[SPEAKER_00]: Consequence Podcast Network
[SPEAKER_01]: Bora, hey, iconic army.
[SPEAKER_01]: Bora, hey, happy new year.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's the year of BTS.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, we're so excited.
[SPEAKER_01]: Guys, we had to rerecord this intro because when we initially recorded, BTS had not yet teased their comeback date or their tour announcement.
[SPEAKER_01]: So once we got those things, we're like, you know what, we gotta go in and rerecord.
[SPEAKER_01]: this intro because we have to talk about what they gave us recently about the upcoming album, the upcoming tour.
[SPEAKER_01]: So the very first thing that they did is for the gold membership armies, they ended up getting like an email and like a package which included an image with the date 32026 at the bottom.
[SPEAKER_01]: So they are like these three red circles all in a line.
[SPEAKER_01]: The first circle has a white dot in the middle.
[SPEAKER_01]: The second circle has like two horizontal parallel lines.
[SPEAKER_01]: And then the last circle has like a sideways H. Like if you've flipped an H onto its side.
[SPEAKER_01]: And then at the very bottom it says March 20th, 2026.
[SPEAKER_01]: Huge guys.
[SPEAKER_00]: I got like literally when I first saw this it was like 11pm and I've been on winter break So I've been staying up so late like 2 a.m.
[SPEAKER_00]: I knew you'd be asleep already Bethany But I was just like freaking the fuck out I probably sent you 15 messages about this and like I saw it on Twitter
[SPEAKER_00]: And I just was so happy because I felt like this is why being an army is all about Immediately Twitter was a flame with what this meant obviously everyone is like this is the album date This is when it's gonna be released, but let's
[SPEAKER_00]: decode these symbols and talk about what they mean and it was so fun to see everybody's take on what they could symbolize what they could represent and like people are still theorizing right now you know I've seen so many different theories since that first night but this was obviously huge anticipated news about when the album was going to come out and just very very exciting so
[SPEAKER_00]: cannot wait to see what it all means immediately for me with like first of all you did an amazing job describing those symbols like it's hard to describe like graphic art like that.
[SPEAKER_01]: I've looked at them a lot so much.
[SPEAKER_01]: I know them like the back of my hand.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, immediately for me, with like no context, I was thinking, I wonder if these symbols are similar to any hongol, like any Korean text at all.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so I'm not, listen, I'm not a big proponent of using AI, but I would, I'm too dumb to figure this out on my own.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I did go to chat with BC.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I was like, hey, do these, you know, I insert the image, I said, do these symbols look like any Korean text any Korean words or letters or phrases and it was pretty much like on their own no, but if you put them all together, they could mean something and also, you know, let me know if you want me to analyze it in any way I said, let's think about this in the scope of BTS.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so for this one, they said the left symbol could be a Korean symbol in which could represent origin or zero or beginning.
[SPEAKER_00]: So thinking like back to zero, rebirth, reset, which I really love for BTS because I feel like we get this idea with wings, with map of the soul, with proof, like this is really like giving that and at the same time we know this is a new beginning for them.
[SPEAKER_00]: Then the middle symbol is a vowel that's tied to balance and flatness and continuation.
[SPEAKER_00]: Visually, it's two parallel lines.
[SPEAKER_00]: It could read like a bridge or a timeline, and so this could maybe connect as like a journey or time passing or connection between eras.
[SPEAKER_00]: which I thought was really cool and then the right symbol is commonly associated with the Anamonapia bang and it's like part of that word.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it also like it's I feel like immediate like a bond on you know but the line in the middle connecting them is like the reunion of them as a group while also representing like their duality of the past and the future BTS
[SPEAKER_00]: I was like, okay, like, I'm not one for using chat to be tea for anything, but I loved this take on it and thinking that like these three symbols could be like, they're beginning their journey and bandan representing like, you know, throughout all of our journey, like we're reconnected, we're reuniting as BTS.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I think that would be a really cool representation of
[SPEAKER_01]: This album or what these symbols come in and I'm really interested to see like what else or what this really does become when the album comes out Yeah, it does kind of look like a timeline to me like when you said that the very first one, which is that just circular dot in the middle being somewhat representative of like their origins
[SPEAKER_01]: That really made me see this as a timeline.
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, that was BTS's start.
[SPEAKER_01]: The middle is like these two parallel lines, which I mean, it definitely looks like it's moving in this direction, like it's moving left to right.
[SPEAKER_01]: And so you could even think of these two lines as like chapter two even, like they were on separate paths, but then they come back together and the third one and like we're in this third part of their journey.
[SPEAKER_01]: I also feel like the age that last one looks a little bit like a ladder to me like it you see those two lines connected But it almost seems like they're they're going they're continuing on and going up but like together with this rod Connecting them.
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know.
[SPEAKER_01]: There's just so much you can interpret with them
[SPEAKER_01]: It even gave me a little bit of like the scaffolding that we see like Tae Young climb or a lot of what you were getting with just like looking how it can potentially be related to the Korean language that it just comes off like wings design the symbols very much wings like and then the red and the white you and I both immediately thought of or you late too and no
[SPEAKER_00]: They're like extreme roots, you know, like I think or you like to era is such an era of them like Standing up to the man and like for justice and you know for youth at the same time and so to have those colors They have not used like this red and white since then so for that
[SPEAKER_00]: to come out now, I think is very important.
[SPEAKER_00]: Something else that I saw recently online is if you take the symbols and you rotate them 90 degrees to the left where the age-looking symbol is on top, vertically it almost looks like it spells the word hello, just without the E, which I like, remember that weverse live with all of them on the beach and Jen kept saying hello.
[SPEAKER_00]: Hello, like so obnoxiously that when you and I talked about it, we were like this has to be a teaser like either the album is called Hello or a hit track is called hello like that'd be really fitting after all of this time for them to just simply say hello So I still really like
[SPEAKER_00]: the idea too.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I love the idea of the album being titled Hello or a hit track being Hello.
[SPEAKER_00]: I just feel like someone's coming back.
[SPEAKER_00]: iconic as fuck, too.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like what an album name is simple.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, yeah, it's on its own.
[SPEAKER_00]: But this is oh.
[SPEAKER_00]: I just love being army so much.
[SPEAKER_00]: I love, like, just seeing everybody's thoughts and theories about what these could mean and even trying to, like, pick apart the album theme just from this one small image.
[SPEAKER_00]: I thought it was so cool.
[SPEAKER_00]: Right.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm just now noticing, too, like, those parallel lines, they, the edges of them are kind of, like, slanted.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, they kind of are nice.
[SPEAKER_01]: And it reminds me too.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it reminds me of like the army sign too.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like the BTS army sign.
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh my gosh, she was holy red of all this.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think this is so cool, yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: There's so much to unpack, we love it.
[SPEAKER_01]: The symbolism, it's fantastic.
[SPEAKER_01]: We're already obsessed, so.
