BTS is again – however Ok-pop has modified

“I missed them a lot,” says Stephanie Prado, a die-hard BTS fan who has been desperately ready for the group to reunite after a two-and-a-half-year hiatus.

Her love for the boy band impressed her to maneuver from Brazil to South Korea – so it was no shock that she turned up final Friday for “BTS Festa”, an enormous celebration held yearly close to Seoul on the group’s anniversary.

The time she has spent ready has moved “each slowly and actually shortly”, Stephanie says, waving an ARMY bomb, the official lightstick utilized by BTS followers, who name themselves the ARMY.

Behind her is a big sculpture of the lightstick, essential within the Ok-pop world.

This yr’s occasion is particular as a result of a reunion is lastly across the nook. The countdown peaked final week, when 4 of the seven members, RM, V, Jimin and Jung Kook, accomplished their navy service. And the wait ends on Saturday when the final of them, Suga, is discharged.

“I hope they relaxation now,” Stephanie says, earlier than including, “however after all I additionally need albums, concert events, every thing”.

The 18 months within the navy which can be necessary for all South Korean males compelled the world’s most profitable boy band in recent times to hit pause in 2022. Now they’re returning, some say, to a Ok-pop business that’s fairly totally different to the one they knew: confronted with stalled album gross sales, shaken by scandals and more and more scrutinised over the extreme strain its places on stars.

The absence of a number one band, business watchers say, was deeply felt.

“With out BTS, a core pillar was lacking,” says Kim Younger-dae, music critic and writer of BTS: The Evaluation.

“There have been issues lately that Ok-pop is shedding momentum. True or not, BTS may change that notion.”

There aren’t any plans but for all seven members to look collectively, however that did not cease the ARMY from gathering early on a moist morning in Goyang.

The lengthy, stressed queue stretched to the subway station an hour earlier than the gates for the BTS Festa opened. The snippets of English, Chinese language, Japanese and Spanish alongside Korean threw off a neighborhood strolling previous who requested, “Why are there so many foreigners right here?”

Inside had been extra queues – some individuals had been hopping with pleasure and others had been sobbing after getting into the “voice zone”, a telephone sales space the place you possibly can hearken to BTS members’ messages. About half of the followers the BBC spoke to teared up speaking about how a lot they missed BTS.

“It felt just like the 18 months lasted without end,” stated Vuyo Matiwane, a South African who had been visiting BTS-themed venues in Seoul, like their favorite restaurant. “I used to be crying at each location – it was so emotional.”

After which she watched the livestream of them being discharged, which was “overwhelming”.

Being surrounded by all issues BTS made a visit midway the world over price it, says Fara Ala, who travelled from the Netherlands: “Respiratory the identical air, ingesting the identical water, consuming the identical meals as BTS – that is sufficient for ARMY. In case you ask different ARMY, they’d say the identical.”

South Korean navy service is a serious take a look at for male celebrities, a lot of whom need to enlist on the peak of their success. Prior to now, it has proved deadly for some careers.

BTS is believed to have staggered it so that each one seven members had been lacking from motion for not more than six months. J-Hope, who was discharged final October, has since wrapped up a solo world tour. However the so-called curse may be laborious to interrupt.

For one, the loyalty of followers may wane as new teams debut nearly each week, competing for his or her consideration. Returning idols additionally face a troublesome transition as a result of a navy stint and a contact of maturity may dampen the essence of Ok-pop attraction: youthful vitality.

But when anybody can break the curse, it is BTS, Mr Kim says.

Every of them introduced solo tasks up to now two and half years, he explains, with out hurting their recognition as a bunch: “It seems like their navy hiatus handed by naturally. Their return feels easy.”

Nonetheless, the business past the ARMY can pose a problem.

Whereas BTS was on a break, the opposite Ok-pop sensation, Blackpink, has not dropped an album since September 2022, opting as a substitute for solo releases. These had been the leaders of Ok-pop’s third era.

However they’ve been succeeded by fourth and fifth generations which have introduced contemporary type to the style. The newer acts – which debuted after 2018 – lack a standout identify like BTS as a result of Ok-pop has develop into extra various than ever. The result’s a spread of very talked-about and experimental teams.

“Most individuals my age like fourth era idols lately,” says a 13-year-old fan of woman group IVE.

“Some nonetheless like third era teams, however for teenagers, BTS type of seems like they belong to an older era. Plenty of new idols debuted whereas BTS was away, they usually have develop into common.”

However the largest problem to BTS’ celebrity standing is what some see as a slowdown in Ok-pop.

Income from concert events stays sturdy, however album gross sales – a key market metric – have been declining since a peak in 2023. The stoop coincides with when BTS and Blackpink weren’t releasing albums.

South Korean popular culture critic Park Hee Ah agrees that Ok-pop went by “some troublesome instances” whereas BTS was away.

There have additionally been a number of controversies, such because the headline-making dispute between hit woman group NewJeans and their company, allegations of mistreatment by omnipotent businesses and harassment of stars by followers and trolls.

“Album gross sales began to drop, and a few issues – like questions on corporations doing the correct factor – got here up,” Ms Park stated. Due to all of this, she provides, we did see extra “deeper issues within the Ok-pop business”.

That is additionally why so many are trying ahead to BTS’ return, hoping it is going to deliver renewed vitality – and possibly even a path ahead for the business.

“Their return will assist individuals give attention to Korea’s music scene once more,” Ms Park says, including {that a} BTS reunion is nice not only for their followers but additionally for Korean tender energy.

All eyes are actually on the band’s subsequent track.

“I’ll shortly make an album and return to the stage,” RM, the group’s chief, stated on the day he was discharged.

However a brand new group album could not come till early subsequent yr as a result of J-Hope nonetheless has home concert events scheduled, and Jin is ready to carry concert events for followers the world over over the subsequent few months. It is also potential Suga, who landed in controversy after he was caught drunk-driving a scooter final yr, could wish to lie low for a short time.

For tens of millions of followers like Stephanie although, merely realizing BTS is again collectively is sufficient – for now.

“It will really feel like nothing ever modified. The kings are again.”