Original subtitles

When I heard we had booked the Olympic Gymnastics Arena,

the first thing I thought was,

"Oh, we're finally on top."

[? pop music playing, BTS "Ma City"]

I still remember the time we watched

BEAST's performance in the back-row seats when we were trainees.

[laughs] It's so big.

[Jung Kook] "What? We're going to perform in the same place

where we saw others perform?"

"That place was so big."

Oh, my.

We are finally going to have a concert.

[clapping]

Are all of these seats going to be filled?

- [staff] Yes. - Really?

[Jimin] "Did we sell out?"

"Are people actually coming?"

"We can do it for two days?"

We kept asking these kinds of questions.

The scene when we first entered the venue,

along with many other things, was unforgettable.

The Olympic Gymnastics Arena is a dream for idols, the peak.

[Jin] A place where idols can go when they reach the top.

[RM] We did manage to get first place somehow.

But being able to perform in the Olympic Gymnastics Arena

really marked your success as an artist.

This was the biggest venue

you could perform at as a Korean artist.

Gocheok Sky Dome didn't exist yet.

[RM] It was really symbolic.

We had made it.

[? pop music playing, BTS "Ma City"]

[chuckles]

[crowd cheering]

Let's do our chant.

- Bang Bangtan! Bangtan! - Bangtan!

[instrument clanks]

[crowd cheering]

[Jimin] The cheering was on another level with 25,000 people.

The sound was piercing through my earbuds.

It felt as if I was waiting for the pistol to go off in a race.

I was that nervous.

I couldn't see anything at first.

? Please let me breathe ?

? Let's Run Run Run again I can't stop running ?

? Let's Run Run Run again ?

I loved concerts. I still do.

How I feel about concerts hasn't changed.

[Jung Kook] It was the only place where I could dance and sing without worry.

I'm doing what is precious to me

in front of the people who are precious to me.

That's why I like it the most.

In a way, I think I became an artist to be able to do concerts.

[laughs]

It was to that extent.

"Artists equal concerts," was a concept embedded in my head.

First of all, back when we�

Back when we had our first concert,

we never imagined we would have a concert this big.

I didn't realize BTS had gotten this successful.

[j-hope] It was overwhelming.

We were feeling every one of the emotions

we'd felt along the way all at once.

Our first concert was during The Red Bullet Tour.

I think it was at Melon-AX.

I'm so thankful that we've become

artists who can hold concerts.

I'm so nervous to show ARMY a performance they've never seen before.

[Jin] Which new performance do you think they'll like the most?

Maybe Rain. No, I think Blanket Kick.

I have a feeling they'll really like Blanket Kick.

- Our leader should say something. - Do I just go for it?

Let's do our best for our first-ever concert.

- Bangtan, Bangtan. Bang Bangtan! - Bang Bangtan!

[all cheering]

[crowd cheering]

? Let's jump! Throw your hands up and shout everyone jumpin' up ?

[RM] It was our first-ever concert with our own music.

We weren't in a situation to be picky about

how many hundreds or thousands of people were attending.

We were just so thankful for the fans

who came to see us.

- I'm exhausted. - That was fun.

- Wow. - Good job, everyone.

Good job, everyone!

[applause]

[j-hope] So at that moment,

when we achieved the goal of performing at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena,

it felt like we were in a panorama.

It was a visual of what we had done

or what we had experienced to get this far.

[all singing]

[V] You can brag about us

when we continue to grow and become a more incredible version of BTS.

[? upbeat music playing]

[Jimin] We just have to do it again.

At a place this big.

[crowd screaming]

[Jung Kook] I was never an obedient kid,

but I'm happy to be here in front of so many ARMY

and performing for you all.

[crowd cheering]

[RM] No, don't cry.

I'm so thankful that you made it possible

for us to perform in such a big arena.

I think there were a lot of times when I couldn't control my emotions.

[Jung Kook] As our songs matched my emotions,

the view in front of my eyes

and the moment itself were just so precious.

I remember singing 2! 3! (Still Wishing There Will Be Better Days)

in Gocheok Sky Dome.

I was really emotional then.

[crowd cheering]

? Been trying to tell you this ?

? I was supposed to tell you this ?

? This is all for you ?

? 'Let's only walk on flower paths' ?

We wanted to dedicate a song to our fans

and that's how we came up with

2! 3! (Still Wishing There Will Be Better Days)

but it's not easy to listen to.

It was a record of that time.

My panic disorder is triggered whenever a soundtrack is released.

Late 2015 and early to mid-2016

were very difficult times for me psychologically.

There was a lot of talk going around.

