BTS (방탄소년단) Official Thread: 2nd Chapter [#2025OT7 #11thAnniversary #MUSE #HobiD89 #Who #AreYouSure #RunJin #BeMine]

[YongZura⁷]

 

TAXONOMIES JAN. 5, 2024

What Is the Message Behind Each BTS Solo Project?

 

By Jennifer Zhan, a Vulture news blogger covering TV, movies and music

 

Where were you when the four-way military enlistment dropped? Last month, HYBE announced that RM, V, Jimin, and Jung Kook were the final members of BTS to start their mandatory stint in the South Korean armed forces. This meant the group actually had to go on a break. BTS previously announced a “hiatus” in June 2022, but each of the seven members — RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook — went on to drop solo music afterward. And sure, that’s technically not new — they’ve all released individual songs before, from separate tracks on group albums to OSTs to their own mixtapes. But their solo debuts in 2022 and 2023 were official, arriving with full rollouts and performances (and in one case, a solo tour). It was our first introduction to how the Tannies operate as individual artists.

 

While they’re away, we’re still getting new BTS material, in the form of Disney+’s eight-part docuseries BTS Monuments: Beyond The Star, which is currently exploring the history of the group and their music. Ahead of the show’s finale on January 10, let’s analyze all the solo releases, from their sounds to promotional approaches, and assess how much BTS DNA is in each member’s post-“hiatus” project.

 

RM - Indigo

Release date: December 2, 2022
What’s the vibe? Everything from boom bap to classic funk. There’s a laid-back, contemplative feeling even in the more uptempo raps — no wonder RM has described the album as a “sun-bleached record faded like old jeans.”
Who shows up? Erykah Badu, Anderson .Paak, Tablo, Kim Sa-wol, Colde, Youjeen, Park Ji-yoon, Paul Blanco, and Mahalia.
Billboard Hot 100 peak: 83 (“Wild Flower” with Youjeen)
The moment that attacked ARMYs: His delivery of eyebrow-raising bars like “They got you by your balls and your socioeconomics” and “I make her body di-di diddy diddy bop.”
Rollout notes: RM was choosy with press, participating in only a handful of interviews with people he said he personally likes, including Zach Sang and the Psick Show. Rather than a tour, he held a small concert for just 200 ARMYs. His only other major performances were NPR’s Tiny Desk  and a live set at an Upstate New York art museum without an audience Sonically, Indigo is different even from his 2015 RM and 2018 mono mixtapes. But there are faint traces of this album’s vibe in group tracks co-written by RM like “Hold Me Tight” and “Embarrassed.”

 

BTS DNA:

He also previously revealed that he hasn’t found his signature style yet. So it makes sense that an album that experiments with different approaches would be less of an appeal to the general public than to already-loyal ARMYs and to indie music fans who might not be familiar with him.

 

Jin- Astronaut

Release date: October 28, 2022
What’s the vibe? An otherworldly pop-rock single that, given its title, is perfect for spacing out and thinking about a loved one.
Who shows up? Jin co-wrote the Kygo-produced track with his Coldplay hyungs.
Billboard Hot 100 peak: 51
The moment that attacked ARMYs: In the music video, Jin has a neck tattoo that appears to spell “ARMY” in Braille. It’s briefly visible right as he sings, “And I love you.”
Rollout notes: Jin introduced an astronaut character named Wootteo, who got a line of galactic merch (and more than a million Instagram followers). He also gave his debut live performance of “The Astronaut” with Coldplay in Argentina, just hours after the song dropped. Mostly because it sounds like a cousin of “My Universe”; it’s easy to imagine this being reworked as a group track.

 

BTS DNA:

Even if Jin hadn’t previously confirmed the song was a goodbye present for ARMYs, a surprise drop that sounds pretty similar to something we’ve heard BTS release before certainly comes across as a gift for existing fans (as opposed to an attempt to attract new listeners or tread into uncharted artistic territory). Maybe his approach will change after his military release?

 

SUGA - D-Day

Release date: April 21, 2023
What’s the vibe?: It’s intense, but not quite as angry as the previous installments in the rap trilogy from his hard-hitting alter ego, Agust D.
Who shows up?: J-Hope, IU, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Woosung.
Billboard Hot 100 peak: 58 (“Haegeum”)
The moment that attacked ARMYs: The deeply personal stories he shared in “Amygdala.”
Rollout notes: Suga performed his pre-release single “People Pt. 2” with IU on her show, and was interviewed on his own Suchwita show by guest host RM. He also took his album — and a guitar with messages from all of his members — on a solo world tour not long after the drop. While BTS has plenty of rap-heavy songs (think “Ddaeng,” “UGH!”, and “Baepsae”), those tracks don’t necessarily have the rawness imbued in this solo work.

