Meet The Most Dedicated Fanbase In Singapore: BTS ARMY

The setting is a private event with over 60 people in attendance brought together through their shared love of one of the biggest boy groups in the world: BTS.

Their reason for gathering? To celebrate the group’s latest album Arirang, and the group’s first live comeback performance that streamed exclusively on Netflix last Saturday, on March 21, 2026. 

BTS’s journey to international pop stardom is a legend many know well by now. After all, their impact on pop culture is evidenced by their global appeal – having been the first K-Pop act to cement themselves as musical mainstays in the international music market. 

Other than their many awards from Billboard, the American Music Awards, the MTV Video Music Awards, and their five Grammy nominations, another well-known facet of the group’s impact is their massive fandom: their ARMY (a little-known fact: it’s an antonym for “Adorable Representative MC for the Youth”). 

If there’s one thing ARMY is, it’s that it’s present. Prior to the group’s hiatus, plenty of industry experts speculated that it would diminish the group’s influence, with rumours of disbandment swirling (these ran so rampant that member Jungkook personally debunked them over a livestream in 2022) and how the search for the ‘next BTS’ would be afoot. Now that Arirang is officially out, it’s safe to say that neither ARMY’s devotion, nor BTS’s impact on the international music scene have wavered. 

See also: Singapore ARMY’s first impressions of BTS’s long-awaited album, Arirang.

From their list of advocacy campaigns for various social causes, to their fanatical dedication to physically showing up for the group in sold-out stadium concerts and snaking lines at 4am for merchandise, stories of how active ARMY is in their dedication to the group have spread far and wide. After all, this is the same fandom that watched BTS’s youngest member, Jungkook, fall asleep while on a livestream (there were 6 million viewers).

So, who are the people who make up the most dedicated fandom with unrivaled mobilisation, ARMY? Over the past weekend, The Bora Dot allowed F ZINE into their space, to get to know the people who love BTS and keep their active fan community alive in Singapore.

MEET THE SINGAPORE ARMY COMMUNITY

At one of many watchparties held across Singapore, The Bora Dot, a Singapore-based BTS fan community, brought 60 local ARMY together to celebrate BTS’s comeback.

They’re one of several ARMY communities in Singapore. It was founded in 2022 by three fans: 49-year-old Joy, who works in IT, 35-year-old office worker Sabrina, and 42-year-old civil servant Jade (all prefer to go by one name). Their community has around 8,000 followers on Instagram, and around 2,000 members in their Telegram channel. Like most fan communities, they run events, group buys for merchandise, and a BTS calendar where fans can keep track of group appearances, birthdays, and new releases.  

On how The Bora Dot was formed, the story is really very simple: fans looking for people to share the costs of watching a BTS concert online during the COVID-19 pandemic. “All five of us were complete strangers who met on Twitter (now X),” Jade recounts.

Through social media, they found a group of five ARMYs for their meet-up (in accordance with COVID-19 group restrictions, at the time), organised how to split the costs of watching the concert, and whose house they would meet at. It was how Jade met fellow The Bora Dot co-founder, Joy. 

“As COVID-19 restrictions were easing, we started meeting in person, and found that we clicked and have this shared passion to make a change and bring some joy back into life… it (this experience) really makes a difference. I think it’s so nice to see people just sit down and feel good and feel happy for two hours. You forget about your troubles,” Jade shares.

Alleviating loneliness, finding people with common interests, creating joy during difficult times… they’re quintessential concerns that have brought many other communities together, and they’re what continues to bring ARMYs together even after the COVID-19 pandemic has passed.

“My job is very difficult,” says another fellow ARMY who goes by Bel. She’s 48 years old, and is a special needs educator, working with children who have various special education needs. 

“Working with children with special needs and their parents is really very difficult, taxing, and challenging,” she shares, “During those times when I can’t keep up, I need to watch a video of BTS before I sleep so I fall asleep with a smile, and the next day, I’m fine. My co-workers usually tell me, “You’re very strict,” but when I joined ARMY, I was like, “Okay, let’s take it easy, we can do this, let’s be calm.” If BTS can somehow ignore all the negative things from their bashers, then we can do the same thing. As I’ve gotten to know them one by one, that’s what I’ve learned.”

With the alleviation of pandemic restrictions and BTS’s latest album drop, fan activities have come back in full swing with events like this watch party. It’s one thing to connect with other fans through social media, it’s another thing to physically be in a room with people who share your passion, and feel it with all your senses. 

There’s a palpable excitement in the room – something that an online forum can’t replicate. Like Jade illustrated, communities like these are strengthened when its members physically show up, especially when they come together in the name of a shared love.

“When you are in a place like this, it somehow feels like you really know each other,” Bel says, “It’s actually my first time attending an event like this. I came alone, but I don’t feel like I’m alone, because somehow it feels like we’ve known each other for a very long time.”

BTS (BEHIND-THE-SCENES) OF ARMY-LED FAN-EVENTS

Other than supporting BTS and their endeavors, a major aspect of ARMY fanhood is hosting fan events. They’re often centered around important dates and milestones, like birthdays, debut anniversaries and musical comebacks.  

In South Korea, they’re called ‘cup-sleeve events,’ whereby a fan community ‘takes over’ a cafe. Special items like exclusive menu items, fan-made merchandise and freebies, and cup sleeves are offered, in collaboration with a cafe, in commemoration of an event. Hence, named ‘cup-sleeve events.’ 

Sabrina, Joy and Jade usually run similar fan cafe events, with their latest one being a BTS-themed rave at Cineleisure on March 27, 2026. The first assumption most would make is that an event like this would require a lot of funding. The reality is: the costs for events like this private watch party and fan cafes, according to Sabrina, are “quite minimal.”

