BTS 4/1 Live

빌보드 1위~ (Billboard #1)

My commentary in green.
For any baby ARMY watching, I'll be using the following abbrev/nicknames to refer to the members, in fan chant order:
RM = 🐨Kim Nam Joon, honey thighs, leader, bb koala, pookiekoalabbcutiecakes, etc. - I am OT7 but as of this past week... have found myself inconsolably RM-biased (still OT7!)
Jin = 🐹Kim SeokJin, hamster princes, eldest, mama
sugi = 🐈‍⬛SUGA, Min Yoongi, sugiball, sugaball, sugicakes, rapper kitty
hobi = 🐿️j-hope, Jung Hoseok (I am incredibly intimidated by this man more than most human beings and can't call him any stupid nicknames)
Jm = 🐥Jimin, Park Jimin, bb mochi, mochiball
V = 🐯Kim Taehyung, babybear, bbtiger
JK = 🐰Jeon Jung Kook, bunn, bb bunn, kookooball, kookoo, bb bobapuff, bobaball, ajkfdl;gjaklfjg, etc. - this one triggers my cuteness aggession to the ultramaxpro HD 5000

All mentioned YouTube shows linked throughout the translation as well as all at the very end.

(off to a strong start with hobi/JK giggling at each other; Jin/sugi staring at hobi; RM staring into my very soul and disintegrating all of my composure; V making waves in front of his face; Jm dissociating into oblivion)

the left bow shows their names written out in Korean in fan chant order along the two ribbons hanging down
the right bow shows on one ribbon, "사막도 바다가 돼서" (samahkdo badaga dwesuh = Even a desert can turn into an ocean, recalling a theme featured in their 5th mini album, Love Yourself: Her, Sea (바다) was their second hidden track) & on the second ribbon, "Keep Swimming"

JK: what is that?
hobi - mumbles -that.. that..
JK, knowingly: ahh ::bunnygiggless::
Jin looking at hobi: there's nothing he doesn't know. there's nothing he doesn't know..
JK: -mumbles, but probably replying to hobi via meme response-

Jm: oh now come to think of it - we can't check anything huh?
(usually staff give them a tablet to be able to monitor themselves/read the comments coming in but it seems that they forgot this time? So you'll see all the members pull out their phones to check for themselves)

RM: aren't we starting?
hobi: we've started we've started [the live]

Jin to RM: please say hi
RM: cotdamnn damnn
JK in eager bb bunn: goddamnn!

RM: 2!3! Bang
BTS: Tan! Hello, We are BTS!

no one:
RM:

JK: I should turn on the Weverse app too
HELPPPP!! LOOK AT THE BOBAAAAAAA jkad;lfjgl;ajdf;lgajd;flkgj;aldfjg;alkfdgj

Jm: should I check if I got the alert?
::everyone on their phones except SUGI/Jin/RM::
Jin: oh the vibration alert just came through - I felt the vibration from the alert that we're live
V: [my phone] didn't vibrate to alert me that the live started
Jin: I got it - like "Billboard 1st Place" [the name of their live]

RM: so now.. okay we just heard that we got 1st place on the Billboard Hot 100..
BTS: wowww::clappies::
Jin: thank youuuu - it's all because our fans listened [to the music] a lot

RM: i think i was the very first one to see it..cuz i was sleeping ..cuz yesterday i *passed out ..was it yesterday? it was yesterday right?
hobi: wasn't it the day before yesterday?
RM: was it yesterday?
Jin: wasn't it yesterday?
hobi: it was yesterday it was it was

기절해서 (kijulhaesuh)= cuz [subj] passed out; literally - "fainted" but when used in this context, understood as "passed tf out"

RM: i was sleeping.. i passed out right after practice around 9pm and then woke up around 3am and saw that it was up all over the place
JK: oh! i woke up at 3am too
Jin: i woke up at 3am too cuz I passed out as soon as I got home
RM to JK: what did you do? did you stay up all night? (papa is worried about bb bobaball)
JK::bunnyblinks::nods yes::

RM: GOTDAMN! anyways~~~

(please see Jin who has had enough of RM screaming 'goddamn' and a sleepy kitty in the background)

RM: oh further.. we also got #1 on Billboard's 200list too
BTS:woww::clappies::

(please see how cutely JK claps. i cannot.)

