have you seen the cute clip of jimin gently bringing taeâs hand to his mouth, like some kind of prince, the day before the busan concert? so precious :â)
I did! It's so cute! đ„șđ If only the angle was better so it didn't get cut off. đ
Driftâs post covers many very important points about Vmin in Festa 2022 and this new chapter - I recommend reading it and its other parts.Â
If I put on my delulu-queer-scenario hat, my predictions for this new Vmin chapter is that :
1- Vmin will do songs together
2a- Taehyung will release before his enlistment a romantic album about falling in love, hence the importance of structure (from being strangers, to friends, to lovers). An intricate album, narratively structured, introspective and intimate.
OR
2b- Taehyung will release a coming-out album AFTER his enlistment, which will be more clear about queerness hardships, falling in love and not be able to live it fully, with a vmin romantic duet, for example. I do NOT expect it to be 100% obvious : if thereâs no progress of LGBT rights & their perception by the general public in Korea until then, it will not be a real coming out. My secret hope is that BTS makes public opinion change about LGBT people, but itâs only a dream at this point.
Now I take off my delulu hat to talk about small, cute moments between Vmin during Festa dinner.
There werenât any big Vmin moments during this dinner because first of all, they werenât next to each other (we vminies know that one person isnât sufficient to prevent them from being clingy soulmates, but-), and second of all, it was a serious talk, melancholic and raw.
Nonetheless, there were a few cute moments I wanted to share with you, since I also needed some Vmin solace this week.
For me, soju is a Taehyung drink; and I wondered if Jimin is nowadays drinking more of it thanks to Taehyung, and if he wanted to share with him. Yet, Taehyung asked Jimin, very softly, to grab another drink for him, and it was very cute.
I love how naturally he heard him among the Bangtan Chaos, and passed him the bottle smoothly without barely looking xD
And of course Taehyung managed to make Jimin laugh with a joke (Jimin : the drink is very sweet / Taehyung : then it means your day was hard).Â
And OF COURSE Taehyung asked Jimin if he wanted to eat some crab, which was out of Jiminâs reach. He wants his soulmate to be well fed at all time :â( And we know Vmin loves to share food.Â
When Taehyung got up to go somewhere, he leaned on Jimin (but not J-hope) and touched his shoulders. Physical touch is one of Vmin love language, thatâs for certain.
If you pay attention to Taehyungâs body position during the first part of the dinner, heâs often turned right, to the general direction of Jimin. For example, here, Jin made a joke about Jungkook, but Taehyung is laughing while looking at Jimin.
While talking about going back together as a group after doing solo activities, Taehyung looks directly at Jimin. I suppose they must have had many discussions about this - knowing that Jimin prefers to be the member of a group and doesnât really want to be considered as a solo artist (heâs, after all, very private), while Taehyung likes to do solo projects and wants to try many things outside of BTS (and heâs, after all, very open on many things).
One of the many promises they must have made to each other is that, whatever projects Taehyungâs working on, with the hwarang-hyung other people and artists, they would keep spending a lot of time together.
Because after all, Jimin is Taehyungâs first supporter, and when Namjoon mentioned Taehyungâs album, Jimin IMMEDIATELY bragged about the fact that Taehyung already played the album for him.
Namjoon then says, that Taehyung played the album at his house (for the members). BUT, Jimin did not say âfor usâ, so again, soulmate privileges, he heard the album before the others, I guess.
And Jimin takes the chance to compliment Taehyungâs music!
With the members going ârelease the album!! now!!â I guess the album is more likely my option 2a, a romantic album full of love songs, but not queer-coded. Yet I wonder, then, if Taehyung doesnât release it because of this- that he doesnât feel complete freedom about it.
Well, thatâs it! This post was just small Vmin moments, because Vmin isnât only about grand gestures, hand holding and clinginess - itâs also small moments that show their bond.
This is a new chapter but Vminâs bond is as strong as ever. Do not doubt it, even if you canât see it anymore. June 10th Vlive shows that even after this difficult announcement and beginning of a âbreakâ, Vmin were just as clingy as ever!
As someone who had a partner for 9 years now, and entered a period of distant relationship - I can assure you that beside calls, youâre SO happy when you finally gather in person...
FESTA 2022 Family Dinner: The Future for Vmin, Apart & Together (Part 3)
My apologies for keeping all my followers hanging on the part you were probably waiting for, haha. I wanting to cover the OT7 things, because that's most important, but then it took me longer to write this than I anticipated. But here it is!
