Wings Chronicles, a pop group exhibit for a cause

By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Nadine Postigo

On Sept. 2, I attended the Wings Chronicles exhibit here in Manila, which featured art and photography of the popular pop group Bangtan Sonyeondan (방탄소년단), also known as BTS . The two-day non-profit event was attended by numerous Philippine fans and was organized by Army Box. 

I spoke to Rosie, head of Army Box, to get to know more about the Wings Chronicles exhibit and the team behind it. “Army Box is a fan artists community with the goal of providing artistic BTS-related products in terms of goods and services by collaborating with different fan websites, fan clubs and organizations that will help improve the image of BTS. It was officially established last year on Aug. 19, 2016. The team consists of 30 people from the Philippines and the U.S.”

The Wings Chronicles exhibit made its first stop in the Philippines, holding it in both Cebu and Manila, followed by Bangkok and Singapore. Just like the pop group BTS, the Wings Chronicles is also "touring" different countries. So better check out the list of places it will go to at the end of this article to see if it's making a stop in your city.

Fans take their time to admire the wonderful photos and art work about the pop group BTS.(Nadine Postigo)

It was definitely fun to be in a room full of BTS fans, all full of admiration and appreciation for the group. What makes the Wings Chronicles exhibit different from other BTS exhibits I’ve seen is that they are doing the event for a cause, as all the proceeds will be donated in the name of BTS to humanitarian charities, such as the War Child USA Organization, St. Jude Children's Research and UNICEF. This is what drew me to the event all the more. During the Manila stop, there was also a photo booth set up where fans commemorated the day with their friends. The accumulated cash from that section was donated to the Children of Marawi, a place on Mindanao Island in the Philippines that is currently in the midst of a military insurgency. Over the years I’ve seen donations made in the names of the groups they idolize being common, especially among fans of Korean artists, and I’m glad that besides supporting our favorite singers, we’re also making a difference.

Rosie explained that the Wings Chronicles concept actually started on a whim. “The administration of the fan club was planning to do a year-long project in relation and likeness to the ways in which BTS has given everyone opportunities. We decided to pursue Global Embarkation, a two-part project that focuses on expanding help to our fellow fans and to all of mankind. The first part of this series was entitled Army Meets What, which was held from January to June in celebration of BTS's fourth anniversary. For the second part, we are now going on a journey for a worldwide exhibit in collaboration with different fan website and fan clubs, carrying the title Wings Chronicles. 

A lot of fans of BTS fans gather under the name of Wings Chronicles and communicate with each other. (Wings Chronicles Twitter)

The team decided to hold the Wings Chronicles exhibit in places where BTS's Wings Tour occurred. We wanted to share, relive and reminisce the experience of attending the concerts with our fellow fans who weren't able to do so, and of course to meet fans in different parts of the world. The exhibit will be held in different countries, mainly the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, the U.S., Canada, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Korea. 

"It takes about two to three months to organize each stop, from venues, set up and layout and other details. The team for each exhibit also varies by country. It usually ranges from five and upward. There are about 25 fan artists consisting who produced fine works of art for the exhibit.”

BTS fans share and show off their talent through art. (Nadine Postigo)

Fellow fans with whom I talked after the Wings Chronicles exhibit stated that they highly recommend going to these kinds of events. “It’s like attending a concert,” one said excitedly. Another thought that being surrounded with fellow fans helped her to have fun and gain new friends. I noticed that a lot of the fans who I met that day were just friends online before, but the event gave them a chance to meet personally and to put a face behind the usernames. 

There were numerous photos and works of art that the fans just gushed over. If you know the "heart eyes" emoji on your phone, that’s the expression all of the attendees had on their faces. Background music of BTS was played all throughout, which made fans ecstatic. We sang along and even did a chant all together. Honestly, I'm very envious of people who can draw because I simply cannot, so I really admire the works of art. Instead of the usual paintings that we grew up seeing in our homes, I imagine K-pop fans having these works of art and framed photos of their idols as part of their interior decorations. 

