Man, they are so lucky that Jin loves fishing. Frankly, I think being able to catch two fish so big that they can get over 100 servings of sashimi is more impressive than that insanely fancy house. Sigh, I love BTS food content.
Yoongi speed-walking like a grandpa is the cutest thing I have ever seen.
Jungkook is truly a genius-level troll.
Yoongi self-eliminating to avoid having to play a game is the most Yoongi-coded thing I've ever seen.
The unbridled laughter of these seven men playing children's games is the ultimate balm to soothe the soul.
Sorry, but poutine without cheese curds is not poutine.
Yoongi, Jin, and Jimin are wrong about avocados, but I guess everyone has to be wrong sometimes.
The "I'll think about it" debate is truly dependent on context. If a friend asked me, "Do you want to see the Backstreet Boys next year?" I'd reply, "I'll think about it," because I'd actually need to think about it. But if a co-worker asked me, "Do you want to go to the Christmas party?" I'd reply, "I'll think about it," but what I really mean is, "No."
I love that "X-nailing" a mosquito bite is universal.
I would 100% rather wash someone else than have someone wash me, unless I absolutely had no choice (like, as Namjoon says, I broke all my limbs). But if I were a BTS member? I could really go either way...
I love that they've been idols for so long that they would have to discuss with their protocol team on how to handle a situation wherein one of their members turned into a zombie.
My god. I haven't laughed this much in a very long time. My cheeks hurt. My eyes have sweat actual tears. I have missed Run BTS! so fucking much.
Sigh, watching any ARIRANG tour footage just makes me miss them all over again. Watching this also makes me sad because it just reminds me that both the banner projects and the light projects that were prepared for Toronto all failed so miserably. I know Day 1 couldn't be helped because of the weather, but no one seemed to remember the projects for Day 2, either. Hell, I didn't even get a banner for Day 2, and I think it was the first BTS concert that I have ever been to that didn't have ARMY holding up banners. THE. UTTER. REGRET. 😩
As someone from Toronto, it makes me feel strangely honoured that BTS has now filmed multiple Run BTS! episodes here over two visits (Episodes 69/70/71 were filmed in 2018 and released in 2019). I knew that they had quite a bit of free time while they were in Toronto back in August, judging from all their restaurant jaunts and the BTS staff's (and RM's) adventures in Niagara Falls, but I really wasn't expecting them to film anything official here so this is a delightfully pleasant surprise. Can't wait to watch Part 1 next Tuesday!
Sigh, I can't believe the North American leg of the tour is over. Seven months of waiting and intense anticipation… and the concerts happened in the blink of an eye. It's been a month since they were in Toronto and I am still suffering from post-concert blues.
"Merry Go Round" is about pure desolation, melancholy, and struggling with depression — it's by far the saddest song off of ARIRANG, and one of the most profoundly sad songs from BTS in general.
I wish that I could tell you that it's over
I wish that I could walk away from pain
My life is like a broken roller coaster
But maybe I'm the only one to blame
I can't get off this merry go round
It spins me around
I do my best, but I can't slow down
This merry go round
And I, I can't get off of this ride
I can't get off of this ride
I try, this happens every time
I can't get off of this ride
Feel like I'm all grown up now
But I still got the same old doubts
Every day on this merry go round
Feel like I'm stuck on this hamster wheel
Oh, questions with no answers
Running through this maze
We're all just smiling
Like everything's okay, everything
I wish that I could tell you that it's over
I wish that I could walk away from pain
My life is like a broken roller coaster
But maybe I'm the only one to blame
I can't get off this merry go round
It spins me around
I do my best, but I can't slow down
This merry go round
And I, I can't get off of this ride
I can't get off of this ride
I try, this happens every time
I can't get off of this ride
Spinnin' up, down
Just round and round
I'm fallin' apart
Still bound to ground
Can't break out of these chains
My inner child cries out
I've had enough of this ride
Please take me out, ma
My bed is my coffin
My whole world feels like caffeine
Every day, walk into death
Can't I turn off this dream
'Cause I can't stop dancing
Just thinking and thinking and thinking and think
Thinking about how I should stop thinking
Round and round, are you happy?
Smile 'til the end for me
It took three months, but they finally released this MV for everyone. This MV was originally released for Spotify Premium members only, which was extremely disappointing because BigHit has never had to put BTS' MVs behind a pay wall before and I vehemently disagree with this practice. And I still refuse to pay for Spotify.
