WEEK 66 | A Sound of Something Breaking.

April 14-20, 2025

Endurance.

 

Bon Voyage Lost Taehyung

“I just wanted to know their names.”

This is the death knell phrase, right? It’s what so many people say just before they fall headfirst down the BTS rabbit hole, emerging on the other side a full-fledged ARMY—knowing not just their names, but the sound of their voices, the shape of their silhouettes, and so many of the little personality quirks that make each of them who they are.

Kim Taehyung has… a lot of quirks. In the early days of BTS he was loud, full of energy, and never missed a chance to put on a show for the camera. As he began to grow up, some of his energy mellowed—he became a bit quieter, and often thought more before saying whatever was on his mind. Now, I often hear V described as “mysterious” and “hard to get to know”.

While I can see how he might appear that way on the surface—certainly if you’re only seeing his performances or maybe his (devastating) magazine spreads. Taehyung was 17 when he debuted. As he’s aged, V has become more than just his stage name. V has become a different persona. V is the mask he puts on when performing. But if you dig a little deeper and look behind the mask…


In late March of 2017, while BTS was on “THE WINGS TOUR”, “Taehyung’s Classic🎶” popped up on VLIVE. It began very structured. Taehyung wanted to share some classical music with ARMY, because “it relaxes me”. But as he answered questions and got distracted by outfit changes, the LIVE quickly evolved into just a general music share. This included some of his favorite parts from a few BTS b-sides—like Jimin’s vocalizations toward the end of “Wings”.

If you listen carefully to some of our lesser-known songs, each of them has its own character.

In a way, this is also a metaphor for getting to know Kim Taehyung. If you pay attention carefully to the lesser-known aspects of his personality, the quieter and quirkier parts, you’ll find the mystery will fall away to reveal sweet warmth, a depth of character and intelligence, and a clever sense of humor. He’s someone who takes chances and lives on the edge of chaos, but is always SO careful with the hearts and feelings of others.

Taehyung Live

This VLIVE is, honestly, Taehyung in a nutshell—all over the place and yet quietly focused at the same time. In the span of thirty minutes he:

  • changes clothes, takes off his beanie and puts on his glasses

  • plays a wide variety of music for ARMY, including classical pieces, Sam Smith, Bruno Mars, and even BTS

  • introduces us to his “new friend” (aka the pimple on his cheek)

  • accidentally and yet totally on purpose pimps out PUMA like a good little brand ambassador

  • inadvertantly showed us the 9% charge left on his phone (to this day ARMY is convinced his cell battery is never charged above single digits)

  • tells us that he wrote the original melody and chorus for “Spring Day” (and plays it) but then says (with a cheeky smile) that RM stole it from him

  • gives us a dramatic lip-sync performance of Celine Dion’s “All By Myself” and then immediately ends the LIVE with no other words


He’s open, but coy. Always teasing and laughing as though we’re in on the joke, but never fully explaining it. It’s him, but it’s still somewhat of a performance. While over the years the distinction between Kim Taehyung and V has become more stark, the pieces are a part of the whole. He is both Taehyung AND V.


This week we’ll explore the years during which BTS hit new heights of creativity and fame, and reached new lows of exhaustion and pain. We’ll see Taehyung explore the mask of V, and how he learned to use it to both his advantage and detriment.

 
 
 
 

Skip to Content: Day One | Day Two | Day Three | Day Four | Day Five

 

DAY ONE:

 

Vante Original Photograph

As we’ve begun to see, Taehyung tends to look at the world in a slightly different way, and often can find unique perspectives from what he sees. It’s no surprise that he developed an interest in art and photography. In a self-interview (Taehyung interviewing V, of course), he once said that taking pictures and sharing them with ARMY made him happy and that he likes expressing himself with art because it can be done through actions or visuals rather than words.