In this part, I'll cover (and I include a brief summary of my opinion opinion so you're not too anxious as you read):
Thoughts on Jimin in the solos era: Tbh, I'm a bit worried for Jimin, but I also think this is a challenge he needs and I'm sure he will have support to pass with flying colors (as always)
Thoughts on Taehyung in the solos era: Tae clearly has things he wants to do and I'm so excited to see them, and how often he speaks of seeking freedom, and not seemingly related to his music, makes me... hmmmm.
Thoughts on Vmin, past and present: I remain, as always, unworried about them; but the news does re-contextualize Friends... as even more meaningful than before, hahahahaha. Oh Jimin, my beloved, I love you so.
I will note that this will be a combination of my personal musings, and also analysis of the vids. So keep that in mind. Perhaps how I think of Jimin & Tae is now exactly how you think of them.  Nonetheless I hope you find some decent food for thought here (and it quells some panic, haha).
Part 1
Part 2
Obviously if you haven't watch the video, go do that. Beginning to end.
[This screenshot seems, to me, such a good encapsulation of them. Esp in this new era ;P]
On Jimin
To my mind, Jimin is clearly the one with the most reluctance to expand beyond the wings of BTS, musically or as a public figure.Â
Heâs said in the 2018 FESTA vid (shortly after when we know they were very burnt out and considering not disbandment or hiatus, which I think is helpful context to remember) that he prefers songs from the group. He knows them, he knows what theyâre trying to say. Of course, heâs had solo songs or performances, heâs not expressed desire for them in-and-of-themselves as new challenge for him personally as an artist. For example, in BEhind Story (my write-up here)? Contrast JK, who talked a lot about the performances he wants to do solo, with Jimin, who talked about his writing endeavors as a way to better himself in service of BTS.Â
[This is your friendly reminder to watch them if you havenât!!! Now that we know theyâve been planning these solo albums, these are doubly interesting and such a helpful view of what we can expect from them as solo artists and the journey they took to get there. And try to watch the full version of each member, which my post links!!]
And that makes sense, in a way. Unlike the other members, who have clear interests beyond BTS & their music (even Jin has gaming), Jimin really⊠doesnât.Â
Of course, part of that may be, as Iâve pointed him, how intensely private he is. Often when he talks, he will share something both vulnerable and yet stripped entirely of any personal details. Indeed, itâs here too, if you pay close attention to his words.Â
But the other part is that he clearly sees his identity as so wrapped up in BTS. Play back his words. The other members spoke about where they are emotionally. But see⊠how Jimin spoke in âweâ phrases the entire time? And how as he lands on the crisis as fundamentally about the transition between thinking/defining solely in terms of group identity to individual identity? (vs. Yoongi or Namjoon, who talked about it more as an issue of creative inspiration and not feeling able to foster their individual interests):Â
[25:40] "We can't help but think of our fans no matter what. What kind of artist we want to be remembered as to our fans. I think finally we've come to think about what kind of artists we each want to be remembered as to our fans. I think that's why we're going through a rough patch right now. We're trying to find our identity, and that's an exhausting and long process.Â
And personally, I think thereâs an amount of fear wrapped up in this. Itâs no secret that Jimin has had, and continues to have, struggles with issues of self-esteem. Itâs part of why heâs such a perfectionist. And though every member has, at one point or another, talked about how they would be less without BTS (off the top of my head, I remember Jin saying heâd be just normal; JK saying he wasnât good at anything before; etc), Jimin is someone who has consistently said that the other members make up for his flaws on stage. And the way he spoke about his various songs, he often called it simple or not good before more experienced people (eg a producer, Namjoon) helped him.Â
Which is honestly. So so wild to me. Because Jimin is the perfect idol, the most natural-born performer. My bias speaking yada yada, heâs got insane stage presence; charisma that enables him to charm people who donât even speak his language; a unique voice that invariably makes experts and reactors go, âWoah. Thatâs not a voice you hear everydayâ; and a dance style that combines classical training with natural emotiveness that other labels literally get their idols to try to learn. And sure, he doesnât have the experience or even natural inclination for producing or songwriting the rapline does (though imo, âinclinationâ can be developed)âbut so what? We donât demand actors write their scripts too.
