WEEK 74 | You’ll Never Walk (or Bangtan) Alone.
June 9-15, 2025
Vision.
529 days—we made it!
We’re still deep in FESTA. At the time of this blog’s publication, six of the seven members of BTS have come home and we are celebrating the group’s 12th Debut Anniversary with them. To say it’s mind-boggling is an understatement.
We made it to 529 days.
That’s wild. The original 529 days of content we promised at the beginning are coming to an “official” close. A community member asked, “So are you going to change the project’s name now?” To which we laughed. “No! Too much work.” Which is true. We’ve built a brand around the name ARMY Project 529, one that we’re immensely proud of.
But that’s not the whole reason why we don’t plan to change our name. The 529 days had a very specific meaning originally—it was a goal, a milestone. But just because we’ve reached that goalpost, it doesn’t mean we can’t move it further down the field and go for it again. (Um, I’m terrible with sportsball metaphors, but I think that works on some level, right?) The “529” can represent something new. Maybe it’s a new time frame, or maybe it’s a number of livestreams, or maybe it’s just arbitrary and doesn’t have to mean anything at all, because the spirit of what we’ve created is bigger than any number or any name we could give ourselves.
The Seven at the HOTS Final Show
Last week we reflected on ARMY Project 529 from its start until now. We talked about lessons learned and what it all has meant to us. Feelings are hard, yo. So hard that we decided to do it again this week… TA DA! (jazz hands)
But this time we’re looking forward. We suspected fairly early on in the project that we would want to continue on past FESTA 2025 and the members of BTS returning from the military, but that was cemented for sure after we had our first “Ma City” Meetup in Kansas City last fall (Sept. 2024).
The joy we got to share in that weekend with a hundred or so people who came out to love on BTS with us and each other showed us that there is truly a need for the kind of community AP529 had become. And it was even further cemented when we saw how eager our 529liners were to connect with each other during movies and concerts too. After that, we felt a renewed drive and a responsibility to continue maintaining and growing a space where ARMYs who had been in search of of kindred spirits never had to Bangtan alone ever again.
So this week we are looking to the future. What do we want to do, where do we want to take the project next? How do we feel about all of it? We’ve gathered some more questions based on BTS songs, but this time they’re aimed at making us think ahead. While we’re not going into specifics yet, we wanted to share with you all how ARMY Project 529 plans to begin its own Chapter Two… and that’s TOGETHER.
Skip to Content: 00:00 (Zero O’Clock) | Tomorrow | Best of Me | Yet to Come | No More Dream
00:00 (Zero O'Clock):
What "new song" is our project ready to write? What fresh narratives and impacts can we create?
Stefne: Continuing to grow the community and making sure that ARMYs feel seen, accepted and a part of something, will always be my focus. In a way, I’m sort of the Pied Piper. I want to go out and find people who need other ARMY like them, and bring them into the fold so they feel less alone and can enjoy the fandom to the fullest.
Patricia: Quince and Doc did a fantastic job in putting together the ENTIRE history of BTS in blog form. But the BTS universe is unending. There are so many rabbit holes to fall into and explore. Some ARMYs like myself love all those corners of Bangtan lore and I would love to explore them further. I also want to support as much as possible the welcoming vibe and the “stick to the facts” narrative we have built around our project. As long as you love our 7, we will always welcome ARMYs with open arms, regardless of where they come from, who they are, or how long they have been in the fandom. We put a lot of love and intention into this project and I believe we will keep this philosophy alive. We will also be loyal to facts, and avoid the rumor mill in order to guide and support ARMYs in their journey with BTS. Navigating the insane amount of information out there is hard and we’ll be here ready to hold ARMYs’ hands.
Kansas City 2024
Christina: Well as it just so happens—Stefne came up with this idea knowing that the project would “end” right as BTS returns to give us all new content! So there’s a built-in newness we get to witness that will inspire us. So whatever direction they go, we will be ready to support & dream with them while still maintaining our special 529 brand.
