MANILA: During the coronavirus outbreak, Jocelyn Gan was captivated by the biggest Korean pop band BTS after watching a 2020 reality series in which they took a break from their hectic existence.
She fell in love with the band right away and became a member of their ARMY — a transnational community of millions of admirers and numerous BTS fan groups whose enthusiasm and loyalty to the boyband has become a phenomenon much beyond the band itself. While BTS and K-
pop in general are thought to be for young people, Gan, 61, exemplifies the fandom’s variety.
“Their songs touch the heart regardless of where you are in the world or how young or old you are,” she told Arab News.
Gan is a member of Titas of BTS, a Philippine fan organization founded in 2020 for slightly older ARMY members.
The titas, which literally means “aunties,” are a legion of approximately 14,000 Filipino women in their late 30s and above who obsess over the group members’ music, fashion, and personal lives.
“We are mature women who know exactly what we want,” Gan added, “and fangirling has become a primary want and need.”
“It is my desire that when they return to our nation, I will undoubtedly attend their concert… Stanning BTS restores our youth and provides us with a happy high.”
Based in Manila, the Titas of the BTS community have demonstrated that no one is ever too old for K-pop, particularly in the Philippines, which has topped global rankings of K-pop listeners on streaming services and, according to Spotify, will have the second-largest audience for BTS after the US in 2022.
While ARMY has made international news for its size and loyalty to the band, little has been said about its diversity, which may be one of this fandom’s unique traits as it transcends borders and language boundaries. According to Aileen Zapata, a 55-year-
old Titas of BTS member, ARMY is “the only fandom that accepts members who are over the age of fangirling.”
Kim Tan, 35, a BTS tita, told Arab News that it was more than just a fan club, but also a place where genuine connections were formed.
“ARMY, or the fandom in general, is special because of the incredible connection that we have with BTS and each other,” she explained.
It’s so profound that we know these are friendships we’ll have for the rest of our lives. “The first BTS-focused Facebook group I ever joined was Titas of BTS.” I liked it a lot because the conversations were not superficial.
ARMYs there talked about song meanings, album hypotheses, and even how members deal with extremely sensitive issues.”
“They have this kind of magic that once you have watched their performances and shows, you see yourself being hooked and loving them that much,” Christina Matias, 41, a Titas of BTS member, said.
“They are also an inspiration to the youth about pursuing one’s dreams and remaining focused on one’s goals.”
Hannah Torregoza, 42, became a fan of BTS after hearing how their songs resonated to real life. “I discovered this during the pandemic; their songs address real-world issues.” “They don’t hold back on social issues, ills, mental health, depression, the value of self-worth, loyalty, unity, and the complexities of one’s own self,” she told Arab News. “While they have love songs, the majority of their songs have deeper meaning.” I don’t see or hear as much Western music these days.”