So I get his insecurity, even see how it helps propel him to be world-class, but still, I just want to shake him and go, âYou are perfectâ because like Tae, I truly worry heâs too hard on himselfâŠ
âŠespecially in the solos era. Like, look. I get that this is absolutely the right move for him to develop as an artist. As they said, everyone needs to grow up. Jimin does need this challenge. He does need to define himself away from the group. And you can tell heâs tired too. When Namjoon said itâs hard to say that theyâre tired, he nodded along and said âThatâs right.â But to command a stage alone with all that pressure, with his insecuritiesâŠÂ
But. That brings me to what actually makes me feel better: heâs not alone on this journey. Even in the dinner video (and Behind Story - again please watch hahaha), he talks about Namjoon helping him; Yoongi giving him a song; he and Tae sharing their music with each other. And Iâm sure all the others will as well. As I previously said, they will be in each otherâs lives whether or not we see it. Itâs clear that they have each other, and Iâm going to entrust them to take care of Jimin.
Anyway xD All that Drift is Anxious talk out of the way, what can we expect from Jimin in this new era? The members have been talking about it more in their Weverse magazine interview (which I hope youâve been reading!), but since Jiminâs not released yet Iâll talk through what I know⊠which is that Jimin seems to want to keep it close to his chest until closer to its release xD Hereâs all he literally had to say about it in the video:Â
[36:00] "I get it now that I'm working on my own album. I⊠It's like⊠After all, I want my music to tell a message to our fans. And it made me feel a lot of things."
Which basically to me translates to âIâll let the music speak for itself, when itâs ready.â And honestly, that tracks. Think about how he talked about Lie, Filter, or even Friends (which is the one heâs shared the most about, and still thereâs much we donât know, and frankly, Tae shared more personal details about it than Jimin, haha). Heâs an artist, his music should speak for him.
That said, Iâd be shocked if thereâs not a song written by/with Tae and Yoongi on his album - those men owe him songs, they gotta shell out now, haha. Also I maintain my prediction for a Tae subunit track with dancing. Â
Outside of music? He hasnât talked about anything else he wants explicitly, so your guess is as good as mine - if pushed, Iâd predict variety show appearances, as heâs an avid watcher and seems to have had a lot of fun in Youquiz etc.. but to be honest, I think he might stick entirely to music.
Which is fine! Itâs great in fact! Heâs not just a singer, heâs a performer - this man lives his best life on-stage, so Iâm anticipating a lot of dance interludes, solo concerts/performances, etc. And Iâve always loved him best on stage, so that works out for me.Â
On TaehyungÂ
I have less to say about Tae in the solo era, honestly. Thatâs not because I love him any less, itâs just because his future is relatively straightforward, especially at work level. He said it himself, heâs excited, heâs got a lot to show with his music (heâs been working for 3 years!) and even beyond his music (more on that later). And he shared that he believes what Hobi said fully, that theyâll come back stronger.
And Weverse Magazine so kindly just dropped his interview, so we get the full list of what he wants to try (and Iâll point out itâs very similar to what I predict in Part 2 so Iâm very smug):Â
âI hope I can come up with a whole lot of personas: singer, solo singer, actor or, later on, photographer or regular old Kim Taehyung. Or when I get into something else. I want to create so many different personas [etc].â
So: solo singing; acting; and later on his photography - heâs even kind of provided a timeline/ranking. Whatever else catches his fancy too. And Iâd probably add to that his friendships with others and variety, since weâve got ITS Wooga coming. Truly showing all of his colors.Â
Again, Iâm excited! As you might already know, I have a great affinity for his songs, and I love how he filters jazz through his own lens, and sounds like weâre going to get a lot of that.Â
As for what else he might share with us?Â
Yes. I hear you guys. I noticed it too. It seems thereâs truly something he wants to share with us, some freedom heâs seeking, that is not about musical or artistic freedom.Â
Hereâs what he said in the video:Â
â[49:33] "I have a lot of things I want to do. I hope there comes a chance to show my music to the world. And not just music. I've wanted to show the things that are inside of me for a long time now. At some point, having these thoughts started to feel wrong. I became cautious in even mentioning the things I've wanted to try. And it was hard to even say that I'm going to try it.â
And itâs a sentiment he echoed in his Weverse interview:Â
If your life were a movie, what kind of movie would it be?
V: I hope I can convey my sense of freedomâhow free I am. Everyone has a different idea about what it means to be free, but I think my idea of freedom is a little more free thanâcompared to other peopleâs. I would want my movie to be one that conveys that sense of freedom all at once.