But after experiencing it once�

It's like feeling the most hopeless on a day I should be the happiest.

I can't go on the Internet on the day a song drops.

I hear that we got a good response,

that we placed high in the charts, and everything but�

I just�

freeze in fear of criticism.

? When I say one-two-three, forget it all ?

? Erase all the sad memories ?

? Take my hand and smile ?

There was a strong negative view of idols at that time.

Nowadays, we are acknowledged

for our achievements and performances overseas.

[SUGA] But it was a really agonizing time for us back then.

We had a lot of unreasonable controversies.

Our fans will know what I'm talking about,

but having to deny the bad rumors was always so upsetting.

[SUGA] We suffered because of this for years.

We were getting desperate and spiteful, and our fans were the same.

So we wanted to say, "On three, let's forget it all."

? On one-two-three ?

? May everything change ?

? Here's to better days ?

? Because we are together ?

It's a song that contains the stories of our fans along with other things.

[Jimin] People who don't know its meaning

may consider it a very sad song.

And it was even sadder when our fans sang it.

It's quite different.

Other artists have these pretty songs dedicated to their fans.

[SUGA] The lyrics just fit the times.

I saw people crying as we sang it.

Seeing them crying so hard in front of us

made me cry too.

They understand what kind of song it is.

[RM] Occasionally, I realize the weight of being in the spotlight.

So that's when I think,

"How sincere should I be?"

"How many people will accept my sincerity as it is

- if I'm 100% honest about everything?" - [crowd screaming]

It's a fear of mine. I'm very scared about it.

"What if people belittle me

for being weak if I express my struggles, my sorrows, and my sincerity?"

Thinking back, it felt unfair and sad.

[RM] But I think this kind of dynamic enables a fandom to grow.

I think the immunity we acquired at the time

was what shaped us and ARMY.

They showed that the artists knew about the pain and sadness

the fandom was experiencing.

[Myung Seok] I believe it was the completion and the start

of a huge community of the fandom and the artists.

I think the completion of this large community

was the starting point for the stories of the "ARMY phenomenon."

[ARMY singing] ? �be more good days ahead ?

? If you believe my words, one-two-three ?

? If you believe, one-two-three ?

? May there still be many more good days ahead ?

? If you believe my words, one-two-three ?

? If you believe, one-two-three ?

[fans screaming]

Whoo!

[photographer 1] Look over here, please.

- [fans cheering] - [presenter 1] And the award goes to�

[Jin] The other nominees had won many awards at other awards ceremonies.

So we thought, "There's no chance of winning this one."

But we had a glimmer of hope.

The Artist of the Year was our last chance.

[background chatter]

- [presenter 1] BTS. - [fans cheering]

[presenter 1] Congratulations.

There were�

a lot of things that happened since our debut.

And there were many, many people who said we wouldn't make it.

We thank you all so much for believing in us to the end.

[Jin] I had been holding on to threadbare hope.

Then we received the award.

I cried.

I think all seven of us cried.

[indistinct chatter]

Right before WINGS was released�

Before the album was released,

Namjoon and I cried so much while talking to each other.

As we watched the awards ceremonies

before our debut,

we always wondered when we would debut and receive an award.

During 2011 and 2012,

we would always watch the MAMA Awards at home.

[RM] In truth, the Artist of the Year�

is the best award of the year.

Artist of the Year meant we had come in first place that year.

That's what we believed.

We said to ourselves, "We did it."

Thanks, guys. Thank you so much.

I love you all so much.

[SUGA] If this were a movie, this would be its ending scene.

[laughs] Right? In a movie,

the credits would start rolling.

At that point, we'd done everything we could

as Korean artists.

But then, they wanted us to go to the US.

- Si-Hyuk. - The Billboard Music Awards!

- My heart is racing. - [chuckling]

Am I the only one?

- [j-hope] Were we invited? - Yes.

Didn't I tell you last time?

- It should be so much fun� - We're going.

- We'll go and� - What if it's over after we perform?

Let's pray for real.

- Thank you! - Good luck.

Enjoy the concert!

- The Billboard� - Thank you!

- Yeah, Billboard! - Thank you!

[Si-Hyuk] Let's go.

Do you think we'll make it? Probably not, right?

At the time, there wasn't much to say or think but, "Wow!"

"Will we receive an award if we go?"

"Isn't that why they've asked us to come?"

Then someone would say, "It's not like that in the US."

"You may go there just to sightsee and come back."

We went after that kind of talk.

[overlapping chatter]

[Si-Hyuk] They made their presence known not only in the K-pop market

but in the Western pop market as well.

