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V Shares The Journey That Led to Layover – And How His BTS Members Helped Get Him There

By Michelle Hyun Kim

Michelle Hyun Kim

Sure, V has achieved idol status during his decade-long career with BTS , received recognition as an actor for his supporting role in the 2016 Korean drama Hwarang , and established his own identity as a singer-songwriter . But he’s more than happy to admit that he doesn’t have it all figured out. 

For the past three years, the 27-year-old musician and actor, born Kim Taehyung, has been continuously writing songs, showing them to fans in occasional video livestreams only to start over entirely. All of it has been in pursuit of finding the right direction for the debut solo album that eventually became Layover , out Friday.

“Instead of taking a direct route, you could stop somewhere and stay for a while, or take a transfer, or do a layover,” he tells Rolling Stone through an interpreter on a brutally hot summer day in Seoul. “I just felt that my life, wherever it’s headed, would not follow a direct path.”

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Layover builds on V’s previous solo tracks, which include 2019’s “Scenery” and “Winter Bear.” In 2020, he released the melancholic ballad “Blue & Grey” as part of BTS, using sparse images of flower-lined streets and snow to express his inner world of grief and loneliness. Layover is also filled with complicated feelings that surround a sense of nostalgia, with its romanticization of the past and all its regrets. These were ideas V had started exploring through his original themes for Korean dramas like “Sweet Night,” for 2020’s Itaewon Class and “Christmas Tree,” for 2021’s Our Beloved Summer . They’re also a testament to his growth as an artist since joining Big Hit Entertainment at age 15. Through BTS, he’s shown his versatility and charisma through DMX-esque hip-hop vocals , high-octane dance EDM, and fun party rap. Now, he is embarking on his own journey, setting the itinerary himself. “I’m just beginning to paint the picture that is Kim Taehyung,” V says. 

While V perfected the songs on Layover , the album was executive produced by Min Hee Jin, the president of ADOR (a subsidiary label of HYBE), who has been renowned for her work on NewJeans, a group that draws on the spirit of the Nineties. Layover , however, delves further back into the past, with its palette of jazzy pianos, warm bass, and fluttering flute solos pulling from V’s love for jazz and classical music. 

BTS' J-Hope, Jungkook Bring Love and Trust to 'I Wonder'

Where to stream j-hope's new docuseries, 'hope on the street', bts member v shares live performance video of heartbreak track 'fri(end)s'.

Yet in conversation, V’s demeanor is the opposite of gloomy. Showing flashes of playfulness, he takes advantage of the time that the translator spends interpreting in English to draw a goofy face on the whiteboard in the HYBE meeting room. Then, he pretends not to know it exists when I ask him about it. Throughout the rest of the conversation, he’s earnest as he offers his thoughts on his songwriting process, watching his fellow BTS members release their solo work, his obsession with scenery, and how he would personally define what “romance” is. 

What is the significance of this album title, Layover ? What kinds of thoughts or feelings does a layover bring up for you, and how did you express that in the songs? The title Layover came about while I was contemplating what my final destination is in my life and career and the way to get there. The intent behind naming my first solo album, Layover , is to represent a starting point ,like I’m just beginning to paint the picture that is Kim Taehyung. 

I realized there’s a long way to the final destination of my life. There’s a lot of different ways to get to that final destination.Why not give yourself the time to rest, look back at myself, and create new goals? Thinking about all of that, I decided on the name Layover . I really hope that listeners of this album will also take it as an opportunity to reflect on their lives, think about their goals, and take some moments of rest wherever they need. 

Last year, you mentioned in Weverse Magazine that you scrapped all the songs you made for this solo album and started fresh again. When you started over, did you want to go in an entirely new direction? For the past three or four years, I have been continuously songwriting and making music. Throughout that time, the thing that concerned me the most was how my taste and preferences, the kind of music I wanted to make, were changing every year, every month. You could say that I was being very ambitious about this solo album. I had an attitude of, “I wanna show this, and I wanna show that,” which is why the style [of the songs] continued to evolve.