And the first thing to point out is this: The question is explicitly about his life, not his work. So itâs in his life, more broadly defined, that he seeks freedom.Â
I want to acknowledge that this freedom or these âthings insideâ of himself he wants to show could be a lot of things. In fact, his statement can be multiple things. None of it has to be related to his romantic life, let alone Vmin. I can think of some reasonable alternatives:
His friendships, which he mostly doesnât get to talk about, especially with female friends (and heâs definitely got some, because only incels and weird men have no female friends) - heck, he doesnât even get to express closeness with the Wooga squad without people being like âOHMYGOD Tae loves them more than BTS, Tae leaving BTS!!â
His other hobbies, like acting or photography - again, I distinctly remember moments when he expressed these interests people going âOMG HES LEAVING BTS TO DO THESE THINGS.â And you might notice that since the Hwarang days, since Winter Bear, Tae⊠really didnât talk about these things anymore. Until now. So clearly, these interests didnât go away, he just stopped expressing it.Â
That said. The interviewerâs mind clearly went to romantic implications, because his follow-up question was a probe on it to see if Tae would expound, pointing essentially that âBlue & Greyâ and âChristmas treeâ both sound very quite romantic and since they are used in romantic scenes, his fans maybe kind of get his drift (âI feel like people understand the image youâre trying to project, considering the particular type of scenes on TV that those two songs often appear in.â)...
⊠Only for Tae to do the classic âblock and swerveâ where he, quite uncharacteristically, talked quite obliquely about fans being able to take what they want from it.
All Iâll say is: Whatever he wants to share with us, it seems he can share a little bit more in this solos era, whether within his songs or outside of it. Iâm looking forward to it, and we wonât have long to wait.Â
But if we wanted to put our delulu hats on and think a bit furtherâŠ
My mind, I will be perfectly honest, caveating that you're on a Vmin blog and Iâm obviously biased, also went to romantic implications and to Vmin. And thatâs a good time as any to transition.
----
About Vmin
Letâs talk about this desire to âcommunicate more.â
You know the last time Tae communicated so openly about being ânot freeâ, musically? When he talked about the Christmas song he wanted to sing with Jimin. Which is romantic as all get-out. And when to my memory, he last said heâs saying something he doesnât get to say enough? When he said âI like you mostâ in Letâs BTS.
And you know what I found interesting also? Jimin, in his very mild way, talked about the same desire: wanting to share things he canât. And he left it a bit open-ended what he meant too, but they werenât directly talking about their group challenges: â"We're kind of unique, we grew up together with our fans... But despite that we can't share everything with them. It's the saddest and hardest thing."
Jiminâs actually said this before, in Malta on BV3. In his letter to himself, at what I would consider the Peak of Vmin clinginess weâve been able to witness (partially because it was such a vulnerable moment, neither Tae or Jimin seemed interested in obfuscating anything for the camera), donât quote me on his exact words, but Jimin essentially said that he looked forward to a future when he gets to live the life he wants, to do what heâs put off.Â
And look. Obviously when youâre queer, you read everything as a little queer-coded. But as one of my commenter noted in the comments, for a moment, Tae seriously sounded like he was about to make a coming out speech. And with Jimin, both here and in Malta, it sounds painfully like that to me as well. And I think itâs clear they have romantic p
So. Take all that for what you will. Obviously, only time will tell.
I will note this though: if it is related to romance, no BTS member will be making any statement before they enlist. And they will absolutely not be if they also happen to be queer. Itâs not safe. They will likely be loosening up a little now, and particularly more after enlistment, getting some of that âfreedomââan innuendo there, a reference here, especially in their music. But I would expect it to be totally within plausible deniability. Nothing confirmed for a long time. Especially with a conservative backlash rolling out everywhere, including the US & Korea.Â
As for my vision of Vmin during this solos era? Iâm very chill. Iâm literally not worried about it at all.Â
First, since the video, weâve seen them together, notably in the Proof comeback vlive, filmed after the dinner, and they were as cute and clingy as ever.Â
Second, as I said in Part 2, I anticipate weâll see BTS together less, and the relationship might change in various ways, but I donât anticipate that meaning they become less close. BTS is too close for it, and Vmin has been a foundational part of BTS for too long a timeâand they have only ever gotten closer, in their 11 years. Thatâs a hell of a record. And theyâve talked explicitly about learning to communicate, to intercede, to understand, to make that happen. Things will have to be very very different for them to miraculously forget how to do that and fall apart, like some true catastrophe we canât predict, and that sort of thing is as useless to worry about and as unlikely as a plane crash.Â
Third, and perhaps most importantly, theyâve already promised to each other in view of ARMY that they will remain with each other forever, after BTS, after their musical careers. Yes, Iâm talking about this:Â
One day when this cheer dies down
Stay (Ayy), hey (Ayy)Â
