WEEK 24 | Lost and Found
June 10 - 14, 2024
Acceptance.
When Festa came around in June of 2022, I was still relatively new to discovering BTS. So much so that I didn’t even know what Festa really was about. I saw it mentioned here and there online, but didn’t pay too much attention, as I’d just begun my journey down the rabbit hole. But as the days went on, I couldn’t help but notice BTS being the biggest topic of conversation—and not in a good way. Clickbait headlines that led to inflammatory articles began popping up everywhere…
“BTS Going on Hiatus: Is this the End?”
What? I didn’t understand… I’d just discovered them. What had happened? How could they be breaking up? Desperately, I looked for answers, but I didn’t have an ARMY community at the time. I didn’t even consider myself ARMY then. I felt adrift, and not sure if I wanted to continue getting to know them if I was only about to suffer heartbreak.
Luckily, it wasn’t long before reassurance came my way. BTS themselves spoke up to clarify their words. It was just a break from group activities so they could each spend time on individual projects for a while. A chance for them to grow individually, so they could come back together again later—stronger than before.
And of course, as 2022 rolled to a close, we discovered their other motive for the break: their mandatory South Korean military service. Jin enlisted in December of 2022 and j-hope followed a few months later in April 2023. When we reached Festa that year, and BTS’ 10th Anniversary, it was the first time ARMY had to celebrate without all of the members present. It was surreal, to say the least.
BTS in FESTA 2022 shoot
The past two years have not been easy for BTS and ARMY. There have been tears, and repeated calls for trust from both sides. We’ve seen the release of absolutely phenomenal solo music from each member. We’ve also watched them struggle to navigate life outside of BTS, and eventually, adjust to military service. SUGA enlisted in September of 2023, and the remaining four—RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook followed in December.
ARMY Project 529 started, in part, because we thought we weren’t going to have anything to do, or look forward to during this time that all of the members were away. We thought we would need to find a way to stay connected. Hence the creation of this blog that you’re reading right now. Silly us. Little did we know they spent all of their time before enlisting filming enough content to keep us busy the entire time they’d be gone. They were so worried we’d forget about them. (Meanwhile, during Easter, I bought a tiny pink bunny that winds up and hops around because it made me think of Jung Kook. Ahem.)
Now, six months later, we find ourselves back at Festa… it’s only a couple of days until Jin is discharged and returns home to us. And what’s the first thing he wants to do, on June 13th—BTS’ 11th Anniversary? Have a party with ARMYs and hug them for three hours straight. He could have decided to take some time to rest and be with his family first, but no. He wants to see ARMY. He wants to touch ARMY. It’s quite possible that they have been missing us way more than we have been missing them.
BTS isn’t going anywhere. APOBANGPO.
Playlists & Lyrics
ARMY PROJECT 529 WEEK 24 VIDEO PLAYLIST (all YouTube links)
DAY ONE:
In 2022, the pandemic was easing up. Lockdown was almost completely over, vaccinations were widespread, and most businesses had reopened or were on their way to doing so. Life was continuing. We were forever changed, but happy to be getting back to at least a semblance of what we’d been doing a few years prior.
When Festa rolled around that year, it was BTS’ ninth anniversary. And from a lot of the content released during the celebrations, it’s obvious they were feeling super nostalgic. We got dance practices from each previous year, going all the way back to 2013. If you watch them back to back, the progression in skill level and maturity is unbelievable.
The song gifted to us that year—”My You”, written and sung by Jung Kook—continued the wistfully nostalgic theme. The ballad was a message for ARMY, and it was just as sweet and sentimental as JK is himself. It subtly refers to the end of the pandemic, and alludes to BTS looking forward to coming back out into the sun with ARMY by their side.
It was quite a lonely night
In the blink of an eye
The dark faded out
Blooming under the sunlight
Memories with me and you
BTS always keeps ARMY at the forefront of their thoughts, sometimes to their own detriment. Instead of resting during the pandemic, they’d gone full throttle, making it their mission to be a source of happiness during a time of pain and suffering. They’d created so many hours of online content just to provide us an outlet and distraction, but as the world started coming back to life… BTS found themselves running on empty.
