Whether you’re a new ARMY or a long-time fan, BTS‘ ARMY definition has a fascinating backstory. ARMY was founded as BTS’ fandom name on July 9, 2013, shortly after the band’s first single, ‘2 Cool 4 Skool,’ was released.
The term is an acronym for ‘Adorable Representative M.C. For Youth,’ but it can also represent something else. According to USBTSARMY.com, the fandom moniker ‘ARMY’ is also linked to BTS’ full name, ‘Bangtan Sonyeondan,’ which approximately translates to ‘Bulletproof Boyscouts’ in English. According to them, ARMY stands for military, while BTS stands for armor, a metaphor for how the band and their followers will always be together.
ARMY, on the other hand, was not BTS’ initial pick for a fandom moniker. BTS’ frontman, RM, said in a July 2021 interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that their fans were almost called “The Bells.” Jin, J-Hope, Suga, Jimin, V, and Jungkook are also members of BTS. “BTS stands for ‘Bangtan,’ not ‘behind-the-scenes,’ in Korean. “For your information,” RM explained. “It stands for ‘Bangtan,’ and it sounds like ‘bang wool’ in Korean when you say ‘bell.’ It all begins with the word ‘boom.'”
ARMYs have exploited their power for social and political action all across the world since BTS’ debut. According to Esquire, the fandom, which numbers in the tens of millions, has contributed money to help replant rainforests, feed LGBTQ+ refugees, and more. In 2020, RM told Esquire, “We and our ARMY are always charging each other’s batteries.” “We feel responsible for all of this when we are exhausted when we hear the news from all around the world when we hear about tutoring programs, donations, and everything nice.”
The word “ARMY” was also used in the music video “Permission to Dance,” which was co-written with Ed Sheeran and released in July 2021. After 2020’s “Dynamite” and 2021’s “Butter,” the band’s third full English song is “Butter,” off their Butter single album. BTS’ first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single, “Dynamite,” earned the group their first Grammy nomination in the category of Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. With at least seven weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, “Butter” is the longest-running number-one hit.
