That time I missed the BTS photo opp by ONE DAY so Mr Min Yoongi helped me out 🙂 (all lies).

I know not everyone is in the BTS lane but this turned into WORLD NEWS (??) yesterday, so maybe you’ve heard…and a couple people have messaged me asking if I’m okay, ha ha. Which is lovely and thoughtful, but yes, I’m essentially okay.

So BTS had their annual Festa dinner Monday night (Festa is their annual anniversary dinner they do each year on June 13, the date they first debuted in 2013 – they record it and share it on the internet for Army/fans). They were just enjoying one another’s company, eating, drinking, chatting…and then the vibe got a little weird…and THEN I (and the rest of the free world) realized they were talking about TAKING A BREAK!!!

Now, when I hear “taking a break” my RUH-ROH senses go on high alert. I’ve HEARD “we’re going to take a break,” and what it has REALLY meant is…”we are beginning the long slow painful process of breaking up.” So I got pretty emotional. Cuz come on, it’s BTS!!! Not to be THAT PERSON, but they have LITERALLY changed the course of my life.

2019 Bettye is rolling her eyes SO HARD right now.

The thought of NO BTS filled me with instant sadness and ALL THE EMOTIONS. Fortunately I had a friend on the line, we were watching it together (but apart) so we got to go OH NO! and WAIT, WHAT?! to another human vs the cold dark lonely night, which is not nearly as satisfying. So I had somewhere to GO with the emotions, but still.

They were delightful as usual, and explained they were not disbanding (it’s just a break), they were not going their separate ways (it’s just a break), but they would be doing more things independently and they were letting go of the dorm (and by dorm I mean multi-million dollar apartment complex in the most expensive part of South Korea) and moving to their respective homes (but it’s just a break). But they were going to take some time to a) REST cuz they certainly deserve THAT after going at top speed, nonstop, for 10+ years, b) explore both personal and professional interests and opportunities independently of one another, and c) just take a BREAK from one another! Not that they don’t still love one another and enjoy one another’s company, but can you imagine being MARRIED for 10+ years to SIX people that you also happened to work with?? And they have done it with charm and grace and made it look effortless.

So, certainly there are changes ahead – one member (Jung Hoseok – Hobi) is headlining at Lollapoolaza in Chicago in July, Taehyung is doing an In The Soop (I’ve talked – probably endlessly – about the delight that is BTS’ annual vacation series) series with a group of his friends – other Korean artists and actors who are NOT in BTS. I’m sure there will be a solo album or two…maybe some acting offers…they’re going to be busy NOT being BTS. THEY are not “on a break,” just BTS is. So it’s gonna be okay. It’s alllll gonna be okay.

And really, once I got over my initial OH NO WHAT? NOOOOO!!!! shock and sadness….I was really just proud of them for making what had to be an INCREDIBLY difficult decision – to take a step back at the height of their career, and take some time to rest and heal and grow as individuals. They’ve been together since they were teenagers (13-18) and now some of them are just a few months away from turning 30. And while they have led AMAZING lives…they did not get to learn to just be themselves.

I also think they NEED a break…being at The Top is a LOT of pressure. As Yoongi says…when you’re at the top, the only way to go is down…and you never know if you’re going to have a gentle descent or if you’re going to crash and burn. That’s a lot to have hanging over your head ALL. THE TIME.

Kim Namjoon, whose famous line is “we’re just seven boys from Korea,” said it well at their dinner when he said, “We’re not special or smart. We’re just a bunch of guys who sang and danced like our lives depended on it and somehow ended up speaking at the United Nations and the White House. It’s too much pressure” (I’m quoting roughly cuz I can’t find the exact quote right now but that’s the gist of it). And that IS a lot of pressure!

So, the good news is I still have a LOT of back content to catch up on, and they are not going to be disappearing anytime soon, cuz a) IT’S JUST A BREAK, and b) The Best is Yet to Come 🙂

So yes…I’m a little emotional…and change can be scary…but I’m okay. Thanks for asking.