barbara

I was so confused when i first saw this, wondering what RM was going to release on the 12th and then realized that it's his birthday- That Dingo Story show sounds really fun. I wonder how they know that the person they are surprising is a fan. I'm not expecting it will ever happen to me, but, wow - wish it would. @amylance1215 strategy is the best - multiple people trying to get tickets. Chris is ARMY, too, but that didn't help me get any upfront Yoongi tickets or Busan or Seoul. I like to think of it as me saving all my BTS luck for the comeback.

I think sales go up with each new album because ARMY misses OT7 so badly and want to support the members as much as possible. Seven isn't an album in any way but its sales are insane. Astronaut had a photo book and a MV and was produced like an album. Thinking about it, I wonder if JK has plans to release an actual album (with Seven on it, of course). I suppose he could release an "album" that is nothing but all the versions of Seven. If it has a photobook and a MV, it might be considered an album (though I wouldn't buy it - I just don't need 9 versions of this song.) @amylance1215 has some kind of amazing luck with the concerts she's won tickets for and for concerts she was able to get pre-release tickets. The luck and the willingness to go where the concerts are at - I think that's what we will have to be ready to do (years from now). And, though in the future, work as a coordinated block to secure tickets to every venue, if possible. Targeted ticket strategy. We have time to work on this.... (sadly). In addition to recording and learning choreo, I suspect the members would love to (and would benefit from) a Bon Voyage or In the Soop thing first - after they have has time with family, very soon after discharge, just to spend some time all together, relaxed, so they can share their experiences and their new goals/dreams, and do some serious reacquainting themselves with each other, regain that sense of being a unit.

No need to get too anxious about this now, but there will be a bloodbath like none before. I really don't know how they could actually tour in 2025 unless everyone is out of the military by early in the year, or even late spring, but that translates to the last four members enlisting by November. Possible, but I wouldn't bet on it. While a lot of the prep for a massive tour can be done before they are all out (and by the company and whoever is already out) , they'll still need time for recording and for working on/learning choreography. Perfectionists - they won't want to perform until they know they are Bangtan-level ready. Five years ago, or even three, they probably could've prepared in a matter of months, but, with the exception of muscle memory on older songs, it's going to take time just to get flexibility and endurance back (though the time in the military will have probably kept their stamina at a pretty high level). Hobi being out in early October '24 (?) will probably give the choreo a headstart but there will be other choreographers and time takes time. But good to start a fund now - like Christmas fund but two years to put money into it. Jin fans are pushing a "relaunch" of the Astronaut. I am obilging by playing one of the suggested Spotify lists - I also pulled up my older YouTube Jin-heavy playlist. I still feel badly that Astronaut has never gotten the streams it deserves -especially looking at the rest of the vocal line.

Thanks - did you send it to only one of the members or OT7? I see that it's not just stickers but people have photos on their letters. I think before I send one, I'll do a rough draft so I can be certain my spelling is okay, and put some translated Korean in it, too. Maybe this will be the way to control size? There seem to be many sizes on the letters shown. I need to think about who I should send one to and what to say..... (I'll update with sizing info, if I can find it....)

Cute - and four of 11 -

The Tae teasers define "tease"- Two tweets about Jimin - Face (did someone already post this? I personally contributed as many streams as possible every day -), and his sweet donations -

I believe the song that was allegedly plagiarized is 20 years old (?). I have to think that someone is not just trying to steak JK's glory, they want a piece of the pie. Hybe seems to have taken care of the problem. And - how did anyone get close enough to Tae to even touch him, let alone his head. Yes, no one would expect this behavior in Japan, but there are a lot of people in Japan who are not Japanese, though this seemed to be a Japanese fan. Tae has security - his security should see this as a wake-up call and be sure that there is a safe distance between crowds and any of the members. That has to be scary. And could be dangerous.

Well, suddenly I'm pleased that JK didn't actually write any of Seven - https://www.koreaboo.com/news/big-hit-bts-jungkook-plagiarism-response/

Maybe he'll sing "Christmas Tree Farm" () Making us proud:

Jack in the Box is doing really well!!! And as it's a re-release in so many ways, I don't think we could have gotten it to #1, so I hope Hobi is pleased...

I can't figure that Audacy site out at all - but, truly - in the US, Swifties are going to kill any competition. Hmm. A couple of things - free subway in the future for visitors to Seoul and an article about Hobi. https://genius.com/discussions/472132-Fresh-pick-j-hope-returns-with-physical-version-of-jack-in-the-box-hope-edition And I've read that the Justin Bieber/Scooter feud is not real. Demi wanted to go int a new direction. And he is still CEO of Hybe America - and on the Hybe's board of directors. Hybe bought him out so I suppose they can dump him if they so choose, but who knows what's really up with that. The guy has power. (I will try to get info from the one who knows him, but it would have to come up in casual one on one conversation, so may be a while....)

