'J-Hope saved me': Mexican fans show love for BTS' member's only concert in Latin America

By Aura Resendiz

MEXICO CITY — It took seven years for a BTS member to visit Mexico again. From the moment the concert was announced, the excitement and euphoria were everywhere, even for the fans without tickets.

For ARMY (BTS’ official fandom) in Mexico, J-Hope’s concert in Mexico City meant more than just reconnecting with their beloved artist. It was a crucial test for BTS and its company, urging them to recognize Latin America and Mexico’s significance in their future global tours.

Ever since their debut in 2013, the band has visited Mexico three times but only one was as a stop on their world tour, “BTS Live Trilogy Episode II: The Red Bullet” in 2015. The other two were for music festivals — “Music Bank in Mexico” in 2014 and KCON in 2017.

The expectations for Mexican ARMY were high, as it was the only country in Latin America included in the “HOPE ON THE STAGE” tour, which spanned just 15 cities worldwide.

The efforts to show Mexican support were not limited to the concert’s time frame. They started days and months earlier to show that, from the other side of the world, fans are willing to give their soul to make their favorite Korean artist feel “at home.”

Showing support in diverse ways

J-Hope performed at the Palacio de los Deportes, one of the largest venues in Mexico City, on Saturday and Sunday.

Mexican fans had one weekend to show how much they love J-Hope in various ways. Outfits taking inspiration from the rapper’s musical phases were among the most popular. The most common selection was the clown-inspired “Jack in the Box.” Others chose J-Hope’s first solo project “Hope World.”

Andrea Itzayana Cantú, 31, was one of them. She traveled from Monterrey, in northern Mexico, to see him for the first time in concert. Her uncle painted the cover of “Hope World” on her denim jacket and gave it to her two days before her trip.

“(J-Hope) has saved me. He is the person that helped me through difficult and tough circumstances in my life,” she said. “Even from far away, I wanted to know that he is real.”

Others expressed their support by traveling hundreds of miles to see J-Hope for two and a half hours. Rosario, a 25-year-old BTS fan from Aguascalientes, met fellow ARMY Mariana, 23, from Monterrey, while in line, filled with joy seeing the BTS member live for the first time.

“I’m going to fulfill a dream that, unfortunately, not everyone can, but being here is a great achievement for me,” Mariana said.

A married couple — María, 38, who loves J-Hope, and her husband Jorge, 40, who likes Jungkook — traveled from Yucatán, in the southern tip of Mexico. Jorge accompanied her with a sign that read in Spanish, "I’m the ARMY husband."

“I love him (J-Hope), his songs, the way he dances, the way he composes and how passionate he is,” she said. “There’s no option for divorce, so he (my husband) came with me,” María said, jokingly.

J-Hope's visit coincided with the blooming season of Mexico's jacaranda trees, their purple spring blossoms matching BTS' signature color, as though the country itself was welcoming the artist.

Regardless of their methods of expression, thousands gathered hours before to share freebies, meet each other, buy merchandise and calm their nerves for the day they had been longing for.

Many fans were holding signs seeking tickets as the demand outstripped availability to accommodate the J-Hope fan community in Mexico.

According to Spotify, Mexico ranks as the second-largest country listening to J-Hope worldwide, reflecting the country’s importance as a major market for K-pop.

Mexico had the largest number of “hallyu” (Korean wave) community members in the Americas as of 2023, with 27.78 million, according to the “2023 Analysis of Global Hallyu Status” yearbook by the Korea Foundation.

Love with no limits

Fan communities in Mexico organized all kinds of heartfelt initiatives to welcome J-Hope. BTS Charts MX fan club engaged mariachi bands to hold their own concert outside. The traditional Mexican musical group performed songs like "On The Street," "Dynamite" and "Airplane pt.2" in the Mexican style.

While others promoted fan projects during the concert, placed ads on the streets and shared banners for both days.

“There’s a lot of pressure on how ARMY is going to behave today, how the fandom is going to act (and) how they’ve behaved regarding J-Hope’s visit,” said Evelyn, 28, in charge of the Bangkanda Forever project.

The fan club is one of over 40 that make up the ARMY México Union. Together, they promoted a project focused on encouraging the fandom to give “space and respect to J-Hope” during his visit.

“(BTS) should know that the fandom here is very big. It’s grown so much that the love for them is huge and I think even incomparable, not just in Mexico but also in Latin America, and they should realize that here, love has no limits,” said Edith Balderas, 26, one of the people behind the fan club ARMY Café Latam.

Iris Vega, 29, a member of ARMY México, emphasized that there’s a “lack of trust in the Latin market” and encouraged K-pop companies to have more faith in the fans in Latin America.

“Trust more in those who demonstrate their support for BTS,” she said. “There are fans who show up without tickets just to give away gifts and interact with others.”

From Mexico to Korea

Thousands of fans came prepared and determined to give all the love and passion they had accumulated for years, especially during a set list made up of songs with lyrics in Spanish, songs they couldn’t sing in any other city like Mexico, such as “Chicken Noodle Soup (feat. Becky G)” and with a mention of Mexico City in “Airplane Pt. 2.”

The fans' determination to make their presence felt was not in vain. Their enthusiasm traveled from Mexico all the way to Korea and directly touched J-Hope himself. During his closing remarks on the first night, the visibly surprised singer acknowledged their passion, saying, “It's really no joke. You made tonight special. Honestly, during the concert I thought, ‘Wow, this is Mexico. This is why we have to come.’”

Aura Resendiz works for Kmagazine, a Mexican media outlet specializing in Korean and Asian culture, with over nine years of experience covering the hallyu scene in Latin America and Spanish-speaking countries. This article is translated into English and published as part of a collaboration between The Korea Times and Kmagazine.