The economics is quite simple when Jade explains it: the K-Pop scene brings in money. These fan cafes aren’t exclusive to fans, they’re essentially special menus created in addition to the cafe’s existing menu. So any business that comes from the fan event comes as an add-on to its usual customer base. As such, most cafes who are familiar with the local K-Pop scene are more than happy to offer the space up. Sometimes, they even work with a fan community on decor, custom menus, and freebies. Basically: fan communities only pay for freebies or merchandise. 

“We also make fan merch and sell them during fan cafe event, so that we basically use that money to cover the cost of making of them. If we make a profit, then we use that for the next event. So it’s basically from the community, for the community,” Jade explains.

As the saying goes, “It takes a village to raise a child.” If the village was ARMY, and the child was maintaining the local community of ARMY, in order to have a village, one should participate in the village, right?

In a high-cost city like Singapore, the question of funds is a given. More than having the cash, there’s also the planning, the organisation, liaising with the cafe, having to design and produce freebies and decorations, and so much more. When asked about what it really takes to make these community events a reality: “Passion and patience,” Joy jokes.

“I think it’s a combined love for BTS and the community as well,” Sabrina adds, “If there’s no passion for it, I think there would not be any motivation to do it in the first place. I think the shared passion and also just seeing the smiles from everybody and how excited they are really motivates us. It gives us energy.”

Similarly, Melody, a 28-year-old tourism and marketing student at Murdoch University, runs her own small fan community in Singapore, Remember Our Universe. Like The Bora Dot, she also plans fan cafe events in addition to designing her own fan merchandise. Planning starts at least two months before the actual event, and everything is self-funded.

“Because it’s self-funded, I can only afford to cover birthdays. So unless I do collaborations, which I did last year for Jimin’s birthday, I’m unable to do anything else,” she explains.

On the individual level, most funds would go to merchandise and official group activities – obviously. For BTS’s upcoming world tour, the ARMYs we spoke to had no plans on holding back.

“I don’t think happiness has a budget – girl math!” says Gauri, a 35-year-old systems manager, “My personal goal is to see them at more than one show in Singapore. I want to be as close to the stage as possible.”

On her ballpark number: “I don’t know yet. If you quantify it, then you get scared of it. So I don’t think about it.” For a student like Melody, she’s saving up around $3,000 for her combined expenses (a concert ticket, merchandise etc). 

ON COMMUNITY BUILDING AND FAN CULTURE

Of course, having a community is about more than just hanging out with others, it’s also about having a space to recieve emotional support. For 30-year-old fan, Ferby, this space provided her comfort as she grieved the loss of her late boyfriend, and finding joy again.

“I’ve been a fan since 2019. At that time, my boyfriend died,” Ferby shares, “So it’s true – BTS finds you when you’re the most down and depressed. Their songs really helped me go through it all – life goes on (referencing BTS’s 2020 song, Life Goes On), and now I’m with my husband. He’s a Jungkook bias, and we go to events together.”

There is intense scrutiny that comes with the territory of being a ‘fangirl.’ The stereotype of the young, immature, and vapid ‘stan’ who obsesses over their idols. For this specific group made of female professionals between 27 and 58 years old, its a stereotype that they’re more than aware of. 

“People look at me and they say, “Oh, you’re old, why are you such a fangirl?” I’m like – can I swear? – eff that!” Alia says, “Just be yourself. Enjoy what you want to enjoy. And anybody who wants to piss on that, it’s sad for them, actually. Why rain on someone else’s parade when it brings them so much joy?”

That said, they’re also acutely aware of how quickly fandom culture can spiral out of control. There are plenty of stories about obsessive fans who stalk their favourite celebrities, and even attack them. Even the smallest of missteps like singing slightly off-key, not smiling enough or, God forbid, getting caught dating, would subject a celebrity to intense criticism from their fans.

Alia’s advice? Stay grounded in reality, and be sure to make time to experience life beyond online fan culture: “What exists on the internet is just an echo chamber. Actually, it doesn’t really exist in real life, but it can be magnified if you place too much importance on it. So you have to kind of balance it. Yes, be passionate, be chronically online, whatever, get all your information. But also, there’s a world outside – go touch grass.”

There’s also a gendered edge to the vitriol towards the ‘fangirl’ that they’re very aware, and push back against. Jade expresses it best: “If guys can support and scream for their football teams and wear football jerseys and buy merchandise, why is it any different that girls can feel the same way, and feel strongly about a group that they support? Because those things are wholesome. It is just music, it’s appreciating music. BTS has done so much for charity, for art, for social causes around the world, and have such amazing lyricism. It’s not just that they’re pretty boys, which they are, but it’s not just that People don’t see that it’s not just K-pop, it’s not just seven boys who make music, it’s so much more than that. So to have people who understand this, walk with you, and speak the same language – I think that means a lot to us.”

Throughout the evening, ARMYs at The Bora Dot event continuously attributed their drive to maintain their ‘village’ to their love for BTS, or their commitment to their small but mighty ARMY community in Singapore. To them, BTS represents tenacity, rising above circumstances, and being true to yourself. And the broader ARMY fanbase, it means community and a support system.

“You’re not alone,” is their message to their broader fan community. It’s also the heart of this community that they’ve built together. It may have started with BTS and enjoying their music, but this group of predominantly female working professionals have carved out a space (with their own efforts, talents, and funds) that is wholly theirs — where they can laugh, cry, and indulge in small joys.

Jade drops her last few words of wisdom: “It’s even more important in 2026 that we think beyond boundaries, and not limit ourselves, because the world’s a very hateful place.”