The seven “exhausted” members of the K-pop supergroup BTS have announced that they are taking time out of the band to focus on their solo careers.
The world-famous artists, who are credited with generating billions of dollars for the South Korean economy, dropped the bomb during their annual dinner on Tuesday night, as part of a celebration to mark their anniversary as a group.
“We’re taking a break now,” 29-year-old Shuga said about 20 minutes after the video, which was posted on the band’s official YouTube channel.
But Hybe, the entertainment company behind the group, later said the group was not taking a break and would continue to work on projects as a group as well as individually.
“BTS does not pause. At the moment, the members will focus more on solo projects, “the statement said, but did not give details.
BTS fans, known as the army, flooded social media with messages of support. “I just want to hug them,” a fan said in comments from Yonhap.
Another wrote: “I have been waiting for this moment for a long time, but I did not expect it today. “The BTS name will continue with the military as a tattoo that doesn’t go away.”
A female fan described the move as “brave.”
“It takes so much courage to leave a place where you have everything, to challenge yourself and reach an improved version of who you are,” she said. BTS teaches me another important lesson.
At Tuesday’s dinner, J-Hope, RM, Suga, Jungkook, V, Jin and Jimin spoke in Korean – while the video of the meeting included English subtitles – why they decided to take a break.
The 27-year-old RM said that after the last few BTS singles, he “no longer knew what kind of band we were”, adding that the band members were later “exhausted”.
“I have always thought that BTS is different from other groups,” he added. “But the problem with K-pop and the whole system of idols is that they don’t give you time to mature.”
Some K-pop observers have speculated that South Korea’s military service requirements may be a factor. Jin, the group’s oldest member, is set to begin nearly two years in the army by the end of this year.
The National Assembly is discussing a revision of the law to allow exceptions for people who have made significant contributions to South Korea’s international situation.
However, South Korean media speculate that the bill is unlikely to be passed due to widespread opposition among men in their 20s, many of whom voted for new President Yun Suk-yol.
During the video interview, the 26-year-old Jimin said that the members “are now slowly trying to understand things” and that “we are starting to think about what kind of artists each of us wants to be remembered by our fans.”
“I think that’s why we’re going through a difficult time right now, we’re trying to find our identity, and it’s a grueling and long process,” he said.
By the end of the dinner, several of the band members behind songs like Dynamite and Butter cried as they thanked their supporters.
Jay Hope, 28, said the group “needs to spend some time apart to learn how to be one again.”
“I hope you don’t see that this is a negative thing,” the artist’s fans begged. “And see, it’s a healthy plan.”
Shuga explained that this is not a separation: “Not that we are falling apart – we just live apart for a while.”
The 24-year-old Jungkook added that “we promise that one day we will return even more mature than we are now” and asked for the “blessing” of the fans.
BTS said they went on short breaks before, first in 2019 and later in December 2021.
The news comes just days after the band released Proof, an anthology album that includes a new single, Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment).
J-Hope said that time alone could help BTS “become a stronger group” and that time was “important … for the second chapter of BTS”.
“I hope all our members stay healthy while spending time alone,” added the singer, who is set to head Chicago’s Lollapalooza later this summer.
Record group
The BTS label enjoyed a jump in profits during the pandemic, although there were fewer concerts. Septet is the first all-South Korean band to run Billboard’s top singles chart in the United States, a milestone they achieved with Dynamite, the first BTS song to be sung entirely in English.
They are also one of the few artists after The Beatles to release four albums, number one in the United States in less than two years. The band has twice been nominated for a Grammy, but has not yet won.
BTS recently made headlines for a visit to the White House to broadcast a message to Joe Biden on the fight against anti-Asian racism.
BTS visits White House to discuss anti-Asian hate crimes – video
The short-haired stars, dressed in appropriate dark suits and white-shirt ties, joined White House spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre on the podium in the briefing before meeting Biden.
Shuga called for tolerance, saying: “It’s not bad to be different. I think equality begins when we open up and embrace all our differences. “
The White House praised the BTS as “youth ambassadors who spread a message of hope and positivity around the world.”
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