After two years of quarantine, the magic that occurred at SoFi Stadium on November 27th seemed almost impossible: Tens of thousands of fans from every culture and continent gathered together in Los Angeles to celebrate seven beautiful and talented Korean men from the biggest band in the world, BTS.

Among the crowd at the 2021 “BTS Permission to Dance on Stage Concert” were four equally beautiful and talented CHS students. This was BTS’s first concert since the beginning of the pandemic and the girls (Meghan, Liza, and their unnamed friends who declined to contribute) were prepared to witness the awe-inspiring performance that was about to ensue. They had done extensive research on the band through hundreds of YouTube performance videos and instagram reels, but no online compilations could have prepared them for the indescribable experience of seeing them live. Now let’s describe it.

Meghan: After arriving at SoFi Stadium approximately three hours before the start time, I realized I may have underestimated the expanse and power of the BTS ARMY. After respectfully worming our way through a giant mass of purple-attired fans, we spent the next 15 minutes trekking our way down a mile-long line in an attempt to find a spot in the back. I then spent the next two hours slowly shuffling forward in my stylish black clogs while my friends and I conversed with a group that consisted of: a 29 year-old accountant from Brooklyn, a 29 year-old dental-college lesson planner from Oklahoma, and two other teenage girls who also enjoyed screaming about their favorite K-pop idols (the 29 year-olds enjoyed this pastime as well; they just had other, more memorable, defining characteristics). However, once I arrived at my seat, I immediately understood that the ache in my legs from two hours of standing and shuffling had been more than worth it. OMG! BTS IS HERE IN THIS STADIUM AND I AM ABOUT TO SEE THEM LIVE! They began with one of their best songs, “ON,” and immediately Liza, who was seated next to me, began uncontrollably shaking at every close up of J-Hope. This only made the situation more exciting for me, though, as the shaking and screaming fans were a constant reminder that I was not just watching another performance video on YouTube. As their perfectly curated setlist continued from “ON” to “Fire” to “Dope,” my adrenaline got the best of me and I broke my homemade ARMY lightstick that Liza had gifted me the night before. It was a beautiful thing, made from a water bottle stuffed with light purple tissue paper and a Dollar Tree flashlight. But alas, it was held together with double-sided black duct-tape, and its structural integrity was not up to the challenge of my intense dance moves. But I’m sure that before its demise, Jungkook saw it from the stage and smiled at me, so it died for a good cause. And its loss could not take away from the glory of the concert. I spent the next two hours screaming a mix of English and my gibberish interpretation of Korean lyrics along with my 7 favorite people…and my best friends.

Liza: As I sat in what may be considered the best seat in the stadium (15 rows from the back) awaiting the beginning of the concert, a single tear fell gracefully from my dark and intriguing eyes. Many have gotten lost staring into the romantic abyss behind my gaze, but this time it was I who was lost. Lost in the experience of knowing that there, behind the huge screen, stood BTS in the flesh. The lone tear was joined by two more, all soaking into the material of my three masks (don’t want to get COVID!), as videos of the group started to play in front of me. And then, after what felt like an eternity of anticipation, it began. From my distant vantage point, I could see the members only on the gigantic screen, but it was enough. I heard the music of “ON” begin to play and my hands flew to my mouth as I attempted to accept that this was reality. Luckily, the middle-aged woman to my left screaming, “You’re so cute Yoongi!!!” was very grounding. Throughout the concert, I remained in a paradoxical state of paralysis and constant tremor. Meghan may claim that every time J-Hope was shown on the screen I started shaking uncontrollably. However, I would argue that this was actually more of an artistic expression of my appreciation for their talent. Clearly, I was having the time of my life, but then I heard the beginning of one of my favorite BTS songs: “Dis-ease.” My soul must have left my body. I was no longer having the time of my life. I was having the time of my life, death, and whatever else comes after that. So all that is to say, I think the concert was okay.

As the members slowly receded from view behind a screen at the end of their final song, “Permission to Dance,” the girls became aware that the happiness felt during the concert might never be topped again, not even by the birth of a child. And after exiting the stadium and accepting the reality that they had school the next day, the melancholy girls came to the conclusion that while the world isn’t perfect, BTS definitely is.