Published on : 15/06/2022 – 23:54Modified : 15/06/2022 – 23:52
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New York (AFP) – News of a career hiatus for South Korean pop phenom BTS sent their label plunging to the Seoul Stock Exchange, but their fans in New York reacted philosophically on Wednesday, with most saying they were certain. to see them together.
“They have already taken breaks in the past. They have reassured the fans (…). And I know that their passion is to make music together. So I’m not worried”, explains, in front of a pop-up store celebrating the boy band, Caroline, an 18-year-old New York student who prefers not to give her last name.
On Tuesday, when she heard the news, she was “heartbroken” because she “adores” them, like her mother.
“But I am happy that they are focusing on their individual projects, and I will always support them, individually or together”, adds the young woman, before entering the store, a “pop-up” set up in the south of Manhattan, on the occasion of the release of their album “Proof”.
Inside, a dark nightclub decor, the band’s music in the background and the possibility of ordering “exclusive” T-shirts or taking a photo of yourself in front of three large white BTS letters.
“Grateful”
For Elin, a 17-year-old Norwegian visiting New York with her sister, the K-Pop group “is a big part of my life” and their compilation “Love yourself” meant a lot, she explains.
“I discovered them when I was going through a difficult period (…). I discovered their music and it helped me a lot. So I am very grateful”, she adds, when mentioning the seven young men who put forward themes such as self-esteem and anti-racism, especially when they spoke at the UN, or at the White House, in front of Joe Biden, on May 31.
“I’m very happy that they take time to do what they want, to focus on themselves,” adds the young girl.
In April, BTS gathered 200,000 spectators in four dates in Las Vegas. A month earlier, their concert in Seoul, shown in American cinemas, climbed to third place at the box office.
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“They have a great ability to touch people, whatever their age or whatever they’re going through. They’re always connected with their…their +army+ (“Army”, the name of their fans)”, smiles Jorge Ponce, who came with his wife and two children.
This 43-year-old New York City employee, who wears a T-shirt bearing the image of the group, did not miss their concert in Las Vegas. Now, “I hope there will be more music, from BTS and from each of them individually,” he adds.
© 2022 AFP
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