Quince: Oh man… do I have ideas. Ideas upon ideas upon ideas. Now I just need to find the time… (looks under the bed for any that might be hiding there) Honestly, I don’t think we need to write a NEW song, really. We’ve always been about “content and community” and I think that our new song should just be a remix (if you will) of that old chestnut. BTS has so much out there, and I barely got to scratch the surface while writing the blog these past 529 days. And if there’s anything I learned from BTS’ Chapter Two, it’s that there’s always going to be MORE coming! I know that we’re all interested in doing more deep dives into the details of the content, and having more amazing conversations with all of you about it. What form that will take… we’re still working that out, but we aren’t ever going to shut up about how much we love Bangtan Sonyeondan. And we’ll continue to build this community so that none of you ever have to shut up about it either, lol!
Freebies from Hope On The Stage in Chicago
Doc: I believe that we will continue doing what we have been doing for the last 18-months… fostering a safe community in which we host fun gatherings to scream about Bangtan TOGETHER, help people find fellow ARMY near them, and continue to chronicle the history of BTS—but now in real time. Our blog will continue on a rolling basis, as new content is released and reaches the end of its promotion period. At the time of this blog being released, we already know that we have a future that involves three singles and the HOPE ON THE STAGE tour for j-hope, Jin’s album ECHO and his #RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUR tour, FESTA 2025 and BTS’ 12th Anniversary, along with the return of the remaining members from their military service. There is NO WAY that this will be the end of our journey together, both as ARMY with BTS, and as AP529 with the529line. I believe in US!!!!
Katie: As a Project, I don’t know yet. I think what’s coming in the immediate future is more of a reprise than a new song. We planned far ahead not realizing BTS would keep us BUSY until they came back, so part of me wants to see what’s coming from OT7. If only BigHit would share the calendar with us!
For myself, I’m always determining the success of a day by how much I get done. I’d like to chase dopamine a little more, even when it doesn’t have tangible results. This is and will be a lifelong challenge for me, but I think BTS can give me a lot of inspiration here. They always make time for fun and learning new skills!
TOMORROW:
What potential challenges do we anticipate in this next chapter, and how can we prepare to face them with the same resilience BTS champions?
Doc catching zzzzz’s on the famous unicorn float!
Stefne: With growth comes additional financial and time responsibilities. As a team, we initially covered the project's needs, then we moved on to asking for some help from our followers. I’m not sure how to scale that if there is growth (just me being honest and sort of thinking out loud)… but we’ll figure it out.
Patricia: Keeping up with the guys and not getting overwhelmed with the tsunami of content that is going to come our way? That’s probably going to be a big challenge. When they were out in the military, they still managed to have us drowned in content. At some points it was HARD to keep up. There is also all the online “noise” which is only going to get louder once they’re all back. But I do trust the strength we built over these months is going to be key in keeping us afloat. As Namjoon said—ARMYs and BTS always find a way, and I am sure we will find our own path—if possible, with some flowers thrown in.
Christina: We will see some new challenges, I’m sure of it. Preparing for them (in my opinion) will involve remembering how we solved past issues, dissecting and pulling out the best practices, and then making sure we follow through. This sounds so corporate when I read it back. This is kind of a job application answer, wow! WHY SO SERIOUS?
Quince: Time has and likely will always be our biggest challenge. Real world responsibilites (and Weverse’s shipping costs) keep us all tied to jobs, but if we could get paid for doing this Bangtan shit full-time for y’all, you can bet we would. Other than that, I’m sure we’ll face more instances of negativity and hate in the future—toward BTS and toward ourselves. Kim Namjoon’s internet is both a wonderful and terrible place. But as long as we remain true to our core values and intentions for the project, we’ll weather anything that comes our way.
Doc: The biggest challenge I foresee in our future is that our dreams will outweigh our budget and our free-time! We are six women who love Bangtan to our very depths. We are also six women who have dedicated over 95% of our free-time to this project for the last 18-months. We have literally given our blood, sweat, and tears (plus our wallets) to this community and these seven men. I think that we will face these potential challenges the way we have faced every obstacle presented to us since we started the project—we will launch and then adjust. We will tell the529line the goal, and they will help us achieve the impossible together. Because in this space we never Bangtan alone, and that includes making the impossible possible.