JUNE 3 - BTS PRACTICE RECORD: 2013 “WE ARE BULLETPROOF PT. 2” + “NO MORE DREAM” (05:14)
JUNE 4 - BTS PRACTICE RECORDS: 2016 “AM I WRONG” (FIRST TIME WITH PRACTICE ROOM) (02:30)
JUNE 5 - BTS SELFIE COLLECTION ‘21/’22 (03:55 - shown below)
JUNE 5 - BTS PRACTICE RECORD: 2017 “TOMORROW” (COMEBACK MNET M! COUNTDOWN) (04:28)
JUNE 5 - BTS PRACTICE RECORD: 2017 “MIC DROP” (MOVING VER.) (04:02 - shown below)
JUNE 7 - BTS PRACTICE RECORDS: 2018 “PIED PIPER” (4TH MUSTER) (01:03, HELP.)
JUNE 7 - BTS PRACTICE RECORDS: 2018 “BEST OF ME” (COMEBACK SHOW) (03:52, The choreography is sublime.)
JUNE 7 - BTS PRACTICE RECORDS: 2019 “AIRPLANE PT. 2” (03:40, JIMIN-SSI!)
JUNE 9 - FAMILY PORTRAIT PT. 2 (01:09)
JUNE 9 - FAMILY PORTRAIT PT. 3 (02:39)
JUNE 9 - 2022 FESTA FAMILY PORTRAIT SHOOT (08:37 - shown above)
JUNE 11 - BTS PRACTICE RECORDS: 2021 “BUTTER” (PERFORMANCE REHEARSAL VER.) (02:55 - as shown below)
JUNE 11 - BTS PRACTICE RECORDS: 2022 “BUTTER” (GRAMMY VER.) (01:27)
JUNE 13 - SONG FOR ARMY: MY YOU BY JUNGKOOK (03:06 - shown below)
Fun Fact
ARMY loves teasers and spoilers from BTS, right? It’s almost like they’re playing a little game with us by building anticipation.
With Festa, it’s even more exciting. Every year, a few days before the festa-vities (I’m not going to get tired of that joke; you’ve been warned) begin, BTS gives us an official Release Schedule.
The Release Schedule is like a road map to all things Festa. It lets us know the dates and times everything will be dropping for us so we can make sure we’re ready. (Although, are we ever really ready?) Sometimes we know what things are right away by the description, and other times they leave us with a few questions.
No matter what, it’s always exciting when the new Festa Release Schedule drops. We know because we just got a new one! This year’s Festa is underway… and JIN WILL BE HOME IN JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS!!!!
DAY TWO:
Very fitting representation of BTS awards during 2020 and 2021 by ARMY on X @into_paradise_7
As we came out of the pandemic years many thought it would be back to business as usual for BTS. But could that really happen? They’d experienced unprecedented growth during 2020 and 2021, largely due to the success of the three English language tracks they’d released during that time. (“Dynamite”, “Butter”, and “Permission to Dance”)
They’d had to cancel their tour for Map of the Soul: 7 at the beginning of 2020, but as restrictions started easing up, and on the heels of their very lucrative “Permission to Dance” shows, a lot of ARMYs were hoping that the group would announce the rescheduling of that world tour. Point of fact, they were now a global phenomenon, not just another K-Pop group from South Korea. What would “business as usual” even look like for BTS on the heels of such a rise in fame and popularity?
Well, we wouldn’t find out, because if we know one thing about Bangtan Sonyeondan—it’s that they’ll always keep us on our toes. During the “Real Bangtan Dinner Party”, the members gathered for a meal in their now empty dorm, and announced that they were going to be taking a break from group activities in order to rest, and to focus on their own individual solo projects.