You are my soulmate
Ahhhhhâmy dear friend Friends, where would a Vminnie be without you.Â
Seriously, I might not be insecure without this song, but Iâd be less secure. But since this song exists? Just rock-solid security. And the more I think about this song, the more about this song is revealed, the more meaningful it is.Â
I think Iâve said this, but the song is not addressed to ARMY, but rather Jimin and Tae addresing each other, weâre just witnesses being let in? And do you ever think about how Jimin & Tae are both very adamant that BTS is for forever, that their identity as artists are foreverâand yet they posit here they will still be together âwhen the cheers die down.â They think of each other as even beyond these forever things in their lives. That even if all this fame and this audience disappears⊠theyâll still have each other.Â
And now? Think about the context in which we now know Jimin & Tae put this song together! They knew the break from group music was coming. This was their musical statement to ARMY about themselves as a group and separately, their chance to communicate the things they wanted to each other tooâŠÂ
And Jimin? Mr. âI want my music to tell a message to fansâ? Chose to use it to affirm with Taehyung that they were soulmates and would stay together, even despite the uncertain future that they faced (and youâd bet if heâs apprehensive about it now with 3 more years of lived experience he mustâve been just as if not more so then). Told us that in this incredibly emotional album, which we now know was literally intended to close a whole chapter of their career, it is this song with Tae and his promise to each other that would make him most emotional when performing.Â
Friends was competing with Zero OâClock! Black Swan! WAB: The Eternal, which was their message to Army, their version of For Youth! And Jimin said Friends was most emotional.Â
I have literally said it every single time Iâve ever analyzed Friends but I will say it again: This is the one of the deepest commitments Iâve ever seen, I donât really care if itâs romantic or platonic, itâs so moving.Â
Also I have to laugh, because some idiot slid into my asks box right after the FESTA video dropped and said since Friends was released right before they intended to break from group music that obviously itâs for fans, which isâŠ. One of the stupidest takes Iâve had submitted to me. I wonât mince words.
If you think as a last statement before they separate musically, Jiminâhe who believes the âsaddest thing and hardest thingâ is when he canât share things with ARMYâwould tell ARMY something untrue as âfanserviceâ? And you thought this right after you watched a video wherein BTS tells and shows just how important it is to them to communicate vulnerably and authentically with ARMY? Then you are truly beyond help.Â
Anyway. So yeah, theyâre fine. More than fine. What a high bar they set for love, honestly.Â
As for what the future holds for Vmin specifically? Iâve mostly covered it.Â
As a relationship, theyâll remain close, but will be away from our eyes moreâand I do hope we get to see them together, hopefully in a collab, but just remember if we donât, weâre not entitled to see them, especially in this stage of their lives; and if others doubt their closeness because of this, soothe yourself my remembering that whatever people say online has literally zero impact on their relationship.Â
As colleagues, they are and will continue to support their musical development - remember that Jimin said very enthusiastically in the video that heâs listened to Taeâs whole album, seen him work; that Tae from the first in 2018, even before he had any real writing ability to speak of, promised to write songs for Jimin (and wrote one for the both of them together but letâs not think about that); that in Winter Package 2021 (remember that?), when this plan was for sure in progress already, they went out of their way to admire and encourage each otherâs songwriting skills. Â
And thatâs as much fidelity as we have for the short-term future. For the long-term future, Iâve revisited my What if Vmin Were Real? Post⊠and you should read if you want to see what my ideal endpoint for them is. I should caveat itâs speculative, but then I feel like I must also say parts of it come across as rather prescient ~~if I do say so myself~~, especially the whole bit about solo work and creative freedom and letting the music speak for them.
So certainly, theyâre following the steps that I thought most likely if they were realâŠ.
FESTA 2022 Family Dinner: A New Chapter for BTS (Part 1)
From anon: Are you going to talk about Festa 2020? I love your blog btw :)
From anon: I heard about the temporary hiatus news when I was on my home to work & it's so freaking hard to hold the tears in. I'm so overwhelmed. I'm so excited but can't help to feel sad to. We're definitely going to miss seeing them together for a while, & it'll feel like million years. ARMY and BTS FOREVER. đ
Of course. I'm going to wipe the tears from my keyboard as I try to encompass into words what I feel right now, which is a sweet ache not unlike what I felt watching my baby brother graduate a month ago - so much pride, so much admiration, so much terror, so much excitement, and just so much love, given and received.
Before I begin, I want to encourage everyone to watch the Festa 2022 video for themselves. The translation isn't perfect (honestly the 'mistranslations' are mostly quite minor, mostly missed subs, different word choices, or condensing stsatements, you can see a rundown from a few translators such as here, here, and here) - but do yourself the favor of hearing things as BTS wanted you to hear them: one-to-one, heart-to-heart.
