BTS’s Sincere and Intimate Virtual Concert ‘Bang Bang Con The Live’ Broke a Viewing Record
The members of BTS are known for being able to make packed stadium shows feel intimate, and they did the same with their virtual concert “Bang Bang Con The Live.” On June 14, 756,600 concurrent viewers tuned into the band’s virtual show, setting a record for the biggest global audience to attend a paid virtual concert. Despite the distance of screens, the BTS members’ sincerity still translated as if fans were present in the room.
BTS’s Map of the Soul Tour was postponed
The Korean band’s world tour was set to begin in Seoul on April 11, April 12, April 18, and April 19. However, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Big Hit Entertainment canceled the first four shows of the Map of the Soul Tour.
In March 2020, Big Hit Entertainment announced that the North American leg of BTS’s Map of the Soul Tour was postponed due to the coronavirus. On April 28, the company postponed the remainder of BTS’s tour, indefinitely postponing the remaining tour stops in Europe and Asia.
RELATED: BTS: Big Hit Entertainment Will Reschedule the Map of the Soul Tour Due to Coronavirus
To give fans across the world the opportunity to view a live BTS concert after the Map of the Soul Tour was postponed, BTS put on “Bang Bang Con The Live.” The concert came just one day after BTS celebrated their seven-year anniversary as part of 2020 BTS FESTA, an annual two-week event where BTS commemorates their debut with ARMY.
BTS broke a viewing record with ‘Bang Bang Con The Live’
To view the concert, fans purchased a virtual ticket on Weverse, a mobile app and web platform created by Big Hit Entertainment. There were two types of tickets available, one for fans with the Global Official Fanclub ARMY Membership and one for fans without the membership.
According to a press release from Big Hit Entertainment, an additional 10,000 fans joined the fanclub before “Bang Bang Con The Live.” The virtual concert reached 756,600 concurrent viewers across 107 regions, becoming the biggest global audience for a paid virtual concert.
While it was not the same as a live stadium show, “Bang Bang Con The Live” still proved to be worth it to ARMY. The first four songs performed in the virtual concert, “DOPE,” “Boyz with Fun,” “Like,” and “Just One Day,” took fans back to BTS’s earlier discography.
Those who tuned into the concert saw BTS perform their sub-unit songs from Map of the Soul: 7, “Jamais Vu,” “Respect,” and “Friends,” as well as shortened versions of “UGH!” and “00:00.” The members of BTS chaotically rapping and dancing to “UGH!” proved to be a highlight of the virtual show.
BTS also provided a sneak peek to their Map of the Soul Tour with a performance of “Black Swan” and a new remix of “Boy With Luv” that featured new choreography with umbrellas. The BTS members then performed “Go Go” and “Anpanman,” and they closed the concert with an encore of “Spring Day.”
BTS showed their sincerity as they provided hope for fans
Even with the larger-than-life special effects and the grand scale needed to make the virtual concert possible, “Bang Bang Con The Live” felt like an intimate gathering between BTS and ARMY. In between songs, the members sat together on couches and exchanged friendship bracelets. At the end of the show, they embraced in a group hug before running around the stage to make a group hug big enough to include ARMY.
Virtual concerts like “Bang Bang Con The Live” are bittersweet. While fans are able to see their favorite artists perform and interact with other fans online, fans are also reminded that for the foreseeable future, in-person concerts are not a possibility.
However, the members of BTS recognized that, adding to genuineness of the event. In their ending ments, each member delivered a brief yet heartfelt message to ARMY. They acknowledged that while things are hard right now, “Bang Bang Con The Live” was a way to hopefully bring ARMY joy until they can see BTS again in person.
Perhaps nothing displayed BTS’s sincerity behind this message more than the final song they chose to perform, “Spring Day.” Released in 2017, the timeless song is a favorite of BTS fans, as it deals with themes of loss and moving on. With the song, BTS promised fans that the pandemic keeping them apart will not last forever, and while the future is uncertain, better times are ahead.