One by one, each of the members gave their feelings on why they needed to do this, and also to stress that it was not the end of BTS. At one point, V paraphrased something j-hope told him—that they all needed to go their own way for a while in order to discover their separate colors, so that they could come back together later as an even stronger BTS. Throughout the entire dinner, they are clearly stressed, but determined. RM breaks down in tears, noting that he has been feeling lost (foreshadowing) and has so much he wants to say, but he feels bad and doesn’t want to disappoint their fans. They all echo his sentiment, but end with a toast, and Jung Kook shouting the signature “APOBANGPO!” (“ARMY Forever, BTS Forever!”)
As I mentioned in the intro, this dinner left many ARMYs confused, something that was exacerbated in the following days by how it was covered in the media. And again, we later learned that this decision was also made to accommodate their impending mandatory military service. In hindsight, the amount of courage it must have taken for them to lay their feelings out on the line like that is incredible. After being together non-stop for nine years, they had no idea how their fans would react to them taking time apart. And it broke their hearts to have to ask for that time.
Nevertheless, it was the beginning of Chapter Two… the next phase of BTS’ career. Where would it take them? And would ARMY follow?
JUNE 13 - BTS “PROOF” LIVE (25:11 - shown above)
JUNE 13 - “YET TO COME (THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MOMENT)” @ “PROOF” LIVE (03:39 - as shown)
JUNE 13 - BTS 2022 FESTA DINNER PARTY TEASER (00:35 - as shown in Intro)
Bangtan Bubble: How did you feel after watching The Real Bangtan Dinner of 2022?
Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!
DAY THREE:
BTS FESTA 2023 Timeline
A year later, Festa 2023, was a strange time. It was BTS’ 10th Anniversary. A massive milestone reached for them… but, in some ways, it felt underwhelming. Because by that point, two of the members (Jin and j-hope) had already enlisted in the South Korean military, and they were not there to celebrate with the others and their fans. We’d never had a Festa without seeing all seven together as a group, talking over their past year, and making plans for the next. It was strange, to say the least.
Chapter Two had been a wild ride for ARMY so far up to that point. The members had made good on their promise of delivering solo projects—Jin had released a single, “The Astronaut” before he enlisted, and we’d received albums from j-hope (Jack in the Box), RM (Indigo), Jimin (FACE), and SUGA (D-DAY). SUGA had also embarked on and completed a massively successful solo world tour.
BTS had said they needed a break, though it seemed like their definition of “a break” didn’t match anyone else’s. They were still super busy—just as individuals this time—not a group. We’d been getting the opportunity to get to know the members more on their own, which was amazing, but what did this mean for their tenth Festa?
“Le Jazz de V” Live Clip
As content started to release that June, it was clear that BTS was intent upon reminding ARMY at every moment of the love and gratitude they have for us. They couldn’t appear together because of scheduling conflicts, but we got a lot of pre-recorded material, and special individual performances, like V’s delightful surprise “Le Jazz de V” clip (linked on Day Four), in which he sings a couple of jazz standards and had us all begging for a full album in that style from him in the future.
We also got a live performance clip from Jimin, singing a song he wrote called “Dear ARMY” and it’s, what else?—a love letter to ARMY, celebrating how special and precious the relationship between us and BTS is to them.
JUNE 3 - 방.방.콘 (BANGBANGCON) PT. 2 - REPLAY BTS MAP OF THE SOUL ON: E (1:30:08 - shown below)
JUNE 3 - BTS PRACTICE RECORDS: “I NEED U” (01:57, Kookie handstand!)
JUNE 3 - BTS PRACTICE RECORDS: “흥탄소년단 (BOYZ WITH FUN)” (04:12 - as shown below)
JUNE 3 - BTS PRACTICE RECORDS: “I’M FINE” (04:06, The choreo!)
JUNE 3 - BTS PRACTICE RECORDS: “ANPANMAN” (03:56, “Anpanman” helped me realize I was ARMY.)
