"Not even trying to hide the blatant hatred for him"- BTS' Taehyung's fans call out HYBE for continuous mistreatment amid multiple fancam deletions

On September 5, 2024, BTS fans aka ARMYs took to their socials to voice their concerns and frustration over HYBE allegedly claiming copyright over BTS' V's Pied Piper fancam on the famous fan-run YouTube channel 'TO MY DARLING V.' Additionally, another popular fan account on the video platform, 'mumu_tae', also got terminated, in the line of events.

Fans noted how Pied Piper videos from the same event, focusing on the other members or the full group are still available. While agencies are known to take down videos from the internet based on copyright issues, this turn of events only surrounding Kim Taehyung aka V is being questioned by ARMYs.

They also pointed out how this was not an isolated incident as several instances of taking down V's popular videos have occurred in the past, apparently not just from fan channels but also from official music channels. What's also striking fans as odd is that these fancams were not recent, with some uploaded years ago.

Some of these include the Layover artist's So What fan cam from the 2018 BTS 'LOVE YOURSELF' SEOUL released by a fan account on YouTube, footage of V singing Sweet Night live during the 2021 BTS Festa Muster uploaded by yet another fan-run channel.

Meanwhile, the 28-year-old's 2019 Pied Piper fancam had racked up a massive 17 million YouTube views on the 'TO MY DARLING V' channel. Seeing it disappear from the platform has left fans disappointed and enraged. Reacting to the same, here's what a fan wrote,

"They are not even trying to hide the blatant hatred for him atp."

Apart from removing fancams entirely, alleged instances of limiting access to videos concerning Taehyung have also surfaced. While the issue led to a heated-up environment online, here's what some others had to say,

"From late broadcasting to limited access to regional restrictions to removal of fancams of an artist who is known for his fancams, whose fancams are used to educate Kpop trainees. You’re not only trying to erase his digital imprints but also ripping off other emerging idols from their educational material!" voiced a netizen.

"A truth that many don't want... Hybe's biggest fear is Taehyung and his impact," another post read.

"The problem is that those fancams are a testament of Tae’s impact and the comp is erasing that as if erasing Tae’s influence on the group and kpop in general," an ARMY wrote.

Fans vocalized their sentiments connected to Taehyung's fancams under trending tags like "HYBE RESPECT TAEHYUNG", "HYBE TREAT TAEHYUNG EQUALLY", and "TAEHYUNG IS BTS TOO", among others.

"His fancams are precious for us ARMYs and ngl Taehyung and his fancams were one of the many reasons I'm in this fandom now." a comment read.

""I really want our members to smile and be happy. Regardless of the relationship with the agency, I signed my contract to see them smile." Taehyung already told us before." recalled a fan.

Meanwhile, fancams refer to artist-focused videos usually captured by fans to put a spotlight on specific artists during live group performances or red-carpet appearances.

---

Amidst HYBE receiving severe criticism, fans continue to show support for BTS' Taehyung

Meanwhile, the particular Pied Piper fancam was from BTS' 5th Muster titled 'BTS 5th Muster: Magic Shop' which happened from June 15 to June 23, 2019, in South Korea. For those unversed, the BTS Muster is an annual fan event or get-together where live performances/concerts take place alongside fun fan meetings, where the outfit performs not only their old songs but also their new numbers.

At the 5th Muster, the K-pop septet performed their all-time hits like Spine Breaker, HOME, Whalien 52, JUMP, and more, including Pied Piper from their 2017 EP Love Yourself: Her.

The 2019 gathering which was further distributed via DVD and Blu-ray, has many of its particular moments captured on videos and clips on YouTube and other media platforms. As Pied Piper grew to be one of the most popular and iconic of their performances from this Muster, it was natural for fancams to pop up after the event.

The V fancam from this day was quite popular among fans and followers of the group, and its removal without an offered explanation after several years of release is perplexing fans. Fans also noticed how it was not just on YouTube that the owner removed videos or clips based on copyright, as similar power was exercised on V's video content shared on X.

At this point, fans are not only dreading BTS' vocalist Taehyung's alleged mistreatment by HYBE but are also worrying about several fan-run YouTube channels being terminated if they receive more strikes based on copyright claims.

Meanwhile, as BTS' V's debut solo album Layover's first anniversary is right around the corner, fans are busy showering the idol with support and love. Layover came out on September 8, 2023, packing into it 6 tracks.

Amidst the ongoing disapproval aimed at HYBE, ARMYs are sharing celebratory preparations on X under the tags LAYOVER TAKEOVER and #VACKED. Some even posted pictures of banners with encouraging messages displayed outside of Taehyung's present military service location.

---

BTS' V's Layover sold over two million copies in less than a week of release, making Hanteo history 23 years after the last soloist to reach this milestone. After almost a year since its release, the album continues to dominate iTunes playlists worldwide. In recent news, the fan-favorite Love Me Again from Layover reached #1 on iTunes in Japan, the UK, Canada, France, and more.

At the same time, the Layover (Vinyl) version is flying off the shelves in multiple stores worldwide. While the pre-order for it started on August 20 this year, the new version will be retailed on September 20 onwards.