BTS ends era with final concert of world tour

SEOUL, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- For three hours on Tuesday night, K-pop superstars BTS thrilled a packed stadium with a spectacle of song, dance and stagecraft as they brought their 14-month "Love Yourself: Speak Yourself" world tour across the finish line in their hometown of Seoul.

But when the end was near, it was hard for the boy band to hold back the tears. Before the final number, each of BTS's seven members -- RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook -- addressed the crowd of die-hard fans, known as ARMY, and many became emotional.

"The 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' journey ends today," a teary-eyed RM, the band's 25-year-old leader, told the audience. "But our search for how to love ourselves will continue. I hope even one word or one line in our lyrics could help you love yourself in the future too."

Jin also grew tearful as he recalled his solo number from earlier in the evening.

"When I performed 'Epiphany' I felt sad thinking that this might be the last time I'd sing it," he said. "Thinking it was the end -- it was bittersweet."

The journey that brought BTS to this final act was a record-setting run of sold-out shows and chart-topping albums that turned a Korean-language band into global pop icons powered by social media, savvy marketing and a zealous fanbase.

The "Love Yourself" tour, which kicked off in August 2018, and its "Love Yourself: Speak Yourself" extension saw BTS perform 62 shows in 23 cities around the world for an audience that totaled more than 2 million.

The tour set a number of milestones, with BTS becoming the first Korean act to hold concerts at venues such as Citi Field in New York and Wembley Stadium in London. The band sold out shows in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas and topped the Billboard Boxscore and Pollstar LIVE75 charts for ticket sales.

Along the way, the septet rocketed to levels of stardom rarely reached by any pop act, such as climbing to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 charts three times in less than 12 months, a feat that was last accomplished by The Beatles.

Their influence spread beyond the pop charts, as well, as BTS became the first K-pop band to address the United Nations General Assembly, in September 2018, and landed on TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential People and 25 Most Influential People on the Internet lists in 2019.

Tuesday night's show capped off a three-night final run in Seoul for over 130,000 fans in the city's Olympic Stadium. Fireworks, lasers, costume changes and a spectacle of revolving stage sets and video backdrops propelled the night as BTS ran through many of their major hits, including "Boy with Luv (feat. Halsey)," "Fake Love," "Idol" and "Mic Drop."

While the band performed their last song, "Mikrokosmos," more than 300 drones filled the air and lit up the sky in purple while forming the shapes of the BTS and ARMY logos.

Fans ended the night with a chant of all seven band members' names.

"We will come back with a new album soon," band member Jimin promised. "It will be really soon."