[SPEAKER_01]: Very excited to hear more about what the album entails.
[SPEAKER_01]: So a couple days later, we got an official release from Hype on Weevers with an announcement
[SPEAKER_01]: saying, notice BTS the fifth album release and world tour announcement.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I'm just going to read it here for you guys.
[SPEAKER_01]: It said, hello, this is Big Hit Music.
[SPEAKER_01]: We are excited to share some details about the release of BTS' fifth album and the start of their world tour.
[SPEAKER_01]: The new album holds special significance as it marks the first album released by the group in three years and nine months.
[SPEAKER_01]: While also indicating the direction the group will take going forward.
[SPEAKER_01]: The members were deeply involved in the creation of the songs and feasing their own thoughts and colors into them while musically expressing the emotions and struggles they have experienced along their journey.
[SPEAKER_01]: Featuring 14 tracks, the album is packed with honest stories that BTS wanted to share with army who have been waiting for their PM comeback as a whole group.
[SPEAKER_01]: filled with the music that's most true to BTS, the album is their heartfelt way of saying, thank you to army who have been there this whole time.
[SPEAKER_01]: We are also pleased to announce that following the release of the BTS 5th album, BTS will be going on a world tour.
[SPEAKER_01]: The tour schedule will be announced separately on January 14th at 12 a.m. We ask for your continued love and support
[SPEAKER_01]: for BTS as they embark on a fresh start through these new promotional activities.
[SPEAKER_01]: Lastly, we would like to sincerely thank all the army who have waited patiently for so long.
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, so much to unpack here, but guys, we're getting an album with 14 tracks.
[SPEAKER_00]: That is a cool great album.
[SPEAKER_00]: Hell yes.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know that hype was like how many tracks do you want to do?
[SPEAKER_00]: Can we break it up into two albums and BTS were like no?
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's funny because later on in this episode you guys will hear that we'll theorize and we'll talk about what they're going to do with the album, but to know for sure that it's like just 14 solid tracks of full length, future length album is so exciting.
[SPEAKER_01]: Also that their tour schedule is going to be announced on January 14th, guys.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's literally next Wednesday.
[SPEAKER_01]: That is next week.
[SPEAKER_01]: And we were looking back at Jay Hoops tour and with kind of like how that looked with the release dates and everything.
[SPEAKER_01]: And that also happened like January 13th or something is when they announced the tour and then like January 22nd It was like that next Wednesday.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that following Wednesday is when Army Preset will happen So we're thinking that you had January 14th will be the announcement
[SPEAKER_01]: And then we're predicting like January 21st.
[SPEAKER_01]: This is a prediction, this isn't for sure.
[SPEAKER_01]: Predict that may be around the 21st is when tickets are going to go on sale for the army pre-sale.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: So get your army membership.
[SPEAKER_00]: Get your army membership, US membership if you plan to buy a ticket.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you buy a global membership.
[SPEAKER_00]: you're going to run into problems and I see people online giving in bad advice about that do not buy a global membership if you live in the U.S. and you don't need about it.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: So yeah, guys, there's also a pre-order opening up for the album from 11am Friday, January 16th.
[SPEAKER_01]: And then the release date for the album is Friday, March 20th at 1 p.m. Cree and Standard Time.
[SPEAKER_00]: So you think that'll be midnight, or time?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, midnight or
[SPEAKER_01]: So excited.
[SPEAKER_01]: There's also an official website called 2026bts.com with an official countdown and what looks like what will become a clickable button for like both the album and the tour right now they're kind of like great out but it looks like they're going to be like a hyperlink at some point there but right now it's great out.
[SPEAKER_01]: So be sure to get your army membership, check out the website, keep listening to this show and podcast.
[SPEAKER_01]: So just get all of the updates, tips and tricks on ticketing and all of that good stuff.
[SPEAKER_01]: But really this episode, guys, is all about just predicting what 2026 holds for BTS and just a reflection of BTS's year of 2025 and what we can look forward to.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's the year of BTS.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's welcome to the year of BTS.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, we're here.
[SPEAKER_00]: We made it on our 2025 and BTS is 2025 and look ahead to this year, this amazing year.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, we have ahead of us.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm so excited for you guys to hear it.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then of course, we'll come back with another episode.
[SPEAKER_00]: Later on about any more details that we have about this album and this tour as soon as possible.
[SPEAKER_01]: Welcome back, where you're hosts, I'm Kayla.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I'm Bethany, and this is Staining BTS.
[SPEAKER_01]: Your favorite informative Fianne Girl podcast.
[SPEAKER_01]: Today, we're going to hang out for about an hour, and we are going to be reflecting on 2025 for BTS, for the podcast, and for our personal lives, and then we're going to look ahead into 2026, and what we can anticipate from BTS, what we can anticipate for the podcast.
[SPEAKER_01]: And of course, our own personal goals.
[SPEAKER_01]: We do this every year, and these episodes,
[SPEAKER_01]: We kind of reflect back on them too as the year goes on, so we're excited for this episode.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: I always love doing episodes like this and really excited to have that reflection time and hold space for what we've done and where we're going in both us and BTS.
[SPEAKER_00]: But before we get into today's episode, we just want to say thank you iconic so much for being here and for all of your support listening and sticking by our side throughout all of 2025 means so much to us.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, really.
[SPEAKER_00]: cherish like the ability to talk to you guys and have this discourse about this group that we all love so much.
[SPEAKER_00]: So thank you so much for being here and for all of your support over the course of this year.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you'd like to support us even further, you can check out our Patreon at patreon.com slash standing BTS.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, of course.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you guys for being here for all of your support and of course by listening.
[SPEAKER_00]: So let's do a little bit of reflection of 2025.
[SPEAKER_00]: And first let's talk about what BTS did.
[SPEAKER_00]: Gearing up in 2026 is like Bethany said the year of BTS, but 2025 is the year where they came back.
[SPEAKER_00]: And they did so much this year, first of all, this year was HMH's 10 year anniversary, which is major, it's major.
[SPEAKER_00]: BTS wrote into their contracts that they're currently on that they're had to be some sort of celebration and acknowledgement for that 10 years of acroate age since it was such a huge album for them and their development as a group and their growth in the music industry.
[SPEAKER_00]: So we're still anticipating something like that next year maybe coming from them but it was just huge that it was
[SPEAKER_00]: songs from those albums?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, yeah, I cannot believe that they're 10 years old.
[SPEAKER_00]: That seems crazy to me.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and I love that for the podcast we did a review of all of the HWA H albums.
[SPEAKER_01]: It was so perfect and it was a great way to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of HWA H.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I agree.
[SPEAKER_00]: Something else that happened this year was Gin starred on Kian's bizarre B&B on Netflix, The Reality Show, where Gin and Kian and another host, I forget her name right now, but they do.
[SPEAKER_00]: They, but she was so great, so I apologize for that.