In 2017, Taehyung began posting some of the photos he’d been taking over the years under the name “Vante”. This was an homage to his favorite photographer Ante Badzim (V + Ante). When you take a look at Badzim’s work, and then at Taehyung’s photos, the inspiration is clear. There is often a vast landscape and a focus on something small within it. A singular post at the beach, an oil rig in a field, or a few small clouds in the sky.


As the pressures of life as an Idol increased, I often wonder if Taehyung considered himself to be the small focal point in some of these photos… standing out in the vast landscape of K-Pop. I certainly think he often felt as though he didn’t belong amongst his peers, perhaps even sometimes not in BTS.

V & RM being adorable

In the early days of the group, as the seven members were still coming to grips with actually being a debuted Idol group, working themselves to exhaustion (some of them still also in school), and trying to figure themselves out as teenagers/young adults, conflict and hurt feelings were inevitable.


This was especially true for V and Jimin, who (being the same age) had quickly become best friends during their time as trainees. As they were always in each other’s pockets, their fierce friendship also led to fierce arguments—like the infamous “dumpling incident”.

In 2016, while he was back and forth between BTS activities and filming his part in the upcoming drama Hwarang, Taehyung arrived to a dance practice VERY hungry one day. He was craving dumplings, so he he ordered some. When they arrived in the midst of practice, he wanted to stop and eat right away, but Jimin urged him to wait until the end when everyone could eat together. From Taehyung’s perspective, he had been running around all day and hadn’t eaten yet, so he wasn’t thinking about anything but his hunger. But Jimin didn’t think it was fair for him to stop practice just so he could eat, he thought Tae should wait for everyone to be able to eat with him. They went back and forth, the squabble escalated into shouting, until the rest of the members became exasperated and told them to leave.

There are varying accounts of how long the fight actually lasted (it changes every time one of them tells the story), but we know that Jimin and V did not speak to each other for several days after the incident. Eventually, through some well-intentioned meddling from their hyungs, they met up in a park near their dorm in the middle of the night and talked it out—apologizing to each other and making up.

At a dusky park
A nameless bird that sings
Where are you
Oh you
Why are you crying
You and I are the only ones here
Me and you
Oh you

This quiet conclusion to something that had been so suddenly explosive inspired Taehyung to write a song. And when he needed help, as per Bangtan tradition, he went to his leader. RM helped him hone in on a concept—the weird way the world feels at 4AM—it’s not still night, but not quite day either. It’s often referred to as the “blue hour”, the twilight before sunrise. As they were working on lyrics and V began recording, he realized RM’s voice needed to be on the track as well. And this is how “4 O’Clock” came to be—released as a gift for FESTA in June of 2017.

 

"4 O'CLOCK" (RM, V) | 2017 BTS HOME PARTY FESTA


 
 

Fun Fact:

BTS World or VTS World? (sad laughter)

When BTS released their first online video game, BTS World, there was never any doubt that they’d also be working on the OST for the game as well.

The members split up into different units for three songs on the album that featured collaborations with other artists. For the song “A Brand New Day”, j-hope and V were paired with Swedish pop star Zara Larsson.

The song is one of my favorites on the album. It has a distinctly “world music” feel to it, and brilliantly blends several genres together at once. It seems like it shouldn’t work, but it really, REALLY does.


  1. OST PART 2 TEASER | J-HOPE X V (0:27)

  2. "A BRAND NEW DAY" (J-HOPE, V, AND ZARA LARSSON) | COLOR CODED LYRICS (3:26)

  3. "A BRAND NEW DAY" (J-HOPE, V, AND ZARA LARSSON) | FMV (3:26)

 
 

DAY TWO:


 

V & Baby Yeotan!

To say that 2017 was an insane year for BTS would be a massive understatement. They spent most of it touring to support their wildly successful second studio album, WINGS, as well as recording and releasing two new albums (You Never Walk Alone and Love Yourself 承 ‘HER’). So, on top of touring, they had to prepare for and perform comeback promotions which would include learning new choreography, recording, photoshoots, music video shoots, interviews, music shows, etc. While on tour, they were being filmed constantly for a documentary series/movie that would eventually become “Burn the Stage”.

