An Interview with BTS Radio UK - Michayla & Onomey

I often find myself wondering who is behind the Fanbases and professional accounts in the UK that support BTS; they seem to be awake and very active 24/7! I’m very lucky that I get to speak to a couple of the people behind these accounts on a daily basis but for the amount of work I know it takes to run an account, I also know it takes a few more than I’ve met.

Since we were all put in lock down the BTS Radio UK team have had a little bit more time on their hands and they decided to spend some of it giving each other interviews just for you.

Get ready to meet the BTS Radio UK team!

Interview 3: Michayla (Head Of Playlists) & Onomey (Playlists & Articles) have a chat

Michayla: How did you first hear about BTS? 

Onomey: With this question I’m not too sure what the answer is as I thought that I heard of them through watching a reaction video to DNA but then after listening to their catalogue of songs for the first time, I recognised ‘Danger’ and ‘We are Bulletproof pt. 2’... so I’m thinking that I must’ve heard about them when they were debuting through my best friend at the time as she was really into k-pop and j-pop and would constantly want me to listen to different songs regardless of whether I wanted to or not. I guess I need to be thankful to her for showing me how great the genre as a whole is and how incredible BTS were and are even though I forgot about the genre for a year or two. 

Onomey: So there's so many kpop groups out there and just artists in general, what made you fall in love with BTS? 

Michayla: BTS were the first K-pop group I was introduced to by my daughter and nieces. I will hold my hands up and admit that the first MV I was shown was Dope and Jungkook in that uniform sucked me right in. I'm a massive Michael Jackson fan and I saw a connection instantly, especially when my daughter showed me Tae, Jungkook and Yoongi performing to 'Love Never Felt So Good' in American Hustle Life. I was also about to have major surgery and their 'love yourself' message really resonated with me. I took my daughter and nieces to the O2 and I was down the rabbit hole with no way out.

Michayla: What has been your biggest highlight as ARMY?

Onomey: My biggest highlight was seeing the boys live at Wembley. The whole experience gave me such a rush, it was really amazing. I was late to the concert because my sister made us get on the wrong train so we were going away from Wembley instead of towards it so when I got there, just as J-Hope was performing, I knew I was wounded that I missed Dionysus live. Walking to the stadium, the streets were shaking with the sheer volume coming from ARMY that were interacting with J-Hope during the song, especially during the breakdown bridge. Me and my sister were sprinting around the stadium trying to find our seats whilst I could hear the roaring of ARMY shouting J-HOPE, J-HOPE, J-HOPE, J-HOPE before he started the bridge. I’ll never forget that to the point where I’m kind of glad that I experienced it from an outside perspective as well as an inside perspective

Onomey: So I’ve done a lot of silly things when in the kitchen, for example, I have tried to warm porridge oats up without milk which nearly resulted in a fire. What’s the biggest kitchen mishap you’ve had? 

Michayla: This is going to sound so lame but I actually don't recall having one. I've obviously overcooked things but nothing really that I would call a mishap, unless you can include leaving a birthday cake to cool on the worktop and one of my cats eating it so I had to start over again?

Michayla:  What do you do in your spare time? 

 

Onomey: In my spare time, I like to do a lot of things like make music, videos and watch a lot of football, although I can barely watch my team, Liverpool, at this current time, it’s a bit painful. The only saving grace is that my dad can’t say anything as it’s not like Tottenham are doing great, no offence Michayla. 

I hate promoting myself in any way so I’m cringing whilst I’m saying this but around November I started streaming games on Twitch under the name OnoPlays1 and I upload YouTube videos as Onoplays where I show people how I recreated k-pop songs which is fun. I have gained so many friends from around the world doing what I am doing currently. I am currently part of a community called Gamers For Good Causes who set up different streaming events in order to raise money for certain charities. Currently Andy’s Mans Club (a mental health charity). It’s been such a great thing to be involved with and to be surrounded by so many lovely and funny people who support you no matter what. 

