Ryan Seacrest predicted that half of Times Square would be fans of South Korean boyband BTS, and judging by the volume of screams heard throughout ABC’s broadcast of “Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest,” the BTS ARMY was in full force.
Loyal fans came early to cheer on the group — comprised of members Jimin, Jin, RM, Suga, Jungkook, J Hope, and V (Kim Tae-Hyung, celebrating a day after 24th birthday) — and patiently waited with handmade signs and light sticks to cheer the occasion. All day, the group was prominently displayed on billboards in Times Square as diehards secured spots for the group’s early afternoon rehearsal.
Just before the band took to the stage in front of an estimated one million people, the side of the ABC area was cordoned off, paving a path for the group to make its way safely through the crowd.
Dressed up in black and white for a sharp look, BTS began with the hit “Make It Right” on the red stairs, then worked their way to the big stage for a big finish, “Boy With Luv.”
The band used every opportunity to showcase each member with precise choreography, Jimin stealing a moment when his jacket adorned his head as a hoodie.
Also appearing on the broadcast: headliner Post Malone (in a bright pink, bespoke suit with “2020” emblazoned on the back), who later posed with BTS; country star Sam Hunt, who posed with fans just after his set; and Alanis Morissette, appearing with the Broadway cast of “Jagged Little Pill” and giving network censors a run for their money when Lauren Patten (“Blue Bloods”) dropped an F-bomb during “You Oughta Know.”
“She told me to,” Patten proudly told Variety.