[SPEAKER_00]: But they all hosted Airbnb guests in their crazy bizarre B&B that's on, you know, on a barge floating in the sea, just a hilarious heartwarming and incredible reality show.
[SPEAKER_00]: We both really loved it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Coming up next in the year we had Jen and Jay Hope hosting Fest that was so fun and so cute We were really curious about how they were gonna do Fest of this year knowing that two members would be back for it What they would do and they did such a great job hosting and also like making that special time with Army and to celebrate BTS
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it was wonderful getting both of them hosting it because their dynamic was really funny and humorous and it was just nice seeing two BTS members who were back from the military being so engaged with army.
[SPEAKER_01]: It was everything we could have hoped for, so it was nice to have that for Festa.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then right there at the same time, the rest of BTS were discharged from military service.
[SPEAKER_00]: So we got to see their return, get the first like weverse lives from them being back.
[SPEAKER_00]: get the first OT7 live after all of them were back and that was a treat that just felt like oh my gosh they're actually home they're here you know we can't start anticipating what's going to come next.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: In terms of music for BTS in 2025, Jay Hope, this was a huge year for him when he released three singles.
[SPEAKER_01]: He released sweet dreams, Mona Lisa and Killing It Girl.
[SPEAKER_01]: And then, Jen also released an album.
[SPEAKER_01]: He released Echo, which was so unexpected getting a second album from Jen.
[SPEAKER_01]: It was really wonderful and then for these two, they both got to tour with their new music and so Jay Hope had his tour Jen had his tour as well.
[SPEAKER_01]: He got to see Jay Hope in concert.
[SPEAKER_01]: Jen, we watched virtually online together Which was wonderful.
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, we wish we could have been there in concert But it was still a lot of fun doing it together like it God, I remember how early it was in the morning when that happened
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah, but BTS also released their first ever live album permission to dance on stage live and this album was so unique and special like when you put it into the lens of like this was their first time ever putting on a live album.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's kind of hard to believe, but it really is.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I remember Kayla when you and I went to go listen to it, we both were just in awe of just hearing the live vocals.
[SPEAKER_01]: It was like we were transported back to the permission to dance on stage concert in LA.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like it just was like crazy how those live vocals really put you there with BTS.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I remember us both really missing BTS when this album, this live album came out.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I absolutely love this live album.
[SPEAKER_00]: I didn't expect to love it as much as I did.
[SPEAKER_00]: But for the first few weeks after it came out, I was blasting it because, yeah, like you said, it made me feel like I was back there in person, in concert.
[SPEAKER_00]: But also it was like this beautiful showcase of all of their greatest hits, you know, in a concert set list, it took us through.
[SPEAKER_00]: H-O-A-H, and wings, and love yourself, you know, like just incredible and map of the soul just such great music all compiled onto one album that was live, like the live vocals really, and like the live stage mixes and everything.
[SPEAKER_00]: So good.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was like rocking out to that in my car so much.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was too.
[SPEAKER_00]: Another musical thing that BTS did was RM did a song with Tableau stop the rain, which we got to talk about on the podcast because it was a song that really covered a lot of difficult conversation and topics very vulnerable and raw from both of them in their verses and what they talked about.
[SPEAKER_00]: And just a really special song for them to really
[SPEAKER_01]: It was a great collaboration and like the like you were saying like just the lyrical meeting of this song it was.
[SPEAKER_01]: It was just nice to have with these two.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, something else the RM did was he was named the global ambassador for Samsung art TV and began working on his own art exhibition set to open in San Francisco next year.
[SPEAKER_00]: So always doing very cool artsy museum adjacent things and getting more into the art
[SPEAKER_00]: sphere.
[SPEAKER_00]: Around the same time, BTS did an album camp in L.A. where they were all there.
[SPEAKER_00]: Actually, while Jin was finishing up his tour, they were touring with Jin and then they all, you know, hunker down in L.A. to really decide on everything, having to do with the album, the direction, how, you know, the visuals, the lyrics of production and they just worked on that altogether, getting to handpick any producers or other lyricists that they want to
[SPEAKER_00]: This was also on the time where we got the already iconic beach O-T-7 live where they were, I mean, they were giving major H-O-H vibes, walking on the beach and like already teasing, spoiling things here and there that we could only speculate on like, oh, is that a teaser?
[SPEAKER_00]: Is that a spoiler?
[SPEAKER_00]: They were all so charming.
[SPEAKER_01]: All of their personal charms were just really highlighted and that a T-Set beach live.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, what a cool concept of them working on the album in LA hunkering down at this like album camp.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like I just love the concept of that and you know, we know now that the album is completely done.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I cannot wait to hear more about just like the shenanigans that kind of went on during this time.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like I think they all really, it wasn't even just about the album.
[SPEAKER_01]: It seems like they really bonded during this time.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: And from what we have heard from RM, they loved this time.
[SPEAKER_00]: They really enjoyed this time of remembering what it is to work together on a project and work towards that goal together and what each of them bring to the table.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it felt like they had a lot of appreciation for their team.
[SPEAKER_00]: um I can't wait to get like behind the scenes clips as this album rolls out yeah um I can't wait for RM's album review where he tells us little tidbits about like what was happening or who brought what to the table for each song because I think that's that will definitely come with this album so I think so too.
[SPEAKER_00]: I can't wait.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, me neither.
[SPEAKER_00]: Another thing that BTS did was BTS fashion week.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, of course, this wasn't just one week.
[SPEAKER_00]: This was, you know, spread over a few months in the summer and in the fall.
[SPEAKER_00]: But we got to see most of the BTS members stepping out looking sexy and just incredible.
[SPEAKER_00]: And drawing every single eye in the city that they were in for their various fashion shows.
[SPEAKER_00]: It was incredible.
[SPEAKER_01]: It was iconic.
[SPEAKER_01]: It goes down in BTS history for sure.
[SPEAKER_01]: There was something about 2025 BTS Fashion Week.
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: The BTS Happy Mill was also released with the Tiny Towns and everyone trying to find all 14 different, the two different versions, all 14 members, Kayla succeeded in that.
[SPEAKER_01]: I did.
[SPEAKER_01]: I now have succeeded because of you with some trading.
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, but that was just a lot of fun for all of our music to get involved in that again, having the BTS happy mail.
[SPEAKER_01]: Are you sure with Jungkook and Jim and premiered this fall of the second series or the second, I don't know, whatever season.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm sure I really need to watch it.
[SPEAKER_01]: I saw not watched it.
[SPEAKER_01]: I need to watch it.
[SPEAKER_01]: But I've heard amazing things about it.
[SPEAKER_01]: Obviously these two are so close and you just could see all of their shenanigans together.
[SPEAKER_01]: John Gug also had his documentary film.
[SPEAKER_01]: I am still premiering theaters worldwide, which was so cool.
[SPEAKER_01]: And that John Gug got to have that moment too with this documentary film.
