BTS Joins K-pop Fans In The Fight Against Anti-Black Racism

As demonstrations protesting police brutality against the Black community continue around the nation in the wake of the murders of unarmed citizens George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Tony McDade, among multiple others, celebrities have leveraged their platforms to support activists on the ground; several, like Kehlani and Ariana Grande, have taken to the streets to march themselves. And on Thursday (June 4), South Korean pop sensation BTS joined the fray, allocating a rare political statement by means of the Twitter that declared solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.


"We stand against racial discrimination," the started, written first in Hangul, followed by a English language translation. "We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the correct be respected. We are going to stand together."


The statement came as K-pop fans worldwide took to social media to drown out racist messaging proliferated by means of the hashtag #WhiteLivesMatter. ARMY, Blink, and other fandoms banded with each other to flood the feed with vibrant fan art, memes, and short clips from live performances. Fans have since taken over rhetorically similar eats, including #AllLivesMatter, #BlueLivesMatter, and #WhiteLifeMatter, which emerged as an opposing response to fans' collective mobilization.


BTS's statement also arrived amidst Festa 2020, the septet's annual two-week celebration that toasts the group's debut date (June 13, 2013). This year's Festa started June 1, honoring the group's seventh anniversary with the release of a piano rendition of "Euphoria," the initial track to Love Yourself: Answer; a photo collection documenting the members' year; and the release of a brand-new single.


Hours immediately after BTS tweeted their support for the Black Lives Matter movement, they dropped the ethereal, synthy ballad "Still With You," the initial solo release from member Jungkook. Listen below.