pads featuring Suga in "Daechwita," Jungkook in "Euphoria," and Jimin in "Serendipity"; and two rolls of washi tape featuring OT7 in "Butter" and "We are Bulletproof: The Eternal." Do I need memo pads? No. Do I even use washi tape? No. Do I have room left for any art prints? No. But everything was so goddamn cute and all the artists were so freaking nice, I just wanted to support some of them in a small way. Only problem now is, I have no idea where I'm gonna put everything...

Ying and I were really happy to actually go out for a BTS birthday event. The last one we went to was actually Shirley's Jungkook event from last year (almost exactly a year ago) because all the other birthdays from then until now have been during lockdowns, so we could only order cup sleeves online to get them shipped to us and have our own private events. This particular event was so unique and so well-organized, complete with a map on where to get all the different freebies. A lot of ARMYs showed up, too, with line-ups at all the eateries as well as at the artist vendors at the park. It was honestly a really impressive birthday event, and I can't imagine the amount of time and effort it took to put this all together. A massive thank you to ARMY Events Toronto as well as Kait for hosting such an amazing birthday event for Jungkook and Namjoon this weekend!

Christie Pits Park

750 Bloor St. W.

Toronto, ON M6G 3K4

(416) 338-4368

Unboxing: BTS Love Yourself Portrait Set by Kildren

My BTS Love Yourself portrait set by Kildren arrived today! 

Y'all, this is why DHL is so expensive. Because they ship on SUNDAYS.

 
BTS Love Yourself Portrait by Kildren — RM / Kim Namjoon
BTS Love Yourself Portrait by Kildren — Jin / Kim Seokjin
BTS Love Yourself Portrait by Kildren — Suga / Min Yoongi
BTS Love Yourself Portrait by Kildren — J-Hope / Jung Hoseok
BTS Love Yourself Portrait by Kildren — Jimin / Park Jimin
BTS Love Yourself Portrait by Kildren — V / Kim Taehyung
BTS Love Yourself Portrait by Kildren — Jungkook / Jeon Jungkook
Kildren is a famous pop icon painter from South Korea, and became increasingly popular after releasing some paintings of BTS a couple years ago. He's known for sharing his art on his Instagram page but never selling them, which lead to many of his BTS paintings being screenshotted and used illegally to print on unauthorized merchandise. I'd been admiring Kildren's gorgeous paintings for a couple years now (he paints many musicians, actors, and models as well), so when Kildren announced that he was officially selling prints of his BTS Love Yourself: Her portrait paintings in partnership with BigHit, I immediately went to pre-order. 

And THEY ARE STUNNING. They're based on the photos from the "L" and "O" versions of Love Yourself: Her and he absolutely nailed the energy and spirit of those concepts. The details, the colours, the accuracy of the members' faces and poses and expressions... I will be going to buy frames tomorrow. I need to hang them up to admire them everyday. I just hope he'll release more prints of his BTS paintings for sale in the future. His work is too beautiful to just look at through a screen.

Photolog 2021: Day 105 of 365

So, I joined a group order last May to get some new BTS enamel pins (because I have an addiction) and totally forgot about it because THEY JUST ARRIVED. Almost A YEAR LATER.

 
BTS "2020 Winter Package in Helsinki" Enamel Pin Set
BTS "Zero O'Clock" Rotating Enamel Pin
BTS Bring the Soul: The Movie Ticket Enamel Pin
I think this group order takes the cake at being the longest one yet (which is really saying something because GOs are notorious for taking a long time). But, hey, at least they're cute.

Photolog 2020: Day 323 of 366

My BTS enamel pins from Peanut Paper Co. finally arrived!

BTS "Young Forever" Hard Enamel Pin
BTS "Dionysus" 3D Soft Enamel Pin
I ordered these via a group order in July and they just got here today, so I'm gonna treat these like I meant to buy them as a little birthday present to myself. 🙃

Photolog 2020: Day 293 of 366

The moment I saw these BTS Wings pins by Nicubiii, I knew I had to have them all. So about three months ago, I joined a group order for them and they finally arrived today. And all I can say is, WOW.

Nicubiii — "Blood Sweat & Tears" Jungkook Rose Gold Pin
Nicubiii — "Blood Sweat & Tears" V Gold Pin
Nicubiii — "Blood Sweat & Tears" V Gold Pin
These are by far the most beautiful pins I have ever seen, maybe ever. The detail and the accuracy of the illustrations of each member and each scene, are just astounding. The rose gold "Blood Sweat & Tears" Jungkook pin features the scene where he is floating in the air, exactly as in the MV, with the chandeliers connected by chains, and a lavender glitter background with tiny feathers floating around him. The gold "Blood Sweat & Tears" V pin (I chose the "Day" version because it was the most accurate colour scheme to the MV) features, of course, the iconic scene of V as a fallen angel sitting on the balcony. This one actually features hinged doors, so you can open and close them, with the lyrics of the song engraved into the panels. These are, in a word, exquisite.

Nicubiii — Wings Solo Pins — RM "Reflection" and Jin "Awake"
Nicubiii — Wings Solo Pins — Suga "First Love" and J-Hope "Mama"
Nicubiii — Wings Solo Pins — Jimin "Lie" and Jungkook "Begin"
Nicubiii — Wings Solo Pins — V "Stigma"
Of course, I had to get all seven of the Wings solo member pins as well because I was in a throwback mood with the "Blood Sweat & Tears" pins (which, in my opinion, is their most iconic MV, with Wings being my favourite era). Each one features lyrics from each member's solo song from the Wings album on the back, and has the most divine detail, from the intricate floral design to the placement of chains to the colour of gems hanging from each pin. These pins were not cheap, but they're worth every penny — these are pure works of art.