Jm: i mean it is truly unbelievable..
RM: we've been able to turn on this live ..with really really grateful hearts..
Jin: we were sitting around kinda celebrating on our own [when we thought] it'd be nice to celebrate with ARMY
hobi: that's right that's rigiht
Jin: so we turned on the live

hobi: and [the staff] made it so pretty for us so.. like wow..
JK looking at the deco: thank youu [to the staff]

(banner says, in English, in hangul phonetically "keep swimming" 킵 스위밍- spelling English words IN hangul is the bane of my existence and ongoing trend that doesn't seem like it'll end. I, personally, hate this with all of my being - it's also the MOST difficult "Korean" for me to master because whyyyytf but there is a wrong way to pronounce/spell this hangul-ified-English version of words too and I don't want ANY OF ITTTTT... but lowkey have found myself using it too with my younger Korean fam to stay relevant and it's just NOW finally feeling more second nature... but.. i hate it.)

RM: i think this was only possible because SO many people helped us along the way
hobi: that's right
RM: I heard it was really neck and neck, re: the points, till the very end
hobi: truetruetruetrue
RM: so thank you very much
JK: thank you ::thumbs up::

Jin: this is the first album that we've released since being discharged from the military - that our first album did so well makes me feel really happy - we even have a cake

(the cake)

hobi (joking): i prepared the cake
Jin: oh did you now~
SUGA: wow the cake's made so nicely
Jm to hobi: *don't lieeeee

*뻥 치고 있네 (bbung cheego eetnae)= literally, you are hitting a 'bbung' - contextually, you are lyinggg or you're so full of it or BS!/i call BS!
*뻥 (bbung) = lie/exaggeration/bs, so you may see in dramas like one friend passing on some unbelievable gossip onto another, and the listener respond with just '뻥!' meaning like 'no wayyy/BS'

hobi who cannot lie for more than 0.1 seconds terribly::smiling:: it was! [a lie]

(help. hobi with his sunshine-i-can't-lie-smile and curious boba peeking over the shoulder)
(i know so many ARMY noonas that'd go to war for the boba no questions asked - we ride at dawn if you hurt the bobaball)

RM: the quality is really daebak (대박, daebak = awesome/amazing, from 大博 that was mainly used in gambling to mean 'jackpot/big win' but is now used in all contexts just to mean something is awesome/amazing/crazy good)

V:pointing to the cake: this.. this.. .[cake]
hobi: oh shoot this cake is ..heavyy ::as he's turning it side to side::
V: this..this.. is this from there?
Jm: they gifted it to us..
Jin: daebak (in this case, just 'awesome/epic')
hobi: they made the cake so well
V: Artiseé...

RM (moving off the cake strategically): I believe it's truly because of all of ARMY, we were able to receive this..coming back after four years.. so many people pooling their efforts to support us..
Jin: that's right
hobi/sugi: right
RM: is why we were able to get first place
Jin: heyy applause (i'm only now realizing this might sound weird because he's announcing/suggesting "applause" before clapping - and I didn't even realize this was weird until I had to type this out right now - but yea, whether it's applauding someone or like clapping for little kids in school or something or cheering on a team, there are many cases where someone will say/prompt for applause before applauding/everyone breaks into applause)

RM: thank you so much
hobi::clappieszoomies::

Jm: this was an album that we really prepared very diligently and is so precious [to us], we're so thankful that you listened to it so much and we feel like we need to do even better (if this language confuses you, echoed not only by BTS all the time but tons of other Korean celebrities/idols/entertainers/etc., please take a quick detour to this)

V: oh and like.. we also had a music video that just came out (at the time they went live, only the 2.0 teaser had been released)
Jin: the teaser came out
RM: daymnn
Jm: ohh Namjoonie hyung is sooO cool/awesome..
Jin: it's *chi blockingly incredible..

