As BTS marks their 10th anniversary, here are some Filipino celebrities who are certified ARMYs
It can't be denied that BTS has come along way. From debuting in 2013 with their first single album 2 Cool 4 Skool, the South Korean boy band went on to become one of the best-selling artists in the country's music industry.
Consisting of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, the band has now celebrated their 10th year anniversary in the K-pop scene on June 13. Their music has touched many hearts from all over the world and spurred many to be a part of one of the biggest fandoms in the world, the ARMY, which includes some famous faces such as Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, and Justin Bieber.
Of course, the Philippines is no short of ARMYs as well. Here are some Filipino celebrities who are certified supporters of the music group:
Megan Young
Megan Young celebrated her love for BTS through a customized anniversary cake with cartoon figures of all her favorite idols on top. In her post, she captioned, "Happy 10th Anniversary to my ultimates, I can’t wait for 2025. ARMY will be here waiting for you."
In fact, her love for the group is so strong that it has even spilled to her husband Mikael Daez, who went out of his way to imitate Jin's look in a live stream video.
2025, meanwhile, is the year all seven members are expected to reunite following their hiatus from group activities, which started in June of last year. Apart from focusing on solo projects for the meantime, BTS members are set to enlist in the South Korean military, starting with Jin who entered last December.
Arci Muñoz
There are those who will make every effort to support their idols no matter how silly it may seem to others. Take it from Arci Muñoz who, after becoming captivated by BTS, watched their concerts for a total of 15 times.
She revealed this in an episode of Eat Bulaga's "Bawal Judgmental" segment, where she said that ever since she became an ARMY, she made sure to attend the group's consecutive concerts before and during the pandemic.
"'Yung song na nakapagpa-convert sa akin was Boy with Luv, tapos sabi ko sino ba 'tong mga magagandang lalaking 'to? Ganun 'yung mga tipo ko, mga pretty boys. Ang galing sumayaw, tsaka 'yun yung frustrations ko kasi di ako marunong sumayaw. So sabi ko, 'Wow grabe 'tong pitong ito," she said.
"So since then, mga July, August, noong maging ARMY ako, October nanonood ako sa last leg nila sa Korea, pina-tattoo ko 'tong [love yourself] doon sa Korean tattoo artist. Fifteen times ko po sila napanood sa buong mundo," she added.
Liza Soberano
Im your hope, youre my hope 😁
— Liza Soberano (@lizasoberano) November 23, 2018
Liza Soberano has had many peak fangirl moments for BTS.
Back in 2018, the actress replied to member J-Hope's tweet where he posted some swoon-worthy pictures of himself. As her full name is Hope Elizabeth Soberano, she couldn't help but gush about the singer's post and typed a cute comment saying "I'm your hope, you're my hope."
Aside from this, she was also spotted by fans attending BTS' last remaining shows in Seoul for 2019 all by herself.
Jed Madela
As fans, we all have that one desire to be noticed by our idols, even if it's just for a split second. Jed Madela achieved that and more when none other than BTS' leader RM reacted to a message Jed sent to him on Instagram.
The singer-songwriter could not help but jump for joy as he shared that RM made a heart reaction to the photo of art toys he sent to him through Instagram’s direct messages, noting that the South Korean artist is known to collect toys.
"Even the smallest gesture can already be a huge thing for someone… for me," he wrote in the caption. "I’ve met international artists in the past but when you 'connect' with someone you really adore, it’s different! I will forever be a fan of BTS!"
Lea Salonga
Even an internationally-recognized figure in music and entertainment such as Lea Salonga wasn't able to resist BTS' charms as she is also an ARMY, with a particular bias for V. She even exhausted herself attending their Permission To Dance concert with her friends.
"You've made us so very happy and helped so many of us with our mental health and help so many of us find joy or refined joy in our lives,” Lea said in a virtual press conference.
"I have a favorite and I think a lot of people know who it is, it's V. He is one of these people that has a really unique tone to his voice. And it's like the minute he opens his mouth to sing, I just know exactly who it is. So my head just told me to turn in that direction and the concert itself was so fantastic."
She then highlighted that all members have "incredible stamina" and that she got "exhausted watching because it was like dancing and nonstop everything."
Kris Aquino
BTS has also managed to enamore none other than the Queen of All Media herself, Kris Aquino. In her social media posts back in 2017, Kris recounted that her love for the group started thanks to a stylish Gucci jacket that was worn by one of the members during an onstage appearance at the American Music Awards (AMA)
"I started watching their performance closely. First, I was impressed by their moves. I can barely walk without tripping or falling and I can’t dance to save my soul. Then I realized ang gaganda ng boses nila!" she wrote.
"Am I too old to join the BTS ARMY? I was late in discovering them. Honestly, I got interested after their AMA awards performance because of their GUCCI outfits. Then I watched them in Ellen and Jimmy Kimmel on YouTube and I bought their album on iTunes," she added.
She went on to say that she fell in love with their songs Serendipity, Best of Me, Her, Love is Not Over, I Need U, Butterfly, Autumn Leaves, and Am I Wrong.
Vice Ganda
The Unkabogable Vice Ganda may bring happiness to a lot of people with his irresistible humor, but he also has his own source of happiness that comes from BTS.
In a past episode of It’s Showtime, Vice shared with his co-hosts that he had been binge-watching videos of the popular Korean boy band to the point that he almost didn't go to work.
"Masyadong masaya yung puso ko. Napuyat ako, natulog ako 6 a.m. na. Bilang isa akong latebloomer, mayroon akong nadiskubreng grupo. ‘Yung BTS kagabi ko lang napanood, nakakaloka, nabaliw ako talaga," Vice said.
He continued, "Nung una hindi ko alam na BTS pinapanood ko. Ang taray. Ang galing. I’m so happy to be a fan of BTS especially Taehyung and Jungkook."