 

BTS DNA:

Because D-Day is the conclusion of a trilogy, it allowed Suga to reflect on his past and present. Fans who fought for tickets to the first stop of his tour had less than a week to learn the lyrics, suggesting that the album wasn’t as much about making hits as it was about gifting ARMYs a live storytelling experience. In fact, he told Marie Claire Korea the intention behind his solo tour was “not to realize my full potential nor to succeed as a solo artist,” but rather to pay back fans who have waited for another BTS tour.

 

Spoiler

 

j-hope

Jack in the box

Release date: July 15, 2022
What’s the vibe?: An ode to old-school hip-hop, with grunge, alt-rock, and punk influences adding extra layers of angst.
Who shows up?: Jack in the Box was a solo effort, but he hit up longtime muse, J. Cole, for the 2023 single, “On the Street.”
Billboard Hot 100 peak: 60 (“On the Street”)
The moment that attacked ARMYs: His unfiltered attitude at his Lollapalooza performance, which caused some fans to make Hobipalooza cursing compilations. Plus, the fact that Jimin came to Chicago to support the performance.
Rollout notes: J-Hope headlined both Lolla and the MAMA Awards, accepting awards for both himself and his group. The initially digital-only album was re-released as a CD in 2023 with new tracks, including his live Lolla sets.

 

BTS DNA:

The group hasn’t really dipped into grunge, alt-rock, and punk.

After dropping his much brighter debut mixtape Hope World in 2018, J-Hope wanted to reintroduce himself with a grittier sound on a global stage — which is fitting for an album with a title that refers to the myth of Pandora’s box and what’s been locked inside. A festival like Lolla would ostensibly be a chance for him to perform for a lot of people that weren’t his fans (though the Hobipalooza of it ended up kind of disproving that).

 

Jimin - FACE

Release date: March 24, 2023
What’s the vibe? Vocal effects help carry Jimin’s voice through genres from trap soul to synth pop.
Who shows up? No features, but RM helped co-write several songs.
Billboard Hot 100 peak: 1 (“Like Crazy”)
The moment that attacked ARMYs: The cursing in “Set Me Free Pt. 2” (“Hey fool, just get out of my way / Shut up, RickRoll'D off, I’m on my way”), plus his poetic chest tattoos in that music video.
Rollout notes: Jimin’s Production Diary offered a behind-the-scenes look at his album recording process. He also spent a day with Vogue in New York before his performance on The Tonight Show, where he joked that his favorite nickname is “Jimin Fallon.”

 

BTS DNA:  Grand production and instrumentals call to mind songs like “On” and “Black Swan,” but there’s a dreamier aspect to some of these tracks that Jimin leans into.

 

While his new 2023 single “Closer Than This” is addressed to fans, FACE is directed inward; the album title refers to Jimin facing himself at this point in his career. Jimin did the press rounds, but his promotional period was fairly short. And while he still topped the charts, his emphasis seemed to be more on pushing himself as a performer, particularly through visuals that nod to his abilities in contemporary dance.

 

V-Layover

Release date: September 8, 2023
What’s the vibe? Layover is full of jazzy, soulful songs. The baritone vocalist has expressed his appreciation for vintage items, and there’s a certain old-fashioned charm to this release, down to the design.
Who shows up? NewJeans creative director Min Hee-jin oversaw production of the entire release.
Billboard Hot 100 peak: 51 (“Slow Dancing”)
The moment that attacked ARMYs: When V grabbed a hat and performed a chill dance break set to the minute-long flute solo at the end of “Slow Dancing.”
Rollout notes: Fifth gen It boy Yeontan (a.k.a. V’s dog) made his stage debut on Mnet. We got aesthetic music videos for five tracks, and V performed for the new Tiny Desk Korea.

 

BTS DNA: If you’re looking for chill group tracks, you can try “Outro: House of Cards,” “134340,” and “Fly to My Room,” but Layover is more laid-back than those.

 

If the sound of his music and relaxed nature of his promotions weren’t enough evidence, V literally explained in an interview that since his previous stage performances have been fancy and over-the-top, for his solo debut, he wanted to strip back some of those elements and show his original color. That approach pairs well with an album title that calls to mind a moment of pause, and is also evident in his latest feature with UMI.