[SPEAKER_01]: Recently, we found out that RM got his driver's license.
[SPEAKER_01]: He, this has been like an ongoing joke.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like inside joke with RM and RM, like just him having not had his driver's license.
[SPEAKER_01]: He's just had other things to do, way, many other things to do.
[SPEAKER_01]: And honestly, why not have someone drive you around all the time?
[SPEAKER_01]: That sounds nice.
[SPEAKER_01]: But he really worked on it.
[SPEAKER_01]: He studied and now he's got his driver's license.
[SPEAKER_00]: We're going to go RM.
[SPEAKER_00]: Also earlier this year, Sugar helped open Seoul Severance Hospital's Minjungi Center, which is an autism-focused wing that offers music-based therapy.
[SPEAKER_00]: So while the other members were busy walking, fashion shows, sitting, you know, front row of fashion shows.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is what Yungi was up to, and this is incredible work that was highly praised by the doctors that he worked hand in hand with to develop.
[SPEAKER_00]: this program and to have this wing of the hospital.
[SPEAKER_00]: So really wonderful thing that he's at this year.
[SPEAKER_01]: So incredible.
[SPEAKER_01]: So so incredible.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yungi also recently went solo live and debuted his newly adopted black cat named Tang.
[SPEAKER_01]: And Tang apparently stems from the Korean word for sugar, which is salty.
[SPEAKER_01]: I could be pronouncing that wrong.
[SPEAKER_01]: but I love that the cat is essentially named after sugar and like sugar, you know, like so cute.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's so perfect.
[SPEAKER_01]: Apparently Yungi is allergic to cats.
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if that's necessarily true, but he adopted Tang from his friend's stray litter, which is so sweet that, you know, he adopted a stray.
[SPEAKER_00]: And he has a black cat, like it's going to be any more perfect, like he has the concept of Jungi having a black cat, like this is literally not just any cat, but a black cat, very him, like literally saw the black, he like he pat his booties, like he cut his booties.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's just so adorable.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's perfect, anyways.
[SPEAKER_01]: Very eventful year for BTS, but dare I say it will not be as eventful as 2020-6, 2020-6, I think, is going to be jam packed.
[SPEAKER_00]: Much more, yes ma'am.
[SPEAKER_00]: The podcast we had some changes this year, since I moved, we had to relearn how to be long distance again when
[SPEAKER_00]: Bethany and I first started the podcast in 2018.
[SPEAKER_00]: We did long distance, audio recording, and FaceTime in while recording, but it has been a few years since we've done that.
[SPEAKER_00]: So we just kind of had to like relearn and it was I think it was a little bit of an adjustment the first couple weeks where we I think we really missed sitting in the same room as each other and having that you know that more physical personal face-to-face connection.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's the same with research.
[SPEAKER_01]: We're always together.
[SPEAKER_01]: We're talking years of in-person research.
[SPEAKER_01]: I was just thinking about that the other day, going over to your place almost every Sunday morning.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's not crazy.
[SPEAKER_00]: And now we do Sunday evening face times.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's so really nice because then we get to catch up about our weeks or things that we didn't text about throughout the week.
[SPEAKER_00]: just like our lives in general.
[SPEAKER_00]: But it just looks a little bit different.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that was just something we had to adjust to.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I feel like we're used to it now at this point.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think we acclimated to it.
[SPEAKER_01]: It was maybe a bit of a transition there.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I'm like you were saying a little hiccups with some like audio and some new technology.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well we have new computers.
[SPEAKER_00]: literally so we had a few episodes that came out late this past fall just because of audio hiccups like I was recording on my old ass Mac book that I got when I like graduated college and that girl she did not have any space on her like she just decided she was not gonna export an entire audio file anymore even if I was exporting to like an external hard drive and at the same time Bethany you were
[SPEAKER_01]: from Maccomputer from 2013?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so ours were about the same and just they were both getting so old and so slow.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I transitioned to recording on my PC that my boyfriend built for me and recording in Audacity.
[SPEAKER_00]: And Bethany, for her birthday, got herself a new, well, I guess Corey got you, a new MacBook.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, Macbook.
[SPEAKER_01]: Macbook air.
[SPEAKER_00]: Very nice.
[SPEAKER_01]: So we're bullied.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm a really screen girl now, it's time we got my dog, got my garage room, it's all about one.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it's so nice.
[SPEAKER_00]: So since then, since getting through that old tech, we've kind of, I think we're feeling better about the tech we have now.
[SPEAKER_01]: We had in the 2010s we're officially into the 2020s halfway through the 2020s, so 2016 is done.
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh yeah, but it's it's been needed.
[SPEAKER_01]: And so honestly, I think that the change in our system led to, like, all right, let's get with it with the technology here, right, totally, really updark game.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think all of the audio hiccups is all resolved at this point.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I think one of the biggest things that happened with the podcast this year too was we finished the ship series.
[SPEAKER_01]: This is a series that we've had.
[SPEAKER_01]: going on since we created this show and we have officially talked about every BTS ship, which is wild and so we talked about how in 2026 we're for sure going to finish up like with like a recap of the entire series and that would be a lot of fun.
[SPEAKER_01]: It deserves that.
[SPEAKER_01]: Something else too with the podcast.
[SPEAKER_01]: One of the episodes that we hold really near and dear to our hearts that we had been wanting to cover for a really long time was covering like the business.
[SPEAKER_01]: aspect or the business side of Hive.
[SPEAKER_01]: And we were able to do a Hive episode with really beloved friends and listeners of the show, Cows and Sam.
[SPEAKER_01]: It was such a highlight episode of this year.
[SPEAKER_01]: They did such a fantastic job in that episode.
[SPEAKER_01]: If you have not listened to that Hive episode, go back and listen to it because it's really worth the while.
[SPEAKER_01]: They bring in so much insight into the business side of Hive and what goes on outside of just like the
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so yeah, I really appreciate it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I really love it.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know me too, and I feel like it gives you such a a more unbiased look into high because you know you have like high-bstands and you have high-baiters like the extreme of both sides and I really love the levity that they brought to that conversation and you know teaching us things about the business side that we had never learned before.
[SPEAKER_00]: So really really I agree with you definitely a highlight of the year there
[SPEAKER_00]: The rest of the year, after BTS got out of the military, we're kind of in limbo here, the second half of the year.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's how I feel with the podcast.
[SPEAKER_00]: It was, we were like, oh, they're back.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, maybe we'll get something from them.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then, of course, like, we're not getting musical content.
[SPEAKER_00]: We thought we might get maybe some other content.
[SPEAKER_00]: We could talk about or whatever.
[SPEAKER_00]: But for some of the time, we were kind of grasping at straws, like, what?
[SPEAKER_00]: What can we talk about about these places?
