"Army is not the name of your fandom": UMI faces backlash for mentioning BTS ARMY in her now-deleted post, sparks a heated discussion online

UMI faces online backlash for inviting BTS ARMY to her concerts. (Images via Instagram/@thv, @whoisumi)
UMI faces online backlash for inviting BTS ARMY to her concerts. (Images via Instagram/@thv, @whoisumi)

On March 5, 2024, American singer UMI faced backlash as she addressed the BTS ARMY in her online post. Prior to the initial tour dates in March, the vocalist informed her admirers via a tweet on Twitter/X. She mentioned the ARMY in particular and announced that she would be performing wherever u r for the first time at her concerts.

The American singer had earlier collaborated with BTS's Kim Taehyung, also known as V, and released the R&B single wherever u r on December 30, 2023. She was well received by the BTS fandom and thus extended her invitation to them to her upcoming shows. However, the artist came under fire as a few ARMYs didn't appreciate her gesture. One X user wrote,

"Army is not the name of your fandom, we only supported the song because Tae was involved so stop mentioning us every time you do something. It's really annoying"

"Being kind doesn't cost you anything": Fans divided as several ARMYs come to defend UMI

BTS's Kim Taehyung enlisted in the South Korean military on December 11, 2024, and despite being unable to be around when wherever u r released on his birthday (December 30), UMI made sure the idol's presence was felt. The American singer mentioned him and his contributions to her song repeatedly so that his fandom would be aware of his hard work.

Hence, Bangtan ARMY shared a cordial equation with the R&B songstress. However, some people found the particular remark bothersome and told UMI to cease using "desperate" methods by repeatedly mentioning ARMY and Taehyung in her posts.

One X user (@NirjhorAsman012) wrote on X how "weird" it is to consistently mention other artists and their fandoms.

"It's not hard to support someone but mentioning another's artist's fandom support when she got her own, is weird. Like if there are armys who loved her content then they would automatically be part of her fandom too, why ask separately?"

Many ARMYs have defended her, though, claiming that the criticism was mean-spirited. Some discussed the treatment of other featured artists such as Chris Brown and Halsey, claiming that "anti-Black" prejudice was the cause of the abuse UMI experienced.

Meanwhile, UMI deleted the tweet, which many have linked to the volume of messages that were "bullying" the musician and fueled the heated discourse online.

It is important to note that the wherever u r songstress had politely addressed the ARMY and invited them to her concerts in Seoul, Japan, Phillipines, Hawaii, and more. The musician will embark on her Talking To The Wind world tour on March 22, 2024.

Here's how the BTS fandom exchanged their thoughts about the matter:


The song debuted on several charts and became a significant triumph on the weekly rankings in January 2024. On the Digital Song Sales chart wherever u r peaked at #5. On the list of the best-selling titles in the nation, the song had the highest start of the week.

Taehyung secured his sixth top-10 victory as a soloist and went back to the top of the standings, while UMI achieved her maiden victory. As of January 10, 2024, the song peaked at #2 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales chart and at #20 on the Hot R&B Songs list. In the first few days of being available, it sold around 4,600 copies, according to Luminate.

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