*기가 막혀 (gigah makhyuh) = Literally, "chi/qi/gi is blocked/flow of energy is stopped; but contextually this is spoken when something outrageous happens (good or bad) -like [the thing you're witnessing] is so TERRIBLE or INCREDIBLE that it's taken your breath away cuz of shock/stopped you in your tracks~

and OHHHHBABY did it ever mess me tf up today!? if you follow me on IG/threads, you witnessed me lose my everlovingmind in real time and double down with RM as my bias...um. friends. he's a whole dancer. bye🤪

Jin: [for] that video (2.0 MV) remember we laughed so much on the set too
JK: so if we wanna give a little bit of a spoiler..
V: you don't have to spoil anything though..
JK: why?

(why you say no to kookoo)

V: cuz it's coming out in a bit anyway..
Jm: isn't it coming out today??
JK: no that's what I mean though ::facing camera to ARMY:: you can look forward to it.. it's more *intense than before~
hobi: why?? (cheesing cuz he knows why... )
V: but it's really really funny..

*살벌하다 (salbuhlhada) = very harsh/severe, literally like "killing-level punishment" but contextually means 'intense/scary or insanely good/intimidatingly good/sometimes means edgy/scary

RM: the other friends [his members] are much more *intense/scarier/edgier than me
JK: very *intense
Jm: Taehyungie was very scary..
V: Jin hyung was very cute
RM: Jiminshi, you were also quite scary
Jm::mochi giggles::holding his twin's hand:: you were no joke, Taehyungshi

hobi: i think it's fun and came out really well ..and i think they'll really like it [ARMY]
Jm: I am curious about the response though..

Jin: i mean but there's a serious/sincere element to it too though
V: but truly.. there are like sincere vibes in it too though

(atp staff comes in, playing SWIM, with flower necklaces to put around the members' necks to congratulate them for the Billboard wins, the staff play kazoos, and it is chaotic for a few seconds~ #whatelseisnew once everyone has been given one, they get back to the live)

RM: oh shoot they're fresh flowers ..so they're falling off (never shedding the God of Destruction allegations)
hobi: oh they're fresh flowers!! it smells like fresh flowers!
JK: i like this!

RM: wow our company internal/external staff *worked really hard too

*고생 많다 (gosaeng manta) = literally, "you have a lot of hardship/suffering" but contextually, this is said to/about someone who has worked hard on something, a very common saying to acknowledge the effort/dedication of staff/teammates/etc.

Jin: ..even putting flowers on us..
V: really everyone has worked so hard for/with us
JK: that's rightt
Jm: oh but that's so funny.. they came in, expressionless/deadpan, like "congratulations" (in a flat tone) ::soul-less kazoo blowth imitation::
(Jimin's sass is also Jimin's warmth, it looked like all the staff that brought in flowers were young men and probably Jimin/the members have a great rapport with them all)
(i know blowth isn't a word. leave me be.)
Jin, chuckling: wdym they all came in smiling/laughing

V: our *ceremony?protocol? team knew I liked red, so they gave me the red one..

*의전팀 (euijun team) = ceremony, protocol, etiquette team; I had to look up what this was in English because I knew what it was in Korean but I wasn't sure if there were 'equivalent roles' - I imagine the closest equivalent would be like a Day-Of Coordinator/Manager/Ops situation but make it a TEAM that specifically handles coordinated arrivals/departures/etiquette/official greetings/receiving guests/etc. for celebs/VIP/diplomats/etc.

JK (playing along, because it looks like the staff just put the flowers on ppl randomly?): oh oh me too.. they knew that since my *saju is fire, they needed to give me the blue to cool me off

[the exact moment sugiball laughs at his youngest baby's joke]

V playing along with his derpiest babiest bro and partner in crime: oh me too! cuz my saju element is water, so they gave me the fire one
(red flowers lol and then they shake hands cuz they're the derpiest maknaes in the land)

this is also a throwback reference to one of their old weverse lives and running jokes, in general, when hobi says "don't you guys say you're like fire/water or something?' and V/JK agree and V says "oh yea I need fire" and JK says "yea and I need water, that's why I'm wearing blue"

hobi: why would that matter [the color of the flowers]... you guys are being so extra right now
Jm also playing along: ah, they knew I love ARMY so much so (Jimin's wearing purple flowers)
JK to RM: Namjoonie hyung, what about you..

