BTS FESTA 2022 highlights: Septet performs Proof with special guest Anderson Paak, Jungkook gifts ARMY new song

Jungkook wrote, “When I think of all of you, these feelings that stir inside me are so overwhelming that I have occasionally thought, ‘What if all of this disappears? Or what if this is all a dream?’ So I wrote this song based on those thoughts, and because I worried that the song’s vibe might become too depressing, I tried to fill the lyrics with pretty words. This song is solely for you, and I hope that it becomes a song that can give hope, light, and strength to both me, who wrote the song, and you, who listen to it. I’m always grateful to ARMY, and let’s make lots of even better memories in the future! My ARMY, I love you.” ARMY began to trend #BTSTurns9 and #HappyBirthdayBTS by midnight itself, with many fans recalling the band’s journey to fame.

The band performed Proof with a special ‘guest’

To celebrate the years gone by and their many achievements during it, BTS members invited special guest Anderson Paak to grace the stage with them during a performance. The artiste shared the stage with the boys as they sang and swayed to “Yet to Come.” The Silk Sonic member played the drums while the BTS gang sang the track.

The members also spoke about the difficult time during COVID, and the fact that the shows kept getting cancelled. BTS leader Namjoon said the music group did their best in the trying circumstances and did things ‘spontaneously.’ “We really hung in there,” he added.

Earlier, J-Hope had opened up to the Weverse magazine about the past nine years, and their new anthology album Proof that has their old hits as well as a few new ones. On reliving their old memories in the album he said, “One thing with Proof is it shows how I was working back then, the kind of music and performances I was doing and everything I achieved. Something that makes me say, I can remember those days, means so much to me.”

He also opened up about their first Grammy performance in person that received a rave response from fans, celebrities alike. He recalled how the team had exactly one day to rehearse, as two of them had fallen ill with COVID and Jin had injured his hand. He mentioned the team was on ‘the brink of exhaustion’. “Was disappointed in myself about the performance at the Grammys, to be honest. I wanted to put on a good show so badly that I couldn’t tolerate even the slightest letdown. So afterwards I thought, Oh, I really could have done better—I could have made it look cooler. That was a letdown.”