For the past four years, BTS has been something international fans watched from a distance, as the members completed their mandatory military service in South Korea. In the meantime, they pursued solo projects and toured globally as individuals, while the group itself lived on through archived livestreams and social media posts.
On Monday night in New York City, they were back on stage as seven.
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By late afternoon, fans had already lined up along the downtown Seaport, bundled in layers and rain ponchos, waiting for BTS to take the stage at Pier 17. The group’s return to the U.S. wasn’t a surprise. It was a moment fans had been tracking, anticipating, and counting down to. Still, the energy felt surreal once it was actually happening.
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