I began work on the follow-up to Discovering BTS: an unexpected journey and am sharing the preface finished minutes ago, and also the preliminary front cover. Although the book is in its initial stages, I’m hoping for a release date sometime in late spring or summer of 2023.
the skeleton key that opens all doors” Pharrell
Stone interview (with him and RM), I knew it would be the perfect opening for
the preface. The simple yet revealing sentence speaks volumes regarding the
magic that music holds on humans through the millennia. It was
never my intent to create a follow-up to An Unexpected Journey. However, after
months of discussion with ARMY via social media, many expressed their
disappointment at not being able to share their stories for the first book. The
initial project was so enjoyable that any hesitation to publish another one
quickly vanished into thin air. Therefore, I’m pleased to be able to share
these treasures with you and hope that they will touch your heart as much as
they’ve endeared mine. While each journey varies, a common thread pervades the
book – BTS found us when we needed them the most.
In the interim, my love has grown not only
for the individual members, but for the musical diversity they’ve shared in the
space of the last year. Much has occurred since the first book was published – The
lease expired for their dormitory, and for the first time, they no longer have a
communal homestead. They graced the stage (Yet to Come) in Busan, South Korea
in October 2022, then announced the following day that they’d be fulfilling their
mandatory service requirements over the next two and a half years. Thus, no
more concerts until their discharge from the South Korean military. They’ve
each taken steps beyond the band and are actively pursuing their individual careers
and interests, while still producing BTS content such as Run BTS episodes. To
date, two new albums were released: RM’s Wildflower and j-hope’s Jack in the
Box. While others gifted their fans with collaborations: Jin’s Astronaut with
Coldplay, Jimin’s Vibe with Taeyang, j-hope’s rush Hour with Crush, and Jungkook’s
performance of Dreamer’s featuring Fahad Al Kubaisa during the FIFA World Cup. Then
there was V’s cover of A White Christmas. Of course, we await Suga’s album debut
and other unreleased content between now and the end of 2024. Finally, the
biggest announcement was Jin’s enlistment into the 5th Infantry
Division in December 2022, and the teary-eyed farewell with his bandmates.
While many opine that interest will wain while
they serve, we as true believers in their music, feel that our attachment will
only grow. As any music aficionado knows, great tunes and musicians never die,
and after reading the shared stories within this book, I’m sure you’ll agree
that BTS is a key that’s unlocked many doors worldwide.