The music that I’m working on now is stylistically different from this album.

So for Layover , what did you want to achieve with the production style? When I listened to it, I personally felt like there were jazz and classical music influences. As you mentioned, jazz and classical are my favorite genres, so I think I always had the desire to try making it myself. It was the music that I grew up listening to. Whenever I had free time, or when there was a break between my work, I tended to go back to those styles. I felt a sense of comfort while listening to them, so I really wanted to try to make music that also brings that feeling of consolation to the audience. While I was preparing this album, I thought, “Since this is the music that was always my source of comfort, why don’t I try to return the feeling for ARMY?” 

When did you first start listening to jazz, and what about it drew you in? I started listening to jazz when I was around 14 years old, in my first year of middle school, but it was not really by choice. I had started playing saxophone, and I had to practice for school admission exams, so I listened to jazz a lot. But I actually really hated it at the time. I thought to myself that I would never listen to it again after I was done [preparing]. 

But after time passed, I started to notice it again. You know, when you’re walking down the street and you just hear music in passing? I started hearing jazz songs that  I recognized,like  “Oh, I know this one! Oh, this is that song!”And it suddenly felt very fresh. Jazz started to have a new meaning, because it wasn’t part of my work or studies. After hearing it more naturally, I started falling in love with the genre and seeing its merits. I think it was around my early 20s that I rediscovered my love for jazz again. 

Oh definitely. You’re still young. Like we’ve both said, I think a lot of young people these days have nostalgia for an older time and they tend to romanticize it. To you, what does the word “romance” mean?  I think I live with the word “romance” in my mouth. It’s really part of my vocabulary. I tend to really enjoy the atmosphere and the vibe in the scenes of everyday life. I think I’m the kind of person to try to find meaning in everything. So whether that means going to beautiful places or eating delicious food or looking at nice scenery, I think that’s what romance is to me. You know, it’s like they say, “Live in style, die in style.”

In this album and the past songs you’ve written, you tend to reference a lot of nature, whether it’s rain, snow, the moon, or nighttime. Is it that you want to express your feelings through these kinds of images?  Yes. Our leader RM, he’s really great at writing lyrics in a poetic way, so I’m always learning from him. So whenever I study lyrics and write them myself, I tend to gravitate toward my favorite words. “Night” comes up a lot, because it’s my favorite time of day, and it tends to be the moments of my life when I think and reflect the most. “Snow” comes up because it indicates my favorite season. “Dawn” is also really great. I can be a person who thinks one-dimensionally or simply, so I try to adorn my songs with my favorite words. One by one, I try to bring out [the beauty of these words]. I try to learn from RM in that regard. 

Did any of your fellow members help you specifically with this album? Or is there any feedback they gave you when they heard the songs?  So I didn’t realize this at the time, but I really didn’t show the songs in progress with my bandmates that much. In the beginning, since J-Hope was the first to release his solo album, he listened to my songs. And Jung Kook also listened to my work-in-progress with me, and we had a lot of discussions about what the direction should be. But what I think is really interesting, especially after talking with all of them, is that all seven of us really have our own unique color when it comes to music. Our approach is completely different, and the way that we want our performances to look are different too, so I think that’s what made those discussions very fun. 

Why didn’t you show your members your songs that much?  It’s just that we didn’t have a lot of opportunities to meet in person, since we were all busy with our own personal schedules. For me, at that time, I was filming the show Jinny’s Kitchen . So whenever we did have a chance to meet, we just caught up on life, and we didn’t really have a chance to discuss music. 

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To ask a question about acting, I’ve read that you really want to play a villain, which feels a little unexpected. I’m wondering why that kind of role appeals to you. I’m someone who just really loves watching movies. Whenever I do, I find myself naturally drawn more to the villain characters rather than the heroes. When you watch a film, you have to look at the big picture, or the forest for the trees. I think that villains play a very big role in making that overall picture complete; they really have to sell their own charisma to make the movie come to life. If the villain doesn’t really have depth to their character, or if there’s no chemistry between the characters, then the hero can’t really shine either. So I always end up watching the villain characters closely. I’ve told a lot of my friends and people around me that I now have this ambition to play a villain at least once.

