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There is not a single person on the face of the planet that has not been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in some way. Some people lost loved ones while others were forced to reschedule life-altering events like weddings and baby showers. For BTS, the impact was clear and heartbreaking for many fans. Their highly-anticipated Map of the Soul tour was postponed and ultimately canceled.
“Unfortunately, due to the ongoing government advisories on mass gatherings, BTS Map Of The Soul Tour has been postponed. Our highest priority remains the safety of our artists and fans as well as the global community," Live Nation stated in April 2020, according to NME.
Fortunately, BTS was able to use the last year and change to develop their music and expand their endless skill set. Most notably, the best-selling group began singing in English more often, a decision that RM was not a huge fan of at first. Over time, RM came to the conclusion that having the group sing in English more often would create additional buzz heading into the new year.
"There was no alternative," RM said.
With that said, it took some time to get used to. Jin told Billboard that singing in English was uncomfortable at first, but he practiced by writing the guide track's pronunciations down in Korean characters.
"The English I learned in class was so different from the English in the song," Jin explained.
"I had to erase everything in my head first."
Strengthening another skillset never hurts anyone. Within the last few years, BTS has made an effort to collaborate with western artists like Nicki Minaj, The Chainsmokers and Lil' Nas X. Not to mention, they recently connected with the Hot Girl herself, Meg Thee Stallion, for the "Butter" remix. With BTS expanding its linguistic skills, it's only a matter of time before they collaborate with every major English-speaking star in the world.