I think we believed that

we needed to show the objective indicators

K-pop acts could create

and move on to the next steps of the process.

[? lively music playing]

I know I've said it before,

but I'm so nervous about going to the Billboard Music Awards.

[V] Are you excited about going?

- Are you nervous? - Yes.

Of course, I'm nervous.

[V] You did say that you were really nervous.

- I'm so nervous, I'm spilling my food. - [V] You're spilling a lot.

[fans] BTS! BTS! BTS!

[fans screaming]

Las Vegas.

Las Vegas.

It's my first time in Las Vegas.

Should we go to a casino?

- I wouldn't know what to do. - You want to lose everything?

- The one thing we� Or I wanted to do� - I really wouldn't know.

�when visiting Las Vegas was to go shopping.

But I forgot my wallet. Yay!

[instructor in English] "K-pop boy band BTS,

welcome to the BBMAs."

[in Korean] When they say this, you all say�

[members in English] Thanks!

- We're so excited. - Yeah.

- Yeah. - Yes.

[in Korean] We're waiting to make our red carpet entrance.

We'll be on the red carpet in just 30 minutes.

Billboard.

[whistling]

I don't get nervous often, but I'm nervous being here.

Aren't you just saying that because we're being filmed?

Let's try not to exhaust ourselves.

Hang in there for today.

- It may be hard, but� - Would we get exhausted?

[background chatter]

[fans cheering]

[Jin] "Who are they?"

"They're an idol group I've never heard of."

"I don't know why they're so popular."

We became a hot topic for that reason.

And I believe that was all due to the ARMY's cheers and support for us

during those events and appearances.

A lot of our fans are here.

That's why I'm more nervous.

About two years ago,

I had a dream that went just like this. That we were all together�

[RM] It felt like we were starting something new again.

We were doubting whether these people were actually doing this for us.

I'm not sure. I actually wonder what it would have been like

if we were a team that was a bit more culturally proficient.

I think being a little clumsy

was quite charming.

- Why do I suddenly need the bathroom? - No, you can't go now.

- This is really nerve-racking. - We're up next.

Why is it so nerve-racking?

Whoo!

[presenter 2] And the Billboard Music Award goes to�

- BTS! - BTS!

[crowd cheering]

The Top Social Artist award.

It was the start of raising people's awareness of us as the group BTS.

[fans screaming]

[in English] Please, ARMY. Remember what we say,

"Love myself, love yourself."

[in Korean] We love you all so much. Thank you.

We'll work to become a better BTS.

- [in English] "The Top Social Artist." - "�Social Artist."

- "Billboard Music Award� BTS!" - "�Music Award."

Whoo!

[in Korean] I was really flustered when we got it.

To be honest, we didn't even know

what a "Top Social Artist Award" was at the time.

[SUGA] So we were really flustered when we got it.

We didn't think of it as the start of anything.

The artist, Justin Bieber, at the time�

Was it seven years? Ten?

He had received the award for many consecutive years.

We believed this would make a big impact.

So everyone was excited

about moving on to the next stage of the process.

Social media became a huge thing all over the world,

and BTS became a global sensation through it.

They weren't aware of it at first, but the Western music industry

began to understand that

there was a huge public opinion about BTS and a huge movement taking place.

Introduce yourselves, hello.

[in English] Nice to meet you.

I wanted� So let's do some music together.

- Of course. We're more than willing to. - Yeah.

I've got beats. And also, if you have an open hook idea.

If you have a hook, I can start writing to that hook.

We can do the verses afterward.

I just need a hook to write a melody or something.

[in Korean] He said he'd create the verses and other stuff

if we came up with a hook to give him.

[in English] I just joined BTS.

- Oh, really? - Yeah, are you okay?

- Let's go. - Okay.

[photographer 2] One, two, three. Over here again. One, two, three.

[camera shutter clicks]

[? electronic dance music playing, BTS (Steve Aoki Remix) "MIC Drop"]

- [interviewer] You've also remixed BTS's� - [Aoki] MIC Drop.

[interviewer] Yeah, and you went gold, right?

[Aoki] Yeah, we went gold with MIC Drop.

Which is� I mean, in two months, we went gold.

- I mean, that's incredible. - Which is crazy at this time, you know?

Like the way people listen to music. It's different.

People are watching online. People are streaming.

And the people are demanding the song. They love MIC Drop.

[? electronic dance music playing, BTS (Steve Aoki Remix) "MIC Drop"]

[in Korean] Our rating was going up,

so I thought, "Is it a one-time token award?"

But suddenly, we went�

[chuckling]

�to the AMAs.

? My bad BILLBOARD My bad WORLDWIDE ?