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Here’s Everything We Know About BTS V’s “KTH1” Mixtape

BTS ‘s  V  recently gave an update about his upcoming mixtape, which ARMYs have nicknamed  KTH1  after V’s real name, Kim Taehyung. Here’s everything we know about  KTH1  so far!

1. The number of tracks

In BTS’s “BE-hind Story” teaser, V revealed that his mixtape will have 13 songs . This makes V’s tracklist the longest out of all his members’ mixtapes.  Suga ‘s  AGUST D and  D-2  mixtapes both have 10 songs,  RM ‘s  RM has 11 songs while  mono  has seven, and  J-Hope ‘s  Hope World has seven songs as well.

2. It could have had 14 songs

During a live broadcast, V revealed that the  BE  track “Blue & Grey” was originally intended for his mixtape. When BTS were shooting In The Soop , the other members heard “Blue & Grey” and it would be great for  BE .

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The song was originally in English, but after hearing his members’ feedback, V started working on Korean lyrics for “Blue & Grey”.

BTS recently performed the song on  MTV Unplugged.

3. The release date

When Genius interviewed BTS in December 2020, V expressed his desire to release his mixtape soon;  “I wish my mixtape would come out soon.”  Although V has been teasing his mixtape for some time, there’s a high possibility that he will finally release it in 2021.

His members want to hear it too!

4. The songs

V has shared several snippets from his mixtape. Last July, he tweeted, “ Today is a day that I miss ARMY so so so so much. Although it’s not complete I thought I’d spoil a bit of the music I’m working on. Please wait a bit more as you listen to this snippet. #내일지울수도 (might delete tomorrow) #내마음이 (my heart) before my heart changes quickly..”

The original post was deleted, but fans reshared it online for others to hear. It combines soulful lyrics with hints of jazz and R&B.

Taehyung singing an F# followed by an F (both in the fifth octave, making it an F#5 and an F5) in falsetto voice for the snippet of his upcoming mixtape. #KTH1iscoming @BTS_twt pic.twitter.com/M4jAoQA6VZ — Tae’s Lyrics ✨ (@KTHSGENRE) July 1, 2020

During In the SOOP , V revealed another song while driving with  Jimin  and  J-Hope . Jimin was so impressed with V’s “ idyllic ” music that he asked him to write a song for him.

🎶 “Will you please dance with me ‘cos I can’t live without you” 🎶 (MUST BE NICE TO BE ABLE TO LISTEN TO UNRELEASED TRACKS OFF KTH1, PLS!!!) pic.twitter.com/wxj1pj8Hc8 — wisha 💫 (@doyou_bangtan) August 25, 2020

5. Behind the scenes

In an interview with Weverse Magazine , V talked about the challenges he faced while writing his mixtape. He wrote “Blue & Grey” when he was at his  “lowest point.”

I wrote “Blue & Grey” when I was at my lowest point, when I was actually asking whether I could keep going with my work or not. Those kinds of thoughts hit me hard. — V

He also expressed his struggles with perfectionism. Since he wants the mixtape to be the best it can be, V has had a difficult time knowing when to let go.

The title track is the title track, but everyone also says to just leave it as it is, but I keep getting the urge to keep putting in more and more. — V

For more, read all about Jungkook’s mixtape here:

Here’s Everything We Know About BTS Jungkook’s “JJK1” Mixtape

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'FRI(END)S' by BTS's V (Kim Taehyung) earns the Biggest First-Week Song Debut by K-pop Act on Spotify in 2024

Kim Taehyung , aka V from BTS , recently released ' FRI(END)S ,' a pop soul R&B track that expresses the desire to "put the 'end' in friends" and elevate a longstanding friendship to a deeper level, as cleverly hinted by the title's wordplay.