I don't know if it's on purpose or just laziness and disrespect. But it's f-ing annoying.

Lea Salonga (broadway star) discussing 10 of her cultural essentials - #2 "BTS About six months into the pandemic, I saw “Dynamite.” I can’t remember how I stumbled onto it, but I couldn’t move and I was like, “I have to finish this now.” The dancing and the synchronization and the charm — obviously, they’re beautiful people. It was a great way to find joy and something to look forward to when I woke up for the day in the midst of the world falling apart." It seems to me that she must have started every day with it. Totally understand.

I just read an article about why our Hobi's face is flushed after one drink. Evidently there is an Asian genetic mutation and it's not a good thing. If the article is paywalled and anyone interested in the entire thing, I'll copy it and post it. Basically "The redness and other symptoms may be thought of as a severe warning from the body that alcohol is extremely toxic to this individual, much more so than to many others." "An estimated 45 percent of East Asians get the “glow” when drinking." I'm not too worried about Hobi because he doesn't seem to like drinking (and the symptoms may be why). But an interesting fact. Of course, drinking to excess has, generally, many negative consequences, including an increase in lots of otherwise avoidable diseases. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/08/15/asian-glow-alcohol-gene-mutation-cancer-risk/

I'm still holding out hope for Lady Gaga. Since he seems to be avoiding anything that is upbeat and dance-y (which Seven most certainly is), the only actual way for Tae to really hit the top of the charts for any time is if he does have a collab with someone of her stature (I don't actually like her much but she has a crazy wonderful voice and I believe she would admire Tae for his crooning and blues ability, so fingers crossed.) I'm trying to remember if any one else's collab with someone big was announced in advance. Of course, we knew about Coldplay and Taeyang. IU is well known in Korea but her collab with Yoongi was the first release for D-Day. This release seems like a slow train....

Clearly his greatest gift is his prescient insight into talent and his ability to make the right choices for personality and talent combinations.

To the rant - I made a comment on a Facebook post that evidently is from a JK stan group. There was an article, and much sentiment, about how JK can be such a great solo start and what an amazing solo career future he has ahead of him, blah blah blah. My comment was simply "BTS 2025" - and I got a message saying that the administrators of the page would let me know if I could join (and I didn't know I was trying to...) but no word back, so evidently just saying that JK will be with BTS as a member of the group he loves was too much for them. And totally agree about the Tae promotion - I really don't understand why the feature song is the last, really, to be released. I can't even guess if it's going to be more smooth crooner stuff or something he can dance to. And it's not a competition. I am sure that all the members hope that each other's solo endeavors succeed. I like RM saying these ventures will make them stronger when they get back in 2025

What's funny to me about his taking hip hop lessons, and this bit of dance, is that he has been doing all of these moves for a decade. Just not all in a row. I think that so much of the BTS choreography, particularly the more difficult ones, have all the elements of hip hop but embedded in the poppin' high-kicking jumping. In a way, this should be relatively easy for him to pick up, especially because it doesn't have a lot of tricky moves - and dancing solo is altogether simpler than being in absolute sync with 6 other guys. Still, I'm happy he's carrying through because he clearly felt he needed this. And is hip hop the genesis of crotch grabbling? Or is that move really to help the pants get pulled back up? And my Hobi arrived today. He is such a hard working, brilliant and ridiculously cute fellow. My package (from Target) was a little squished but no harm done and I still have no idea which photo card is the "special" Hope edition pre-order one. Mine came with three photocards. And I just keep the cards with the rest of the package so it doesn't really matter to me. [and the stickers, as with all the sticker pages, have no purpose for me....]

Jack in the Box spotify playlist - and my physical copy hasn't arrived yet but this is a translation of, what I surmise is a letter to ARMY -(it's a long thread -)

Tae's appearance will be coordinated with his album release, too -

I guess that JitB is already getting a push (though I don't quite understand why listening to the actual album on Spotify and then have my other Take Two/BTS/Jimin playlist playing. Just go back and forth - but this is not bad - I know the physical album is released on the 18th but that's tomorrow. So the 18th KST?

They are good friends and run in the same circles, so it wouldn't be a surprise, though this pretty much benefits Peakboy only.....

If Hobi is only now headed back to his base, he had a lot longer leave than I thought they got after their first 100 days. He may have taken the selfies a week ago, for all we know - and, actually, his hair looks shorter than it did at the concert. And - a Hobi video from 2015! that just showed up on Twitter. He is clearly made out of rubber. Gumby boy.

Agree - the lizard is a lizard. The stylist FAILED.