BTS EPISODE: Jin — RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUR in Goyang

EXACTLY ONE MORE WEEK UNTIL I SEE JIN IN PERSON!!! 

BTS EPISODE: J-Hope — Hope on the Stage: Final

I obviously couldn't be there in person, but I'm so glad I got to watch this on livestream. This will forever mark the day BTS was officially reunited in public after their three-year hiatus — so fitting that it was also on the day of their 12th anniversary. God, I can't wait to see the great things they will do together again.

J-Hope — "Killin' It Girl" Stage Cam at Hope on the Stage: Final (Day 1)

A better view of the "Killin' It Girl" choreography from Hope on the Stage: Final (which was INSANE, by the way — and I can't believe Jungkook is already performing with full vocals and full choreography literally 3 days after military discharge) and I swear, it gets hotter every time I watch it.

BTS EPISODE: J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in North America

I am so glad to have been able to witness J-Hope perform live in person. My friend Iris and I went to the first show on the tour in Brooklyn, and to have been able to be a part of the audience to see "Mona Lisa" performed for the first time was an absolute honour. J-Hope is a phenomenal performer — his energy, live vocals, charisma, choreography, and stage presence are just incredible. I know how much the BTS members practice for anything that they have to do, especially for live performances, but it really, really pays off.

BTS EPISODE: J-Hope HOPE ON THE STAGE Tour in Seoul

"All the Bangtan parents came yesterday. They were apparently very surprised. I feel so glad that they enjoyed it. From the parents' perspective, every member is their kid. Imagine how proud they must feel knowing how tough this is, more than anyone else. They've watched everything from the sidelines as family. All the parents showed up yesterday, not a single one missing. I felt so grateful."

Hope on the Stage was planned impeccably. The set list, the outfits, the choreography, the live band, the back-up dancers and, most importantly, J-Hope's energy, are all incredible. The show I went to on this tour was so vivid and memorable for me, and I am just so, so glad I was able to get tickets, let alone such amazing seats. (Not to mention that I was lucky enough to attend Day 1 of the Brooklyn shows, where he premiered "MONA LISA" — a genuinely amazing surprise that even Seoul attendees didn't get to see live.) I feel so proud of every single member of BTS, and I'm not even their parent. 

J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn at Barclays Center — Day 1

J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1

Yesterday was the first date of the North American leg of J-Hope's Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn (sadly, the only day of the tour that I got tickets to). It was a flawless concert with an absolutely loaded set list that included old classics ("1 VERSE"), new favourites (the world premiere of his unreleased new single, "Mona Lisa"), songs across his entire solo discography, and a select few BTS bangers: 

1. What If…
2. Pandora's Box
3. Arson
4. STOP
5. MORE
6. On the Street
7. Lock / Unlock
8. I Don't Know
9. I Wonder…
10. Trivia: Just Dance
11. Sweet Dreams
12. MONA LISA (World Premiere)
13. 1 VERSE
14. Base Line
15. HANGSANG
16. Airplane
17. Airplane, Pt. 2
18. MIC Drop
19. Silver Spoon (Baepsae)
20. Dis-ease
21. Outro: Ego
22. Daydream
23. Chicken Noodle Soup
24. Hope World
25. = (Equal Sign)
26. Future
27. NEURON

Tens of thousands of ARMYs from all over showed up (let's not talk about the insane line-ups) and proved why we are still the biggest and baddest fandom in the world. The crowd was electric, just pure energy. I am so, so, so glad I got tickets to this concert (and lower bowl seats, at that!). It was entirely worth flying to NYC for only one day. 

(I've uploaded about one minute-long reels of almost every performance from this concert on my Instagram, in case you're interested. And so I can re-live this show until the next OT7 concert.)

BTS EPISODE: SUGA | Agust D D-DAY Tour The Final

Well, good thing my SUGA | Agust D Tour D-DAY The Original set arrived last night because I am still waiting to see Jungkook and Jimin's performances in full. (I had only bought the livestream for Day 3 of the Final, and they performed on Day 1 and 2.) Between the live viewing, the paid livestreams, and the movie, I've watched Yoongi perform during this tour at least 5 times now and I STILL have regrets of not going to see him live. 

