NAME: Mariana Rita

AGE: 17

HOME: Leiria, Portugal

INTRO TO K-POP: "I got into K-pop two years ago," Rita said. "I used to watch a bunch of anime and my YouTube recommendation list was filled with Japanese music. But some Korean music started showing up and I decided to give it a try. The first song I heard was 'Boom Boom' by Super Junior and I remember being super confused because of the language difference. It seemed like they kept repeating the same words. But the song was actually really catchy and as weird as the language sounded, I enjoyed it. So I searched for more [K-pop songs]."

FAN CREDENTIALS: "I started the main Portuguese Bangtan Boys Facebook fan page here in Portugal," Rita said. "We have developed quite a lot and we now have seven web administrators, working to keep this going. Even though, our work isn't always appreciated." The teen is also working on some clothing for one of the band members. "I'm currently preparing a gift for Bangtan's Jin," she said. "I hope I see him wearing some of the stuff I'm preparing to send. It would be amazing!"

ULTIMATE DREAM: "My biggest moment as a K-pop fan is still yet to happen," Rita said. "When I'll be finally able to stand face to face with Bangtan, even if I was only able to shake their hands or mumble a simple 'thank you,' or even just have eye contact for a few seconds, it would be my highest moment as a fan. These days, I'm pretty much just a regular fan, buying some merchandise and chanting the fan chants in front of my computer screen...I've been to a few fan events here in Portugal, even though we're still not a big number of fans attending, the number is growing. And it's always a great experience to meet people with the same interests as you. I've never been to a K-pop concert, though."

FAVORITE GROUP: Bangtan Boys

WHY BTS: "They are such skilled rappers and vocalists," Rita said. "They have overwhelming songs with such deep lyrics that are mostly composed and written by them. Their message is mostly for you to chase your dreams and believe in yourself. They also address the education and school environment theme a lot and are able to criticize and point out all the flaws, which makes their songs totally relatable. They sing about things that matter and make you think about what you truly want to do with your life and what you want to achieve. It's impossible not to love them as a whole, they always manage to amaze me more and more, and have never once disappointed me. Besides, they're insanely gorgeous, and I'd be lying if I said that they didn't catch my eye. They're just a bunch of happy, talented and sincere kids. Even in the industry of Western music, they'd go pretty far since their hip-hop songs resemble a lot western hip hop, specially Rap Monster and Suga's compositions."

FAVORITE SONG: "School Of Tears"

WHY: "I started following them thanks to that song," Rita said. "There wasn't even a debut date set yet. Their voices go with the beat so well and the lyrics are really meaningful. It's about how the whole concept of school has become more of a battlefield than a place where you actually learn and have fun, how it traps us in a place where the strong step on the weak and no one truly cares about how you feel. It's all about violence, power and negligence."

FAVORITE SOLO ARTIST: Jay Park

WHY JP: "He's just amazing!" Rita said. "I consider him to be a very versatile artist. He can sing and rap, in both English and Korean and is able to pull off pretty much any kind of music style. Even though personally, I prefer his R&B songs."

FAVORITE JAY PARK SONG: "Don't Let Go"

FUTURE OF K-POP: "K-pop is evolving and changing a lot lately," Rita said. "Even though I like some recent songs, back in 2008, K-pop was a little better than it is now. Nowadays, all the groups tend to debut or produce the same type of music. Everything is too noisy for me. I prefer smooth music. I hope this year we see some changes. I'm excited for what 2014 has in store for K-pop."

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