“You become an adult the moment you stop dreaming.” We know that SUGA had to grow up quicker than the other members of BTS. Given that his parents didn’t support his choice to pursue a music career, he was largely providing for himself before he had even left Daegu to come to Seoul—before he was even out of high school. This is a mindset that never really left SUGA, even long after BTS debuted and started to become successful. By the time the Pandemic hit and he released D-2 in 2020, SUGA (both in his solo music and with BTS) had done what he needed to do to get where he suddenly found himself—reaching new heights of fame and celebrity. And he found himself no longer dreaming. In 2021 he began working on his next solo project. His youth was behind him, how would he navigate creativity in his thirties? He realized he’d need to leave the past behind, but how? How could he acknowledge the loss of his youthful outlook, and still embrace himself with grace and acceptance in the now? The answer was simple enough—he would need to take a long look in the mirror at his scars, and then say… “D-Day’s coming, it’s a fucking good day…”

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”.

During the eighteen months Jin was serving in the military, the other members of BTS were all working on solo projects before they enlisted as well. From December 2022 until June of 2024 seven albums were released, including two from RM, and a repackage with a physical cd from j-hope. ARMY well-fed and spoiled. But we still speculated endlessly over what Jin might do once he was back. Obviously we all wanted whatever Jin wanted for himself. And if that was to take things slowly after he came back, ARMY would support that whole-heartedly. We should have known that would never be his plan. On October 14, we got the announcement for the November release of Jin’s first solo LP, HAPPY. And for any ARMY that’s known him and BTS for a bit, the title did not come as a surprise. Happiness is the ultimate goal for Kim Seokjin, it’s all he ever strives for. And when asked why he chose to name his album HAPPY, he replied that it’s also all he wants for his fans as well.

When the members of BTS started enlisting in the military, they were upfront from the beginning that they’d all be back to reunite (hopefully for or around Festa) in 2025. We knew they would all enlist around the same time, but we also knew that at least some of them had solo activities planned as well. So it wasn’t clear exactly when they were enlisting, or in what order. It was anxiety-inducing for ARMY, and we became conditioned to dread seeing any Weverse notification that said “Hello, This is Big Hit.” Jin’s was the first, and it set the tone. ARMY knew it was coming, but it didn’t make it any easier. He enlisted on December 13, 2022, and all of his members gathered to see him off, putting on brave faces to send him off with a smile. Little did I, (or any of us really) know at the time the elaborate plan Jin and all of BTS had and was putting into place to ensure that ARMY would never NOT feel connected to them while they were gone. Before we knew it, time started flying by… Suddenly, it was June 12, 2024, and Kim Seokjin was coming home to ARMY.

If there is one thing Kim Seokjin excels at, it is not worrying about what’s already done, or what could potentially be. Self-admittedly, he prefers to focus mainly on the present, and small attainable goals for the future. His overriding drive is sustaining happiness. This simple honesty, and lack of guile, has carried Jin through his years in BTS, and served as an inspiring example for both his bandmates and his fans. During 2017 and 2018, BTS was going through one of the most difficult times in their career. Most of this was happening behind the scenes, so ARMY was none the wiser at the time. It wasn’t until Jin stepped up to the microphone during an acceptance speech at the 2018 MAMA awards that fans found out the group had been dangerously close to disbanding earlier that year. As the eldest hyung, Jin took that moment to recognize his fellow members’ bravery and love in coming through the fire. In his commitment to seeking happiness, he wanted ARMY to know that they were stronger than ever, always grateful, and dedicated to focusing on what truly matters the most… their fans, and each other.

The word ‘fate’ carries a heavy weight. To claim that something was fated to happen is saying that, no matter what, the outcome received was the one always meant to be. When we take into account things like timing, individual reactions and behavior, and a myriad of outside factors that could occur, claiming anything that happens to be fated seems a bit… naive, perhaps? Kim Seokjn was the last person who ever thought he’d end up a K-Pop Idol. He was a young man who prioritized simplicity and easy happiness over everything else. However, while attending college to pursue acting, a series of random events in his life led him to eventually becoming a member of BTS—now one of the biggest musical groups in the entire world. Prior to becoming a trainee, Jin had never tried to sing or dance in his entire life. As we look at the road he walked to become the artist he is now, it’s hard to think anything other than destiny was at work the day he was spotted by a Big Hit scout just getting off the bus, on his way to school.

As 2022 came to a close, RM was busy promoting his first solo album, Indigo. In the midst of all this, at the beginning of December, Jin (having reached his 30th birthday), enlisted in the South Korean Army, in order to fulfill his mandatory military service. The members all gathered with him at his base camp, to say goodbye (for now) to their hyung, and to Chapter One of BTS’ career. At the start of 2023, ARMY had no idea who would next be enlisting. Namjoon didn’t seem to have any projects happening at the time, however, in a Weverse live in February, he randomly said, “I think I’m off the Indigo mode. I think I’m on the next stage already.” What “next stage” did he mean? But we wouldn’t find out until over a year later… not until after he’d all but disappeared over the summer, teased us repeatedly with art house film images posted on a mysterious new Instagram account, and then enlisted in the military himself. We went NUTS (pun intended) trying to figure out what “rpwp” meant. Finally, in April of 2024… we got our answer. Right Place, Wrong Person—RM’s second studio album.