So people freaked out about the subtitle "hiatus" from Yoongi (because in kpop that's basically code for "disbandment, we just can't say it") and bc Namjoon also said "pause" (apparently same word as Paradise?); then translators clarified Yoongi more accurately said "off period"; then HYBE freaked out locals and even some ARMY might think BTS is gone forever and clarified it's not pause/hiatus at all, it's just fronting solos alongside group activitiesâbut that I think is a minimization that glosses over why the boys were so emotional. Their wording is not a mistake. The reason for their tears is meaningful.
This step constitutes a real change for them as a group. Yes, they'll continue to do group "activities"âbut it appears, not group musical promotions.
Make no mistake, this is a new chapter.
For the first time in their career, the BTS members will be standing onstage as solo artists - showcasing individual musical messages, talents, and success.
Clearly, it's time. They're burnt out and also thirsty for a new challenge. This will give each in turn the space and opportunity to grow as artists (broadly defined), and the chance to take a break from the spotlight. But for a group that's always put the OT7 first (as Tae himself said in his letter), of course it's terrifying and exciting and heartbreaking. And they also love ARMY, so they know we'll miss them as a group and were afraid of how we might react.
But the FESTA video (which again, you must watch, beginning to end) and Proof combine for one message: the past years have been beautiful and miraculous, but the best days for BTS and ARMY are yet to come.
Feel what you feel, which for me certainly encompasses sadness (I, like a drama queen, cried on and off all day) but also feel excitement for this new era. (Remember how excited we were for Hobipalooza? ITS Wooga edition? All the mixtapes? Yeah, we'll get all that and more now! But they're not inhuman, they can't do that and OT7 activities breakneck. To get one, the other must recede for now).
Trust them, believe them, cheer them on, and continue to walk alongside each of them, until they and we come back together.
Anyway, my expanded thoughts are so long I'm going to split this up, lol; This is your one warning this will be longggg.
Below:
implications for their joined career and legacy
how Proof should be understood in retrospect
MOTS7, the COVID years, and the Grammys in hindsight
a few light-hearted observations, because BTS wouldn't be BTS if they still don't make me laugh (though usually I'm not also crying hahaha)
Part 2 (To be linked once published) will cover:
Implications for their solo careers
Implication for their relationship to each other
Implication for their relationship to ARMY
Relevant gen asks
Part 3 (To be linked once published) will cover:
What this means for Jimin and Tae separately, and Vmin collectively (tldr: bittersweet, like the rest of this post), but all good things!)
How Friends should be understood in this new context
(Gen) Drift the fortune teller makes some predictions + talks blog
TLDR of EVERYTHING: As always, I'm with you all the way still, OT7.
The best is yet to come.
On their career and legacy
I really can't stress enough how extraordinary their step is, particularly within the kpop idol system but also the Western music industry.
Take a moment to reflect on how productive BTS has been over the past 9 years, by any metric, in Korea or the US: 200+ songs as a group (250+ I believe if you include unofficial releases, solo songs, and mixtapes) and 16 albums if counting all the repackaged ones! And throughout that time, they've lived in each other's pockets, physically, emotionally, and musically.
This is part and parcel of the kpop idol system, which is the epitome of "burn bright and burn fast" - there is a reason few kpop groups have ever had BTS's longevity.
But as they have said, again and again, they want to be with us for a long time. And that means they have to break away from this system and each mature. In Namjoon's own words:
The problem with kpop & the whole idol system is that they don't give you time to mature. You've to keep producing music & doing something⊠there's no time left for growth.
And their specific explanations just show me their musical integrity. They're at the height of their fame, with no guarantee that if they step back they'll ever be able to climb back that high, esp for an industry as fickle as kpop. But instead of "phoning in" decent music to coast on that high, they're taking a step back because they value their music authenticity too much to go on when they feel they've lost group musical identity and purpose.
Namjoon said (and Yoongi echoed right after), before they could live as BTS and continue to grow and feel like they're meaningfully contributing to the world with their group message, but that is no longer true. That they now don't know what to say as a group. So they're going to go find out, by exploring themselves.
[By the by, how terrifying for artists as gifted and productive as Namjoon and Yoongi, to feel like they don't know what they want to say to the world anymore]
And when they come back? They'll have grown from an idol group to... something else.
And honestly, I'm not sure what musical artist BTS will be afterwards. A general artist group, like Epik High, where each member also has their own thriving solo catalogue, less emphasis on dance and visuals? A possibility; and yet performance (dance, concept, visuals, etc) is so integral to BTS, but is also a direct product of being an idol group, so. Perhaps some hybrid.
