Tag Archives: United Nations

BTS Appears at the United Nations as ‘Zero O’Clock’ Hits Pix 11

Books, Music, ,

BTSUN2I had an interesting split-screen morning today—just as I was discussing my new BTS-inspired novel “Zero O’Clock” on Pix 11 News, the South Korean group was appearing in front of the United Nations in New York City.

On Pix 11, I talked to hosts Dan Mannarino and Hazel Sanchez about how books can help kids process their feelings about the pandemic, and how the music and message of BTS helped inspired the title of my novel “Zero O’Clock” as well as some of the book’s themes.

Meanwhile, at the United Nations, all seven members of BTS addressed the 76th United Nations General Assembly, before breaking into a performance of their hit “Permission to Dance” which spilled out into the sunlight outside the U.N. building.

BTS had a lot of interesting and important things to say, including confirming to their fans and the world that all seven band members have been vaccinated. That’s a great message to send to all the people out there who are unvaccinated by choice. UN News tweeted out these excerpts from BTS’s speech:

You can check out my book “Zero O’Clock” on Amazon.

Watch BTS’s UN performance here:

BTS Visits NYC to Perform For the United Nations

Books, Music, , ,

BTSUNBTS is back in America.

The South Korean band is in New York City to visit the United Nations as presidential special envoys for South Korea.

NBC News reports that the group will be with South Korean President Moon Jae-in attending the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York, which runs through September 27th. RM, the leader of BTS, famously delivered a speech at the UN in 2018, so this isn’t entirely new territory for the band.

While in New York, BTS is set to appear at SDG Moment 2021, a yearly meeting dedicated to the UN’s sustainable development goals. According to the Twitter account for UN News, the event will start on Monday, September 20, at 8 a.m. ET, and BTS will be performing. “Don’t miss their message to the world, and a very special musical performance at the UN headquarters in NY,” the account tweeted.

A headline on the UN News website asks “Will BTS break the internet? Again?” The article goes on to say “The I.T. team at the UN will doubtless be on tenterhooks as 20 September approaches, mindful of the huge internet traffic BTS attracted during their previous visit to the General Assembly in 2018, and when their video message was released at last year’s virtual GA – both of which left the system struggling to cope.”

Since 2017, BTS has worked with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on the “Love Myself” campaign to stop bullying and promote self-esteem.

BTS’s visit is yet another sign of how the band has become a symbol of South Korean culture around the world. Much like how Bob Marley and reggae came to represent Jamaica (and his music was used in Jamaican tourism campaigns), the seven members of BTS have become cultural ambassadors for their home country.

BTS recently released a series of videos called “SEOUL X BTS: EoGiYeongCha Seoul” to help promote tourism to South Korea’s capital city. The phrase “EoGiYeongCha” is a kind of traditional chant meant to give people energy and encouragement.

Meanwhile, BTS’s global footprint continues to grow. The group is coming out with a collaborative song with Coldplay, titled “My Universe,” on September 24. BTS recently released their hit song “Butter” in a remixed version with Megan Thee Stallion.

You can check out my new novel “Zero O’Clock,” about a BTS superfan who uses the band’s music to help get through the pandemic, on Amazon.