Plus, they were starting to gain a lot of attention outside of Asia and their home country. They made history that year by being the first K-Pop artists to both receive a Billboard Music Award (Top Social Artist) and to perform at the American Music Awards (“DNA”). The Western Music Industry sat up and began to take notice.

By the time 2017 was drawing to a close, the members of BTS were understandably in need of a break. V, in particular, was struggling—not just with exhaustion, but also with feeling like he wasn’t adequately pulling his weight in the group… like, maybe he wasn’t really cut out to be an Idol. So while the group was wrapping up their insanely busy year, Taehyung decided to do something just for himself—he adopted a dog.


From the beginning of BTS, it’s always been clear that Tae is an animal lover. There’s endless footage of him cuddling and playing with them, including SoonShim, a dog he rescued with his family when he was younger, who had remained behind after he joined Big Hit and moved to Seoul. For about six months (give or take), he researched dogs and different breeds to figure out what kind of dog might be the best fit for him and his lifestyle.

On December 4th (during Jin’s birthday livestream), V introduced ARMY to Yeontan, the tiny Pomeranian puppy he had decided to adopt. The word yeontan translates to “charcoal briquette”, like the kind you use in a grill, and was undoubtedly a reference to the puppy’s fluffy black and tan coat. Immediately he became affectionately nicknamed “Tannie”, which of course made ARMY go “Awwww” because that’s what we sometimes lovingly call the members of BangTAN.

When asked why he’d adopted Yeontan, Taehyung answered that aside from just generally loving animals, he’d really wanted a companion—a source of comfort he could hug when he was feeling down. Which, at the time, was probably a lot. As they began 2018, the members of BTS found themselves at a crossroads. At the height of their fame (at the time), they felt broken, and used up. They were fighting amongst themselves, and began to wonder if continuing on at the same brutal pace was going to be worth it, or if they should call it quits before it end up tearing them apart.

Years later, Taehyung described 2018 as being the most difficult year for him. Ultimately, BTS decided to stay together and they renegotiated and renewed their contracts with Big Hit. This resulted in them reworking their schedules and getting some much needed break time, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing from then out. They still worked incredibly hard. While they were recording material for Love Yourself 轉 'Tear', V was so tired he even thought to himself, “What if I just got a small injury? Then I would have an excuse to rest.”

Taehyung was tasked with the intro to the album, a hauntingly beautiful R&B track called “Intro: Singularity”. (We covered it in depth in Week 28.) Written by RM, the lyrics are full of uncertainty and frustration, which they were likely all feeling in abundance at the time. Following the same path as “Stigma” before, V’s performance of “Singularity” is powerful, yet hauntingly vulnerable. The music draws you in initially but it’s the emotion in his voice and eyes that keep you from looking away. It’s quiet, but it sticks with you, which is, I think, the crux of V as a performer.

 

BTS LOVE YOURSELF TEAR "SINGULARITY" COMEBACK TRAILER

 
 
 
 
 

Bangtan Bubble: Do you have a passion you channel strong emotions into?

 
 

Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!

 

DAY THREE:


As BTS began making changes in 2018 and made it through potential disbandment, they turned their struggles into music—and, as always, shared it with ARMY.


In January 2019, V released his first completely self-composed solo track, “Scenery”, on SoundCloud. It’s gentle and dreamy-sounding, and a bit old-fashioned. The piano sounds like something from an old movie, and Taehyung’s husky vocals have a rough, emotional edge at times.

On a street full of flowers, I see you, today as well

Would I be able to hold this scene in me

I cradle what I feel now in a park where the morning moon has left

This song goes towards you

I hear the sound of the film reflected on the moon in the night sky


At the time of the song’s release, V didn’t have a lot to say about the meaning behind the lyrics, but a year or so later he talked about it in “Break the Silence” (another documentary, this one about the “Love Yourself: Speak Yourself” tour). He played a demo version of the song and later shared how he longed to translate the beautiful moments in his life into song. “Scenery” is about how he feels and sees the world when he takes photographs. It’s about what all those moments he captures on film mean to him. Photography became a source of strength for him, and an outlet which he wanted to translate into songwriting as well.