(You might be wondering how the hell I missed out on this tour since I've seen BTS on every single tour since the Love Yourself Tour in 2018. Both my friend Iris and I were on the waiting list for the pre-sale code, but when they finally released more tickets weeks later and I actually got a code, I had just came back from Japan. With the cost of the concert ticket — for which the best seats available were in the 200 sections — plus hotel and flight, I quite literally could not afford to go. BUT, I will not let myself be in that position again. I have set up a separate BTS concert fund. Because I am HELL-BENT on seeing them on their reunion tour.)

BTS FESTA 2024: BTS Live Streaming — 2024 BANGBANGCON

(Image source: BTS Official Twitter)

Ooooohhhhhh, a fine selection this year (including a serious throwback!). You know, I own all of these on DVD (I've watched The Wings Tour: The Final a sickening amount of times) but it's still exciting to me to watch them all over again. There's something special about watching BTS concerts during Festa. (It's like Christmas, but for ARMY!) Totally worth being nocturnal this weekend.

Unboxing: BTS Permission to Dance: On Stage in the US Digital Code Box Set

My BTS Permission to Dance: On Stage in the US Digital Code Box Set arrived a couple weeks ago!

Obviously, it's been a while since BigHit released a concert tour box set — the last one was just over a year ago with BTSWorld Tour: 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final], which actually occurred in 2019 — since, you know, the pandemic happened and then they went on a group hiatus to focus on solo projects, and now all of them have enlisted for their mandatory military service. While not a full tour, Permission to Dance: On Stage was a series of concerts that were held in Los Angeles in November/December 2021, and then in Las Vegas in April 2022. (I had major FOMO from not being able to go to any of the Los Angeles shows, but I got a presale code for the Las Vegas shows, so I did manage to go to the April 16 show at Allegiant Stadium. In fact, I made a whole long weekend out of it.)

BTS Permission to Dance: On Stage in the US Digital Code Box Set — Outer Box

This set is available in Digital Code format only. (I guess BigHit realized that no one really uses DVD or Blu-ray players anymore and it wasn't worth producing different sets for them.) The Digital Code format enables streaming the video content through Weverse on PC, tablet, or smartphone, rather than using an external disc drive. (You register for the content through a QR code, hence Digital Code format. Once the QR Code is scanned, your device will bring you directly to Weverse, where you'll have to log in to your Weverse account. If you don't already have one, then you will have to sign up for one. From there, you just accept the terms and the content will be available to you through Purchased Media > Digital Code.) On Weverse Shop Global, this set retails for ₩77,000 (or $63.14 USD or ¥9,625 — I am currently using JPY for all my purchases on Weverse Shop because it is much more advantageous when converting to CAD right now).

The BTS Permission to Dance: On Stage in the US Digital Code Box Set is packaged in a bright orange outer box with multicoloured accents and features cut-outs on the front. The physical contents of this set are as follows:

• Digital Code Tag
• Member Photo Charm + Frame (randomized 1 of 7)
• Photobook — Los Angeles
• Photobook — Las Vegas
• Photocard Set (7 each)
• Accordion Folding Photo Card
• Postcard + Frame Stand Set

BTS Permission to Dance: On Stage in the US Digital Code Box Set — Digital Code Tag + Member Photo Charm (Jin)

The digital contents of this set are as follows:

Making Of Films

• Permission to Dance: On Stage in Los Angeles Practice & Rehearsal Sketch
• Permission to Dance: On Stage in Los Angeles D-Day Sketch
• Permission to Dance: On Stage in Los Angeles Interview
• Permission to Dance: On Stage in Las Vegas Practice & Rehearsal Sketch
• Permission to Dance: On Stage in Las Vegas D-Day Sketch

Permission to Dance: On Stage in Los Angeles — 1st Concert at SoFi Stadium

1. ON
2. FIRE
3. Dope
4. DNA
5. Blue & Grey
6. Black Swan
7. Medley: Blood Sweat & Tears + Fake Love + Life Goes On
8. Boy With Luv
9. Dynamite
10. Butter
11. Medley: Airplane Pt. 2 + Silver Spoon (Baepsae) + Dis-ease + Telepathy
12. Stay
13. So What
14. Medley: I Need U + Save Me
15. IDOL
16. We are Bulletproof: The Eternal
17. Permission to Dance

Permission to Dance: On Stage in Las Vegas — Last Concert at Allegiant Stadium

1. ON
2. FIRE
3. Dope
4. DNA
5. Blue & Grey
6. Black Swan
7. Medley: Blood Sweat & Tears + Fake Love + Life Goes On
8. Boy With Luv
9. Dynamite
10. Butter
11. Telepathy
12. Wings
13. Medley: Stay + So What
14. IDOL
15. Medley: Anpanman + Go Go
16. Permission to Dance

