From BTS's ARMY to Taylor Swift fans... Brazil fandoms mobilize for President Lula's reelection

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Global stars including Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Lady Gaga unite 600 Brazilian fan communities... Joining presidential campaign ahead of the second-round runoff vote on the 25th

The British daily The Guardian reported on the 20th (local time) that Brazil's pop fandoms are participating in President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's reelection campaign. According to The Guardian, more than 600 fan communities, including those for BTS, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Lady Gaga, have joined the "onLINE" campaign.

They began moving in earnest after the results of the first-round vote on the 4th showed President Lula trailing candidate Flávio Bolsonaro. They are posting election-related messages on fan accounts and sharing them to reach out to voters.

In Brazil, a runoff vote will be held on the 25th between President Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro, son of right-wing Jair Bolsonaro Jeon (President). In the first-round presidential vote held on the 4th, candidate Flávio Bolsonaro of the right-wing Liberal Party (PL) recorded first place with 47.03% of the votes, while Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Hyeon (President) of the left-wing Workers' Party (PT) followed with 45.16%. As no candidate secured a majority, the two candidates will face off in the runoff vote on the 25th.

One starting point of the campaign was Billie Eilish's Brazilian fan community, "Info Billie Brazil." This account posted an open letter to President Lula on X and Instagram, stating its intention to use social media accounts to disseminate election-related information. Subsequently, several fan accounts shared the same message, and a website called "Fandoms Pelo Brasil" (Fandoms for Brazil) was created to guide political participation by fandoms.

Participation from BTS's Brazilian fandom "ARMY" was also confirmed. Brazilian media outlet Mídia NINJA reported on the 6th that the BTS fan account "BTS Project Brasil" joined the campaign supporting Lula's reelection and opened its social media accounts to the campaign. At the time, the view count for related posts exceeded 145,000. The Guardian also introduced remarks from a participant belonging to BTS ARMY at a rally in São Paulo. One participant said, "We must step up and make our voices heard."

The "BTS Project Brasil" account posted on X the phrase "ARMYS COM LULA" (ARMY with Lula) along with hashtags such as "#ARMYSComLULA," "#ArmysNasUrnas," and "#PolitizArmy." It also shared promotional materials combining photos of President Lula with images of BTS members. Another photo showed a photocard of BTS member Jin taken together with a piece of paper in the form of a first-round voting certificate.

At street rallies in São Paulo, participants wearing not only symbols familiar from political gatherings but also BTS merchandise and Taylor Swift-related outfits were noticeable. One participant belonging to the BTS fandom ARMY told The Guardian, "We must step up and make our voices heard." Another participant, a Beyoncé fan, explained that because people who do not regularly follow political news still follow fan club accounts, fandoms can convey political discussions to more people.

In Brazil, there were also government moves mindful of the influence of fandoms. President Lula signed so-called "fan laws" in August, which included measures to suppress ticket scalping for performances and provide free drinking water at large public events. Some fan representatives met with the president at the time.

Of course, just because fandoms participate in election campaigns and support a specific candidate does not mean that artists such as BTS officially endorse a particular individual, party, or their political stance. Among Brazilian fandoms, there are K-pop fandoms supporting the opposing candidate, and many fandoms do not participate in election campaigns in accordance with guidelines prohibiting the use of artist images in political content.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original