Photolog 2020: Day 280 of 366

So back in May, I ordered some pins by Ashley of io pins. It actually does state on her website that it usually takes 2 - 3 months to make and then another few weeks to do quality checks, but I totally forgot about this order until it arrived today (nearly five months later). Suffice it to say, it was a nice little surprise to an otherwise shitty Tuesday.

"The Truth Untold" Hinge Pin
3J 2018 MMA Pin
"Ddaeng" Pin Set
TIME Magazine Pin
These are all BEAUTIFUL, but especially the 3J 2018 MMA pin and "The Truth Untold" hinge pin. Just the attention to detail, the colouring, and the style of the illustrations are so well done. But each of these pins are iconic in their own way, each one a little piece of BTS history. Well worth the wait for these gems!

Photolog 2020: Day 185 of 366

Wow, the BTS art prints I ordered on Etsy in March finally arrived today. The artist, Anna, is from Russia, so I knew that it would take a while, especially since March was when the pandemic was announced, but I also didn't realize that Canada Post would suspend shipping from Russia entirely. So, yes, it's taken a minute to get here. But, honestly, they're even more beautiful in person than in the preview photos I saw on her shop.

Anna Obscurial Art Prints
Anna Obscurial Art Prints
Anna Obscurial Art Prints
Anna Obscurial Art Prints — Jikook "Sensual" Art Print
Anna Obscurial Art Prints — Jimin "Black Swan" Art Print
Anna Obscurial Art Prints — Jungkook "Sensual" Art Print
Anna Obscurial Art Prints — Jungkook "Bunny" Watercolour Print
Each one of these are exquisitely hand-drawn, with gorgeous detailing and shading — and most importantly, they look exactly like the person she's chosen as the subject. I'm very particular about BTS illustrations because a lot of them look distorted — it's one thing if they're meant to be exaggerated like cartoon/anime/chibi drawings, but it's another if they're meant to look realistic and come out not looking like the boys at all. Anna's whole theme with her black-and-white series illustrations is lust and attraction — they're meant to capture the innate sexuality of the boys. She lists them as 18+ work, but it's not actually adult content; she's just captured raw beauty.

Oh, and not only were they beautifully packaged — each of them in a paper sleeve, then carefully inserted in a plastic sealed envelope, then put in a paper envelope with a BTS logo illustration on it, and finally wrapped with a black satin ribbon — she even included a smaller watercolour print of Jungkook as an extra gift. Once her shop opens back up, I will absolutely be ordering more prints from her. I say this with a lot of delayed shipments, but this was truly, truly worth the wait.

Photolog 2020: Day 148 of 366

Jimin, Jikook, and Jungkook enamel pins
Jimin, Jikook, and Jungkook enamel pins
Jungkook, Jimin, and BTS photo prints
Got another surprise gift in the mail from my ARMY friend Maegan! She knows I collect BTS enamel pins so she got me three different ones: one Jimin, one Jungkook, and one of them together (Jikook). And they came with three different prints, too! It doesn't make up for the fact that we don't get to finally meet up or that we don't get to see BTS this weekend anymore, but it sure was the highlight of this week.

Photolog 2020: Day 141 of 366

BTS Jimin and Jungkook Fan Art Postcard Prints
BTS Jimin and Jungkook Fan Art Photo Card Prints
Came home to a lovely surprise in the mail from my ARMY friend Maegan in Winnipeg! We've both been kinda sad and gloomy because BTS has postponed their tour and are no longer coming here at the end of May — which means that we're also postponing our meeting for the first time — so she decided to buy me with some beautiful Jungkook and Jimin fan art prints to cheer me up . 🥺🥺🥺 This was, without a doubt, the highlight of my week.

Photolog 2020: Day 123 of 366

I actually got around to checking the mailbox today and found the Etsy order I made three weeks ago! That is to say, I got more BTS enamel pins. I can't even blame it on random quarantine shopping. I'm just a full-fledged collector now. The latest additions? These beautiful Love Yourself: Tear Version 'E' pins by Nebi Pins.

BTS Love Yourself: Answer Version 'E' Enamel Pins
BTS Love Yourself: Answer Version 'E' Enamel Pins
BTS Love Yourself: Answer Version 'E' Enamel Pins — RM / Kim Namjoon
BTS Love Yourself: Answer Version 'E' Enamel Pins — Suga / Min Yoongi
BTS Love Yourself: Answer Version 'E' Enamel Pins — Jin / Kim Seokjin
BTS Love Yourself: Answer Version 'E' Enamel Pins — J-Hope / Jung Hoseok
BTS Love Yourself: Answer Version 'E' Enamel Pins — Jimin / Park Jimin
BTS Love Yourself: Answer Version 'E' Enamel Pins — V / Kim Taehyung
BTS Love Yourself: Answer Version 'E' Enamel Pins — Jungkook / Jeon Jungkook
BTS Love Yourself: Answer Version 'E' Enamel Pins
BTS Love Yourself: Answer Version 'E' Illustration Postcards
It's funny because the faces don't really look like the boys' (I could really only tell them apart by the hair and the outfits), but I love her drawing style and the way she captured the elements from the Version 'E' photoshoot, which is my favourite from Love Yourself: Answer. She even sent a bunch of her lovely illustration postcards along with the pins, which was a really cute and unexpected gift. She only has these pins up for sale at the moment, but I can't wait to see future designs from her. I think her style would work particularly well with a "Black Swan" theme.