On August 15–16 (local time), BTS held two concerts as part of their BTS WORLD TOUR 'ARIRANG' at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. On these days, the idols drew attention by wearing outfits commemorating South кσяєα’s National Liberation Day, featuring subtle taegeuk and Geongongamri trigram patterns on their shirts, fully expressing their love and deep national pride. After returning to Texas for the first time in eight years, the seven boys from South кσяєα raised their voices to the enthusiastic support of more than 80,000 fans.
The nonstop pαѕѕion of local fans throughout the two-hour concert left the BTS members deeply touched. During the ending ment, j-hope emotionally said: “I got a lot of energy, thanks to you guys! From the bottom of my heart, I love you.” Meanwhile, Jungkook jokingly shared: “Because you guys were hot it was hot inside and out. God ∂αми! yeah! yeah! We will definitely need that. Thank you so much! love you guys!”
Meanwhile, fans felt that the member who was especially moved that night was RM!
During the ending ment, RM thanked Texas for making BTS’ 40th concert since the very beginning of the tour such a memorable night. He raised his voice and said: “TEXAS!!!!!!!… I can see why You are the hottest place out of this whole αмєяι¢α, you are the hottest for sure.” The BTS leader then continued: “You know what today was our exactly the 40th concert since the very start, thank you for making this special night even more special with your love and I could feel your love for sure.”
He then ended with a message that sent the entire stadium into an uproar: “We don’t say I love you, we say ‘사랑해요’ (Saranghaeyo). I love you guys so much, thank you so much.”
RM’s teary eyes throughout the ending ment also left many people emotional, especially when viewed in the context of what had happened to him and j-hope in the days leading up to the Arlington concerts.
Before the concerts, several BTS members, particularly RM and j-hope, faced heavy criticism after attending an Usher concert featuring Chris Brown — an artist with a history of multiple allegations and incidents involving νισℓєи¢є, ѕєχual misconduct, and criminal offenses. On top of the intense backlash, a group of accounts believed to be solo stans or suspected anti-fans posing as ARMYs called for a “black ocean” targeting RM and j-hope. They proposed turning off their lightsticks throughout the two members’ performances, refusing to chant the two rappers’ names during BTS songs, and withholding cheers during their interactions with fans.
However, at the time, the “black ocean” idea quickly met strong opposition from a large number of ARMYs. Many considered it an excessive and cruel act, as it risked bringing back painful memories BTS had experienced in the past when rival fandoms used similar tactics against the group. Rather than protecting their values as the group of fans claimed, many argued that the move was simply a toxic manifestation of an unhealthy parasocial relationship. ARMYs quickly called on concertgoers to “remember to sing LOUD for all 7 members,” while also encouraging fans to block negative accounts and stay united ahead of the two shows.
Fortunately, what happened at AT&T Stadium was the complete opposite of the “black ocean” scenario. Arlington was filled with purple lights, singing, and cheers for all seven members. Meanwhile, RM is known for being highly aware of what fans discuss about the group on social media, so he was likely aware of the controversies and divisions that had unfolded before the two concerts. That may be why witnessing the unwavering sea of love from fans made him even more emotional.
As the video of RM went viral across social media, fans also pαѕѕionately shared their thoughts: "Trust BTS and only BTS. They could never make me hate any BTS members", "Namjoon definitely see all. Y'all are opening a door for haters and antis btw. Suggesting black ocean is the most stupid thing ever", "If you all still attacking namsoek and not this disgusting ριє¢є σf ѕнιт then I'm sorry your priorities are fcked up", "Do you want him to k1ll himself or what ?? why is it him getting all the hate instead of that fcking a*shole of a cb ?", "Nam, they could never make me hate you", "This is where he is reminded that his real fans will always let him be human first",...