? I'm sorry, Mom your son is so killing it ?

? Should I chip in for the duties you missed as a good child ?

[indistinct chatter]

[photographer 3] One, two, three.

[background chatter]

BTS JIMIN

We are finally

able to perform at the AMAs.

- We're on our way now. - ? Only you have it ?

[fans cheering]

We're really thankful for the many fans

- who showed up for us. We didn't know. - Yes, that's right.

I think I'm going to be so excited when the fans cheer for us

during our performance.

- [in English] Hey! - Khalid!

I like you.

- Hey. - Hey, bro.

[Khalid] How are you guys feeling? Are you nervous or excited?

- We're excited. - Yes, excited.

Kind of nervous, but�

- Kind of nervous? - Yeah, man.

No, they'll always� They will love you.

[laughs]

[in Korean] BTS and the AMA.

- Bang Bangtan! Bangtan! - Bangtan!

- Let's go! - All right!

[fans] BTS! BTS! BTS!

BTS! BTS! BTS!

BTS! BTS! BTS!

I don't know how we made it this far.

[exhales deeply]

[in English] Making their US TV debut.

Make some noise for BTS!

? In the previous life and maybe the next too ?

? We're forever together ?

? DNA ?

? All of this is not a coincidence ?

In game terms, it was like we were leveling up.

[j-hope] We got more experience and became stronger.

We acquired new skills,

and those skills were more showy.

It was an enjoyable feeling.

? Your cornea gets shocked when it sees us ?

? Quite quite stylish s-s-stylish ?

[crowd cheering]

[meat sizzling]

[j-hope] Wow, the meat looks incredible.

[Jin] It really looks like foreign meat.

- The cooking gloves� - Ooh!

- Do you need a cutting board? - This�

- [V] Kimchi would be awesome. - Spaghetti in the US.

[Jimin] Can I get a plate, please?

[RM] Is this the seasoning?

To our successful tour in North and South Americas.

- Bangtan, Bangtan. Bang Bangtan! - Bang Bangtan!

- Congrats! - Cheers!

I didn't think we would yell "Bang Bangtan!" here too.

I think it was a year filled with laughter and happiness.

[Jimin] We kept smiling and laughing.

We made a lot of celebratory toasts too.

[j-hope] We ate delicious food and had vacations in between schedules.

We were really, really happy.

We had fans who liked us too.

I think we enjoyed all those moments.

[V] I think we just shared a lot of memories

with ARMY, ourselves,

and our company staff.

So it's a very unforgettable moment.

- It's your first time, right? - This is your first time, right?

I was too busy trying to drink it, let alone pop it.

- Here I go. - Let's go.

- Pop. - [all yell]

Oh, come on!

- [shouting, laughing] - Seriously, come on.

Yay, Bangtan! Let's keep doing our best.

- How uncool. - Yes, let's do our best going forward.

- So uncool. - Let's do our best.

- That was uncool. - Let's do our chant.

- Bang Bangtan. Bangtan! - Bangtan!

Let's keep doing our best.

Let's stay strong.

- [Si-Hyuk] Hello. - Hello, Si-Hyuk.

[members] Hello.

I'm honored that Billboard artists like you

have made time to attend my meeting.

- [Si-Hyuk] It's an honor. - Is this the first since Billboard?

- Yes, it's the first. - It really is.

[applause]

The world's top idol group.

[laughter]

- Oh, man. - Can we edit this out?

- This is just the beginning. - That's right.

[Si-Hyuk] Yes, that's also a reason why I'm here.

- The main point is that� - We can't look past it.

�you should never forget your love for music

and appreciation for your fans.

- That's the biggest point. - We could never forget.

I really want you to keep that in mind.

But there's one more thing I want to say.

I've been thinking to myself these days

after sending you on tour.

It's been less than six months since we decided to answer the calling for K-pop,

and so many roads have opened for us.

You can make bigger wishes since everything is going so well,

but I think our goal next year

should be to find ways to be happy.

It's something that no other superstar in the world has ever done.

I'm not sure if it's something you can accomplish by trying.

Not a lot of superstars have good endings.

Many of them become depressed or develop social phobias.

I'm really worried that you will become unhappy

if you continue to live like this.

You all started this simply because music made you happy.

- Yes. We've also talked about this. - Yes, we did.

I wondered all the time

- if this is how life should be. - You're right.

I think all of us have wondered this as well.

It may come as a surprise for onlookers if you think about it.

You may wonder why I would have such an epiphany at a moment like this.

But I think it's very important.

I believe people in management

should think about it.

