Love them or hate them, you can’t deny BTS’s success. Five Grammy nominations and six Billboard Hot 100-topping singles later, the seven-member act has captured the hearts of millions worldwide. Still, fandom is just as important as the artist it adores. The documentary FOREVER WE ARE YOUNG shines a light on the BTS Army’s multifaceted fandom, focusing on how their collective action and organization contributed to BTS’s worldwide domination.
When I saw the title, a familiar melody played in my head from Epilogue: Young Forever, which couldn’t be a coincidence. To my relief, co-directors Grace Lee and Patty Ahn frame the project as being “made BY ARMY FOR ARMY.” I’d trust only the fandom itself to offer “an unprecedented look at the deep emotional connection between the band and their fans through the lens of personal stories, global fan movements, and unforgettable concert memories,” as the press release for the movie states.
As a researcher and lover of expertise, I appreciate an educated producer. Seeing that one of Ahn’s academic focuses has been on the cross-cultural influence of K-Pop and its globalization has only made me more excited about the project. Not to mention executive producer and “cultural documentarian” Oscar-winning Morgan Neville’s work on intriguing projects like Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (which I’m still dying to see) and Piece by Piece (which I did see but deeply baffled me). The FOREVER WE ARE YOUNG was first screened at the 2025 SXSW, “with sold out audiences earning standing ovations and high praise from BTS fans and film lovers alike.” per the movie’s press release.
Fans spell out BTS ARMY in lights at a BTS concert.
FOREVER WE ARE YOUNG directed by Grace Lee and Patty Ahn.
Courtesy of Tremolo Productions.
An ARMY Perspective
Ever the fan of an ethnographic approach, I feel the need to make a mini-position statement. My perspective is a bit biased, not necessarily because of a soul-crushing adoration of their music or a desire to see them succeed, but just the nostalgia of once being an ARMY.
Many years ago, I remember being forced into a screening of Blood Sweat and Tears” by BTS. Within the sterile, cold confines of my high school laboratory, I could feel a switch flipping within me, a moment of realization. While I was working myself to the bone, trying to aim for the best grades, there was something undeniably healing about watching BTS perform. It never went as far as my academic achievement was for them, but their music, interactions, and connection made it that much easier to stay afloat. Seeing them persevere inspired me to keep going. Soon enough, I was watching others react to BTS’s music, sharing discourse about teaser photos, and embracing the fangirl life.
An ARMY in Tennessee, Jackie promotes BTS and their message of self-love in her small town.
FOREVER WE ARE YOUNG directed by Grace Lee and Patty Ahn.
Courtesy of Tremolo Productions.
My ARMY Identity
My ARMY identity formed not only my music taste but also a core node within my social network, as it did for many others. One of my friends was a bit of a celebrity on BTS’s Amino (I bet that’s a cigarette-drag moment for some of you out there), making edits of her favorite members. Coincidentally, our other close friend was religiously downloading and using them as her phone lock screens. Occasionally, after a particularly long study session, I would stay up until three or four in the morning just so I could watch music videos premier and then gush about them just a few hours later with my friends at school. And, in 2017, I remember rallying together to win the Top Social Artist Award at the Billboard Music Awards.
Submitting daily votes for BTS was almost a no-brainer. There was something quite nice about having something or someone to work towards, something that felt more for myself and less out of obligation. Don’t get me wrong, I love studying, but I needed something else to decompress.
Culturally, within South Korea, the impetus for commercial success is marketed to be upon the consumer. While artists perform their newest single 4-5 times a week on different channels to promote their music, fans are tasked with streaming the music, voting, and encouraging their friends to do the same. The emotional bond of it all is really effective, and people were doing anything they could: raffling albums, merchandise, and even cash to maximize votes. This “spirit of activism and collectivity” is undeniably “powerful,” but I’m unsure if I would say that it “makes ARMY a symbol of hope and unity in our ever-fractured world.” If we’re acknowledging joy as the ultimate form of resistance, then sure, why not?
My Perspective on BTS Today
Almost 10 years later, it’s not like I’ve shunned the life I continue to embrace; I’m no hypocrite. My fandom interests have spread elsewhere, and I keep a much tighter-knit community. Not to be dramatic (I need to save that for creative writing), I don’t know if I would be who I am today without BTS. I wouldn’t have such a great support system, nor would I have nosedived into the K-pop photocard trading community.
While I don’t have that same, deeply emotional connection, listening to my high school playlists, especially ones that include BTS, is strangely liminal. Having had more experience critically analyzing text, I can appreciate the emotional complexity in music’s themes, just how important self-love can be, especially in being resilient. And sometimes, if my eyes close for long enough, my mind can’t help but fill in the blanks of spotty memories, and tears form as I reflect on my youth, its fleetingness, and what it may mean to be young forever.
Since all members have officially returned from service, my friends have floated the idea of getting concert tickets, a near-impossible feat. My pessimism and wariness for my wallet admittedly outweigh any nostalgia that I feel. ’ll probably opt for watching the film to geek out about the anthropological/sociological implications.
“There is no BTS without ARMY and no ARMY without BTS. We’re excited for audiences to go on an emotional journey and meet a fandom that made us laugh, cry, and think. We were constantly moved by the fans’ power, resilience, creativity and humor, and hope audiences will be too” – co-directors Grace Lee and Patty Ahn.
Seeing FOREVER WE ARE YOUNG
If you’re interested in seeing FOREVER WE ARE YOUNG, worldwide theatrical releases begin July 30. Tickets go on sale here starting Wednesday, July 2.