[SPEAKER_01]: They did a lot of solo lives, but really that's never been something we cover.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's like RM or album specific related lives, but other than that, you guys won't watch the live, so.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's tough to like make want to like even want to make that into podcast content like we're We're going to be able to like take something and analyze it and dive deeper and there's a couple times that we could do that But for the majority of it.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's just enjoying the content like the lives that they're putting out But there's not like from our you know porn of you content to build off of that.
[SPEAKER_00]: So
[SPEAKER_00]: I think almost like RM has been feeling just very anticipating next year and out of the end of 2025, I think we as the podcast stars while we're excited for what they're going to give us and what we can talk about.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah, we'll talk a little bit more about that here, just a bit.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's talk about what we personally did this year.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, I already mentioned, I moved home or back to St. Louis where I'm from, and I moved in with my boyfriend, Jeremy, in August, right before I started my new job.
[SPEAKER_00]: Living together has been really great.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's just fun being, you know.
[SPEAKER_00]: together every day and having that and not being long distance, like not having to drive across the state to see each other has been really wonderful.
[SPEAKER_00]: I love my new job.
[SPEAKER_00]: Again, I'm teaching middle schools.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is my first year in middle school.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've done seven years in high school.
[SPEAKER_00]: People always ask me, like, which do you like more middle school or high school?
[SPEAKER_00]: And it almost feels too soon to tell.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, I don't want to say middle school, even though that's the way that I'm
[SPEAKER_00]: because I was in high school for so long, and I loved teaching high school.
[SPEAKER_00]: High schoolers, you know, they're more mature, like you're not dealing with a lot of behavior issues in my high school experience.
[SPEAKER_00]: With middle school, it's all curbing the behavior, but then once you can curb their attention in the right direction, they are so with it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, middle schoolers haven't realized yet, oh, I actually have a choice.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't have to do this work.
[SPEAKER_00]: No, they do the work.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, you're like, all right, guys, we're gonna do this, and they all start doing it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'll have them like speak Spanish to each other they turn and they're all talking to each other There's not a single kid in the classroom who's like off-tast not talking whatever They're just doing it and you just don't get that with high schoolers high schoolers have like all of the apathy They're like over school, you know, they're like trying to be more cool middle schoolers Still have like some of that curiosity and that's been really fun
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, I really, really enjoy that.
[SPEAKER_00]: So although they're sometimes your behavior or their energy can be absolutely insane, they are so right or die and they're so fun and so cute that I really love it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's beautiful.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm happy to hear that you're enjoying middle school and that you're like in this age group because
[SPEAKER_01]: It is a shift.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like it doesn't seem like it would be that big of a shift going from, you know, high school, middle school.
[SPEAKER_01]: But I do think that like those, those years when you're that young, you know, like each year there's just so much more growth and development.
[SPEAKER_01]: And so yeah, I could see them being a little bit more enthusiastic than your high schoolers might be.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, they definitely are and like I'm teaching six seventh and eighth grades.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I see like the difference is even between those grade levels because it's a time developmentally for them.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I am loving it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm loving being back in St. Louis like
[SPEAKER_00]: My like living with Jeremy and my new job like everything is really going wonderfully and on top of that I really get to spend a lot more time with my sister.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's been wonderful.
[SPEAKER_00]: She got married this past fall and like I've just been able to go over to her house and just hang out or you know, we do something together And I'm making new friends here.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm just really enjoying my time.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm glad that I made this move It's gonna move for me a good change.
[SPEAKER_01]: It is a good change for you
[SPEAKER_01]: Got to go to St. Louis over Christmas and I got to meet some of your new friends and see your new place finally and of course I got to see Ashley or sister and and so just seeing your life there and I've always thought like St. Louis's home right at home base So it's not like you went to like a brand new city like yeah, it's home base.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's very familiar.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's comfortable And so I can tell that you're really thriving there and you enjoy me.
[SPEAKER_01]: You're so great together and it just is
[SPEAKER_01]: such a wonderful change, like, in the best possible ways.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I love your little life that you're building in St. Louis.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you.
[SPEAKER_00]: I appreciate it.
[SPEAKER_00]: The hardest part has been, has been a way for me.
[SPEAKER_00]: And, like, us feeling like long distance, best friends.
[SPEAKER_01]: We talk, we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk, and we talk,
[SPEAKER_01]: was maybe a little challenging, yeah, like adjusting to just like the change and how we don't see each other very often anymore and like the just the communication aspect too, like yeah, yeah, I agree, but we work through it.
[SPEAKER_01]: We've been friends for a long time.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's just like with any change.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's just an adjustment period.
[SPEAKER_01]: Totally yeah, but we did good.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's see what something else I did this year was I read 15 books which is a lot more than I've read in a very long time Like in the last ten years it would be surprising if I read two books in a year So I read lots of Brandon Sanderson I read the entire stormlight archive of his if any of you have read that phenomenal
[SPEAKER_00]: I've read some romance, recommended by my friend, Maddie.
[SPEAKER_00]: I read all of Akatar finally.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've been hounded by so many people to read it.
[SPEAKER_00]: And, you know, so I read it, I'm glad I read it.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then I read some educational based like pedagogy books for middle schoolers.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I guess, you know, just developing my professional side a little bit more this year too.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I enjoyed that.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then of course, like Bethany said, we got to seek J-Hope in San Antonio and I traveled with her and her sister to San Antonio this year to see him over the spring break.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then of course, we watched Jin's concert together.
[SPEAKER_00]: Those are major highlights of my year as well.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah, it's been a good year for you like I mean truthfully like you had so much happen Like it goes a big year for you 2025.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I want to add one more thing.
[SPEAKER_01]: You went to like so many weddings And we're martin so many weddings.
[SPEAKER_01]: So it was a huge part of your 2025 and we're what did your life got married?
[SPEAKER_00]: truly, truly grateful to have been part of so many people's like special day, whether I was a guest or whether I was in their wedding, but that was a lot of weddings.
[SPEAKER_00]: There was literally from August 30th to November 1st, every single weekend we had a wedding or a bridal shower,
[SPEAKER_00]: or a bachelorette, or a bachelorette.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was so busy with that, and they were all beautiful and fun and exciting, but at the end of that, I was like, okay, I don't wanna even think about another wedding.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: But it was a really fun time to go to.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, we had like seven weddings.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, what a year.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, sure.
[SPEAKER_00]: First one.
[SPEAKER_01]: For me, one of the big accomplishments that I did personally was I ran a 10k,
[SPEAKER_01]: Not a 5k, a 10k.
[SPEAKER_01]: I can't stand a lot.
[SPEAKER_01]: So 6.2 miles.
[SPEAKER_01]: I've never been a runner.
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, I can't, like, I've enjoyed running as, like, a form of working out, but I wouldn't say, like, a competitive runner, or I've never done a race.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, I'd never done even a 5k before.
[SPEAKER_01]: But one of my really good friends ran a half marathon.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I was just really impressed with her and I was like dang you're killing it like how how did you do that because she was freshly postpartum to and that was a big thing for me was like Just kind of finding myself again postpartum and she really convinced me to go for it.