Even as he fulfills his mandatory military service, Taehyung continues to be a significant presence in the music scene with the release of 'FRI(END)S.'

On Spotify, 'FRI(END)S' earned the biggest first-week song debut by K-pop acts in 2024, with 31,486,781 streams, surpassing 'EASY' by LE SSERAFIM.

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In addition to its weekly debut, 'FRI(END)S' also earned 6,265,878 streams on its first day on Spotify. This marked the biggest first-day song debut among Korean soloists, as well as among K-pop acts overall, in 2024.

Congratulations, Kim Taehyung!

Haven't checked out 'FRI(END)S' yet? See below.

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BTS’ V’s ‘Winter Bear,’ ‘Snow Flower,’ and ‘Scenary’ to officially release ahead of ‘Layover’ album

Bts member v, also known as kim taehyung, announces his solo debut with the album 'layover.' with a total of six songs and accompanying music videos, v's promotions include teaser releases and a mini-concert before the album release on september 8..

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• BTS member V, also known as Kim Taehyung, is set to release his first solo debut album titled 'Layover'
• The album will consist of six songs, each accompanied by a music video, with the title track being 'Slow Dancing'
• Ahead of it, his songs ‘Scenery,’ ‘Winter Bear,’ and ‘Snow Flower,’ will be released officially on several platforms.

TAEHYUNG’S SONGS TO RELEASE OFFICIALLY

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BTS’ V Gets Up Close & Personal With the Camera in ‘Love Me Again’ Video

The singer dazzles in an array of sequined tops for the song's visual.

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Another BTS solo single is in the books! V , who previously announced that he will release his debut solo album at the end of the summer, released the project’s first track “Love Me Again” in tandem with a music video on Wednesday (Aug. 9).

BTS’ V Announces Debut Solo Album, ‘Layover’

“Love Me Again” is the first taste BTS ARMY has heard of V’s debut solo effort,  Layover . BIGHIT MUSIC announced Tuesday that the album will drop Sept. 8. The set will include a total of six tracks: “Rainy Days,” “Blue,” “Love Me Again,” “Slow Dancing,” “For Us” and a bonus track piano version of “Slow Dancing.” “Slow Dancing” will be the focus track for the project, which BIGHIT described as a “1970s romantic soul style track [that] exudes a laid-back and free-spirited feeling.”

V’s solo efforts come after releases from his fellow BTS members: Jung Kook released “Seven” featuring Latto — which crowned the Billboard Hot 100 — last month, while Suga’s D-Day arrived in April and Jimin’s FACE (including the Hot 100 No. 1 “Like Crazy”) in March.

Watch the video for “Love Me Again” above.

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BTS’ Kim Taehyung dominates Google searches as top K-pop idol in 2024

BTS fans, rejoice! V, the artistic powerhouse also known as Kim Taehyung, is making waves yet again. He's been crowned the most-searched K-Pop idol and Asian celebrity on Google for the first quarter of 2024, proving his immense global popularity.

Taehyung is the most searched kpop idol on Google in 2024 so far. ICON OF AN ERA WORLDWIDE IT BOY IDOL OF IDOLS pic.twitter.com/m4w7TP5VOZ — Daniela🩷 V FRI(END)S 🩷 (@Daniela78068905) March 26, 2024

This isn't V's first time basking in the spotlight. For two consecutive years (2021 and 2022), he held the title of most-searched K-Pop idol. But this year's achievement is even more impressive considering he's currently fulfilling his mandatory military service, which he began in December 2023.