But I'm excited to find out.
And the way they made this career move? Pretty darn unique in the West too. BTS is perhaps following in the (rarefied) path of groups like the Rolling Stones and ColdPlay, which take breaks and come back together to jointly run both solo and group careers.
Mostly, though, Western groups get divided by solo ambitions, and view the group as a phase you only go back to if you aren't successful solo (1D, NSYNC, Fifth Harmony). And solo artists? Typically just silently go back to their private lives after a big release, to marinate and mature as artists, and coming back when they see fit (Adele, TSwift, Gaga, Lorde etc).
BTs doesn't do either.
Their relationship with ARMY is unique. And so they sat us down, like a confidant, like family, and walk us through their career decision. And they made us a promise to come back better and stronger, as a group. And they didn't bother to communicate to media, to industry, to locals with a press conference or press statements first. This is, and has always been, between BTS and ARMY. Who else can you say has taken their fans so closely in, who view them as a true stakeholder in their career?
So, ARMY: let's be deserving of their faith.
BTS were reflective, courageous, and trusting enough to take that first step of giving themselves the space to become better artists separately, so that they can become a greater artist together.
ARMY should meet them with the same reflection, courage and trust. We should listen carefully, understand, and admire why they're doing this; face bravely an industry that will be confused, indifferent or even hostile to them solo; and trust in their promise.
As always, BTS paves the way.
On Proof
Gosh, do I have a new appreciation for Proof.
In hindsight, it totally makes sense that this announcement was to happen with MOTS7. I can see now how the concept of Proof lives as an extension of MOTS7: a synthesis and celebration of their first phase, and a gesture/promise towards their future.
I do just want to say I totally called the solo activities (though of course I didn't expect it to be so soon or so dramatic).
Yet to Come is their promise to us that the best moments are ahead. But these lines specifically? Gestures to a future where they showcase their individual colors more, then moving forward by starting from scratch, newbies again in a sense (I bolded the relevant parts that gained new meaning with this announcement.
Dream & hope & goinâ forward (We so about it)
After turning a long, long circle, back into place
Back to one
[...]
Yeah the past was honestly the best
But my best is what comes next
We'll be singin' till the morn
[Let's go] towards that day
Even more like ourselves
You and I
best moment is yet to come
For Youth - I can't believe I said this was my least favorite song out of the 3 just 2ish days ago, and now just hearing the chorus makes me start crying. I didn't fully capture this song then. It's not just a love song to ARMY, it's also a thank you letter. The edge of regret - mentioning that they wish they could rewind time to better appreciate us?âBawling.
Wish I could turn back time
Back then when everything used to be easy
I should've said it many more times
âRun BTS - This song is really doing triple duty, huh. If For Youth is their thank you letter to ARMY, Run BTS is their thank you letter to each other (Just look at Hobi's verse thanking each member). And also the equivalent of a "Hwaiting!" cheer, to encourage each member individually in their solo promotions. Then the shift at the end, from "Run Bangtan" to "Run Beautiful?" (a play on MI çŸ of AMI, aka they're addressing us?) - a request for us to run with / support the individual members; and of course pursue our own path. And when, as Namjoon says, the long-awaited moment comes when they perform Run BTS as an OT7? Then, it'll be appreciation of their hard work during the solos activities era, and encouragement for their dawning OT7 era. I can't wait ;_;
It'll be hard, to be honest. But as they say: "I'll be with you / for the rest of my life"
MOTS7, Â the COVID years, and the Grammys in hindsight
This honestly totally recontextualizes the last 2-3 years. Result: I am so mad about how we were cheated out of the perfect MOTS7 era by COVID, and then a beautiful close for their English trilogy + BE era by the Grammys.Â
Letâs first talk about MOTS7. The end of that era was originally when this announcement was meant to happen, which is a fact they kind of casually threw out, haha. I truly I canât imagine the pain when it was cancelled. They put so much thought and planning into the MOTS7 era. Like, do you see how MOTS7 is just Proof, except bigger? Not just old songs collated to âshowâ their journey as a group, but new songs that expressed that journey from their perspective (getting drunk on creativity -Dionysus-, that creativity drying up -Black Swan-, struggling forward with ON while also showcasing choreo that lives on as an artifact of how they are at the pinnacle of hard-hitting performances. Also of course all their subunits that expressed their messages to each other and ARMY). And then each had solo songs that provide teasers for their future solo activities, like - each solo expressed their individual journeys in BTS, filtered through their individual musical tastes/colors?Â
All this would've been capped off with their largest world tour, where they would've been able to celebrate with ARMY (and say âgoodbyeâ, too, though we wouldnât have know that at the time). What a beautiful ending.