Taehyung continued developing his skills as a songwriter with his next single, “Winter Bear”, later that year. Written about his grandmother’s passing a few years prior, the song is a short and beautiful ode to the process of grief.

I want some good day, good day, good day
Good day, good day
Looks like a winter bear
You sleep so happily
I wish you a good night, good night, good night
Good night, good night


Last week we talking about how his grandmother’s death came swiftly after a sudden illness, and he was unable to be with her when it happened. His lyrics in “Winter Bear” liken her passing to a bear hibernating during the winter. It evokes a sense of peaceful calm, and also hope that maybe he’ll see her again someday in the future. It’s a beautiful way to look at death, and also another snapshot in his life he managed to capture in song.

 

“Winter Bear” by V

 
 

Fun Fact

V and OSTs (Original Sound Taehyung… what, you don’t believe me? Pffffffffffft. Whatever.)


Over the years, V has recorded a fair number of songs for various Korean dramas. They’ve all done extremely well, but perhaps his most well-known is “Sweet Night” from the show “Itaewon Class” (which incidentally stars one of his WOOGA Squad hyungs, Park Seo-joon).

“Sweet Night” debuted at #2 on the Billboard Digital Song Sales Chart, a record at the time for a Korean solo artist. It also reached #1 on iTunes in 100 countries.

V’s voice is incredibly well-suited to OSTs because of its emotive quality. He’s able to express a wide range of emotions with very little effort, and we’re suckers for it every single time.

  1. "SWEET NIGHT" - ITAEWON CLASS OST PT 13 | OFFICIAL M/V (3:30)

  2. "SWEET NIGHT" - ITAEWON CLASS OST PT 13 | LYRICS (3:30)

  3. "SWEET NIGHT" - ITAEWON CLASS OST PT 13 | FMV (3:40)

  4. BTS KIM TAEHYUNG FEELING SHY WHEN ASKED ABOUT "SWEET NIGHT" | INTERVIEW CLIP (0:26)

 

DAY FOUR:


 

“Inner Child” MOTS ON:E Day 2

So basically, once Taehyung jumped on the songwriting bandwagon, he got REALLY good at it. This is both amazing and terrible for all of us, right? He’s written some truly beautiful songs, but some of them also rip our hearts out, light them on fire, and laugh over the ashes.

 

Taehyung performs “Inner Child”

For example, in 2020, BTS released Map of the Soul: 7, and each of the members had a solo song included. V’s was “Inner Child”, a coming-of-age story he penned as a message of reassurance to his younger self.


Back then, we 
suffered a lot,
looking up to the stars of that sky far, far away

 
The you of back then did not believe in the galaxy
But, I happened to have seen
the silver galaxy


We know that Taehyung struggled with feeling misunderstood as a child and pre-teen at school. He’s told us that he didn’t have many friends before high school, and that other kids used to laugh at his quirky personality and the odd things he said. Even when he joined Big Hit and moved to Seoul, he struggled at first getting to know some of the trainees. Once he became a part of BTS, the other members embraced his weird, but still called him an “alien” at times.

As he grew up, Tae settled more into his personality and his role within the group. He found more outlets for all of the feelings inside himself, including songwriting. The lyrics of “Inner Child” have him talking directly to his past self, letting him know that he got to do all those things he longed for back then, and that he was good now, but also, that he’d never forget who he used to be. In the song he cherishes the child he was, and vows that although they are changing, “You’re my boy, you’re my boy…”

Please excuse me while I go cry in the corner for an hour or so now.

 
 

Fun Fact:

V x PEAKBOY. Making music with his WOOGA hyung.


In the winter of 2020, as a gift to lift ARMY’s spirits around the holidays during the Pandemic, V released a sweet Christmas song with his hyung and WOOGA Squad friend, fellow musician Peakboy.

