Along with famous figures such as former US president Barack Obama, and singers Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift, South Korean boy band BTS took part in YouTube’s virtual commencement ceremony “Dear Class of 2020” on Monday with a speech and then closing out the four-and-a-half-hour event with a 12-minute music performance. The speeches were shared far and wide on social media including China, where Chinese fans of the band are preparing celebration events for BTS’ upcoming seventh anniversary.
Chinese translations of the band’s spree posted on China’s Twitter-like Sina Weibo for other fans. Many of these fans are also graduates in different stages.
“You might be afraid of the unknown future but do not stop going forward. If you firmly persist, you can find more precious things waiting for you,” said member Jin during his section of the speech.
“I regret that I can’t wear my graduation gown and cap to attend a real ceremony because of the epidemic, but now I feel relieved after receiving these inspiring messages from BTS. The online commencement was great,” fan “xiaojiaohongdouni” commented on Sina Weibo.
Another Sina Weibo user thanked BTS for their inspiring words. “They make me believe that working hard will not let me down and their words make me feel that they are always with me.”
A Beijing student surnamed Fang who will graduate from middle school this year told the Global Times that she is under a lot of stress due to her upcoming high school entrance examinations but that the boy band’s songs and speeches had cheered her up.
Some music industry insiders praised the influence of BTS. “That this Asian boy band can perform and give an address alongside so many Western celebrities on an international platform proves how they have impacted global culture,” Fan Zhihui, a music industry analyst, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
Fan summarized the boy band’s achievements, which include selling more than 20.33 million copies across 14 albums as of April 9 and becoming the first South Korean band to surpass the 20 million mark in album sales.
The boy band’s achievements have instilled pride in Chinese fans, many of whom are looking forward to celebratory events for the bands seventh anniversary on Saturday, especially since seven is a special number for the band as it has seven members.
Some fans have drawn cartoon versions of the bands, while others have edited together videos of their performances to commemorate them. The hashtag “Happy 7th Anniversary BTS” has been viewed more than 210 million times as of Tuesday afternoon on Sina Weibo.
This photo, provided by Big Hit Entertainment, shows South Korean band BTS performing at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 11, 2019. Photo: IC