JUNE 3 - BTS PRACTICE RECORDS: “작은 것들을 위한 시 (BOY WITH LUV)” (03:55)
JUNE 7 - 지민 (JIMIN) '편지 (DEAR. ARMY)” LIVE CLIP (04:12 - shown above)
JUNE 8 - BTS “아포방포10 (APOBANGPO 10)” PROJECT: PHOTOS (00:48)
Fun Fact
Did you know that “Dear ARMY” was originally called “Letter” and that it’s a hidden track on Jimin’s FACE album? The song is only available on the physical cd and is embedded at the end of the last track, the English version of “Like Crazy”.
“Letter” is simplistic, but stunning, featuring Jimin’s gorgeous voice along with an acoustic guitar, and stellar background vocals from Jung Kook. On his episode of Suchwita Jimin told SUGA that after the events of Festa 2022, when they announced their break from group activities, he felt compelled to write a song to really explain his feelings to ARMY.
Whenever I tripped and fell, the one who reached their hand out to me was you…
Now I’ll be the one to hold you.
During the 2022 dinner party, Jimin became very emotional, even tearing up, while trying to reassure ARMY that nothing was more important to him, and the others, than their fans. “Letter”, it seemed, was a continuation of that conversation for him. Another moment for him to say he knows we’ve been there for him from the beginning, and that he (and all of them) will be there for us too… no matter what.
When he performed the song for Festa 2023, the name change just solidified that statement. If there was anyone left with lingering doubts about their feelings, and intentions moving forward, “Dear ARMY” was hand-delivered on a silver platter to set them straight.
DAY FOUR:
BTS FESTA 2023 “Take Two” photo shoot
It wasn’t just Jimin reassuring us during Festa that year. I mentioned earlier that BTS pre-recorded a lot of content that was dropped during the celebrations, and that included our annual gift, an OT7 song called “Take Two”. And the first line is a question that BTS has been asking ARMY repeatedly for years:
Will you stay?
Overall, K-Pop isn’t known as being a genre of growth. Most fans, particularly Korean ones, are used to specific sounds and looks from K-Pop Idols and they don’t want that formula to change too much. BTS, however, has never been satisfied to rest on their laurels or do the same thing over and over. From the beginning, they were committed to evolving, always yearning to do more—to be more than Idols. In their quest to become artists who always remain true to their vision, they knew they’d inevitably piss some people off along the way. So, them asking us for reassurance makes sense.
“Take Two” addresses what they had said in 2022 more directly. This is the next chapter—ARMY, are you still on this journey with us? They can see the future, and to them, it’s going to be amazing. They want us to see it too.
My heart feels like it’s going to burst
Can’t you see the take two
Stories unfolding just for you
My youth that is with you
Take my hand now
There are many groups out there who have disbanded in the midst of far less opposition. BTS asked ARMY to trust their words—to trust them. Everything they did during Festa 2023 reiterated that. So if we just wait a little while, if ARMY is patient and supportive, it won’t be too much longer before we can all be together again.
JUNE 9 - JUNE 13 YEOUIDO TEASER ANNOUNCEMENT (not in YT playlist)
JUNE 10 - 슈취타 (SUCHWITA) EP. 12: SUGA WITH 진 (JIN) (39:13 - as shown)
JUNE 11 - 10 YEARS ON TWITTER - SPECIAL QUESTION MEMBER ANSWERS WITH TRANSLATIONS (00:27 - as shown)
JUNE 11 - BTS EXHIBITION “오, 늘” FILM CAMERA PHOTOS (B SIDE VERSION) (03:57)
JUNE 12 - “ARSON (ROCK VER.)” BY J-HOPE (03:17 - as shown)
JUNE 13 - “TAKE TWO” LIVE CLIP (04:05 - shown above)
JUNE 14 - “BEYOND THE STORY: 10-YEAR RECORD OF BTS” OFFICIAL TRAILER BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT (01:13 - shown below)
JUNE 16 - “LE JAZZ DE V” LIVE CLIP (07:44, This is when V began creeping his way into my bias line. - as shown)
Bangtan Bubble: Have you ever had a "take two" moment in your life?
Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!
DAY FIVE:
2023 was BTS’ tenth anniversary—a momentous achievement. We’ve discussed before that a lot of K-Pop Idols don’t get that kind of longevity in their careers. They often don’t make it past their initial seven-year contract, if they even make it that far. Competition is fierce, and there are always several more groups waiting in the wings to become the next big stars.