AP529ers in Kansas City 2024
Katie: BTS will be under pressure from different directions, and it will be ARMY’s challenge to support them with enthusiasm. We must avoid giving oxygen to baseless negativity from inside or outside the fandom. Bangtan will also attract many new fans—which is a good thing! As a Project we’ll need to welcome baby ARMY, offering resources on BTS history, credible sources of information, and how to be a respectful fan. It’s a marathon—it can be tiring to have the same discussions over and over again, and we don’t want to sound jaded—we ARE actually having fun!
I don’t have any magical solutions for persevering. I’m a generally determined person (Quince once described me as “like a terrier with a bone”), so between that, good music, and great friends, I can get through most things. Maybe some occasional primal screaming.
BEST OF ME:
How can the project itself become a larger, more impactful "sea" that amplifies the individual "waves" of contribution from our team and community?
Stefne: That’s my question as well. Lol
I’ve never been a planner. I have an idea, I try it, and then move on to the next if it doesn’t work. And if the concept works, I simply follow where the energy leads me. All that to say though, I didn’t have a team around me before, so decision making and implementation was different, and plans weren’t necessary. With AP529, growth means we can’t just follow the wind—we have to plan accordingly and adjust the sails a bit as we go. That is FAR outside the box for me. I suppose I have a bit of ADHD in that way.
Each ARMY Bomb is a light that makes up the purple ocean!
Patricia: Growing a dream requires a mix of intention and luck. Even so, there’s always a certain level of unpredictability. I think we tried at some point to be more structured but we sometimes didn’t have the time or the resources to follow through. I think that by remaining authentic and sticking to the principles on which we founded the project, we are on solid ground to move forward. And there’s been a certain beauty in the sudden moments when, without knowing quite why, we had some growth spurts. I truly believe that by continuing to “do ourselves” we will grow. We are so proud of this community and how a lot of you have become our AP529 messengers, welcoming and bringing others into our little corner of the world. We also appreciate how you keep our spaces friendly—a place where BTS info can be trusted. Those are the little flames we try to fan, and that’s the source of our strength and our impact.
Christina: Damn it I read Patricia’s answer accidentally before I typed mine and hers is really good. *ahem* Ok, so “larger and more impactful” could mean reaching more ARMY that would benefit from our community. As we spend more time together, we fall more in sync with our certain “brand” of ARMY–ARMY who always respect and trust BTS, who help & support each other whenever possible, and search for avenues to connect with others who feel lost or left behind. In that way, we grow “the right way”, as Patricia mentioned. Authentically and intentionally.
Leslie, The Two T(h)eresas, and Doc!
Quince: When we first began venturing out onto social media as AP529 and mingling in ARMY spaces, we heard a lot of “It’s exhausting dealing with and answering questions from new ARMYs” from many different corners. And we also personally saw the results of that attitude put into practice in negative ways. Fairly quickly we realized that we didn’t want our space, or the community we hoped to build, to foster that kind of environment. And so as we began to grow, we noticed that, quite by accident, we seemed to be attracting a lot of new ARMY in need of a place of understanding, friendship, safety, and education. We realized there was a need, so we leaned into it, welcoming them in and creating resources to answer their questions. Is it exhausting? Sometimes. But it’s also worth it. BTS opens the Magic Shop door for anyone who needs them, so we do the same. And we’re always going to encourage those who walk through to reach their hands out and bring more people with them.
Doc: I think that the real way we will become more “impactful” is by not actually trying to be impactful. In a world of fake personas, our authenticity to both ourselves and to Bangtan will hold the greatest impact. We started this project believing that if only a handful of people joined our journey we would have fun and create a tiny little micro-community along the way. In no dream ever dreamt did we believe that literally thousands of ARMY would join us. We never imagined that little groups of ARMY-besties would spring up across the entire globe to find connection and friendship nearby. I believe that continuing to stay true to our initial dreams of creating a safe space of connection and community will remain our biggest possible impact—regardless of how much we grow in the future.