Frankly, I don't care about iHeartRadio unless BTS is on, and fuck, they killed the stage here. I especially love the badass, hip hop-driven setlist, because as fun and radio-friendly as "Dynamite" and "Butter" are (and sadly, what they're most known for in the West), this is what BTS really is to me. I'm really glad that, after nine years, they still choose to perform "MIC Drop" — and the Korean version, to boot. (In the US especially, they usually perform the full English version, and it's just a subtle flex that they know they're so globally relevant that they can sing the original version.) Also, I don't know if it's because they're in the middle of their world tour right now, but they just fucking dominated this stage like it's their own concert and not performing as part of a music festival.
Firstly, Suga really should start a vlogging channel. He's a natural at it and can somehow make the mundane interesting to watch. (I also love the old-school, tacky editing. It's a huge part of the charm.) Secondly, how do people hike up mountains so casually? I would a) never make it to the end, and b) be in constant fear of tripping and falling to my death. If I don't get run over by a wild cow first.
I watched the Busan concert in theatres just over two months ago and now there's only THREE MORE DAYS UNTIL I GET TO SEE THESE THEM LIVE IN MY HOMETOWN!!!!
Yoongi: "Hey, remember? The incline in San Francisco was about this bad when we were going up. We went up around six of these, right? Man, I thought I was going to die back then."
I never thought I'd see the day when Jungkook couldn't catch up with Yoongi. Man, runners are truly a different beast.
Jimin: "I've never partied like this before. I usually just drink soju at home..."
Jimin, pretending to be on the phone: "Jungkook-ah, two orders of jajangmyeon?" *pretend laughs* [points at Jin] "Jjamppong for us?"
Jimin, while monitoring scene cuts: "Jungkook is in the middle of singing but then I'm asking, 'Jungkook-ah, two orders of jajangmyeon?" *laughs maniacally* "You're singing again and I'm going, 'Jjamppong?'" *laughs maniacally*
Namjoon: "We'll push each other around a little and bump into each other as you move. Meaning Yoongi and Jin, you can just be yourselves."
I know there was a lot of criticism over FIFA having a half-time show — the World Cup Final is the most watched sports game of all time, the players will lose energy and momentum with such a long break in the middle of the game, etc. — but I thought it was put together really well with great global representation. Obviously, I paid attention because BTS was performing (I wish they got to perform the full version of "Dynamite" instead of an edited one, but I guess they had to squeeze in 7 artists — yes, the Muppets count! — in under 12 minutes so it is what it is) but I thought everyone performed really well. Okay, so Bieber was a bit of a downer, but his voice is still nice, and I mean, even after all these years, Shakira's hips still don't lie.
I could go on and on about how much I love this song, and how it's one of my favourite tracks off of ARIRANG, but at the core, it's a brilliant contemplation on the pursuit of sincerity in a world where they don't know if what's real anymore because they're too famous, they have everything they could possibly want so they don't know what to want anymore but they know having nothing is worse, their homes are both palaces and prisons, and they want people to stop talking about them but also to never stop talking about them. Basically, success can be a real fucking bitch.
Kerosene, dopamine, chemical-induced
Fantasy and fame, yeah, the things we choose
Show me hate, show me love, make me bulletproof
Yeah, we call this shit normal
Run away, out of sight, don't know what I want
Wish I had a minute just to turn me off
Kerosene, dopamine, what I gotta do?
Yeah, we call this shit normal
Heavy is the head when you chasin' true
Will you colour me red? Will you colour me blue?
Two sides of a coin, and they both ain't true
Is it different for mе? Is it different for you?
Got me feelin' things unusual
And I livе 'em all
Got me and my feelings up on this wall
And my knees
Kerosene, dopamine, chemical-induced
Fantasy and fame, yeah, the things we choose
Show me hate, show me love, make me bulletproof
Yeah, we call this shit normal
Run away, out of sight, don't know what I want
Wish I had a minute just to turn me off
Kerosene, dopamine, what I gotta do?
Yeah, we call this shit normal
How I'm 'posed to feel?
Used to think that I was built with a heart made of steel
Now I understand the truth, some pain don't heal
If everything's just happy, that ain't real
I breathe everything out like a thousand times
Normal and special, they are just some lines
One deep sigh, then it slips away, fades away
What I try to keep never want to stay
Runaway, pushin' me, pullin' me, said you wanted all of me
But what is even all of me?