 

Other things I have been trying to work on is my music and becoming an artist promoter and producer for an artist called Mia Wakefield, check her out, she’s brilliant. Sorry I had to, yeah I’ve been doing a lot in my free time that has been productive and a lot that is weird. I for some reason have decided to start learning how to knit and speak Spanish. The knitting is not going so well but I am improving on my Spanish daily, I think. I don’t know why I mentioned any of this and may have rambled a bit but ah well, it’s happened now. 

Onomey: What is your most sacred BTS album that you own? 

Michayla: Love Yourself: Answer because it was the first album I bought. Answer was my first comeback and my daughter actually thought I was joking when I said I'd pre-ordered the album.

Michayla: What are your favourite flavour of crisps? 

Onomey: Ooooo this is a tough question as it all depends on what brand of crisps. Like, if it’s monster munch, I wanna say roast beef, if it’s space invaders I’m going with beef as well actually. If we are talking about traditional flavours though, I think I’d go with ready salted or salt and vinegar but I could go on and on about crisps. Like what about prawn cocktail skips or original quavers? Do you see what you’ve done to me with this question? There are too many answers.

Onomey: Other than BTS, is there any other artist you completely fell in love with to this extent, if so, who are they and why? 

Michayla: Oh yes! When I was 10 it was New Kids on the block. But the one true love of my life has always been Michael Jackson. I've seen him live at Wembley in 1997 and attend conventions even now (pre pandemic obviously.) The word Legend was invented for him, he is the epitome of a genius and he had the biggest, kindest heart. He wanted to save the planet and gave so much of himself to charities. He was the most amazing human being and I will miss him forever. The fact that so many artists pay homage to him is testament to how great he was and it is thanks to artists like BTS that Michael's legacy lives on.

Michayla: If you could only have 5 BTS songs on a playlist, which 5 would you choose? 

Onomey: I thought this would be a lot more difficult, I’m surprised and proud of myself at the quickness I thought about this. The first songs that come to my mind are Euphoria, Best of Me, Fake Love, Epiphany and oooo the final one is a tough one. I can’t think of a final one, maybe I Like It, I think. It’s a bit of a left-field song but I love it as it’s a very smooth R&B song and has perfect but subtle harmonies in it. 

Onomey: Do you have any hidden talents or weird hobbies that you’ve picked up recently?  

Michayla: No, I'm just weird in general.

Michayla: If you could do one of BTS' dance routines, which one would you choose and why? 

 

Onomey: If I could dance to their heights then for sure, I would say that I’d love to learn the DNA dance routine because of the alternative chorus when they all do that incredible footwork in a line. The stamina they must’ve needed for this dance, baffles me every time I watch a performance of it. I know you said only one but I decided to choose one that I definitely wouldn’t be able to learn and one that I think I have the talents to learn, and when I say talents, I mean basic talents. The other song would be Black Swan, it’s a different type of genre I am used to dancing to, it has hip-hop elements which makes me think that I have a bit of a chance to learn the song. It is the modern dance element that really excites me about the choreography as it is very challenging to learn. 

 

Onomey: So I’ve had a handful of silly injuries as a kid so I thought I’d ask what is the dumbest way you’ve injured yourself? 

 

Michayla: I've never broken a bone or anything, I'm actually quite boring!

 

Michayla: If you like cooking, what would you say is your signature dish?

 

Onomey: I’d like to say that I’m a great cook but a lazy one. My signature dish in my household is special fried rice, spaghetti bolognese and chicken & chorizo jambalaya. That last one is a new one, it's one I’ve learnt how to cook over the first lockdown. My sister is a pretty fussy eater and she absolutely loves when I make that which makes me feel like Gordon Ramsey. It’s a west African, and Spanish influence dish. It reminds me a bit of paella the way it's cooked as all the ingredients are cooked together in one dish. 