At a certain point, it's more important for an artist

to have autonomy and be happy as a person.

We had many discussions on whether to renew our contracts or not.

The company wanted us to renew our contracts.

It wasn't a bad proposal for us.

But the members had differing opinions.

All of us�

had thought a lot about quitting.

[SUGA] We felt a lot of pressure from it all. And we were scared.

There was no one to ask for advice.

Jung Kook and I talked and cried together.

I talked and cried with Hobi too.

We shed a lot of tears during that time.

We didn't know we'd attract a lot of attention

when we debuted.

[Jin] I don't like garnering so much attention,

and it's hard psychologically.

I don't have the confidence to endure this pressure.

[SUGA] No one else knows about it

except the seven of us.

Because of that,

everything that had piled up exploded.

We really didn't want to do anything.

[muffled singing]

[Jin] I was suffering from burnout at the time.

I was listless after performances.

Every day was a struggle.

[crowd cheering in distance]

I can't get used to it.

[Jung Kook] It just�

It felt like we were constantly running

and walking without a destination.

It feels like we've compacted 20 years' worth of experiences

into our six to seven years of experience.

[SUGA] So we were pretty exhausted. We were way past our limits.

"Will there ever be an end if we continue?"

Everyone was having a hard time

due to these thoughts.

We seriously considered quitting.

We didn't think this fame was a scale we could handle.

[? somber music playing]

[Jimin] I think this part hurts more than the fall itself.

- Holding ice against the injury� - [staff] We need the swelling to subside.

Should we make changes to the cue sheet?

I don't think it matters. We're losing energy regardless.

[Jimin] It was so hard to see the other members like this.

Si-Hyuk asked us if we wanted to just rest for six months.

We weren't sure if that was the right call

since we were finally doing well.

As the head of a management company,

I actively tried to make the best decision

from the perspective of an artist.

I'd say, "How can they work if they're struggling?"

"Their happiness is most important."

[RM] My biggest issue was thinking

that we were leaving without being able to enjoy everything.

Is this the end?

It was unfair in my opinion.

Why are we being like this after working so hard

for seven to eight years to build this foundation?

[inhales sharply]

There was uncertainty about whether it was going to work out.

I repeatedly asked if they didn't think it was unfair.

[SUGA] We started at AX-KOREA.

We conquered the Olympic Gymnastics Arena

and came to Gocheok Sky Dome.

I feel very strange. Today is a really good day.

We should be talking about good things, but�

This all started with us wanting to share our music.

But now, five years later,

those things�

[crowd screaming]

[SUGA] It's like the moment right before a couple breaks up.

Both of them know it's going to happen.

But no one wants to be the bad guy,

so it felt like we were pushing the responsibility over.

We eventually had to make a choice.

If any one of us makes that choice,

that person becomes the bad guy.

It felt like that's why we couldn't bring ourselves to do it.

[? pop music playing, BTS "Fake Love"]

[RM] The next song, Fake Love, came out. And it was very meaningful in many ways.

It's a song full of desperation

with acting and masks.

I was really skinny at the time because I was having a hard time.

[Jin] There was no time to consider and discuss any divided opinions.

I wasn't able to take care of myself,

so I could only focus on my difficult situation.

[Jimin] I was affected by the flow of things and had a hard time.

I got hurt too.

I think it was a difficult time to be with one another.

[? pop music playing, BTS "Fake Love"]

[V] I was so tired of my work and everything,

so I think I wanted to stop for a moment.

[SUGA] I really wanted to quit and just rest at the time.

We should destroy it ourselves since we built it.

That's what we need to do to live.

That's how we'll be able to live.

[? pop music playing, BTS "Blue & Grey"]

[V] We experienced puberty on how to face difficult situations.

From the plane to the hotel,

to the concert hall, then back to the plane.

[SUGA] I went outside for a bit,

but all I did was eat. There was nothing to do.

[RM] I know we can't do anything about the situation we're in, but�

It wasn't satisfying, mentally or emotionally.

The global press conference for MAP OF THE SOUL: 7.

Since we're all gathered here, I'll hurry up and give you the news.

[Jung Kook] We have a concert this coming April.

[producer] This really is beyond our control.

I'm sure ARMY is looking forward to it.

[producer] Due to COVID-19�

We look forward to it as well.

- The April concert has been canceled. - [both groan]

[Jung Kook] It felt like I had lost a really big part of something I enjoyed.

[Jimin] I guess I can say it felt really unfair at first.

[? pop music playing, BTS "Blue & Grey"]

Translated by Rebekah Kim

Repair and Synchronization by Easy Subtitles Synchronizer 1.0.0.0