HAPPY JIN DAY 2025! 🐹

Wishing Mr. Worldwide Handsome and BTS' matnae the happiest 33rd birthday! Thank you for your ability to be shameless and humble at the same time, your incredible perseverance and ambition, your charming honesty, your windshield wiper laugh, and for always showing that age is just a number. Thank you for taking care of your little brothers, for always taking the time to talk to ARMYs, for always choosing to be positive, and for reminding us to love ourselves. I hope you have an incredible birthday with your loved ones and a wonderful year ahead filled with love and happiness. 💜

Jimin and Jungkook — Are You Sure?! Season 2 Main Trailer

Interrupting my stream of birthday dinner posts with this trailer because it just unexpectedly dropped and I AM ALWAYS SURE WHEN IT COMES TO JIKOOK. This is the most precious friendship I have ever witnessed in the last 9 years and I ALWAYS NEED MORE. They give me faith in LOVE AND HUMANITY.  (But also wanderlust and hunger pangs at 3:00AM.) Anyway, guess I'll need to re-subscribe to Disney+ again... 

Jungkook for Calvin Klein: Holiday 2025 Campaign

(Photo source: Calvin Klein Official X)
(Photo source: Calvin Klein Official X)
(Photo source: Calvin Klein Official X)
(Photo source: Calvin Klein Official X)
(Photo source: Calvin Klein Official X)
(Photo source: Calvin Klein Official X)
OH. MY. GOD. 

The fits, the motorcycle, the tattoos, the piercings, the abs, and the hair?! With those moves?! To "Block Rockin' Beats"?! JEON JUNGKOOK IS FUCKING BACK WITH A VENGEANCE AND WE ARE ALL FUCKING THIRSTY.

LE SSERAFIM (feat. J-Hope of BTS) — "Spaghetti" Official MV

"Don't care what you talk about; you're the one comin' runnin' back here every time."

A yoga class, a (gorgeous) drag queen, a spaghetti food truck, swimming in a pool of spaghetti sauce with an asparagus pool noodle, dancing in a giant plate of spaghetti, eating spaghetti with chopsticks in a maze... This MV is WILD. I mean, I know the song's called "Spaghetti," and there's a whole lot of spaghetti imagery, and spaghetti is being used as a metaphor for the band itself (spaghetti is literally blowing people's minds at 3:04), but it's essentially a "FUCK YOU" anthem to Le Sserafim's haters and I'm kinda obsessed. This might be their sassiest song yet (is that actual PROFANITY I hear?), and J-Hope's brand of bad-ass quirkiness fits perfectly here. (He's the king of Chicken Noodle Soup, after all.) It's not an entirely unexpected collab, since Huh Yunjin featured on J-Hope's Hope on the Street album (and they're both on the same label), but his verse really brings out Le Sserafim's peppy cheekiness. And, honestly, "Spaghetti" is just catchy AF.

Anyway, I'm really hungry now.

BTS EPISODE: Jin — RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUR in US and Europe

I remember when this tour was first announced, I was worried about how the Run Jin concept was going to be incorporated into the concerts. But I didn't need to worry; the concert was fucking amazing. Of course, Jin's live performances were phenomenal — flawless vocals, incredible energy — but it was also really interactive and hilarious and so much fun. It was a concert that felt completely different to any other one I'd been to — one that was so unique, and so thoroughly JIN. I know I say this for all BTS concerts, but god, I'm so glad I got tickets for this tour. 

Is it too soon to feel nostalgic over this?

BTS VLOG: RM's Trip in Europe

It's funny that he apologizes for showcasing so many of his meals because the food is what leads me to my destinations.

Oh, man, the wanderlust is real right now.

BTS EPISODE: J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour Practice Sketch

"I just need to do a good job myself. The other performances are coming along but we still need to do this live so we've got a long way to go. There are still so many things left to check… This is not good… Whatever the case, I'll do it and I'll stand before you ARMY and show you guys an amazing performance. I'll get through it. So come to the shows with high expectations. This is just the process. Results are what matter."

I know it's his job, but I can't imagine having to re-memorize over 25 songs' worth of choreographies and lyrics in three months to perform live. Globally. In front of hundreds of thousands of people. After being in the military for 1.5 years. But his hard work really paid off because Hope on the Stage was fucking flawless.

BTS EPISODE: J-Hope at Lollapalooza Berlin 2025

How was he not satisfied with his performance here?! This was honestly one of the most energetic, charismatic, and damn near flawless stages I've seen from J-Hope. Like, I know he's a perfectionist but he's being a little too humble here... 

And on another note, I know Justin Timberlake is a 2000s icon, but frankly, in this day and age, BTS is significantly more popular, multi-faceted, and talented (and way less problematic)… but it seemed like J-Hope was way more excited to meet him? And that JT forgot he collaborated with Jungkook until J-Hope reminded him?

