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| ▲ Members of the K-pop phenom BTS pose for the camera during a press conference at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Nov. 29, 2021, in this photo provided by its agency Big Hit Music. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL·LOS ANGELES, Nov. 29 (Yonhap) -- K-pop giants BTS said Sunday (U.S. time) that it felt as if the group was finally back to where it should be, after opening its first live in-person concert series the previous day.
During a press conference at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles (LA), BTS also looked back on its growth over the past two years and opened up about their feelings on reuniting with their global fans or "ARMY."
The following is a transcript of the answers BTS' members said at the press conference.
Q. Looking back at the past two years, how does it feel to perform live again in two years?
(Jin) "We had time to talk with each other in the waiting room before going on stage. Our members talked about how we might cry when performing 'ON' during the concert and greeting the audience for the first time in so long. We practiced harder than usual because we were worried our fans would be disappointed and that we would make a mistake. I hope that this opportunity will be the first of the series of opportunities to see our ARMYs (BTS fandom) and we would like to of course continue to have concerts in Korea and we are planning on it so please look forward to that."
(Jimin) "I've felt low and depressed because I was not able to meet my fans in person. Still, we made several attempts to do what we could by releasing songs such as "Dynamite," "Butter," and "Permission To Dance." We worked hard to comfort those who were struggling during this period, and to be comforted together. Now we're on the stage with fans like this, I feel like we're back to where we should be. I hope many people can return to their normal lives and make a fresh new start."
Q. Are there any differences in terms of the way people react to your LA concert?
(Suga) "We had time to think about what we could do after the COVID-19 pandemic. We believed we could give comfort and hope with songs, which was why "Dynamite," "Butter," and "Permission To Dance" were made, and a lot of people around the world loved it. The scale of the performances have not changed too much, but we are being welcomed more eagerly. In Korea, we've only performed in front of cameras so I've always wondered what it would be like to perform for an audience in person, and I think we felt much more happy."
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| ▲ Members of the K-pop phenom BTS pose for photos backstage at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Nov. 27, 2021, in this photo captured from BTS' official Twitter page. The chart-topping group had its first in-person concert in two years in the American city, in front of some 50,000 fans. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Q. How does it feel to get your second consecutive Grammy nomination for the best pop duo or group performance category?
(Suga) "I still can't believe we've been nominated for two consecutive years. I grew up watching the Grammy Awards since I was young, so I'm still excited about being nominated and looking forward to (winning an award). It won't be easy, of course, but I'm grateful that I have a barrier to jump over and a challenge to take. Little strokes fell great oaks. Someone will be called greedy if he or she wants (a tree) to fall over after being struck only twice."
Q. How did AMAs performance compare to yesterday's concert?
(Jungkook) "It really didn't seem real at all at least until the AMAs. The cheering from ARMYs always gives us strength and energy. During the AMAs, it helped us and gave us a lot of energy for yesterday's concert as well. So again, whether it is ARMY at the AMAs, an award show, or yesterday's concert, their cheering for us, their shouts are always very valuable to us equally. I think we were very thrilled by ARMY's reaction at the AMAs and also yesterday."
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| ▲ This photo, provided by a subscriber on Nov. 28 2021, show the audiences waiting for 2-year-waited BTS' first offline concert taking place at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, America on the 27th (U.S time). (Yonhap) |
Q. How do you feel about the positive role that you take in to help end Asian hate?
(RM) "When we talk about Asian hate, our path, all the awards and our music, we just hope that this could truly help every Asian in the world, especially who live countries abroad. If there's something that we can help or that we could be giving consolations, we're always open and we'll try to expand the variety and stop the discrimination and racism."
Q. Any words to fans who attended the concert as well as those who were not able to watch the live performances?
(J-hope) "It was an honor to be able to share music we love making. We put in a lot of time and effort to show the power and energy of BTS' music. Since it's been a long time since we held our in-person concert, we saw a lot of fans from Korea come and watch. I hope everybody had fun while watching our performances."
(Jungkook) "I was so sad that many ARMYs could not come and watch. If I had the chance, I would like to perform in different places to make up for the time we lost over the last two years. We believed it would be right to do our best for those fans who could come and see us. I just wish the day where we can perform for all of our fans will come as soon as possible."
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