... Then COVID happen and ruined it all ;_;Â
And from what Yoongi said, it felt like after that, they settled into a âjust wait, just one moreâ mentality. Pushing to stay productive, give solace to ARMY, and shoot their shot with Dynamite, then set their sights on the Grammys with BE, Butter, and PTD. And I can see that vision they had: reaching the very pinnacle of their chosen career with a Grammy for Butter wouldâve given BTS and ARMY a great sense of achievement that wouldâve boosted them into this new era. What beautiful closure, no?
⊠Only the Grammy and its racism didnât let that dream come true ;_;Â
And you know what understanding all that makes me feel?
Relief, mixed with a bit of regret and sadness - I kind of wish they hadnât pushed themselves towards the next thing and the next thing, putting their plans on pause while waiting for COVID to endâthough of course that is incredibly relatable, COVID had that effect on many people. Namjoon mentioned this very briefly, but he noted had they gone on their pause when COVID first hit theyâd be back by now, and what neat timing that wouldâve been? But hindsight is 20/20, no one predicted the pandemic would last so long they wouldn't be able to do the goodbye they wanted.
Admiration - What strength it mustâve taken for them to push themselves to deliver comfort to ARMY, and also to challenge themselves with everything they accomplished in the pandemic years? It mustâve been so hard, when they were so disappointed and (given their original MOTS7 plans) probably tired & burnt out? And the heights they rose to in these unplanned years? Truly astounding, boundary-breaking.Â
But maybe, above all: I feel overwhelming gratitude. The real truth of the matter is, like so many people, I found them during Dynamite. I was lost and tired, and they filled up my days and my life. Without COVID, I may never have found them, and where would my life be?
And so, in a way, it feels like fate. I have no regrets, and I hope they donât either.
A few light-hearted observationsÂ
Because BTS wouldn't be BTS if they still don't make me laugh, shoutouts to a few key laugh-out-loud moments to lighten this post (though usually I'm not also crying hahaha): :Â
Is Jungkook even a real person? The real answer is he was socialized by BTS, which means he saws off his bed to make his bed fit instead of just buying a new one even though heâs a multi-millionaire; has 10 mattresses or whatever so he can sleep wherever he wants; canât be bothered to put laundry in the right place; and loves fresh air and scents. Iâm glad heâs wealthy enough to have staff fill in the gaps lol. (And yet⊠heâs also such a good dad to Bam. And so freaking kind and disciplined. Truly, the duality)
Namjoonâs saltiness at Yoongi being sought out for mentorship was unexpected and hilarious. If Iâve thought about it before, I wouldâve predicted newbies are more intimidated by Yoongi than Namjoon. But in retrospect, I can see why 6-feet-tall, fluent-in-English, smart-as-hell-and-uber-competent Namjoon would terrify the living daylights out of up and comers. His âdo they think Iâll answer in English?!â made me laugh hysterically, as well as Yoongi just going, âWell. Moving On. As I was sayingâ multiple times in response.
We obviously know who rules Jiminâs heart: Hobi. God, he was so cute, red and sleepy. Jimin and Hobi reminiscing about their roommate days, ugh. (And then he cried, and made me cry too ;_;)
JINNNNN - I hope he lives well while theyâre breaking as a group. You can have just two weeks to lock yourself in your room to play video games and not eat, okay, Jin!!! Then you have take proper care of yourself. Sleep well. Eat well. Be happy.
Tae & Jimin. I donât really have âlight-heartedâ comments to make about them, really, and thatâs because I think their stance on this new eraâseparately and collectivelyâ is a bit more complex. But not bad at all! <3 Look forward.
[So seriously, xkooker shipper who keeps sliding into my dms, however many times you do it doesnât matter, Iâm literally never going to answer you. If you canât already predict how Iâm going to reply, you need to read my blog more]
Finally, I want to say: thank you sincerely BTS, for how hard youâve worked and how many lives youâve changed these 2.5 years. Don't ever feel afraid you will disappoint ARMY - you can't.
Let's look forward to many more years of laughter, tears, and great music together.
Thank you for everything. Love you. Please take the time to rest, to live your lives as you want, to produce the music you desire, to experiment new things with new people.
We'll keep supporting you. đ
I hope one day, you can say what you have in your heart freely, you can live your life freely. You deserve it. Thank you Bangtan đ
It turned out lovely. đ„°đ How endearing Vmin are. Imagine all these years and how Vmin simply keep loving and supporting each other. Looking forward to the years to come. đ
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