The four years between 2016 and 2020 were full of huge successes and massive change for BTS. They began making a name for themselves outside of South Korea—winning at American award shows and climbing the Billboard charts. Their schedule was brutal, constant recording and travel around the globe with little to no rest was fruitful for their career, but at what cost? Burnout became the elephant in the room, and, in 2018, the members of BTS almost called it quits. They worked it out—along with a delicate contract renegotiation—and came out stronger on the other side. Throughout it all, SUGA continued to write music, recording the ways in which he felt himself changing alongside the group. On May 22, 2020, AGUST D dropped D-2, his second mixtape. The main theme of the album is feeling stuck while trying to explore one’s own humanity. Though it was written before, it felt relevant to present times, as the entire world was experiencing its own sense of arrested development in the face of a global pandemic.

Have you ever met someone who you felt seemed particularly meant to live the life they were living? When we talk about our “seven normal boys from Korea” we often throw around words like “fate” and “destiny”, because it truly feels like there was some sort of grand cosmic plan to bring them together into one group. But there is, perhaps, one member of BTS who seems more intrinsically bound to the creation of music than any of the others. One whose origins were ill-suited to provide support for seeking a career in entertainment, but whose determination and drive also made it impossible for him to pursue anything else. And with a name that literally translates to “gloss” or “shine”, he was clearly pre-destined for greatness. Over the next few weeks, we’ll explore the rise of Min Yoongi… from “Gloss” of D-Town to SUGA of BTS to solo rapper AGUST D. We’ll see how a fierce determination to prove his worth led him to make unlikely choices that could have blown up in his face, but ultimately instead helped him discover his dreams, and face his demons.

Is there anything better than celebrating the holiday season with our loved ones? I know I look forward to rewatching FM 06.13’s holiday specials each year, listening to Jung Kook sing, “O, Holy Night”, as well as seeing him and Jimin do their karaoke version of V’s “Winter Bear”. Also, who doesn’t love the “Please Santa” episode of “Run BTS!”? They’re all so cute in their Santa hats… Oh. Did you think I meant, like, your actual friends and family? This is awkward. No, I definitely meant BTS. And ARMY, of course. Who better to shake some tinsel and deck the halls with? Join us this week as we do something a little bit different. In order to bring 2024 to a close, we decided to compile and share everything BTS and its members have done over the years to celebrate the holiday season with us. From their very early collaborations with other Big Hit artists, to the current benevolent stranglehold Kim Taehyung has on the holiday season, BTS is always there for us this time of year, giving us all the things “merry and bright”.