The song is called “Snow Flower” and its lyrics mention the purple crocus, which is a flower known for blooming and thriving in the winter. It symbolizes positive energy, and the hopeful coming of springtime.

This sentiment was something we definitely needed at the time, as most of us were stuck in lockdown. “Snow Flower” was the first official collaboration between V and Peakboy. The following year V appeared in Peakboy’s M/V for his song “Gyopo Hairstyle”.


  1. "SNOW FLOWER (FEAT PEAKBOY)" | OFFICIAL AUDIO (3:50)

  2. "SNOW FLOWER (FEAT PEAKBOY)" | COLOR CODED LYRICS (3:49)

  3. TAEHYUNG SINGING "SNOW FLOWER" WITH PEAKBOY | IN THE SOOP: FRIENDCATION (1:07)

  4. V SINGING "SNOW FLOWER (FEAT PEAKBOY)" | VLIVE (3:23)

  5. "SNOW FLOWER (FEAT PEAKBOY)" | ARMY PLAYLIST (1:24)

  6. "SNOW FLOWER (FEAT PEAKBOY)" | FMV (3:48)

  7. "GYOPO HAIRSTYLE!" PEAKBOY | OFFICIAL M/V (4:02)

  8. "GYOPO HAIRSTYLE!" PEAKBOY | LYRICS (2:40)

  9. "GYOPO HAIRSTYLE!" PEAKBOY | BEHIND SCENES (2:52)

  10. "GYOPO HAIRSTYLE!" PEAKBOY | BEHIND SCENES V CUTS (0:38)

 
 

DAY FIVE:


As had moved through the “Love Yourself” era and into “Map of the Soul”, a very different V emerged on stage. When he was younger, Taehyung was a ball of energy on and off of the stage. He was loud, boisterous, and ready to take on the world. We’ve mentioned before how, as he became an adult, he settled into himself more, and we began to see a very clear separation between Kim Taehyung and V. In a recent interview Taehyung gave while working on his single “Fri(end)s”, he talked a bit more about the dynamic between himself and his stage name.

I think the basic personality is the same. We both want and pursue similar things, and have the same views. V is like my character. Kim Taehyung made a person as a character named V. V doesn’t eat, I live as V on the stage, and when he gets off stage he becomes Kim Taehyung.

This is abundantly clear as we look at his performances during Map of the Soul: 7. The album gave us powerhouse tracks in “ON” and “Black Swan”, and opportunities for Taehyung to really show off “V” as a dynamic and mesmerizing focal point.


Not only was his styling amazing—we will never forget that drawn on neck tattoo that crept all the way down his chest. NEVER. But his fierce attitude was equally captivating. As soon as his eyes catch yours, it’s difficult to look away. You find yourself tracking him across the stage just to see what he’ll do next.

This continued as 2020 gave way to 2021. The Pandemic just seemed to embolden Taehyung to develop V more as an entity all on his own.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Bangtan Bubble: What do you think is the biggest difference between Taehyung and V?

 

Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!

 
 

FINAL THOUGHTS:


Taehyung’s young adulthood, from 2017 through 2021 also happened to be the most formative years of BTS’ career. The group went through incredible highs and lows, and so too did V. They shaped him in ways I think he’s still working on unraveling to this day. We can be grateful that, even in his own quiet way, he chooses to share that journey toward understanding with us.

Return next week for… well friends, more destruction. I could warn you, but… I won’t.

 
 

Side Quest

What are WE, Taehyung?

If you went by the titles of some of these VLIVEs, you might think you were watching a very different kind of content…

Taehyung has always been quite cheeky in his humor, and he loves to tease ARMY… in so many ways. SIGH.

Proceed at your own risk, my friends. Ahead lies so many sweet and funny moments juxtaposed by some that will make you want to kick your feet and scream into a pillow.

