BTS Took Over ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ and It Was Glorious
If it was difficult to get tickets for BTS’s Map of the Soul Tour before, it’s going to be even more difficult now. On Feb. 24, BTS took over The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in a one-of-a-kind episode.
The late-night takeover featured an extended interview, games, and a performance in Grand Central Terminal. For ARMY, the episode was filled with the group’s trademark antics and showed the love the members of BTS have for their art. The Tonight Show episode also showcased BTS’s talent and gave viewers unfamiliar with BTS a crash course on what the group is all about.
Jimmy Fallon interviewed BTS on the subway
In addition to having BTS as the only guests on the show, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon episode acted as an ode to New York City. Fallon opened the show with his monologue on a moving subway car.
After the show’s opening, Fallon interviewed the BTS members on the subway. He asked the group lighthearted questions about their personalities and first impressions of each other, as well as insightful questions about their new album Map of the Soul: 7 and their humble beginning.
“Do you remember the first time you ever performed in front of a crowd? And what was that like?” He asked.
“It was our debut showcase,” Jungkook said. “There were about 200 to 300 people.”
“300 people,” Fallon said. “Now you have billions of people watching. But 300 people meant a lot to you, right?”
“I still can never forget it,” Jungkook said. “Everything happened so fast, and it was overwhelming. And I cried after the show.”
“Everyone cried,” Jimin added.
Before filming the episode, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon asked fans to submit questions to ask the BTS members. In the subway car, Fallon asked BTS a handful of submitted questions. Thanks to the segment, fans finally found out what the “black bean noodle incident” was.
BTS played a game with Jimmy Fallon
Anyone who watches BTS’s variety show Run BTS! knows the band members are extremely competitive with one another. With the “Subway Olympics” segment, the Tonight Show managed to show a side of BTS that fans know extremely well: their chaos.
The BTS members and Fallon competed in a serious of games in the subway car. The one-on-one games ranged from knocking a rubber duck off someone’s hand to having to shake off gloves and sunglasses the fastest.
Jungkook and Jin proceeded to the final round in the tournament, a Post-it Challenge. For the challenge, whichever BTS member had the most Post-it notes stuck to them within 15 seconds won. Fallon, V, and RM stuck Post-it notes on Jin while Jimin, Suga, and J-Hope stuck Post-it notes on Jungkook.
During the different games, J-Hope accidentally hit Jin in the face, V knocked the rubber duck off RM’s hand with no hesitation, Jin let out a victory cry after beating V, and Jimin subtly cheated in the final round to help Jungkook win. It was the quintessential chaos found on Run BTS! but on a U.S. late-night program.
After the “Subway Olympics” segment, BTS and Fallon visited Katz’s Deli. There, they met the restaurant’s owner Jake Dell and tried some of the food off the menu. The members of BTS and Fallon then helped serve orders, with BTS preparing the food and Fallon running it to tables.
The group performed ‘ON’ for the first time
The lead single for BTS’s new album Map of the Soul: 7 is “ON,” a continuation of their 2013 single “N.O.” The single came out with Map of the Soul: 7 along with BTS ‘ON’ Kinetic Manifesto Film : Come Prima, the first of two official music videos for the song.
For The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, BTS took over Grand Central Terminal. The group donned the same outfits from the kinetic manifesto and were once again joined by dancers from The Lab.
With Grand Central Terminal as the backdrop, BTS performed an impressive rendition of “ON.” The dynamic performance demonstrated why BTS is considered the top band in the world currently, and their momentum in the performance matched how their momentum continues to carry them forward in their careers.
While the unprecedented episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon was an ode to New York City, it was also an ode to BTS. Fallon and fans asked questions that ranged from the group’s music to inside jokes, and the games gave the general public access to the side of BTS only fans are used to seeing. Culminating with the performance of “ON,” the episode encapsulated BTS’s history, personalities, and talent all within an hour of late-night TV.