Katie: I think it’s already happening. We get comments on social media from ARMY who have met members of the AP529 community and they’re so impressed with your joyful and inclusive vibe. Bringing that energy to ARMY events and spaces is how we make the fandom even better than it already is. You guys are the best ambassadors AP529 (and BTS) could ask for!
YET TO COME:
As we reflect on our accomplishments, how does that affect our future? What does "the best" for this project truly look like in the chapters to come?
Stefne: That’s a great question. I think I’d love to find a way to take the community and build it in real life as well as the online community we have. So, creating pockets of AP529 groups around the world that get together regularly. We’ve done this a bit already with concerts and theater releases, but I think it would be fun to have something consistent… and I have ideas.
Going Live SOPE-style during a spa session in Kansas City!
Patricia: We have done so much in 529 days! We have learned, grown, and figured out a lot of stuff about ourselves! We also figured out how to keep up with the onslaught of content BTS released while they were gone, even though we previously thought we were going to be playing in a barren field during that time. And every time we came across a hurdle or a moment when we thought we might break, we always found a way through it. In fact, those were the growing pains that made us get even better. Having the guys back will probably change things a bit and thankfully we will see MORE of them, but every single thing we have learned in this year and a half will help us bring the best of ourselves—individually and as a team—to our future.
Christina: With a team, you have to play around and experience challenges to find out how you work best. We have been lucky to experience all sorts of things! For our future, we need to continue to push forward with our strengths and ask for help when we need it. But most importantly, we will listen to what our community wants and make sure we are growing in tandem.
Quince: I think our “best” lies in continuing to trust our gut feelings, and in always communicating effectively with each other. We don’t always agree on the details, but we DO always agree on our intentions. And we shape everything we do around them, which I think is what people recognize and appreciate about our community when they become a part of it. We try to do right by BTS, and by each other, and at the end of the day that’s what it is all about. As BTS continues to grow, so will we. They’ve promised their best is yet to come, and we always follow their example, so that means our best is on the way as well…
When you don’t have the real members of BTS, you make do with cardboard.
Doc: This project has truly been trial-by-fire from the beginning. Weverse magazine once ironically called the time of BTS’ enlistment one of “relative silence”, and that’s what we truly expected to experience while they were gone. Instead, we received an avalanche of content from one member after another. This turned our time of “relative silence” (during which we promised to journey through old content), into a time in which we had to juggle both the old AND the new. So many times we felt overwhelmed, and like a circus act walking a tightrope while juggling the project vs. new content. But in every situation, we managed to pull through. As Stefne has said a few times, we became pros at figuring out how to “launch and adjust”. I feel like we developed this skill over the last year, and it will bring us a future not-yet seen, but better than we could ever imagine. As we face the unknown at the end of the original 529 days, I am extremely excited to see the best that is yet to come for our community.
Katie: I think our greatest accomplishment was building a community where people felt safe, supported, loved, and excited to be themselves. Yes, we got more followers and wrote an amazing history of BTS and lots of other things, but ultimately the people are at the heart of it. So, for me, our best looks like maintaining the spirit of this community in everything we do. Hopefully we’ll find more like-minded ARMY along the way.
NO MORE DREAM:
If we had no limits or fears, what would we dream of building next with this project?
Stefne: Although doing the KC Meetups are single-handedly the most stressful things I’ve ever done due to the required up-front financial risk, I’d want to do more of them all over the country/world, especially during the reunion concerts.
Most of the Admin Team are great in Discord. I don’t do as well with “chatting” online—I’m more of a video or in-person type. Finding ways to connect, in addition to our online space, is my dream.
Katie with two of her very good friends!
Patricia: “If you want to make God laugh, make a plan”. To be honest, as a born improviser, planning is not my strength, and dreams for me are a bit more like whatever random, crazy idea I thought of in the last five seconds which might only be valid for the next week or two. But I do hope we can continue to support this ARMY community and help people find ARMY friends. It warms my heart to see local groups sprout up all around—how ARMY finds each other and how they Bangtan together. I hope in this next chapter, as BTS reunites, we find opportunities to also do things together—both in person or online. And with all the content that’s going to drop and a possible incoming tour… we’ll have plenty to do, I am sure.
