Well, we always knew it was going to end – as all boy bands eventually do. I just never thought it would be like this!!
A quick recap for those of you living under a rock; on the last day of FESTA (BTS’s debut anniversary), at their closing dinner, the band announced they were taking an indefinite amount of time apart to pursue solo endeavors, release solo albums and to do other things. THEY ARE ON AN INDEFINITE BREAK!
THE BAD NEWS: We’ve been here before. As a boy band fan to the core, I have seen boy band after boy band announce “breaks”. Let’s examine a couple notable “indefinite breaks”:
- In 2015, One Direction announced they were taking a break, but blamed their hectic schedules (sound familiar?). Still to this day, they won’t rule out the possibility of a reunion – but it’s been 7 years! Plus we got some AMAZING solos out of the hiatus (hello Harry’s new album!!)
- In 2002 NSYNC announced an indefinite hiatus, again, because the members were stretched thin with schedules and touring. It wasn’t until 7 years later that Lance Bass actually confirmed the band had actually broken up.
THE GOOD NEWS: We have also seen some boy bands bands come back from a hiatus:
- More notably in the K-POP scene, as members go off to serve their mandated army service, the remaining members do solo projects and other work until all (or most) members come back and the band reunites. Bands like SHINee and Super Junior go through rotation after rotation of hiatus, come back, hiatus, come back.
- Other boy bands – like NKOTB and Backstreet Boys – have both survived hiatus and gone on to do several successful tours and make new music after taking long breaks at times. So it can be done!
BOTTOM LINE: Nine years is a loooong time to be putting out music, touring, keeping crazy schedules and living with your fellow bandmates. I can understand BTS wanting to do other things and start a different stage of their lives. But I always thought this hiatus would happen because of their mandatory army service. And I always thought they would do one last farewell tour to give us something to cling to for the years of hiatus to follow. Please, PLEASE, just give us one more tour before you go!!
The Chatty Enthusiast 
JHOPE carried this group from the start and everyone knows it. Glad to see him finally leave behind these other talentless background dancer types who were just riding his coat tails.
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