RM Hosting the 2023 FESTA live radio show in front of ARMY
Even from the beginning, when they were more concerned with the trends of K-Pop, BTS still stood out from the crowd with their messages of following your dreams, social justice, and prioritizing mental health over societal expectations. Eventually they cared less about what the critics thought, and more about what was important to them, and to ARMY.
At the end of the festa-ivities (you thought I was going to let it go this time, didn’t you?) that year, the city of Seoul put on a massive event to celebrate ten years of BTS. RM hosted a live radio show, taking over the DJing duties usually handled by SUGA, and hung out with ARMYs for almost two hours. He read aloud messages from fans, and even received a phone call from one who had been following him since his underground rap days… someone whom he inspired to become a singer. They chatted for a couple of minutes; the caller even sang a little bit for him. And it was at that point that ARMY clued in (we’d recognize that voice anywhere), but Namjoon remained (seemingly) unaware up until the last moment who he was actually talking to. It was Jung Kook, calling all the way from the U.S. at 1AM. He was delighted to have tricked his hyung and for all of us watching, it was amazing to witness the interaction after they’d all been mostly on their own for the past half year.
The event lasted all day, with all sorts of fun activities and presentations. It culminated that evening with a beautiful fireworks display set to many of BTS’ most famous songs. Seoul, and many other places in South Korea, lit up purple in honor of the occasion. No other K-Pop group has ever received this kind of celebration, and the reason why is simple: no other K-Pop group has ever done as much for the genre, their culture, and their country. BTS truly did pave the way, and ARMY will continue to walk along the road with them… far into the future.
JUNE 6 - BTS 10TH ANNIVERSARY FESTA @여의도 (YEOUIDO) OFFICIAL TRAILER (00:21)
JUNE 17 - BTS 10TH ANNIVERSARY FESTA @ 여의도 (YEOUIDO) SKETCH (01:48 - shown below)
JUNE 17 - RM LIVE STREAM: IT’S 5 PM, AND THIS IS KIM NAMJOON (01:31:13 - shown above)
JUNE 17 - THIS IS KIM NAMJOON AT 5PM: A QUIZ THAT YOU WANT TO KNOW (01:36)
JUNE 17 - SURPRISE MESSAGE FROM SUGA IN SINGAPORE BEFORE FIREWORKS BEGAN (01:46 - shown below)
JUNE 17 - FIREWORKS SHOW LIVE (4K) (27:24, Soooo beautiful!)
BTS PRESENTS EVERYWHERE 🎁RM 📻JIN 🍸SUGA 🤳J-HOPE 🔥JIMIN 💌V 🎷JUNG KOOK 🎆 BTS OFFICIAL TIKTOK (03:13)
JUNE - BTS PRESENTS EVERYWHERE LIGHTS UP LANDMARKS PURPLE (02:11 - shown below)
Fun Fact:
BTS’ very first fan sign in 2013 was at a mall located in Yeouido, so the location and name of the main event for their 10th Festa has an extra-special meaning.
Some allege (thought is not true) that only 32 people attended that first fan sign. However, from the video we’ve linked below, you can tell it’s more than that. Jin actually talked about the event in a VLog he recorded later that day. He said he was surprised by how many people actually did show up for them, they were not just on the bottom floor , but the second floor of the mall as well. You can see on all the member’s faces how excited they are, and how in awe that those people were all there to see them.
Fast forward to 2023, and BTS’ 10th Birthday, and everything came full-circle as events to celebrate were organized to take place in Yeouido again. Not in a shopping mall this time, but in Yeouido Hangnang Park, complete with exhibitions, vendors, a radio show, and an impressive fireworks display. In attendance this time? Roughly 400,000 ARMYs from all over the world.
BTS never misses a chance at sentimentality if they can manage it. They always honor their past while focusing on the present. Despite the scale of their massive success, in a way, they are still those young men standing nervously in front of a small crowd in a mall—smiling brightly and asking us to love them.