 

Jungkook - Golden

Release date: November 3, 2023
What’s the vibe? Though it does dip into R&B and EDM, it’s definitely a pop record. It feels like Michael Jackson and ‘NSync were on his mood board.
Who shows up? Jack Harlow, Major Lazer, Latto, and DJ Snake (plus Usher and Justin Timberlake on remixes). Ed Sheeran and Shawn Mendes are credited as co-writers.
Billboard Hot 100 peak: 1 (“Seven” with Latto)
The moment that attacked ARMYs: The explicit version of “Seven” (you’ll be what-ing me right?), plus the “DNA” choreography reference in “Standing Next to You.”
Rollout notes: Jung Kook performed a surprise free concert in Times Square, got deep with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, traded choreo with sister group Le Sserafim on TikTok, and recruited some big-name backup dancers for his music videos.

 

 

BTS DNA: BTS has done plenty of pop. Your closest bets would probably be “Butter” (feat. Megan Thee Stallion), “Paradise,” and “Make It Right” (feat. Lauv),” though Jung Kook’s solos lean slightly more into a ‘90s/early 2000s sound.

This album is an effort to solidify Jung Kook as a sexy pop soloist, particularly in the West. The release feels like it was built in a lab to please TikTok’s gen pop, from its radio-friendly singles and remixes down to its successful dance challenges. He’s also singing in English. Are the lyrics super deep? No. But is it a crime to want to look hot and sing some innuendos?

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[YongZura⁷]

 

I am still browsing the documentary photobook ...

 

 

Wish there's a proper translation for this:

 

 

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[YongZura⁷]

 

 

 

ctto

[YongZura⁷]

Yes!

SUGA x Jung Yong Hwa (CNBlue)

 

 

 

We know who's coming...

 

ctto

[YongZura⁷]

 

They are back!

 

Jungkook returns to the Top 10 of Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl US this week with "Seven" and "Standing Next to You"!

 

Global 200 #9 Seven (25 weeks)

Global Excl. US #4 Seven (25 weeks) #7 Standing Next To You (9 weeks)

 

 

 

 

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[willenette]

17 hours ago, YongZura⁷ said:

Yes!

SUGA x Jung Yong Hwa (CNBlue)

 

We know who's coming...

 

ctto

 

@YongZura⁷  thanks for sharing this. Also, V has reached a significant streaming milestone as a solo artist. He has now surpassed 2 billion streams across all credits as a soloist on Spotify. This is huge. Layover is a great album. Congratulations, V! I'm so proud of you.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willenette]

*** HYBE sent a warning to the military letter app The Camp for using the faces and names of the BTS members serving in the military without permission. The agency plans to consider legal action, saying it is a “violation of publicity rights.” They also sold dolls and soldier name tags through their commerce channel, The Camp Mall and used the BTS members real names on the tag. The dolls were sold at a high price and the agency’s stance is that the artists’ name also constitutes IP. In fact, it was BTS’s fans who first raised the controversy over The Camp’s unauthorized use of the members. Fans hinted as a boycott of the service previously. After receiving reports from fans, HYBE sent an official letter to The Camp stating that this act was “violation of the Unfair Competition Prevention Act due to infringement of publicity rights” (unauthorized use of IP), “violation of the Electronic Commerce Act” (deception of fans and consumers through official text), and they warned that this constitutes a “violation of the Personal Information Protection Act” (disclosure of service information such as the artist’s salary, rank, and diet). In response to HYBE’s protest, The Camp management took down BTS-related posts and stopped selling the doll and artist name tag package. However, it is known that the BTS community is still operating and reportedly protested that it was a community created voluntarily by fans, not by the operator.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

source : https://www.newsis.com/view/?id=NISX20240108_0002584213&cID=13006&pID=13100

 

 

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19 hours ago, YongZura⁷ said:

Yes!

SUGA x Jung Yong Hwa (CNBlue)

 

 

@YongZura⁷  Suga recently shared a story of his sudden meeting with him  inside a washroom back in 2015. The story, as Suga recalled, goes back several years, when BTS were still rookies. But during this time, a senior artist seemed to have left some impact on Suga through their face-to-face interaction. So much so that he still remembers it all. In the upcoming episode, the above-mentioned senior artist, CNBLUE’s Jung Yunghwa, will appear as a guest! The teaser hinted that Jung Yunghwa is close to multiple BTS members. He mentioned that their friendship started when Jimin approached him, saying he was from Busan, the same place where Jung grew up. The episode is scheduled to be aired on January 15, KST. Can't wait for this.  

