In a recently released interview, BTS leader RM stated that the group was treated differently at their first Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs hereon) due to their fans.
RM
In the interview, which was actually taken in 2021 but published recently, six of the BTS members (except Suga, who was absent from activities at that time due to shoulder surgery) looked back at their journey to success, which included the milestone event of their first appearance at the BBMAs in 2017.
(From L to R) J-Hope, Jin, Jungkook, RM, Jimin, and V | @ARCHIVE-K/YouTube
It was their first time being nominated at an American award show, and that too one of the Big Three major music awards. BTS won the Top Social Artist Award, dethroning Justin Bieber and setting a one-of-a-kind record as an Asian act. It is often considered one of the biggest inflection points in the group’s career, as they went on to win other major music awards in America in the following years.
BTS won the “Artist of the Year” award at the American Music Awards in 2021 | The Korea Herald
But when BTS went to the BBMAs, K-Pop hadn’t achieved the global recognition it has today. Despite their global popularity, they were still fairly new faces in the American industry, quite not on the radar yet. However, according to RM, BTS were treated a bit differently at the award show because of ARMY.
BTS at the 2017 BBMAs | Vogue
Reliving that eventful day, RM recalled the moment they stepped onto the magenta carpet and were immediately greeted by the loud cheers of some 400-500 fans gathered at the venue.
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That loud cheer attracted people’s attention to BTS, and even though they were not familiar with the group, they treated them “carefully,” seeing how they had such a strong local fanbase. “They really treated us a little better,” RM recalled, adding, “I was really, really scared when I went to the red carpet for the first event. Thanks to the ARMYs who came there, I felt so, so relieved.”
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The BTS leader said that ARMY’s loud presence also had an effect on the interviewers that day. They were even more intrigued to know about the group because they were witnessing such a fandom for the first time.
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ARMYs were also diligently cheering for their boys inside the venue, the members recalled fondly. When they received the award, people gave them standing ovations despite not knowing anything about them. RM added that many American celebrities approached them for pictures solely because of how excitedly ARMYs were cheering for them. Funnily enough, BTS, too, were unfamiliar with a lot of the celebs they posed with.
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The members concluded that it was because of how passionately ARMYs turned up for them that day that BTS were able to have an exciting experience at their first American award show.
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