BTS: THE HOMECOMING

Members of popular South Korean boy group BTS are set to reunite as a septet this month — three years after a hiatus — sending fans across the world into a flurry of excitement

- DIYA MARIA GEORGE, MAHIMA NAGARAJU

WITH multiple chart-topping hits like 'Butter', 'Dynamite', 'Boy with Luv', and 'On' under their belts, sold-out tours around the world, and paving the way for the K-Culture wave that shows no signs of waning, South Korean boy group BTS was at the top of their game when they announced their hiatus to serve in the South Korean military.

Three years down the line, the group's fans or 'ARMYs', are excited to see their idols returning to the band and the world of music. After years of waiting, ARMY in the city is reflecting on how the band shaped their lives and how they imagine the next chapter will unfold.

The sense of time passing, of growing older with the band, is a recurring theme for many ARMYs. For Devipriya Suresh, a journalist, BTS became a part of her everyday life back in 2016-17. "I used to use my father's phone to watch their songs," she recalls. "When he vowed to go to Sabarimala, I'd wake up early, finish housework with my mother while my father and brother went for their ritual bathing. Then I'd record the BTS videos on my small phone as I couldn't download anything, just record and rewatch, without anyone noticing."