Meet the huge, leaderless web of fans fueling BTS 🎶 Ashley Hackworth, BTS A.R.M.Y. - Get Together

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community management organizing kai sotto fandom creativemornings

Episode notes

"We are a part of their success. We are a part of their team.” - Ashley Hackworth BTS is a seven-member South Korean boy band. They became the fastest-growing group since The Beatles to earn four US number-one albums, doing so in less than two years. The rise of BTS is in part thanks to a huge leaderless web of dedicated fans who call themself A.R.M.Y. People like Ashley Hackworth host accounts that serve as informational and even emotional hubs for millions of fans. They don’t just love BTS’s music, they support each other through mental health issues and other very human challenges, many of which the band sings about in their music. They have banded together to impact the outcome of political movements (including foiling a Trump rally this summer ), raised millions of dollars for the Black Lives Matter movement , and flooded social media platforms to drown out racist voices . Members feel like they are part of this big family across the world, a point that Maggie’s 14 year-old sister Mira, a BTS superfan who helped co-hosted the interview, emphasized to us. Activism is as important as the catchy tunes for Ashley, Mira and their fellow fans.

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