[SPEAKER_01]: She's like you can do it
[SPEAKER_01]: She's known me like I went to OT school with her and she's like you can absolutely do it.
[SPEAKER_01]: She's like don't you run?
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm like not like you running like I've never ran a race and she's like you could do it.
[SPEAKER_01]: And truthfully I took that advice going into all of my training and realized that like oh
[SPEAKER_01]: I can really push myself if, and can do anything I set my mind to, like that's how I felt after running this race, like it was weeks of like training and staying committed to it and sticking to it.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I,
[SPEAKER_01]: really by the end of it I was like wow okay yeah I could run a half marathon like I really like oh yeah I could totally run a half marathon that's awesome so I might run a half marathon but like running that 10k was like a little me project and I was proud of myself for sticking with it and doing it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, your whole ten-case journey was so inspiring and just how you how dedicated you were to your training regimen but it was at the same time it's like dedicated to yourself showing up for yourself.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, you were running in the Missouri humidity in the summer out with the training at the summer.
[SPEAKER_00]: Can degrees out and it's ridiculous.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you're not from Missouri, you don't know.
[SPEAKER_00]: We have the worst humidity.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like literally it's so bad and you were out there.
[SPEAKER_00]: You were doing it anyway.
[SPEAKER_01]: I was out there.
[SPEAKER_01]: five thirty six a.m.
[SPEAKER_01]: I was trying to beat the heat.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, but I think the biggest part of my twenty twenty five is of course being a mom.
[SPEAKER_01]: My baby girl, she turned one and that was kind of a lot of fun planning her first birthday party.
[SPEAKER_01]: It was an eighties themed.
[SPEAKER_01]: Girls just want to be one and so yeah, getting to see her grow into a toddler.
[SPEAKER_01]: Now it's just amazing to see her go through
[SPEAKER_01]: This year I got to see her learn how to walk, learn how to talk and every single day is a brand new day with her She's so affectionate right now.
[SPEAKER_01]: So loving.
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean It's just wild to see and I love her so much and being a mom is one of the best joys in this world honestly So so grateful for her and for my little family and
[SPEAKER_01]: I will have to say as of today, I have lost all of my pregnancy weight, too, and that is really a great feeling, just like having that postpartum be lifted, like I feel for any moms out there who are currently pregnant, freshly postpartum, a year postpartum, my advice, like in my personal experience is like,
[SPEAKER_01]: Don't worry about the weight too too much like truthfully.
[SPEAKER_01]: It will come off, you know, just stay healthy.
[SPEAKER_01]: Stay active, but like I think that first year your body is just thinking about nourishing that baby too and just it's just holding on to that way.
[SPEAKER_01]: It needs it.
[SPEAKER_01]: Your body needs it.
[SPEAKER_01]: So.
[SPEAKER_01]: Don't stress about it.
[SPEAKER_01]: You get your pink back.
[SPEAKER_01]: You get to feel in like yourself again and so I'm really happy kind of like I'm 17 18 months postpartum at this point and I'm finally like feeling Okay, yeah like I'm me again.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm a mom like you'll never fully be like your old self but a better you for sure
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's beautiful.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm so proud of you.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm so happy for you and seeing Millie just how big she's getting and how much she's doing is so amazing Oh, I know she's so cute.
[SPEAKER_01]: She's so smart.
[SPEAKER_01]: She's so cute.
[SPEAKER_01]: She's so much fun.
[SPEAKER_01]: She's crazy
[SPEAKER_01]: She's a crazy girl.
[SPEAKER_01]: And then I guess, lastly, a big part of my 20-25 was I traveled to get him out.
[SPEAKER_01]: I went to Las Vegas for a friend's 30th birthday.
[SPEAKER_01]: I went to say an Antonio, of course, with you, Kayla, I go see Jay Hope, and with Brittany.
[SPEAKER_01]: I got to go to Broken Bo, Oklahoma, with my little family.
[SPEAKER_01]: That was really, really fun.
[SPEAKER_01]: And then we ended the year in Sedona, Arizona, which Arizona was a big trip that chorey and I have been wanting to do since we,
[SPEAKER_00]: first started dating so that it was great to be able to go and see Sedona with Millie as well so yeah good year it's awesome yeah good year for for you too good year for both of us big year what's what this 2020 6 have in store for us
[SPEAKER_00]: So much.
[SPEAKER_00]: We'll see.
[SPEAKER_00]: There is a lot to look forward in 2026 for BTS.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we have to say be sure to renew your Army membership for ticket sales because there is a tour announcement expected this month and the album is expected to come out in March according to their most recent OT7 live.
[SPEAKER_00]: So if you want to be ready for
[SPEAKER_00]: Purchasing tour tickets and getting army pre-sale you have to have your own membership renewed So do that on the weaver shop and make sure that you have all of your information correct.
[SPEAKER_00]: Otherwise.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is not you will do it You need it you need it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Otherwise.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's gonna be I mean, it's already gonna be a bloodbath getting tickets Yeah, but we're really looking forward to the tour announcements.
[SPEAKER_00]: We can plan where we're gonna go when we're going
[SPEAKER_01]: We literally put our 2026 plan on hold like your sister wants to go to New York and you're like Wait, yeah, nope, we got to wait.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know what I can go yet.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I got to know in the BTS concert RM said in their most recent OT7 live.
[SPEAKER_00]: He said I'm going crazy wanting to come back quickly
[SPEAKER_00]: I really hate this year end.
[SPEAKER_00]: I can't say how much preparation has been done, but when the company announces the comeback, when will that be?
[SPEAKER_00]: I wish Hyde would announce it sooner.
[SPEAKER_00]: So he's ready.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's like, we know when it's happening, can Hyde please announce it like the fans will know.
[SPEAKER_00]: We want to tell them feels like this big secret that they're keeping some.
[SPEAKER_01]: Imagine doing all this preparation, knowing that the album's done.
[SPEAKER_01]: how eager they are to just like get the ball rolling.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like I'm sure they are just ready to go.
[SPEAKER_01]: And having to keep it secret all the time too.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like I'm sure they were dying to share it with us.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, impossible.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: So the tour is rumored to start in April succeeding their album release.
[SPEAKER_01]: So based on Instagram stories and clips, it seems like BTS will be rolling out a tour full of their classic songs, songs that they've been that we've seen in concert from their previous albums when they came out.
[SPEAKER_01]: Their version of like kind of like the era's tour is kind of the best way to put it bringing back some of those older performances.
[SPEAKER_01]: We haven't seen since the red bullet tour.
[SPEAKER_01]: Each way we age, wings, etc.
[SPEAKER_01]: It really seems like it is going to be a massive tour.
[SPEAKER_01]: This tour has 30 stops that are predicted.
[SPEAKER_01]: And that is to be in this state's alone.