The Wings Chronicles exhibit is held at the BTS Brick Live Café in Bangkok. (Wings Chronicles Twitter)

I was also able to interview one of the fan artists who participated in the exhibit, Giulia, who creates art featuring BTS as a hobby.  

“Getting to participate in events such as exhibits like the Wings Chronicles is an opportunity for me. It's an opportunity for me to share my art and interact with people. It's also an opportunity for me to learn. I learn to improve as an artist, getting to know what people like or what they appreciate, picking up details here and there."

"I only started my art account in January 2017, but I was already doing art since around June last year. Instagram was my first source for BTS updates when I got into the group, and I'd always see fan art posted by other people I followed. I got inspired by them. I decided, "Why not give it a try?" I had the talent for drawing and this could become a way for me to improve my craft. So I started posting them on my personal account. Then later I opened an art account. I draw because I want to, because I like it. I enjoy what I'm doing, and that, for me, is very important.”

For Giulia, she still feels overwhelmed whenever people post pictures of merchandise featuring her artwork. “Their reactions and feedback give me room for improvement. This is also one of the main reasons why I like participating in these events. I get joy from people seeing my art. Simple compliments like, 'It's very cute,' or, 'I really like it,' always make me smile from ear to ear. Overall, I greatly appreciate it and am really glad.”

Giulia, a BTS fan, expressed her love for the group with her art. (Giulia)

A lot of people have noted that the K-pop market has been oversaturated, with more and more groups and singers debuting every month. I was curious what made BTS stand out for Giulia and turn her into a fan. “Their playful nature attracted me. However, their music pulled me right in and sealed the deal. I really love the music they produce. It speaks to the heart. The fact that they talk about unusual topics made me stay, too. Also, the creative cinematography and storyline of their music videos had has me sold.”

As BTS helped bring out Giulia’s creative side, I, too, can relate. As shy as I am, I never thought I’d put myself out there by creating content on YouTube, stepping out of my comfort zone and share my feelings, all spurred by my love for Korea. I can say that BTS became an influence on me, too, helping me to to lessen any self-doubt and to just take the jump. 

If you’re also a big fan of BTS and if you want to support a good cause, here's the list of upcoming places where the Wings Chronicles will be held. Follow them on Twitter (@WingsChronicles) for updates, registration and additional dates. Aside from the confirmed dates below, they are also planning to bring the event to Hong Kong and Korea. 

SINGAPORE

Visual Arts Center 

Sept. 23 - 24

U.S.

● CALIFORNIA

Prime Mid-City Gallery Event Space, Los Angeles.

Oct. 7 - 8 2017

●NEW YORK

Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.

Oct. 14, 2017

Canada

●Vancouver
The Space Art Gallery 

Oct. 21-22

●Toronto

Diverse Character Studio

Oct. 28-29

INDONESIA

Jakarta

Qubicle Senopati

Nov. 11-12

MALAYSIA

Kuala Lumpur

Makespace LG2

Nov. 18-19

wisdom117@korea.kr

BTS becomes first K-pop group to win at Billboards

BTS receives its award as Top Social Artist. (Big Hit Entertainment)

By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Akansha Arya

The pop group BTS, whose name is an acronym for Bangtan Sonyeondan and which is commonly translated into English as “Bulletproof Scouts,” has become the first-ever K-pop group to win a Billboard awards.

BTS took home the award for Top Social Artist, defeating the famous singer Justin Beiber who had won this award for the past six years.  BTS has also become the first Korean pop group to crack the top 40 of the Billboard 200 album chart with their album "Wings" released in October last year.

BTS, a seven-member pop group that debuted in June 2013 with the single "No More Dreams" from their album "2 Cool 4 School," tells the story of everyone who gives up their dreams to live according to society’s expectations and asks everyone to live their own dreams. They have won several “New Artists of the Year” awards. However, BTS’s first breakout came after releasing the album “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 1” in 2015, which showed their mature side. The title song “I Need You” brought them their first win ever on SBS MTV's “The Show,” and it was also a hit in various major Korean charts.