Which, of course, we do. And always will.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
BTS Album LYS: Her
As we wrap up our coverage of Festa throughout the years, I have to confess that it’s not been an easy topic to write about. I worried that I would struggle to keep each week fresh and entertaining, but I should have had more faith in myself, and in BTS. The real difficulty was actually stopping myself from writing TOO much, especially about the years and albums we haven’t covered in the blog’s timeline yet!
I found 2022 and 2023 the most difficult topic for me so far because this was a time when I was aware of BTS and in the process of becoming ARMY myself. I remember the confusion and uncertainty, but as Chapter Two has progressed, so too has my admiration for these seven men and their determination to, through their music, leave the world a better place than they found it.
Next week, it’s back to the discography! Stay tuned as BTS reminds everyone that it’s important to Love Yourself…
Side Quest
Festa 2024… so far.“
JIN JIN JIN JIN JIN JIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN”:
NO THOUGHTS.
ONLY KIM SEOKJIN RETURNING HOME TO US.
JUNE 4 - BTS 2013-2023 PHOTO COLLECTION #2024BTSFESTA (00:00, not in YT playlist - coming soon)
JUNE 8 - BANGBANGCON LIVE (FULL VER) (8:47:13, not in YT playlist)
JUNE 8 - BANGBANGCON THE RED BULLET (1:46:18, not in YT playlist)
JUNE 8 - BANGBANGCON: 1ST INTERMISSION (25:03, not in YT playlist)
JUNE 8 - BANGBANGCON: THE WINGS TOUR: THE FINAL (2:59:03, not in YT playlist)
JUNE 8 - BANGBANGCON: 2ND INTERMISSION (30:57, not in YT playlist)
JUNE 8 - BANGBANGCON: BTS WORLD TOUR - LOVE YOURSELF SPEAK YOURSELF: THE FINAL (3:01:24, not in YT playlist)
JUNE 8 - BANGBANGCON: JI. JIN. JUNG RADIO BEHIND THE SCENES (05:52)
JUNE 8 - BANGBANGCON: BILLBOARD HOT 100 NO. 1 SKIT RECORDING SKETCH (05:06)
JUNE 8 - BANGBANGCON: “ANPANMAN” STAGE CAM (BTS FOCUS) @ TODAY CITI MUSIC SERIES (03:56)
JUNE 8 - BANGBANGCON: “LIFE GOES ON” (IN THE FOREST VER.) (03:31)
JUNE 13 - “SEE YOU” GROUND EVENT (00:00 - coming soon)
JUNE 13 - “JIN’S GREETINGS” MEET-AND-GREET WITH JIN (A TIME FOR LIGHT HUGS) (00:00 - coming soon)
JUNE 13 - “MESSAGE FROM JIN” PERFORMANCE (00:00 - coming soon)
CREDITS:
YouTube/Web
HYBE LABELS, BANGTANTV, Bangtan Subs, ARMY Project 529, BTS FESTA, taimnida, ⟭⟬BTS BORA WORLD⟬⟭, 통통컬처, ナムル; Web: ok.ru (@Maria Ella Vanez Miraran), koreaherald.com, twitter.com (@bts_bighit, @stussyjimin)
ARMY Project 529 Volunteers
Research Team: Angel (TikTok: Lilangel2828), Leslie Day (TikTok: Leslie Day), Merry (TikTok: merryj67), Sam T (TikTok: samt_26), Shelley (TikTok: shels167), Trudy (TikTok: theeducationmommy), Viv (TikTok: VivEliz); Video Team: Leslie Day (TikTok: Leslie Day); Editing Team: Kendra (Discord: Mudskipper); Website Team: Colette (TikTok: voicesinmyhead2)
Join us on TikTok every Sunday evening at 8pm ET for #the529live, a wrap up of each week's The 529 Connection. It’s hosted by AP529 Founder, Stefne, on her channel (@StefARMYProject529). If you can't watch live and want to watch later, Lives will be recorded and posted to our YouTube (@ARMY Project 529).