In a world of uncertainty, BTS cherishes 'me,' 'you' and 'us'

K-pop

Published: 24 Sep. 2020, 13:50 Updated: 24 Sep. 2020, 13:53

In a world of uncertainty, BTS cherishes 'me,' 'you' and 'us'

BTS shared a message of hope during the 75th United Nations General Assembly held on Sept. 23, urging everyone to find the stars within themselves and live on despite the Covid-19 pandemic. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Life goes on, so let us all live on. K-pop's brightest stars BTS shared a message of hope, urging people to remember that the darkest of nights do not last forever during the 75th United Nations General Assembly held on Sept. 23 after being invited by the UN Group of Friends of Solidarity for Global Health Security. The special message was aimed toward tomorrow's generation of youth around the world.

"I felt hopeless," said Jimin, sharing his memory of first coping with the Covid-19 crisis, which had halted the band's much-anticipated 2020 world tour as well as other promotional schedules fans had been looking forward to. Each member took turns to share their messages,

"Everything fell apart. I could only look outside my window. I could only go to my room. Yesterday, I was singing and dancing with fans around the world, and then my world had shrunk to a room," he said.

RM, the leader, reminisced on the feeling of being left alone when his world was falling apart, feeling like he "couldn’t see the stars at night."

Member Suga of BTS shared a message of hope during the 75th United Nations General Assembly held on Sept. 23, urging everyone to find the stars within themselves and live on despite the Covid-19 pandemic. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

"Life became simple, maybe for the first time [since debut]. It was a precious time, unwanted but welcome," said Suga, explaining how the unexpected peace in their lives had allowed them to think more about themselves and concentrate on making music.

"I felt frustrated and depressed, but I took notes, wrote songs and thought about who I was," said V. "I thought, 'If I give up here, then I’m not the star of my life. This is what an awesome person would do.'"

That was when the members came together, not because anyone forced them to or because anyone said it out loud — but because they all wanted to.

"We embraced all these emotions and the seven of us began to make music together," said J-Hope. "This is where the music came from, and this made us honest. Our lives are unpredictable. We don’t know all the answers. I knew where I wanted to go, but not how I could get there. All I did to get here was trust, do my best and love what I do."

BTS released its digital single "Dynamite" on Aug. 21, the band's first all-English lead track, which landed them in the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, a first for any Korean act ever. The band had said in a press conference last month that they wrote the song in hopes of cheering people up during this global crisis, after they had also suffered due to the sudden outbreak. And just like the lyrics of the song, "I'm diamond, you know I glow up," Jin hoped that listeners would remember that they're all diamonds and they shine inside despite the dark night.

Member Jin of BTS shared a message of hope during the 75th United Nations General Assembly held on Sept. 23, urging everyone to find the stars within themselves and live on despite the Covid-19 pandemic. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

"I found again the people I love — the other members, my family, my friends," he said. "I found the music I love, and I found myself. Thinking about the future and trying hard are all important. But cherishing yourself, encouraging yourself and keeping yourself happy is the most important. In a world of uncertainty, we must cherish the importance of 'me,' 'you' and 'us.'"

"Our tomorrow may be dark, painful and difficult," said RM. "We might stumble or fall down. But the stars shine brightest when the night is darkest. If the stars are hidden, we’ll let moonlight guide us. If even the moon is dark, let our faces be the light that helps us find our way. Let’s reimagine our world. We’re huddled together tired, but let’s dream again."

BTS ended the speech with each member saying, "Life goes on."

This is the second time for the band to speak at the UN General Assembly. They gave a speech at Unicef's Generation Unlimited program at the 73rd General Assembly held in 2018, sharing a message of antiviolence through their "Love Myself" campaign.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]