[SPEAKER_01]: not even counting the rest of the world.
[SPEAKER_01]: 30 stops in the states alone.
[SPEAKER_01]: So we don't care where we are in the building as long as we are inside.
[SPEAKER_01]: One of those 30 stops.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like we don't care.
[SPEAKER_00]: What city we're flying into?
[SPEAKER_01]: What city?
[SPEAKER_01]: Where are we sitting?
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't want to be out in the street in the ditch listening from a long chair, like, I need to be there.
[SPEAKER_01]: We need to be inside.
[SPEAKER_01]: I like how we have to specify inside.
[SPEAKER_01]: We are planning, like I said, our entire 26, 20, 26 around their concert, like absolutely cannot wait for the announcement, it's anticipated very early this month, even in January that we should be hearing, fingers crossed, fingers crossed, good luck everybody.
[SPEAKER_00]: As far as predicting about their album, obviously like we talked about this tour is gonna, we think it's gonna have a lot of throwback songs, obviously they're gonna tour with stuff from this new album as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: We really only anticipate this one album released this year and probably that they'll have slower album releases as compared to pre-military.
[SPEAKER_00]: It would be interesting to see if they go back to the old album release style where they release a couple smaller EP's and then a repackage album like they did with the original age or like they did with like love yourself Era the her the tier and then the answer
[SPEAKER_00]: where answer was a repackage with a few more songs.
[SPEAKER_00]: The last time they kind of did this was with map of the soul where they rolled map of the soul persona into the beginning of map of the soul seven, but persona was such a short album and map of the soul seven like could stand on its own as like a full length album.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it didn't really follow that format in the same way, but we're interested in curious to see kind of how it rolls out because they have such a massive tour plan
[SPEAKER_00]: They broke up the album and they have like, you know, two or three like smaller albums coming out next year It would be more sense for them to do the whole thing, but I think we don't have a whole thing Yeah, we'll see, but yeah, I'm kind of with you.
[SPEAKER_01]: I kind of anticipate it might just be one album that they really is like they really have spent so much time on it Then I would think that's the the route they're gonna go
[SPEAKER_01]: I am excited to see a lot of just like Gen 2 and 3 groups are going to be having come back in 2016 to a long side BTS, just because I feel like I'm being taken back to like 2017, 2018, you know, when these groups were like really active, now that a lot of them are all post-miller Terry as well, like exo and big bang, black pink is so fairly active, they don't do military, but you know what I mean?
[SPEAKER_01]: It's just kind of like deja vuie like well, all these come back from these groups from way back when bring them back Yeah, BTS is coming back as well So I just can be exciting to hear all this new music and music all these groups be active
[SPEAKER_00]: I agree.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm really excited for it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Speaking of groups, we would be surprised if we get any solo work from BTS in 2026.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe there'll be a single or two randomly with another artist, but no albums, no solo albums.
[SPEAKER_00]: We would feel like it'll be solely a group focused year.
[SPEAKER_00]: They just had two years to put out any solo work they wanted to.
[SPEAKER_00]: And in the words of RM, let 2026 be the year of BTS.
[SPEAKER_00]: So we think this would just be a solely BTS year as a group.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think so too.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yep.
[SPEAKER_01]: Maybe a little bit around BTS in there.
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know, maybe a little bit of, I would be fine.
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know, maybe a second album.
[SPEAKER_01]: That might be generous.
[SPEAKER_00]: They've had some time.
[SPEAKER_00]: So they could have recorded some run BTS.
[SPEAKER_00]: They could have made two albums.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not, you know, I would never doubt BTS's ability to get that work done.
[SPEAKER_00]: So yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: So we will see, let's talk about our goals for the new year, in terms of the podcast we talked about doing a final ship series episode where we cover all of the ships kind of reminisce on all of the ships.
[SPEAKER_01]: Maybe I don't know.
[SPEAKER_01]: We'll get creative with it, but I think we're going to make like an ending like a
[SPEAKER_01]: I think that would be so much fun, so that is a goal for the podcast this year.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'll go review music video reviews.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, cannot wait to discuss everything with their new music and their new tour.
[SPEAKER_01]: I think it would be cool if we could find a way to like, after their tour.
[SPEAKER_01]: When we see them in concert doing a concert review like at the Airbnb that we're staying at or you know Whatever, like it would be fun to do that again like we haven't done that in forever.
[SPEAKER_01]: It seems like Yeah, it's just would be a wonderful time I can't wait to talk about the development of their style after all of their solo work and being a part of
[SPEAKER_01]: heart, our M talked a little bit in his lives about how they're taking the old BTS into this new album, but also adding on to that and I can't wait to hear it and talk about their style and how it's developed, but also those origin pieces showing up too in the music.
[SPEAKER_01]: can't wait eager to travel to go see them all the above like I think that's mostly what we're looking forward to with the podcast is just all the new from BTS as a group.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's gonna feel so refreshing and like we're getting back to our roots of being able to have like the album and the music videos and the concert, those experiences to pick apart and to talk about what we really really love to do is to analyze it so really just excited for all of that.
[SPEAKER_01]: me too.
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_01]: In terms of my personal goals for 2026, I want to continue my running journey, or if I don't do running, I would be really happy with getting back into biking as well.
[SPEAKER_01]: I used to bike a lot.
[SPEAKER_01]: I've kind of gone on this running route, but like, I'd be happy if I went either way with it.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, I can't decide if I want to make a running goal or a biking goal.
[SPEAKER_01]: So if I have a running goal,
[SPEAKER_01]: I think I could do it, but also I had a thought like earlier this year when I was kind of like biking with Cory about biking the entire Katy Trail, which if you guys don't know the Katy Trail and Missouri like it's a old railroad basically that they turned into a biking trail or just a trail from essentially like Kansas City all the way to St. Louis.
[SPEAKER_01]: It would be challenging but it would
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, I think I can do it.
[SPEAKER_01]: I think I can do it for sure.
[SPEAKER_01]: I would have to train for it.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and it would be like a lot of fun to train for.
[SPEAKER_01]: A lot of fun to train for.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: The stops along the way would be we could make it so enjoyable.
[SPEAKER_01]: So yeah, one of those two for 2026 is my goal.
[SPEAKER_01]: Continue to just kind of take care of my health.
[SPEAKER_01]: I think you know, I've developed some healthier habits over this last year that have really benefited me.
[SPEAKER_01]: already made my primary care appointment.
[SPEAKER_01]: Just make sure I get my annual wellness check.
[SPEAKER_01]: I encourage everyone to do that, you know, go see your doctor.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, take care of yourself.
[SPEAKER_01]: I think since having a child, I just realize the importance of health and my vitality and
[SPEAKER_01]: just it's taking a front row seat like I got to be around for her forever you know like I got to be here for her and yeah I my family I just want to stay as active as I can and I will say Kayla you have inspired me a lot with reading like you are an inspiration where I'm like I really should read more like I read like a couple of books a year if that so I think if I had a goal of like 10 books that would be really
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, we'll see.