BANGTAN BOMB: J-Hope's Summer Swag Sketch

J-Hope: "I wonder if they'll recognize me…"

PSY: "Wow… that was such a 'celebrity' thing to say."

J-Hope: "No, seriously!"

PSY: "Of course they'll recognize you!"

J-Hope: "I'm really worried. It'll be the general public."

PSY: "Geez… Tomorrow's going to be something to remember."

I can't believe J-Hope was worried that the Korean general public wouldn't recognize him. Did he really think PSY would invite him to perform there if he didn't think J-Hope has that kind of impact? J-Hope has proven himself time and time again that he is an insanely talented, incredibly popular solo artist — on top of being apart of the biggest band in the world. J-HOPE, AREN'T YOU BEING A LITTLE TOO HUMBLE?

(On another note, that blingy pizza pendant necklace is basically the best thing I've ever seen in my life.)

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.

BTS EPISODE: Permission to Dance: On Stage — Live Concept Photo Shoot Sketch

Jungkook, looking around at all the snacks: "There's a lot of stuff we can take home after the shoot!"

Jin: "Jungkook's definitely going to take some stuff home."

RM: "Hey, Jungkook!"

Jungkook: "Yeah?"

RM: "You haven't changed one bit from 2013."

Jungkook: "What? In 2013…"

RM: "It's good to be consistent."

Jungkook: "They say consistency is the key to success!"

This might be the only store where you don't need a Costco membership to buy Kirkland products. TAKE EVERYTHING HOME, BOYS!

On that note, I still can't believe they were gatekeeping this from us for THREE YEARS. THREE YEARS!!! (I guess it was worth it, though; the Permission to Dance: On Stage — Live album sounds so good and makes me feel nostalgic for the Las Vegas show I went to in 2022. The BigHit/HYBE planning department is really something else.) 

BANGTAN BOMB: J-Hope — "Killin' It Girl (Solo Version)" Challenge Sketch

Okay, I don't know like, half of these 4th gen groups but I love how excited and eager and starstruck they are when working with Hobi. So freaking cute! (Also, ENHYPEN killed this challenge.)

BTS EPISODE: Jin — RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUR Practice Sketch

15 MORE DAYS UNTIL I SEE JIN ON TOUR!!!

J-Hope — "Killin' It Girl" Music Show Promotions Sketch

You know, the effort behind creating all these sets at Korean music shows never fails to amaze me. I still wonder why these types of music shows do so well in Asia, but there's nothing like this in North America. I guess the closest we have are those talent competition shows like The Voice, but there's nothing for already-established artists to perform live stages every week and have fans vote on which group wins best new release. I wonder if it's because North America is too physically big? I mean, to be fair, you could fit like, 12 Koreas inside Ontario alone, so logistics would be a nightmare…

Anyway, big congrats to J-Hope for all his music show wins. Truly well-deserved!

J-Hope — Live at Lollapalooza Berlin 2025

So glad BigHit got the rights to livestream this because everything about this performance was IN-FUCKING-CREDIBLE. The set list, his (very naked) fit, his live vocals, his dancing, the live band... Pardon the pun, but Hobi KILLED IT. 

Jin — Echo North America Promotions Behind

Jin: "I heard the [Vanity Fair] lie detector test is pretty popular in the U.S. right now, so I'm going to get a test done. It'll probably go like, 'Are you BTS?' 'Yes!' [pauses] What if it says it's a lie?! Then I'll say, 'I'm Bangtan Sonyeondan.' 'Are you a man?' 'Yes!' [pauses] What if it says that's a lie, too?! I don't know what kind of questions I'll get, but I'll try my best to lie in a way that works in my favour. It'll be a lie but I'll convince myself it's not. Yes, I'll lie, but I'll trick even myself so that even the lie detector won't detect my lies…"

Jin's thought process is fascinating.

BTS EPISODE: J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Asia

The amount of hard work, planning, practice, dedication, endurance, creativity, and stamina — not just from J-Hope, but also the dancers and staff — that went into this tour is just remarkable. I am so glad that I got to witness a part of it in person. 

J-Hope — "Killin' It Girl" Dance Practice Behind

I've been following BTS for nine years and I never take the members' energy, commitment, and consistency for granted. I know practice makes perfect, but the sheer amount of elements involved in being a K-pop idol — live and recorded vocals, live and filmed choreography, singing in tune while dancing, dynamic facial expressions, stage placement and positions, charisma and stage presence, media training, face and body aesthetics — is, frankly, beyond exhausting. I will never not be impressed and in awe of the amount of effort going into these performances, but the outcome is so, so worth it.

Jin — "Don't Say You Love Me" at Seongsu & "Hi Seokjin" Hi-Touch Event Behind

Man, getting a spot at one of these events is truly like winning the lottery, and that's only if you live in Korea. Us international fans don't even get a chance. On that note, at least I'm going to see Jin next month. 37 DAYS TO GO!