Jin::panicking and looking at the color of his flowers:: we all have to come up with a meaning now??
hobi, playing along despite what he JUST SAID cuz boba is trying to make it a thing now: ohh they knew my sneaker collab is coming out so ..

j-hope's sneaker collab

Jm::cracking up at j-hope's quick turnaround::
JK, delighted: that's right that's right that's right!
hobi: you mean to say they planned that far (all playing along w/ the boba)
V: oh and because SUGA hyung's skin is so white (SUGA was given white flowers and is too stunned to speak)

hobi::cracking up::

Jm: Namjoonie hyungg..
RM: me too? ughh..
Jm: it's to wish your leg to heal soon..
RM: no no it's not that - it's because I'm Asian..

please note Jimin's reaction

Jin: ohh cuz they know I like mango sticky rice.. so they made mine orange..

Everyone, please behold the DELIGHTED boba.
Please also understand that 100% of his hyungs went along with this JUST to delight the baby ajk;dlfjg;alkdfj;glakjdflghjalkdfjhkajfdlhskjfglhsjfglh....

Jm to RM: ...isn't that too spicy? (as in too sassy to say)
RM: whywhywhy??
JK on behalf of RM: no it's fine!
RM: I'm Asian-colored.. we're yellow okay? you know what I'm sayin?

(😑)

hobi: ...okay
Jm: ..we're gonna take it there huh.. my face is gonna turn red..
JK: 2.0 2.0
RM: I'm proud of my race

hobi: Jimin, your hair today..

JK: yoongi!

RM: if you look around..

Jm: i couldn't get my hair to look right
Jin: you tied it up real cute

RM: okay but truthfully, looking around.. at everyone's *꼴 right now..

*꼴 (kkol) = super informal/crass way of saying like.. the appearance/state of someone or something

RM continuing, looking at V: i think one could say it kinda looks like this friend (V) kept the dress code to himself .. only one to dress nicely/different today.. because today's a practice day today for us..

sugi to V: oh you came dressed kinda nicely today huh..
RM: cuz Taehyungshi came from having very nice lunch.. dinner.. wait what is it.. lunch plans..
V: i came from having a nice lunch so ..
RM: you wore a nice watch
V: i wore a watch today

hobi: Namjoonie and I are wearing the same outfit again
::94s stand up:: BTS!
::mochi sees 94s.. gets excited and also stands up:: KEEP SWIMMING!

JK: BTS & Nike's collab

hobi, inexplicably: BTS!

RM: ...yea so we had that little back story (aka he's explaining why only V is dressed nicely for this momentous occasion)

hobi: so.. how've you been lately everyone?
RM: oh well cuz we've become YouTubers recently.. so..
hobi: ahh.. i have seen a lot of things coming out recently..
Jin: we all took on a few~
Jm: oh right ..recently..

JK: RUN BTS RUN BTS - our Run BTS teaser
hobi: oh that's right the teaser came out
Jin: right the teaser came out

Jm: oh I've heard it was really funny

V: oh you didn't see it?
Jm VERY QUIETLY: no i saw.. but i'm just sayingg..
hobi: loll
V: guess who they talked about..
Jm: huh?
JK: huh? wait a minute..
V: guess who they talked about...
Jin::laughing::
Jm: ..in the teaser??
V: no.. EPIKASE
Jm: ??? oh EPIKASE? I feel like we're all talking about different things..
Jin to V: we were talking about the Run Jin teaser
V: ahhh~

guys. if YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.. tFFFF are translators supposed to do lmaoooo
so yea~ turns out V was talking about EPIKASE, Jm was talking about Run BTS teaser