Christina: I think about how much fun it is to see everyone in person, and how awesome it is to hang with ARMY friends. If I could create a business model around the Admin team traveling to cities all over the globe and chatting with ARMY I would do it in a heartbeat! The BTS tour is definitely in the center of my mind, though–I would love to keep that as the dream focus for our next steps.
Quince: The biggest and wildest dream which we’ve uttered (with a laugh) on different occasions would be having the resources to travel around and meet with different ARMYs in our community around the globe. We’ve seen how much of a demand there is out there for everyone, no matter their age, their gender, ethnicity, or nationality, to feel seen and understood in their love for BTS. And we regret that we can’t meet everyone who has reached out and joined us face to face. Hopefully one day! In the meantime, I just dream about having the time to build the project into a “one-stop shop” for all ARMYs looking to understand BTS and the fandom surrounding them on a deeper level, and then make friends to enjoy all of it with!
Pajama Party while watching Yet To Come: BUSAN
Doc: This is both a challenging and exciting question, and the short answer is: I don’t honestly care what the future looks like, as long as we stay together. Cheesy, I know, and maybe a little sappy, but what can I say? Talking about AP529 makes me a little sappy.This not-so-little community that we built together has been one of my greatest joys, and also one of my biggest challenges. The annual Ma City Meetups have been one of my favorite things, followed closely by the mini-gathering at j-hope’s concert in Chicago. A true dream would be to gather with the AP529line in multiple cities across the world, whether during BTS concerts, or just because we manage to make something work. I just cannot see a future without my fellow Admins, the Moderators, our Volunteers, and our community members, and want us to stay together forever.
Katie: When we started this project, we committed to 529 days of blogs, live broadcasts, and more. Making sure all of those things happened sometimes came at the cost of other great ideas. What I’m dreaming about is the freedom to explore more types of content, even if something turns out to be a dud. We also want to make our existing content, especially the blog and recorded live broadcasts, more accessible to people who joined AP529 later on. I wouldn’t say this was “our ‘real’ dream”, though. We definitely accomplished what we set out to do (and more!), so this is just an expansion of the original dream.
Bangtan Bubble: What do you want to see most from AP529 in the future?
Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!
SIDE QUEST SQUIRREL:
SO WHAT: How can we maintain the project's initial spark and "wild" creativity as it matures and evolves?
Stefne: We are so much like BTS before Chapter Two. I think we’ve given 529 days to work on a group project for the blog and newsletter, as well as the weekly live sessions. Each person on the team has their own personality, point of view, and interests, and I think this second chapter will be an opportunity to explore those more in combination with group activities.
I’ve learned so much from BTS’ time together and apart. And, like them, I think you come to a place of realizing that you can have both a voice as a group and an individual voice, and be successful with both.
Doc: We dedicated our hearts, souls, minds, and free time to create this community where you never have to Bangtan alone over the last 18 months—in a world where all the naysayers tried to convince us that our seven men would “never get back together”. We stayed true to BTS due to our belief in them, in their words, and in ourselves as ARMY and AP529. I believe that that faith, tenacity, and grit of determination is the true underlying “spark” behind the success of this project so far. I also believe that we remain the same six women in our willingness to work hard to achieve our goals. Once we latch on to a concept and dream moving forward, we WILL NOT quit until we achieve that goal, as we have done for the last 18 months. We love BTS, and we love this community. We will not go anywhere anytime soon. That love and determination is the real spark that we will carry with us into the unknown future of AP529.
LIFE GOES ON: How can our project embody this message of hope and forward momentum, inspiring our audience to also persevere through their own challenges?
Patricia: Life is only interesting because it changes. And with change comes opportunities to grow and adapt. We could approach this new chapter in fear—as the initial goal that brought us together is about to end. We’ll need to adapt to a new reality. But I guess we are so full of joy with our seven’s return…. that the only way is UP! If there’s one thing I love about what we’ve built, it’s our spirit. Regardless of what is happening around us, that spirit is the common thread that has guided us and kept the project alive. We base it completely on the constant question of “what would Bangtan do?”, and this is something that I hope we will keep alive far into the future. I have seen glimpses of that spirit in our community too, so I trust it will keep inspiring us and moving us forward.