[SPEAKER_00]: You're going to do it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to do it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I know we added each other.
[SPEAKER_01]: I should make a goal.
[SPEAKER_00]: You should make a goal in there, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: You should like add books, like go and search and add books to like you're want to read.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, whenever you like are like, oh, I got how one up next, like what should I do?
[SPEAKER_00]: You have that list already, you can come from.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so yeah love.
[SPEAKER_00]: I love your goals for me since I read 15 books this year in 2025 in 2026.
[SPEAKER_00]: I want to read 20 books.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that I can do it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I just I want to do more than I did this year.
[SPEAKER_00]: So give me your book suggestions, DM me on Instagram.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's add each other on good read.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I can see what you've read and your reviews and you know anybody who wants to connect right there.
[SPEAKER_00]: I have lots that I still want to read on my list, but I'm always open to the suggestions.
[SPEAKER_00]: I love a, you know, I love a mystery.
[SPEAKER_00]: I love a fantasy.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I'm okay with the romance.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're not like my top fave, but I'll read it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like I like aspects of them.
[SPEAKER_00]: So just let me know.
[SPEAKER_00]: Give me a wrap.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: For me, I really want to work out consistently in 2026.
[SPEAKER_00]: I started 2025 on a really good working-out kick, honestly, like all of the beginning the first half of the year, and then I moved, and I fell out of it completely, and I gained so much weight just from going and working out consistently and to not doing it at all.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it was hard between like the move and also settling into my new job and kind of like the stress of taking that on I just stop going to the gym like all fall Yeah, you had most of the summer and so busy busy and it was hard with like the weddings and you know I don't want to make excuses because I get ever since being like I'm tired of feeling like this about myself I want to go back
[SPEAKER_00]: you know, for like November and December, I was going to the gym after work and being just fine with it.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I've been back into it for about a month now and every time I return to the gym, I'm reminded of how good it makes me feel, like I, how good it is from my mental health and myself confidence and I'm just glad to be there and to get it done.
[SPEAKER_00]: I always feel so positive after finishing a workout.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I want to remember that.
[SPEAKER_00]: I want to remember how every time I fall off of going to the gym when I return, I'm like, oh, why did I ever stop doing this?
[SPEAKER_00]: I want to keep that in mind to keep me motivated to keep doing that for my mental health.
[SPEAKER_00]: This year too, I really want to travel in besides like BTS stuff in the past, you know, like five years, I really have not been able to travel at all, like take a vacation or anything.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I
[SPEAKER_00]: I really, really want to go to Puerto Rico with Jeremy next summer.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's our plan, we're just waiting to like book anything until we know BTS tour announcement.
[SPEAKER_00]: My sister and I want to go to New York and see a show on Broadway.
[SPEAKER_00]: For our birthdays, we both have birthdays right next to each other in May.
[SPEAKER_00]: So like, if you can do like, end of May, like, that would be so cool.
[SPEAKER_00]: And obviously we'll travel to CBS, but like, I really want to do that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, I feel like I deserve it.
[SPEAKER_00]: And...
[SPEAKER_00]: I haven't been able to and so long so I'm really looking forward to that part of Rico you really Yes, you would love it.
[SPEAKER_00]: You should talk home of bad bunny like yeah, oh my god I have this fat Google doc of all of the places that did you know that bad bunny and you got to your Malina or from the same suburb in Puerto Rico by the way I don't know that but I'm sure Jeremy could have some fun and Puerto Rico too Like his like love for baseball like I'm sure they go like something there
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and there's, um, I mean, Old San Juan is so cool.
[SPEAKER_00]: We're both really into history.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so just exploring Old San Juan like the oldest fort in the new world is in Old San Juan.
[SPEAKER_00]: And just, and there's also a tropical rainforest.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's the only tropical rainforest in the U.S.
[SPEAKER_00]: Territories or states is there, El Junque.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so we're going to like, you don't need a tour guide or anything.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can just go to it.
[SPEAKER_00]: So we're going to explore it.
[SPEAKER_00]: And
[SPEAKER_00]: there is bioluminescent base where you can like take a ferry to an island off of Puerto Rico and see the bioluminescence at night and like so cool yeah so we have we have it all planned just not booked because we're waiting on BTS but yeah very very much looking forward to that oh Jeremy the big thing that he's looking forward to because he loves Taco Bell in Puerto Rico they
[SPEAKER_00]: Pizza Hut, KFC Taco Bell, commonly known.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's called Ken Taco Hut is what they call it.
[SPEAKER_00]: But like there's food that you can only get there at that one.
[SPEAKER_00]: So like we definitely have to stop there.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, yeah, of course.
[UNKNOWN]: That's great.
[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, and the last thing I really want to do this year is I want to start pursuing my master's degree.
[SPEAKER_00]: I being an education, being a teacher, it's important to continue your education past your bachelor's.
[SPEAKER_00]: I have just not ever gone back to school because I wasn't sure what I wanted to get my master's in.
[SPEAKER_00]: but I recently had an epiphany about my desired career path and I'm ready to take steps towards that happening.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I've looked into a couple programs.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've made contact with a university that I'm going to have a meeting with them.
[SPEAKER_00]: next week and just ask questions and find out if that's the program for me, but maybe like this March, I could start towards my masters and it's like a year-long program that I'm looking at.
[SPEAKER_00]: So by this time next year, I could be like finishing it up and like my last term of it.
[SPEAKER_00]: So yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm really excited about that.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm excited for you.
[SPEAKER_01]: You can totally do it.
[SPEAKER_01]: And you've kind of been talking about doing this for a little bit.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I just am happy that you have like a direction for it.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like you know, a little bit more now.
[SPEAKER_01]: Exactly what you're looking for.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: And what I want to do.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: So very exciting.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think we both have lots of high hopes for 2020.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's not only a fantastic year.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's going to be a great.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's good girl.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's gonna be the best year yet.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think so.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean it's the year BTS plus like the goals that we have for ourselves are really amazing and going to be so awesome.
[SPEAKER_00]: I can't wait for us to meet with this episode next year and see and talk about what all we did.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, me too.
[SPEAKER_01]: Uh, the year of BTS.
[SPEAKER_01]: The year of BTS is here, 2020.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it is.
[SPEAKER_00]: Happy new year.
[SPEAKER_00]: We're excited for everything to come.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we hope that you all are excited for what's upcoming with BTS.
[SPEAKER_00]: And for your new year plans and goals and resolutions as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: We appreciate you sticking by with us in all of 2025.
[SPEAKER_00]: Even before that, the years prior with BTS's military service and however long you've been around and we're excited to see where 2026 takes all of us.
[SPEAKER_00]: As always, you can find links for all of the things in the description.
[SPEAKER_01]: Thanks for listening and thanks for standing BTS in 2026.