ABC7 travels to Los Angeles to meet K-Pop global sensation BTS

LOS ANGELES, Cali. (WWSB) - BTS: Three letters that represent K-Pop’s biggest and best. ABC7′s Nerissa Lamison traveled to Los Angeles after Thanksgiving to the sold-out concert series.

There are seven members: RM, Suga, Jin, J-Hope, Park Ji-min, V, and Jungkook. Those are the stars that make up this high-energy, multi-billion-dollar act, with hit after hit.

At 93.3 WFLZ, phones light up with requests for BTS songs constantly.

“We get so many calls. We get so many text messages,” said Jed Schilling with 93.3 WFLZ. “I go through all our music requests and I can’t tell you how many say ‘BTS, please! BTS!’”

It’s no surprise; from commercials to collaborations, BTS music videos have over one billion views. And, who would guess, the first all-Asian group featured on the cover of Rolling Stone would have a very special fan club right here on the Suncoast.

“I feel like a lot of artists are really more focused on monetary... like the popularity aspect of it,” said Paige Bright, a BTS fan and student at the State Florida College of Manatee-Sarasota.

“BTS is focused on their fans,” she added

Paige and her friend Alessa Couch are members of what is called the “BTS Army.”

“They’re making music with a message,” Alessa said. “They talk about the little struggles that nobody thinks about, struggle about not knowing what your career is, struggle about depression, not loving yourself. It’s all so familiar that I can just relate to it.”

It’s songs like that with loyal fans, considering there are almost 2,000 members registered on the BTS Florida Army Facebook page.

“That’s the thing that I have enjoyed throughout their music. The positivity they created through their music and just watching their videos and stuff... somehow created friendship this way,” said Victoria Ramirez, another BTS fan in Florida.

ABC7 met up with Victoria at a meetup in Sarasota.

“This is actually family, these people come together,” said Victoria. “They make friends and they stay friends. I wouldn’t have had her as a friend for four years if it wasn’t for BTS.”

“COVID hit and all the concerts got canceled and unfortunately lost all the tickets,” said Emily Kirsh, another fan.

“So, that one was devastating because everyone who got tickets basically had to give all their tickets away since it was canceled,” said Victoria. “And now everyone had to fight for the ones in LA, so that was a blood bath.”

For these local fans, four sold-out nights at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Permission to Dance on Stage could be the only chance to see their idols.

High hopes, with or without the hottest tickets in town.

“If worst comes to worst, I’ll just stand outside the stadium,” Emily said.

This is the first part of a three-part series on the BTS concerts in Los Angeles.

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