Revisiting ~ Cheers to the Whole Gang (MAKNAE LINE) (My unedited version)
My edited shorter version can be found here. The Hyung Line post can be found here.
💜Kim Taehyung (V): V is the middle of 3 members that make up the Maknae (youngest) Line in the group, by age & by arrival to the company. Although he was interested in music & played several instruments, he showed up at the auditions for Big Hits Entertainment out of curiosity solely to accompany his friend. His unique looks caught the attention of someone there, & he was asked to audition. I can only imagine that when he opened his mouth to sing, his rare baritone voice convinced them that along with his looks, he would be a decisive secret weapon within an idol group, so he was drafted as a trainee. He was such a catch that they kept his reveal hidden from the public until the group actually debuted. V's voice is one of the special vocal flavors that add a lot of color & spice to BTS's songs. While possessing a sultry, velvety, baritone pitch, he actually has excellent higher ranges with a well-controlled falsetto. He is a good dancer & his playful stage presence has been noted repeatedly by fans. V is known to be a warm personality who makes friends easily & involves others in group interactions smoothly. He loves family & has an affectionate nature. He thinks outside the box and is underrated for his musical, athletic, & intellectual talents. Jimin said once that V will state something in such a way that captures your attention and/or your heart because, I feel, he seems to really notice things that others don't & expresses them in a way that captures a truth or essence that had been overlooked. He is very quiet in meetings or group situations because I feel he is listening a lot and is comfortable not monopolizing conversations. I enjoy his dry wit and off the cuff remarks that can be extremely funny, especially if you don't take V so seriously as if he is unaware of the humor of his clever remarks and actions.
💜Jeon Jung Kook (JK): JK is the Maknae (youngest) of the Maknae Line and is then the youngest of the whole group. He was the first of the Maknae Line to arrive at Big Hits, even though he was a mere 14-years-old, 2 years younger than the next age group. In spite of his youthful age, he arrived with a very skilled, stable voice that was noticed by many agencies, who offered him positions. He ended up signing with Big Hits, a new and unknown entity at the time, due to his admiration for RM. JK also had what seemed to be perfect pitch, which allows for a strong ability to not only sing but also adlib in tune at any time. He observes well and absorbs information very quickly. I first noticed that he is very quiet a lot of the time, especially in group settings, then I saw him accurately mimicking small details about others in playful ways. I concluded that he observes, learns, incorporates, and uses the information he gathers by paying attention. I feel he learned how to sing, behave, and perform in this way. He had a lot of talented people around him and took advantage of the valuable exposure to them. I feel this characteristic explains why he's so good at many activities, so much so he was labeled the "Golden Maknae". Over the years, he has watched intensely and has learned how to process the information that he sees. He then executes the tasks with remarkable success on many occasions. He draws, paints, plays instruments, games and sports with surprising ease and success. Noticing this level of untapped talent early on, Big Hits invested in JK by sending him to the U.S. for dance lessons. He fell in love with dancing and improved so much that not only did he debut as the lead singer but also a dancer. He has naturally attractive body movements and learns dance steps quickly - by observing, I'm sure. JK is an empath who becomes emotional when he sees others in pain or sad. He is a good listener, which goes in line with being a good observer. Although he says he has a hard time remaining focused unless he's highly interested, this facet benefits him in his being able to work on many different things at once, thereby improving his skills in different areas more quickly.
💜Park Jimin (JM)💜: My bias, Jimin, was the last member to arrive at Big Hits. Although he and V were born in the same year, Jimin is a few months older so he is the oldest Maknae member. He was discovered late & therefore had the shortest time to bond with the others as well as to be trained to debut. His dancing is what caught the attention of some, enough to add him to the mix, but little was invested in his training. In fact, he was originally being geared toward being a rapper. At the time he was small in height & stature, but for some reason, they saw a tough, hip hop kid. In spite of no vocal training, Jimin debuted not just as one of the 4 vocalists, but as the only main vocalist alongside the lead vocalist, JK. By his own will and demonstration of talent, Jimin ended up blossoming into a graceful, ballet-oriented, contemporary dancer and an angelic-sounding, higher-pitched, countertenor with a voice so unique that it stands out & is difficult to imitate. That misidentification by Big Hits cost Jimin time, stability, & peace of mind. Jimin had to work twice as hard to find his own space and strengths as well as to practically train himself in order to become the attention-grabbing, powerful talent he actually is. Although Jimin was not the lead singer, he ended up singing - without training -a lot of the high-pitched, show-stopping notes, while dancing difficult choreography as a main dancer alongside JHope. Not only did they not train him well but they then threw him into the highest difficulty tasks. Jimin had to learn on the job in front of the public. His successes & struggles were seen by all, yet he persevered & succeeded. His unique voice is often remarked on by vocal coaches, reviewers, & teachers, whether singing alone or with the group. Like V, his voice adds a huge amount of color & spice to any song he sings, whether he is harmonizing, leading, or soloing. He is able to use his voice in a lot of different ways, using a wide range of pitches as well as a great deal of articulations, such as vocal fry, vibrato, & creak. Jimin's dancing is attractive, highly skilled, and eye-catching. Before I realized who he was exactly and identified him as my bias, I found my eyes always finding him & watching him above all others. His dancing is mesmerizing and elevates whatever dance they are doing to an artistic, precise level. It doesn't matter the style, genre, or speed. Jimin can make any dance look impressive & amazing. What JK has naturally for singing, Jimin has for stage presence & audience connection. He knows the right look, wardrobe, & attitude to capture attention & increase the experience of the audience. He evokes passions in people in all directions. His sense of performance extends to the solo songs he has chosen and performed. Every performance is a theatrical storytelling moment that captures your imagination & your attention. For the guy who started out being denied proper training, his performances have made such a mark in the KPop idol world that Jimin is now known as a model for other trainees to emulate. Off stage Jimin has been described by many as warm, compassionate, generous to a fault, kind, & relational. He has a special bond with each of the members & has gone out of his way to be a good listener, friend, & supporter of his bandmates. V, who became known as Jimin's soulmate, said Jimin is the warmest person he's ever met. Jimin's maturity & attentiveness has been highlighted by his bandmates on multiple occasions. Several people have said he puts others before himself, which is the very definition of humility. Many quietly-made donations he has given to needy organizations have been publicized without his participation, & many people he has encountered have talked about how their interactions with him have deeply impacted them. Jimin works hard, reflects effectively, & continues to meet challenges head on with the same courage and persistence that allowed him to achieve many great accomplishments. I warned you. Jimin is my bias, & I'm proud to be a fan of his.