BTS Permission to Dance: On Stage in the US Digital Code Box Set — Photocard Set
BTS Permission to Dance: On Stage in the US Digital Code Box Set — Accordion Folding Photo Card
BTS Permission to Dance: On Stage in the US Digital Code Box Set — Postcard + Frame Stand Set
BTS Permission to Dance: On Stage in the US Digital Code Box Set — Postcard + Frame Stand Set
BTS Permission to Dance: On Stage in the US Digital Code Box Set — Pre-order Gift: Polaroid Photo Set

I'm so glad that the concert they filmed for streaming in Las Vegas was the same one I actually went to in person because it makes my memories of that show more vivid and nostalgic. And I can re-live it again and again — close-up and in 4K — because the Day 4 (April 16) show in Las Vegas ended up being their last concert as a group outside of Korea before they announced their group hiatus. Now we're just waiting patiently for 2025 so we can see them together again. You can be damn sure, however, that I will pay any amount short of the cost of a new car to go to their first reunion tour.

Jungkook — GOLDEN Live on Stage

(Photo source: BTS Official Twitter)
(Photo source: BTS Official Twitter)
(Photo source: BTS Official Twitter)
(Photo source: BTS Official Twitter)

1. Standing Next to You
2. Yes or No
3. Somebody
4. Closer to You
5. 3D
6. GCF in Budapest
7. Hate You
8. Shot Glass of Tears
9. Too Sad to Dance
10. Please Don't Change
11. Seven
12. Magic Shop
13. Still With You

Ooof, well worth waking up early for. Each song sounded amazing live, but the one that surprised me the most was "Somebody," which was actually one of my least favourite songs when I first heard it and is now one of my Top 5 on GOLDEN. (I initially thought there was too much voice manipulation on the recording to make his voice sound that deep, but that is his actual voice. It's incredible. He can literally make himself sound like a completely different singer.) I also thought he'd go with "Euphoria" for his encore, but he chose "Magic Shop" which immediately brought back memories of their Love Yourself and Speak Yourself tours, and I found myself starting to tear up out of sheer nostalgia. (God, I can't wait until 2025.) "Still With You" was the perfect song to end with — not just because she showcases his incredible vocals on it, but for the sentiment and the fact that he wrote this song specifically for ARMY. He could easily go on a world tour if he added some of his BTS solo songs and I would pay an exorbitant amount of money for those tickets. 

Agust D | SUGA Tour: D-DAY: THE FINAL — Day 3

(Image source: BTS Official Twitter)
(Image source: BTS Official Twitter)
(Image source: BTS Official Twitter)
(Image source: BTS Official Twitter)

This was undoubtedly the most emotional and most meaningful concert of the Agust D D-DAY Tour and I am so glad this is the one I got a live streaming ticket for. With both Hobi and Jin taking the day off from military duties to attend, and RM performing "Strange" as well as a new, unreleased song, we have come full circle — all seven members were in attendance for this tour, and ended with BTS' founding fathers coming together for Yoongi's last solo concert before enlistment. 

Yoongi started crying during "Snooze" and throughout "Dear My Friend," and all ARMY watching, myself included, collectively cried with him. For me, it's especially heartbreaking to see Yoongi cry because he's usually so stoic and rarely shows his emotions so openly. You could tell how much this concert, this tour, his music, and his fans mean to him. He finally revealed his '7' tattoo on his left shoulder, right next to the scar from his surgery — a poignant reminder of his motorcycle accident, the accident that caused him so much mental and physical pain for over a decade — and said goodbye to us while walking through the same door featured in "Amygdala," showing us that he is finally free. It was the perfect ending to this tour.

And with that, he can officially put Agust D to rest.

At the Theatre: Agust D | SUGA D-DAY Tour in Japan — Live Viewing

So, I went with Iris to watch the live viewing of the SUGA | Agust D D-DAY Tour in Japan in theatres this evening. It was everything I wanted it to be and more. The setlist was fucking amazing:

1. Haegeum
2. Daechwita
3. Agust D
4. Give it to Me
5. Trivia: Seesaw
6. SDL
7. People
8. People Pt. 2
9. Moonlight
10. Burn It
11. Interlude: Shadow
12. Cypher Pt. 3: Killer / Cypher 4 / UGH! / Ddaeng / HUH?!
13. Life Goes On
14. Snooze
15. Polar Night
16. Amygdala
17. D-Day
18. Intro: Nevermind
19. The Last

It was the perfect mix of old and new songs, of mellow and aggressive songs, of Agust D and Suga. It covered a myriad of moods: sadness, anger, frustration, comfort. Even the VCRs — which featured an intricate storyline of Agust D vs. Suga vs. Min Yoongi — were detailed, intriguing, and beautifully shot. I've always known Yoongi to be an incredible musician, performer, and artist, but he's overwhelmingly impressive as a solo artist. His raw emotion, aggression, sincerity, and lyrical power are nothing short of electrifying. 