RM to Jm: it's cuz he's dressed fancy by himself (joke)
Jm: ..??
V to Jm: cuz I've been watching all the shows our members have been guests on

sugi to Jm: didn't yours come out yet?
JK to Jm: Jimin..the one where we were with ChooSunghoonie hyung
V: I saw it all ..the ear cleaning thing
sugi: oh all of a sudden they did the ear cleaning!
Jm: ohh 'Ajosshi' yes.. you can def look forward to that

*아조씨 (ahjosshi) = a cute pronunciation of 'ahjusshi' / middle-aged man - Choo Sung-hoon refers to himself/his YouTube persona this way
Choo Sung-hoon is a prominent Korean-Japanese mixed martial artist/celeb, has hosted an episode with j-hope during j-hope's tour promo era and is also known for being on the Netflix dramatic physicall challenge show, Physical 100!

Jin: I also saw you dancing on Hot Issue Ji
V: ohh of course i saw that too
Jm: ohhh

(friends, look how cute.)

JK: and i saw the wig fall off!
Jm: "hat."

(in one of the more chaotic things I've ever watched, that episode of Hot Issue Ji features Jimin teaching old ladies to dance in a salon and in so doing, one of the lady's wigs fall off and she says "oh my hat fell off!")

I was actually sincerely concerned about the global audiences' response to this show because it's so ridiculous but the main comedian is actually known for being super witty, great at impressions, and very thoughtful in her work. It just so happens that this sketch-based/part improv-part scripted skit was just so chaotic but it was filled with silly notes that a lot of Koreans would have found very hilarious - not just for the slapstick/loud/silly parts but because of how she spoke and what she said lol

Also re: Choo Sung-hoon's YT featuring BTS Jimin and Jung Kook hanging out with him in what looks like a sauna situation - I haven't watched it yet - and them having a moment to clean out each others' ears, I've seen global audiences' reacting ...in interesting ways. Yes- I've gotten weird/ignorant DMs/comments about it.. no I haven't replied to most of them.

I'll be the first to admit that when I see cultural practices that appear wild or edgy or chaotic or loud or super different - I might be caught off guard. That's natural. I think global surprise is expected... but I'd wished more people responded to it with more curiosity than judgment. I've seen everything from people being genuinely so curious (🤓) to people being disgusted and quite a few reactions in between (😒). So I'll just say this:

In Korean culture, especially a long time ago (now they have all kinds of new devices to do this with like apps on your phone all over the world and even viral clips or even whole accounts, from across the globe, dedicated to like ...ear cleaning..pimple popping..etc.) but with this little ear scoopy stick, with your head in the lap of a trusted (usually parent or partner), this form of ear cleaning is a very vulnerable form of bonding and care. It's not seen as disgusting, it's not done aggressively, it's done with great precision, care, and gentleness. Most often it's done by parents for their little kids during a portion of their childhood.

You don't have to find it beautiful. You don't have to want to do it. But when I see people purport to love Korean culture and then proceed to over hype aspects they pick and choose based on what they find most palatable, it doesn't feel like love - it feels like consumption. Korea doesn't exist for your amusement. Loving something doesn't mean blanket accepting or celebrating every part of it - no. But it means assuming a posture of curiosity and learning at the cost of your time and comfort. Cheers to those always growing and staying curious.

RM to Jm: did you see Jin hyung go through the reserve training?
V: Jin hyung?
hobi: I only saw Jin hyung get buried in the snow..
Jm: in the snow.. hyung.. hyung.. you basically conducted the whole interview while wedged/smashed into the snow..

(mochi was deeply concerned)

V: and then hyung, remember! you got a cold that day!
Jin: yeah, I got a cold that day..

NOOOOOOOOOOOO JINNNNNNNNNNNNNN 😭😫😭 NOOOO

JK: and then what was that.. Yoongi hyung and Namjoonie hyung..having the debate
Jin: oh the second half was really funny when Tablo hyungnim, very sincerely, asked if you went head-to-head with Jimin [in a fight] who'd win?
RM: I was curious to know ..like.. 'are we fighting using all our force or..?'
V: you said if you do a 'neck slice' to Jimin.. you could win