Quince: Authenticity is so important to us. When you see the six of us Admin during our livestreams or in any of our watch parties, you’re getting who we truly are as people. There’s no gloss or polish (there might be a TikTok filter though). While we don’t share every single bit of our lives with everyone, what we do share is always real and heartfelt. And that’s what we encourage from our community as well. BTS, and Namjoon in particular, has taught me that there is no shame in showing the process of life, even if it’s messy. Sometimes the mess, the hardships… sometimes those are the most beautiful moments. When we share them, when we tell others “It’s okay to struggle and be open about it”, that creates hope and motivation for the future.
OUTRO: WINGS: What lessons have we learned about trusting in our gut and how will we apply that to the next chapter of AP529?
Christina: Well, to put it bluntly, we learned not to rely on outside influences that didn’t “feel” right. How did we know when something/someone didn’t feel right? We would get together and hash it over until we came to a consensus. And I would say 99% of the time, these six women from very different backgrounds and lives would somehow arrive at the same conclusion together, which is pretty amazing. So we have a good system in place to trust each other. For the next chapter, we need to keep that same energy. I don’t personally care about being right—I care that we do the right thing by the project AND that my team members all feel they have been individually heard before a decision is made. The “rule” is if even one of us feels strongly against a course of action, we talk until we figure it out.
Katie: If you’ve been around long enough, you’ve heard us talk about the concept of “our chicken”. As in, let’s focus on making our ‘brand’ of chicken and finding people who like it. When we started out, we researched social media marketing and content creation. There were lots of recommendations on how to get views or followers, but many didn’t align with our goals. In our gut, they didn’t feel like “our chicken”, and we didn’t believe they’d help us find our people. So, we made our own path, gathering new friends one by one. It was absolutely the right choice. Our team meetings have been filled with discussions about “our chicken”, and I think continuing to ask that question as we move into the next chapter will keep us on the best path.
“ON: Kinetic Manifesto” Official M/V
Final Thoughts
You know what they say about the best laid plans…
We’ve done a lot of waxing poetic about the future of the project and our community here, and we have lots of ideas we’d love to see to fruition, but the truth is that there are no grand plans set in stone for us thus far. We are at our best (much to the chagrin of Katie’s spreadsheets) when we roll into something with nothing but enthusiasm, a half-baked idea, and a whole lot of humor.
Just as BTS isn’t quite certain exactly what the future holds for them right now as they all are returning from the military, we here at AP529 aren’t certain either. What BTS has done though is remind us that no matter what it is they do, they’ll work hard for ARMY, and they’ll do it together.
And, as I said in the Intro, that’s exactly what we plan to do as well.
Now, let’s return to FESTA! We’re so close to having Yoongi back and BTS whole once more. Come back next week and we’ll talk about all the exciting and emotional details from this year’s celebration of not only BTS’ Debut anniversary, but also of their reunion!
CREDITS:
ARMY Project 529 Volunteers
Research Team: Angel (TikTok: Lilangel2828), Leslie Day (TikTok: Leslie Day), Merry (TikTok: merryj67), Sam T (TikTok: samt_26), Shelley (TikTok: shels167), Trudy (TikTok: theeducationmommy), Viv (TikTok: VivEliz); Video Team: Leslie Day (TikTok: Leslie Day), Namz (TikTok: Namz07)
Join us LIVE every Sunday evening at 8pm ET for #the529live, a wrap up of each week's “Monday Muster”, thoughtful discussions, and tons of laughter! And catch us on TikTok each Wednesday night at 9pm ET for #the529tea, when we talk Bangtan news and dish about any TEA that might be happening on Kim Namjoon’s internet.
Sunday’s LIVE is hosted on ARMY Project 529’s YouTube channel: @ARMYProject529 while Wednesday’s LIVE is on our project TikTok: @ARMYProject529.