Anyway. I have a massive crush on Yoongi now, so.

BTS FESTA 2023: BTS Live Streaming 2023 BANGBANGCON

(Image source: BTS Official Twitter)

BANGBANGCON IS BACK! This time, they're going to be streaming 5th Muster Magic Shop and Muster Sowoozoo back-to-back starting at 11:00PM EDT tonight, and then Map of the Soul ON:E a couple hours later (7:00AM EDT is way too early for me on a Saturday, but I already own the VOD so it's not a big deal for me to skip it). Technically, I own all of these on DVD so I can watch them anytime, but there's just something about ARMYs all over the world live streaming at the same time that makes them hit differently. If you've never watched these before or if you missed out on buying the boxsets or if you simply just wanna stream with ARMYs globally to join in on the fun, now's your chance!

BTS EPISODE: RM — Live in Seoul at Rolling Hall Concert Sketch

Oh, man. There really is nothing like the energy of a small venue concert. I'm still jealous of those 200 fans who got to witness this greatness in real life. (But also, how fucking amazing is Paul Blanco's live vocals?!)

At the Theatre: BTS Yet to Come in Cinemas

Went to watch the final showing of BTS Yet to Come in Cinemas with Iris this afternoon!

BTS Yet to Come in Cinemas Poster

While the livestream was good (minus the lagging issues), watching this concert on the big screen with surround sound (my god, the live band was even more insane) and my fellow ARMY was nothing short of incredible. Everyone was respectful of each other, just singing along to the songs, cheering with the crowd, waving ARMY Bombs... It felt like coming home.

BTS EPISODE: Yet to Come in Busan

I can't wait to watch this concert on the big screen next week. Words cannot express how much I miss them. 

(But also Jimin dancing barefoot while everyone else is in shoes is causing me ANXIETY.)

BTS: Yet to Come in Cinemas

Yaaassss, just got my tickets! (You think I would ever miss the chance to watch BTS on the big screen?)

RM — Live in Seoul at Rolling Hall

This! THIS!!! Shows like this are exactly how I got into live music and how I got so obsessed with going to concerts. Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate a spectacular stadium or arena show, but there's nothing like watching your favourite artist in a small, intimate venue that builds that connection to their music. I can totally understand why to RM, who already has the immense fame and money, would see this as his dream concert. RM fucking killed this show. (And the surprise appearances by Paul Blanco, Kim Sawol, Colde, and Youjeen!!! RM really picked some phenomenal vocalists to feature on his album.) I am so, so jealous of the lucky ones who got to witness this in real life.

Unboxing: BTS World Tour: 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final] Digital Code Box Set

(Warning: This post is long and photo-heavy.)

So, BigHit decided to release the box set for BTS' BTS World Tour: 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final] three years later.

Initially, BTS World Tour: Love Yourself began on August 25, 2018, comprising of 42 arena shows across 20 cities globally. They added a stadium extension to the tour, called BTS World Tour: 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' that began on May 4, 2019, and concluded on October 29, 2019. (I went to four shows during this tour: Hamilton on September 23, 2018; Newark on September 29, 2018; and East Rutherford on May 18 and May 19, 2019.) In total, this tour was comprised of 62 concerts in 14 countries. "The Final" refers to the last three dates of BTS World Tour: 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' that were held at Seoul Olympic Stadium in Seoul on October 26 - 27 and 29, 2019.

BTS World Tour: 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final] Digital Code Set
BTS World Tour: 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final] Digital Code Set
BTS World Tour: 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final] Digital Code Set — Digital Code Card

This set is available in three formats: DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital Code. Note that the actual video content of the set is the same across all formats, but each physical set includes different items. I decided on the Digital Code format which enables streaming the video content through Weverse on PC, tablet, or phone, rather than using an external disc drive. On Weverse Shop Global, the DVD format retails for ₩49,000 or $45.52 USD each, whereas the Blu-ray and Digital Code formats retail for ₩59,000 or $54.81 USD each. This post will cover the Digital Code set only.