 

 

 

[willenette]

*** The 2024 Korea First Brand Awards held its annual ceremony on January 9! Every year, the Korea First Brand Awards conducts consumer surveys and consults with experts to chooses the most exciting brands that consumers are looking forward to and that they think will be at the forefront of the upcoming year. Starting this past year, consumer surveys were conducted not only in Korea but also in Vietnam, and over 288,000 people took part in this year’s consumer survey from November 6 to 19, 2023. Congratulations to V!  

 

Check out the list of winners in the individuals and culture categories for Korea below!

 

Idol Actor: EXO’s Xiumin
Idol Actress: Oh My Girl’s Arin
Male Idol Variety Star: BTS’s V
Female Idol Variety Star: Oh My Girl’s Mimi
Male Multi-Entertainer: Dex
Female Multi-Entertainer: Jo Hyun Ah
Model Entertainer: Joo Woo Jae
Sports Entertainer: Lee Dae Ho
Specialist-Entertainer: Jang Hang Joon
Golfer: Lee Ye Won
Hot Icon: Kim Ah Young
Best Couple: HaHa, Byul
Radio DJ: DAY6’s Young K
Web Variety Program MC: Kwanghee

 

 

 

source : https://www.joynews24.com/view/1674269

[YongZura⁷]

 As for V's album:

 

 

His songs are my go-to whenever I need to feel calm (except for the latest remix).  Well, I'm enjoying it for now and will look forward to other types of songs he'll be interested in the future.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

JK

BTS’s Jungkook Breaks Billboard 200 Record For Longest-Charting K-Pop Solo Album In History

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p.s

I'm glad HYBE took action to safeguard the members' IPs.  

It was on the news:

Spoiler

 

ctto

 

[YongZura⁷]

The finale is today!

 

 

 

 

Love the writing!

 

[YongZura⁷]

 

Our V!

 

 

 

 

 

and

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

ctto

 

[willenette]

*** The 2024 13th Circle Chart Awards is one of the final K-pop award ceremonies commemorating the standout tracks of 2023, which is set to unfold TODAY January 10 in Busan, South Korea. It's slated to broadcast live from the iconic Busan Exhibition and Convention Center. It sets to honor the best in music from 2023. BTS, Jimin, JK and V are nominated.  

 

Global Streaming Nominees

BTS – Take Two

Jimin – Like Crazy

Jungkook – Seven (featuring Latto)

 

Digital Nominees

Jungkook – Seven (featuring Latto)

 

Streaming Unique Listeners Nominees

Jungkook – Seven (featuring Latto)

 

Album Nominees

Jungkook – Golden

V – Layover

 

 

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*** Jimin and Jungkook sharing joyful moments in recent military group photo. So NICE to see both of them looking happy. So NICE to witness their adaptation to military life.  

 

 

 

[willenette]

11 hours ago, YongZura⁷ said:

 

JK

BTS’s Jungkook Breaks Billboard 200 Record For Longest-Charting K-Pop Solo Album In History

ctto

 

p.s

I'm glad HYBE took action to safeguard the members' IPs.  

 

@YongZura⁷  The year 2024 is a good start for Jungkook. Congratulations to Jungkook for this wonderful achievement!  

[willenette]

Jungkook breaks record for most weeks spent on Billboard 200 among K-pop soloists

 

Jungkook of BTS [BIGHIT MUSIC]

 

BTS's Jungkook's solo album "Golden" has now spent nine consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200 albums chart since its release, making it the longest-charting album by a K-pop solo artist.
 
"Golden," released on Nov. 3, sat at No. 28 on the chart as of the week of Jan. 13.
 
The album's lead track, "Standing Next to You," sat at No. 70, up 27 spots from the previous week, on the Hot 100 singles chart, also staying on the chart for nine consecutive weeks.

 

Jungkook reentered the top 10 of the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. US charts.
 
"Seven (feat. Latto)" sat at No. 9 on the Billboard Global 200. The track sat at No. 4 on the Billboard Global Excl. US, followed by "Standing Next to You" at No. 7.
 
Jungkook's bandmates, V and Jimin, also charted in several Billboard charts.
 
V's "wherever u r," a collaboration with American singer-songwriter UMI, sat at No. 5 on the Digital Song Sales chart; No. 64 on the Billboard Global Excl. US; and No. 99 on the Billboard Global 200.
 
Jimin's first solo album "FACE" sat at No. 12 on the World Albums chart. Its lead track, "Like Crazy," sat at No. 74 on the Billboard Global Excl. US and No. 96 on the Billboard Global 200.
 
