[With ARMY ①] "Dancing with My Grandchildren": BTS Songs Captivate Fans Even in Their 70s

This story is part of the With ARMY series, in which K-POPIT meets BTS fans across Spain.

MADRID — Hours before BTS took the stage in Madrid on Friday, a line had already formed on a quiet side street in the Spanish capital. The crowd was waiting outside Sarangbang, a Korean restaurant packed with fans who had decided to start the day with Korean food before the night's concert.

Among them were Maria, 70, from Barcelona, and Miriam, 26, from Cadiz. The two became friends through one shared identity: ARMY, BTS's official fandom. On this day, the two came to the restaurant with the excitement of seeing BTS perform together at the group's first-ever concert in Spain.

"The minute I heard they were coming to Spain, every nerve in my body lit up," Maria said. "I can't forget how I felt in that moment."

Maria became a fan four years ago. The path started with a Korean drama her daughter recommended. "The drama made me curious about Korean people, so I started looking up Korean groups and singers, and that's how I found BTS," she said. "Once I learned their story, I was hooked. Now I listen to every song and watch every live broadcast. I love their attitude and the way they think. BTS always keeps an open mind."

The group has also become part of her family's daily life. "A lot of people don't understand me, but I'm really, really happy," she said. "My grandchildren are 6 and 8, and they're BTS fans too. When we turn on the TV at home and a BTS song comes on, my grandson, my granddaughter and I dance together."

For Miriam, BTS arrived during a darker chapter. "I had a really hard few years," she said. "It wasn't until I found BTS that I started to feel okay again, and then happy. Everyone around me says I've changed a lot. They tell me I look so happy now."

"They feel like family," Miriam said. Maria nodded. "They're part of the family. They're like my own kids." By now, BTS is woven into how both women see their lives.