BTS’ “I NEED U” Performance Brings Back a 5 Year Old Memory

When BTS performed “I Need U” at the 2020 KBS Song Festival, it was more than just a stage, it was an emotional time capsule. The moment immediately stirred deep memories, especially among long-time fans who remember when this song first made history for BTS in 2015. Back then, “I Need U” wasn’t just another comeback single, it was the song that gave BTS their very first music show win, a moment that marked a monumental turning point in their career.

On the same day as this emotional performance, Big Hit Entertainment retweeted a six-year-old tweet from 2015, which showed BTS’s raw and tearful reaction to winning their first trophy on SBS’s The Show. That retweet struck an emotional chord with ARMY, sending fans on a wave of nostalgia that brought back the rollercoaster journey BTS had endured to reach where they are now. Seeing the juxtaposition between the fresh-faced 2015 BTS and their powerful 2020 selves on the KBS stage was both heartwarming and tear-jerking.

In 2015, BTS was still an underdog group, often underestimated in the highly competitive K-pop industry. Coming from a small agency, Big Hit (which at the time had no other high-profile acts), BTS didn’t have the luxury of a powerful backing or extensive media coverage. They had to fight for attention and prove themselves through sheer talent, authenticity, and relentless hard work. “I Need U” was a pivotal release for them, it showcased a more mature, emotional side, with lyrics about heartbreak, confusion, and the struggles of youth. It was a creative risk, but one that paid off.

Their win on May 5, 2015, was historic. Not because it was a major award, but because it symbolized validation. After nearly two years of being overlooked and working tirelessly to build a fanbase, BTS had finally received tangible recognition. During the encore stage that day, the members couldn’t hold back their tears. Their voices cracked as they tried to thank ARMY, their staff, their families, and each other.

That very moment, relived through Big Hit’s retweet, became the heartbeat of the 2020 KBS performance. When the familiar opening notes of “I Need U” played, you could feel the energy shift. BTS wasn’t just performing, they were remembering. And ARMY was remembering with them.

The staging of the KBS performance was elegant and emotional. Each member delivered their lines with a maturity that reflected how far they had come, yet their expressions were tinged with that same sincerity and intensity from 2015. It was as if they had stepped into the past to thank it for making them who they are today. Their movements were fluid, precise, but still carried the weight of memory and meaning.

RM, always the articulate leader, had once said in an earlier interview that their win with “I Need U” made them realize their message was finally being heard. That performance at KBS seemed to echo that very sentiment. The crowd, though subdued due to pandemic restrictions, felt electrified. Fans watching from all over the world flooded social media with emotional posts, sharing screenshots of the 2015 win side by side with the 2020 performance. Some wrote, “From tears of struggle to tears of joy,” while others reflected on how they had grown alongside BTS, through all the eras, albums, and milestones.

The fact that Big Hit chose to highlight that 2015 tweet was no accident. It was a deliberate gesture to show the full-circle nature of the moment. BTS has always made a point of never forgetting where they came from, and that simple retweet served as a love letter to their past selves, their fans, and to everyone who doubted them.

For newer fans, this was an eye-opener. To see the BTS of 2015, raw, teary-eyed, grateful, and overwhelmed, juxtaposed against the world-famous BTS of 2020 was deeply moving. It showed the human journey behind the fame. It showed that global icons were once dreamers, too.

“I Need U” itself has taken on a legendary status in BTS’s discography. It’s not just a song, it’s a memory, a beginning, a breakthrough. Performing it again at KBS was a way of reconnecting with their roots. It also reminded ARMY that no matter how far BTS travels, they always carry their beginnings with them.

Emotionally, this performance served as a mirror. It reflected everything BTS had been through, sleepless nights, early-stage struggles, criticisms, and doubts, but also everything they had achieved. It was a symbol of resilience, of faith, and of a relationship between artist and fandom that is built on something far deeper than just music.

Many ARMYs responded to the moment with heartfelt stories of how “I Need U” was the song that introduced them to BTS, or how that 2015 win inspired them to keep going in their own lives. Fans expressed gratitude to Big Hit for sharing that old tweet again, as if to say: “We see you. We remember. And we’re proud.”

As BTS stood on stage at the 2020 KBS Song Festival, singing the same lyrics that once gave them their start, their voices were stronger, steadier, and filled with purpose. But in their eyes, you could still see the glimmer of that moment in 2015, the disbelief, the gratitude, the love.

This wasn’t just nostalgia, it was legacy. And for BTS, that legacy is shared with ARMY. Through tears, tweets, wins, and performances like this, they continue to remind the world that they didn’t rise overnight. It was a journey, one paved with heartache, hope, and “I Need U.”