The BTS World Tour: 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final] Digital Code set is packaged in a purple outer box with light grey accents. (The packaging design of this set follows the previous two set releases from BTS World Tour: 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself', Sao Paulo and London.) The contents of this set are as follows:

BTS World Tour 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final] (Day 1)

1. Dionysus
2. Not Today
3. Outro: Wings
4. Trivia: Just Dance
5. Euphoria
6. Best of Me
7. Serendipity
8. Trivia: Love
9. Boy with Luv
10. DOPE
11. Silver Spoon
12. Fire
13. RUN
14. Singularity
15. FAKE LOVE
16. Trivia: Seesaw
17. Epiphany
18. The Truth Untold
19. Outro: Tear
20. MIC Drop
21. IDOL
22. Anpanman
23. So What
24. Make It Right
25. Mikrokosmos

2nd Day Solo Performances

1. Trivia: Just Dance
2. Euphoria
3. Serendipity
4. Trivia: Love
5. Singularity
6. Trivia: Seesaw
7. Epiphany

BTS World Tour 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final] Making Film

• Practice Making Film
• Rehearsal Making Film
• D-Day Making Film
• Love Yourself & Speak Yourself Tour Highlight Commentary

BTS World Tour: 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final] Digital Code Set — Photo Book
BTS World Tour: 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final] Digital Code Set — Photo Book — RM / Kim Namjoon
BTS World Tour: 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final] Digital Code Set — Photo Book — Jin / Kim Seokjin
BTS World Tour: 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final] Digital Code Set — Photo Book — Suga / Min Yoongi
BTS World Tour: 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final] Digital Code Set — Photo Book — J-Hope / Jung Hoseok
BTS World Tour: 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final] Digital Code Set — Photo Book — Jimin / Park Jimin
BTS World Tour: 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final] Digital Code Set — Photo Book — V / Kim Taehyung
BTS World Tour: 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final] Digital Code Set — Photo Book — Jungkook / Jeon Jungkook
This set comes with a 192-page photo book that highlights all of the stages during the concert, including group, sub-group, and solo performances, as well as encore and backstage.

It also comes with a tri-folded, double-sided banner poster (one side is a panoramic photo of Seoul Olympic Stadium filled with ARMYs, and the other side features three photos of the members holding each day's fan banners); a set of seven member photo bookmarks (previous sets for this tour only came with one randomized member bookmark); and a randomized member photocard (previous sets for this tour didn't include a photocard).

BTS World Tour: 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final] Digital Code Set — Folded Banner Poster
BTS World Tour: 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final] Digital Code Set — Member Photo Bookmark Set
BTS World Tour: 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final] Digital Code Set — Randomized Member Photocard (V)
As I pre-ordered from Weverse Shop, I also got the pre-order gifts specific to the Digital Code set, which was one unreleased group photo ticket set (a double-sided "ticket" and holder), and one unreleased lenticular group photo stand.

BTS World Tour: 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final] Digital Code Set — Weverse Shop Pre-Order Gift — Group Photo Ticket Set
BTS World Tour: 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final] Digital Code Set — Weverse Shop Pre-Order Gift — Group Photo Ticket Set
BTS World Tour: 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final] Digital Code Set — Weverse Shop Pre-Order Gift — Lenticular Group Photo Stand
BTS World Tour: 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final] Digital Code Set — Weverse Shop Pre-Order Gift — Lenticular Group Photo Stand
Note that the full concert footage in this set is the same as the livestream for Day 1 of BTS World Tour 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final], which was available for purchase in October 2019 through BTS' V Live channel. If you had purchased that stream before, then you will also have the VOD available to you to watch any time, now on Weverse. (As Naver's V Live is being discontinued, you will have to transfer your account information from V Live to Weverse — it takes about 2 minutes, and all your purchased content will move automatically to Weverse.) However, the VOD does not include the bonus video content that is included in this set.

To be honest, I don't think BigHit originally had plans to release this as a physical set at all, just given that it was already released as a paid livestream event three years ago. Not to mention that this set was released after the Map of the Soul ON:E set, which took place one year later than 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final]. While this set was probably released as a cash-grab, it is great for those who didn't or couldn't purchase the livestream/VOD of BTS World Tour 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' [The Final] when it was originally available in 2019, and for us collectors who actually wanted a physical box set (and bonus content!).