Suddenly, part of me is hauntin' me, heard the things they callin' me
What the hell you want from me?
Got me feelin' things unusual
And I live 'em all
Got me and my feelings up on this wall
And my knees
Kerosene, dopamine, chemical-induced
Fantasy and fame, yeah, the things we choose
Show me hate, show me love, make me bulletproof
Yeah, we call this shit normal
Run away, out of sight, don't know what I want
Wish I had a minute just to turn me off
Kerosene, dopamine, what I gotta do?
Yeah, we call this shit normal
No, we, no, we, no, we call this shit normal
No, we, no, we, no, we call this shit normal, yeah
No, we, no, we, no, we call this shit normal
This MV features a lot of parallels to "Spring Day," not to mention symbolism from "Black Swan" and "SWIM." There are dozens of analyzations of this MV already, so I'm not going to get into it because other ARMYs are hypothesizing way better than I ever could, but if "Merry Go Round" is the saddest song from ARIRANG, I think "NORMAL" is the darkest.
Okay, I never thought I'd see any member of BTS taking a piss at a urinal let alone all seven of them at the same time, but you know, I'm here for it. (Honestly, I just assume all dudes go to the bathroom together like this.) Although, I'm wondering why RM chose the urinal between Jin and Jungkook. It's like one of those memes that show random celebrities in specific airplane seats and you have to pick which empty seat to sit in…
Anyway, "NORMAL" is one of my Top 3 favourite songs on ARIRANG (which is genuinely a no-skip album for me — well, except for "No. 29" — but "NORMAL" is always in my Top 3 even though the other two tracks might change) so I cannot fucking wait for this to be released as the next single. I'm actually a little surprised that they've released so many tracks as singles so far from one album because they've never done it before but, hey, the BTS global dominance is non-stop.
Denise, circa 1986. Chinese-Canadian. Born, raised, and still living in the Greater Toronto Area. Retired professional make-up artist, now office worker. Introvert with brilliant extrovert skills. BTS ARMY since 2016, OT7, Jungkook and Jimin biased. BTS merch collector, amateur foodie, skincare fiend, mascara connoisseur, shopaholic, teetotaler, Scorpio, avid The Sims 4 player, K-drama addict, and Potterhead since 1997. Penchant for live concerts, collecting figures, dining out, building LEGO, and food photography.
About the Site
Circuits of Fever is a personal blog and a hobby only. It mainly features my interests in BTS, food, beauty, music, photography, travel, lifestyle, and culture. The name "Circuits of Fever" is a song by Thursday from their 2009 album, Common Existence. The title of this blog has no relevance to the actual purpose of or topics discussed within the blog.
All photos since November 2023 have been taken with an Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max. All photos are taken by me, unless otherwise noted. Please do not use my photos or blog content without permission. Photos are edited by me using Adobe Photoshop 2024. This blog is written and edited by me using Blogger through Google Chrome, on an Apple MacBook Pro.
Note: None of these posts are sponsored.
Playlist (October 2026)
ALT BLK ERA - Come On Outside
ALT BLK ERA - Hunt You Down
ALT BLK ERA - My Drummer's Girlfriend
ALT BLK ERA - Run Rabbit
ALT BLK ERA - Straight to Heart
Au/Ra - Emoji
Au/Ra - Panic Room
Bella Poarch - Don't Fear the Reaper
Bella Poarch - Living Hell
Bella Poarch - Sweet Delusion
Bella Poarch - Will You Always Love Her?
Bella Poarch - Zombie
Bella Poarch & Sub Urban - Inferno
BENEE - What
BTS - 2.0
BTS - Aliens
BTS - Body to Body
BTS - Come Over
BTS - FYA
BTS - Hooligan
BTS - Into the Sun
BTS - Like Animals
BTS - Merry Go Round
BTS - NORMAL
BTS - One More Night
BTS - Please
BTS - SWIM
BTS - They Don't Know 'Bout Us
Ellie Goulding - For Your Entertainment
FKA Twigs - Perfect Stranger
Foxes - Feet Don't Fail Me Now
Girl in Red - Midnight Love
Glass Animals (feat. Denzel Curry) - Tokyo Drifting
Hayley Williams - Good Ol' Days
Hayley Williams - Parachute
Hayley Williams - Showbiz
Kim Petras - Malibu
Sombr - 12 to 12
Taylor Swift - Patient Zero
Teddy Swims - You've Got Another Thing Coming
Towa Bird - Your Girl