 

Onomey: Do you have any highlight experiences you have had from being part of ARMY? If so, what are they and why do they stand out to you so much? 

 

Michayla: So many! I actually met my platonic soul mate through BTS, I didn't know that such a thing existed until then. We have a connection and things in common that I have never experienced, it blows people's minds when we tell them and I couldn’t imagine life without her. I started an adult ARMY Facebook group in 2018 and have met so many new people. Other highlights would include the crazy things my daughter and I have done like both nights at the O2 on 8 hours sleep and travelling to the Stade De France in Paris the week after Wembley. Also,  soundcheck at Wembley and interacting with Jimin, he read the wording on the t-shirt I had made for my daughter, which said 'Jimin it's my birthday today' (1st June was her 14th birthday). We had moments with four of the members and those memories will last a lifetime. Plus finding BTS Radio UK and becoming a part of the team. None of this would've happened had I not been ARMY.

 

Michayla: You are making a cracker and need a joke for it, what would you put in?

 

Onomey: What do you get if Santa forgets to wear his undercrackers? St Nickerless. Terrible I know but that's what makes Christmas cracker jokes great.

 

Onomey: What hobbies are you very passionate about? 

 

Michayla: I do a lot of writing because it helps me escape everyday life and improves my mental health. I was always writing as a child and now at nearly 42 years old, I'm still as creative. Also I'm extremely passionate about animals, I support the Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, both my daughter and I adopt big cats there. Then there's football and Michael Jackson too! Whatever it is that grabs me, I always put 110% in, I have a passionate, extreme nature, I don't do things by halves, hence all my BTS, Tottenham and MJ tattoos.

 

Michayla: Favourite BTS MV? 

 

Onomey: Oooo that’s tough considering each one is a masterpiece but as an avid dance fan, ON the Kinetic Manifesto version would be my favourite as there is a lot of choreography to witness and adore for sure. Thinking about it, I’m regretting not choosing this song for a dance routine I’d love to learn. Ah well, that’s the problem with BTS, they have too many dance worthy songs. I’m in love with the location setting and being able to see mostly everything going on at the same time. The way the camera moves in and out to help with transitions is amazing and the smoothness about it all makes it a video I could watch all day on repeat. 

 

Onomey: I know you’re a big Tottenham supporter, what’s your most favourite moment as a supporter and why? Also what stadium has been your favourite to visit? 

 

Michayla: It's so, so difficult to name one because there have been so many! I've seen us play Barcelona so to see Messi play, was a dream. Ledley King's testimonial was amazing, I was at the much talked about, Spurs vs Inter Milan game, I've seen Gazza back in a Spurs shirt, I will never forget the moment I walked into our new ground, this is so difficult! I can't possibly pinpoint one game so I'm going to say the day that I took all 3 of my children to White Hart Lane for the first time. Both my son’s have had experiences of playing at the old White Hart Lane and that was incredibly emotional. To have all 4 of us together, was very emotional. My eldest son and I are season ticket holders and travelling with him is so special. We have been to several away grounds, including Anfield one mother's day but my favourite so far has probably been Blackpool because the supporters were amazing and the away section was really good. I miss football so much and we can’t wait to get back to our seats that must be lonely without us.

 

Michayla: Do you have a favourite dance practice? If so, what is it? 

 

Onomey: My favourite dance practice is the MIC Drop MAMA dance break version. Body rolls, just body rolls. I have nothing else to say about it if you know, you know.

 

Onomey: If you had to pick between your BTS bias and your favourite Tottenham player, who would win? 

 

Michayla: Do you have any idea the mental breakdown I had when you asked me this? O.M.G... this is dreadful. I have 3 favourite Spurs players and can't choose 1 from those, therefore I will have to say my BTS bias... this is the most unfair question ever and my poor daughter is listening to me ranting about it lol! 

Thank you to Michayla and Onomey for sharing a little bit about themselves!