After that, the follow-up of the first album was “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 2.” It became their first album to break into the Billboard 200 charts, debuting at No. 171. In 2016 the final version of “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life” was released. It was an extended version of the earlier two versions, with a few more tracks added. It was titled “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever,” landing again in the Billboard 200 charts at the 107th spot. The title song “Fire” scored the group its first No. 1 on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart.

After that, they never turned back. In 2016 BTS became the first Korean pop group to crack the top 40 of the Billboard 200 charts, coming in 26th with its album "Wings," released in October last year. Again, the group hit the Billboard 200 charts in 2017 with the album "Wings: You Never Walk Alone," an extended version of the "Wings" album.

BTS also became the first Korean pop group to hit the Billboard charts four times. This is not the first time BTS has gained international attention. Recently, BTS has also won the Shorty awards for its strong social media presence.   

At home, BTS has won many awards, including two daesang or grand prizes -- one of the biggest awards in the Korean music industry -- in 2016. The first was for its album "The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever" at the Melon Music Awards in the “Album of the Year” category, and the second daesang in the "Artist of the Year" category was won at the 2016 Mnet Asian Music Awards. By winning two daesang, BTS became the first artist not from one of Korea's three largest entertainment agencies -- SM, YG, and JYP -- to win a daesang award.

BTS has slowly been moving up the Billboard charts over the past few years. Here, the pop sensation performs on the show M-Countdown on Mnet, a music channel. (Korea.net Flickr)   

The group is known for composing and producing its own songs. Min Yoongi, whose stage name is Suga, has earned a name as a producer, as has Rap Monster, the leader of the group. The group is known for its playful and cheerful personalities. BTS is growing at a rapid pace on all social media platforms, such as Twitter and VLive. Its interaction with fans through media and, of course, its good music has created one of the strongest fan-bases out there, officially called the BTS Army.

However, the journey for BTS has not been that easy to reach this point. All the members have struggled to reach here. Almost all the members come from a rough background, struggling for their dreams, struggling to escape from society, from their parents. We can all learn from them that hard work really pays off and that there's no shortcut to success. 

BTS recently successfully wrapped up its tour to Chile, Brazil, the U.S., Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Hong Kong. This sold-out tour started in Seoul. BTS will now head to Australia for a concert to be held on May 26, 2017 and then to six cities in Japan from May 30 to July 2 for the Wings Tour.

The growing popularity of Korean TV shows and pop music in East Asia and elsewhere -- abbreviated as the "Korean Wave," or Hallyu -- is already spreading across the world. The question arises, "How will this winning affect K-pop at home and around the world?"

K-pop is spreading around the globe. Winning this award will affect K-pop at a huge level. It will not only draw attention from all over the world, but it will also change the perception at home, and also increase competition. While many Korean pop bands shy away from controversial topics, such as loneliness, mental health and bullying, and instead focus on love or party songs accompanied by dance-heavy music videos, BTS has been singing about socially and politically relevant topics. As Rap Monster said in a recent Billboard interview, “These topics, like you said, they're important, right? They should be spoken about by someone. Someone should talk about it. If someone should talk about it, then it feels like we have to talk about it. It's very much an honor that we have the power and get attention from our fans when we use our voices more.” Suga has also pointed out that, when asked about these issues and the way in which they are uncommon in Korea and in K-pop, “Worldwide, our young generation shares the same issues socially and politically. I think that young people feel the same way about similar issues, and BTS wants to cheer them up with our songs and talk about our feelings and social issues. There are people who think negatively and there have been people who react negatively towards BTS' music. However, I think it's way more important to make music with those issues because I think it's important to encourage people to fight for those issues.”

BTS is not only succeeding in the domestic music industry as well as at the international level, but is also setting a standard for pop bands that will come after them. The group is setting an example to deal with different social and political issues and reaching the masses through its music. It might affect K-pop songs, changing them from just being love, party and beautiful songs, helping them to deal with different social and political issues with music. It will also help Korean pop get more recognition in parts of the world where no one has ever heard of K-pop. There was a time when listening to K-pop was considered absurd, but now the time has come. K-pop has become a trend.  

wisdom117@korea.kr