It’s 3am and I’m huddled in a collapsible camping chair outside Kia Forum in Los Angeles, wrapped in four layers of clothing and blankets. I’ve travelled halfway across the world to see Suga/Agust D perform in his first solo tour. Suga and Agust D are the same person, both being stage names adopted by Min Yoongi of the Korean boyband BTS. While Suga, one of the group’s rappers and producers, has performed in sold-out stadiums and arenas all around the world with his bandmates, this is the first time a member of the group has toured alone. He also happens to be one of my favourite members of BTS – so over six weeks, I will travel to three countries in two continents to see him perform a total of seven times.
To describe BTS simply as a K-pop boyband would be to miss the enormous cultural, artistic and social impact that the seven-member group continues to have. Not only have the members topped music charts around the world, their influence extends far beyond the sphere of pop music. From speaking engagements at the UN and the White House, being granted diplomatic passports from the South Korean government, to their fundraising and philanthropic efforts for a variety of causes, the “BTS effect” continues to change the world. Even though BTS is on hiatus from group activities until 2025 as the band members undertake their mandatory military service in South Korea, this month the city of Seoul will be transformed for celebrations to mark the band’s 10-year anniversary.