All members of BTS are currently completing their mandatory military service. They are expected to finish by June 2025.  
 

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]

 

 

 

credit : JoongAngDaily

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-01-10/entertainment/kpop/Jungkook-breaks-record-for-most-weeks-spent-on-Billboard-200-among-Kpop-soloists/1955087

 

 

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MORE -

 

***Wow...................he is the true example of visuals. I can't breathe looking at the photo. He just takes my breath away! All (3) covers give off completely different vibes, amazing and so damn gorgeous!  Not many can do that. He slayed.. He never fails to bring something new with everything he does! Perfection is the word.V is really an impressive model. I ran out of adjectives to describe the beauty of this guy. Celine is in good hands!  

 

 

V on 'Harper's Bazaar' Korea's February Cover

 

 

 

 

 

 

[YongZura⁷]

Congratulations JK!

 

 

 

 

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[YongZura⁷]

 

 

 

 

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[YongZura⁷]

 

 

I've been rewatching it already and trying to capture those scenes that I missed.  This is a must-watch documentary plus their book Beyond The Story to know the real them.  Let's meet again soon.

 

In the meantime, my Korean lesson is still ongoing and I'm grateful for my "Korean buddies" in our language learning.  Most of us hope to be better at communicating with the members in Korean when we reunite.  Till then, let's stream their songs through various platforms.

[YongZura⁷]

 

 

Watch: BTS’s Jimin Takes 1st Win For “Closer Than This” On “M Countdown

 

BTS’s Jimin has won his first music show trophy for “Closer Than This”!

On the January 11 broadcast of Mnet’s “M Countdown,” the candidates for first place were RIIZE’s “Love 119” and BTS’s Jimin’s “Closer Than This.” BTS’s Jimin ultimately took the win with a total of 7,500 points.

Congratulations to Jimin!

 

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[willenette]

*** JK is one of the Top 10 Spots On U.S. List Of Best-Selling CDs Of 2023. Aside from Taylor Swift, all of last year’s best-selling CD albums in the United States were by K-pop artists! American music data tracking firm Luminate (formerly MRC Data), which supplies the data for the Billboard charts, released its year-end list of the best-selling CDs of 2023. The tracking period for the year began on December 30, 2022 and ended on December 28, 2023. On the list ranking, this is CD sales only (not including digital download albums or any other format). Jungkook is the only male soloist to make the list. His solo debut album “GOLDEN,” sold 244,000 CDs in the United States last year. Congratulations to Jungkook!  

 

The top 10 best-selling CD albums of 2023 in the United States are as follows:

1. Taylor Swift – “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” (800,000)
2. Stray Kids – “★★★★★ (5-STAR)” (520,000)
3. TXT – “The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION” (442,000)
4. Stray Kids – “ROCK-STAR” (381,000)
5. NewJeans – “Get Up” (332,000)
6. TWICE – “READY TO BE” (303,000)
7. SEVENTEEN – “FML” (288,000)
8. Taylor Swift – “Midnights” (276,000)
9. Taylor Swift – “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” (267,000)
10. Jungkook (BTS) – “GOLDEN” (244,000)

 

 

source : https://luminatedata.com/

[willenette]

*** On January 10 episode of MBC's television show 'Radio Star', Kim Gu-ra revealed a special bond between his family and V's father. Kim Gu-ra described what V's father is like. When the guests and hosts were talking together, Lee Geum-hee, one of the guest mentioned that she is ARMY. Since all seven BTS members are currently fulfilling their national mandatory duty in the military, Lee Geun-hee said that she felt sad. Speaking of BTS, Kim Gu-ra told Lee Geum-hee, "You know, I know V's father. We live in the same neighborhood. He even gifted some money to my daughter." In response to this, Lee Geum-hee commented in excitement, "I heard that V's father is very good-looking." Kim Gu-ra said, "Yeah, well, lots of words about him go around our neighborhood. I'm not sure if it's true, but apparently, V gave a large sum of cash to his father and said, 'Dad, take some rest now. Don't work anymore.'" He continued, "I know for a fact that he is a good golfer. He's also good at playing pool. And he sings well." As soon as Kim Gu-ra finished his sentence, Lee Geum-hee excitedly commented, "Oh, this is all new information. I'm so happy that I got to learn all that today!" 

 

 

 

 

 

source : SBS Star

 

 

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*** Jungkook is one who's nominated in 2024 People's Choice Awards. Jungkook scores nominations in 4 different categories : Male Artist of the Year, Pop Artist of the Year, New Artist of the Year, and Collaboration Song of the Year.