RIYADH: In their bid to conquer the world and unite it with music, BTS performed at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh on Friday.
Their fans had been preparing for the concert ever since they heard the news. Twelve-year-old Ahmed Baleegh came to the concert with his older sister who introduced him to the band.
“It was exciting, there was constant suspense, especially when they performed Fake Love.”
He got into them when their track Fire was released.
“It was my first time attending a K-pop concert and I knew it was going to be the best since it was BTS.”
He continued; “I think shows like this will enable more K-Pop bands to come to Saudi Arabia in the future.”
Army, the name given to the fandom by the band, flew to Riyadh from all over the Kingdom to attend the concert.
On Twitter, fans showed how they took the time to prepare banners, stickers and more, often specific to each member of the band.
The band is known for their phenomenal music, setting new standards in the K-Pop music industry through their constant hard work. The band’s members remain humble and loving to their fans.
BTS debuted on the Big Hit Entertainment label in 2013; their songs were mostly based on the problems of society and following your dreams. Debuting with the song “No More Dream,” the band has been steadily climbing the ladder of success.
BTS has seven members, three rappers and four vocalists. Its rapper line is made up of Kim Namjoon, known as Rap Monster, Min Yoongi (Suga), and Jung Hosoek (J-Hope).
The vocalists are Park Jimin, Jeon Jungkook, Kim Seokjin (Jin) and Kim Taehyung (V).
The concert was held at King Fahd stadium, where fans came equipped with their BTS light sticks, fan merchandise and BTS-themed clothes and makeup to have the time of their lives.
The buzz in the air determined how exciting the night would be.
Fans meeting each other for the first time did not seem like strangers.
They helped each other out, donating light sticks and merchandise to those who couldn’t afford it. The whole stadium felt like a gathering of friends.
With fans filing into the stadium and connecting their light sticks to the central control, BTS finally appeared on the stage in what looked like a sea of lights.
It was a grand entrance and the fans showed their enthusiasm by screaming the entire first number, “Dionysus.”
The song kick-started an emotional journey for the fans, who laughed, cried, screamed, and sang along with the boys they have seen on tiny screens for years.
After performing their first song with their trademark tight choreography, the seven boys introduced themselves.
Their leader Kim Namjoon conducted their signature greeting “2,3 Bang Tan, hello we are BTS.”
Each of the members introduced themselves and spoke Arabic lines that they had practiced beforehand especially for the fans in Saudi Arabia.
Then they performed songs such as “Boy with Luv,” “Mic Drop” and “Dope.” They also performed as subunits and solos.
Their youngest member, Jeon Jungkook, performed “Euphoria,” Kim Taehyung performed his captivating song “Singularity,” and Jung Hoseok performed his “Just Dance.”
They even interacted with the fans while performing, asking their crowd to sing along and help complete the lines.
BTS bade farewell to their fans, who clearly wanted more, and promised to come back to Saudi Arabia.
The fans left the stadium with twinkling eyes, discussing their favorite parts of the concert, and saying how they would remember this day for the rest of their lives.