Also read: BTS’ Jin sends the internet into a frenzy as he begins countdown from the military discharge; Watch

Knowing he'd be away from his fans (affectionately called ARMY), V cleverly planned content releases to keep the spark alive. His collaboration with soloist IU in her music video 'Love Wins All', released on January 22, showcased his versatility as an artist and garnered immense attention worldwide.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by V (@thv)

Adding to his list of accomplishments, Taehyung partnered with Compose Coffee, one of South Korea's largest coffee chains, further solidifying his status as a cultural icon.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by 컴포즈커피 (@compose_coffee)

V also graced the February issue of Harper's Bazaar Korea, and let's just say he stole the show. His captivating visuals, reminiscent of an anime character, left fans speechless and propelled the magazine to become a bestseller across multiple online retailers.

But V's winning streak doesn't stop there! He recently dropped his brand new English single, 'FRI(END)S', on March 15. This heartfelt song, featuring actress Ruby Sear and directed by the talented Samuel Bradley, has become a fan favorite. It soared to number 13 on the Official Singles Chart, marking V's highest ranking yet. Additionally, it amassed over 30 million streams on Spotify and a jaw-dropping 4.7 million plays on the very first day of its release. The song's global reach was further solidified by claiming the top spot on iTunes charts in a whopping 90 regions, including major markets like the US, UK, and Japan.

V Official MV ( https://t.co/mtFPVeSDcB ) #V #뷔 #V_FRIENDS #FRI_END_S pic.twitter.com/0KNgNDA9X6 — BIGHIT MUSIC (@BIGHIT_MUSIC) March 15, 2024

V's hard work and love for what he does, along with his strong bond with his fans, are paying off big time. Even while fulfilling his military service, he keeps smashing records and ruling the music charts.

Also read: BTS’ Suga announces ‘D-Day: The Movie’ featuring RM, Jimin, Jungkook; Details here

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"It's a song full of charms": BTS Taehyung delves deeper into 'FRI(END)S' and shares it was written & recorded before his debut solo album 'Layover'

B TS star Kim Taehyung, who often goes by his stage moniker V, dropped his much-awaited single FRI(END)S on March 15, 2024, at 1 pm KST. The melodious R&B track was released alongside an official press release from his agency BIGHIT MUSIC.

The musician stated in the press release that he had composed and recorded the track way before he released his debut solo album Layover :

"FRI (END) S is a song that was recorded before the release of 'Layover', FRI(END)S is a song that confesses the desire to end a friendship and develop it into something more."

Fans were astonished to learn how the artist had woven the lyrics of ' FRI(END)S' into the music way before he launched himself as a soloist. V's solo debut album, Layover, was out on September 8, 2023. It consisted of five swoon-worthy songs about love and conveyed the emotions that one endures after being separated from their significant other.

Taehyung brings a new freshness & melody in FRI(END)S which tugs at everyone's heartstrings

In FRI(END)S music video, a disgruntled and lonely Kim Taehyung dominates the opening sequence as he sees lovebirds everywhere, including bus stops, restaurants, and even on the streets. But he is alone and finds it difficult to cope. Out of spite, he even throws a wedding ring as a man kneels down to propose to his partner.

After this, he meets with an accident and wakes up in a parallel realm with his girlfriend, portrayed by British actress Ruby Sears. In the parallel world , everything is different. While other couples seem to be disappointed with one another and are quarreling, Taehyung glides blissfully with his girlfriend through the madness. However, the musician gets hit by a car again. Later when he wakes up, the scenario reverses as he is secluded once again - all by himself.

In both the contrasting views, two aspects remain constant: his yearning to be deeply loved and his impending death.

The music video concept is distinct as Taehyung sets a new precedent by crafting a storyline that depicts background artists kissing passionately onscreen, while V is shown devoid of love. The Sweet Night crooner appears to be living in two different universes and these timeframes can be distinguished visually by using different color schemes.

As per BIGHIT MUSIC's press release, the BTS idol mentioned that he was on a quest for a song "full of charm" that could be presented to his fans-the ARMY. Talking about his latest track, V said:

""FRI(END)S is a song I prepared because I was looking for a song that I could share with my fans. I think Army will like it as it's a song full of charm. So Army I hope you enjoy it to your heart's content."

BTS' Taehyung's latest pop single FRI(END)S is available for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.