Here we have all of V’s LIVES (solo and group) from 2017-2021. There’s a ton of music shared, laughter, and increasingly uncomfortable eye contact.

Is it getting warm in here, or is it me?

 

200423 TAETAE FM 6.13 (1) | VLIVE

 

211128 COME ON - JIMIN, V, JUNG KOOK | VLIVE

 
 
  1. 170324 TAEHYUNG'S CLASSIC🎶 | VLIVE (31:31)

  2. 170325 TAE'S CLASSICAL 2 | VLIVE (5:44)

  3. 170506 HELLO, IT'S TAE ! 🐯 | VLIVE (39:08)

  4. 170521 V'S LOG (2:49)

  5. 170623 KIM TAEHYUNG'S COUNSELLING SESSION | VLIVE (45:05)

  6. 171016 R&V LIVE - RM, V | VLIVE (20:14)

  7. 181004 V'S LOG (8:30)

  8. 181005 IT'S BEEN A WHILE | VLIVE (54:39)

  9. 181021 PARISIAN NIGHT!😕 | VLIVE (18:30)

  10. 181021 AGAIN! (V WITH J-HOPE) | VLIVE (13:59)

  11. 181205 YOUR PRESENT HAS ARRIVED~!🐶 | VLIVE (27:02)

  12. 190519 I REALLY TRUSTED YOU... - JIN, JIMIN, V, JUNG KOOK | VLIVE (13:40)

  13. 190608 IT'S BEEN AWHILE💜 | VLIVE (49:03)

  14. 190609 VOPE GET IT~! - J-HOPE, V | VLIVE (31:51)

  15. 191214 IT'S BEEN AWHILE FOR ME TOO 🐯 | VLIVE (37:22)

  16. 191231 A BIRTHDAY THAT’S A DAY LATE!🐯 | VLIVE (26:20)

  17. 191009 [VLOG] V - SLEEPY V’S EXCITING VACATION 🐯 (7:47)

  18. 200122 PLAY WITH ME~🐯 | VLIVE (46:31)

  19. 200129 TAETAE FM 6.13 🐯 | VLIVE (47:59)

  20. 200306 R&V !!!!!!!!!! 🤩🤩 - RM, V | VLIVE (14:47)

  21. 200423 TAETAE FM 6.13 (1) | VLIVE (15:34 - as shown)

  22. 200423 TAETAE FM 6.13 (2) | VLIVE (32:56)

  23. 200505 PRACTICE MAKING CARNATION FOR PARENT'S DAY - V, JUNG KOOK | VLIVE (45:14)

  24. 200505 AGAIN - V, JUNG KOOK | VLIVE (28:13)

  25. 200507 V RM JHOPE'S LIVE LOG (39:04)

  26. 200507 TAETAE FM 6.13 | VLIVE (11:57)

  27. 200609 V (+ENG) | YT LIVE (59:06)

  28. 2008** V & JUNG KOOK (+ENG) | YT LIVE (7:20)

  29. 210405 BTS CAFE YONGSAN BRANCH OPEN! TEA TIME WITH ARMY~ SUGA, J-HOPE, V | VLIVE (55:38)

  30. 211128 TAEHYUNG, EXCITED AFTER MEETING ARMY, IS HERE! - JIMIN, V | VLIVE (36:22)

  31. 211128 COME ON - JIMIN, V, JUNG KOOK | VLIVE (12:46 - as shown)

  32. 211128 IT'S PART 2 - JIMIN, V, JUNG KOOK | VLIVE (20:02)

  33. 201230 V DAY! | VLIVE (46:23)

  34. 210724 EATING BROADCAST | VLIVE (18:44)

 
 
 

CREDITS:

YouTube/Web

BANGTANTV, HYBE LABELS, AFBF7, aftaehyung, Apple Tape BTS, BANGTAN SUBS, Bangvengers, Beomzzn Awesomeness!!, Bibimbap, Brilliant, BTS Bangtan Club, BTS LIVE ARCHIVE, BTS WORLD Official, BTS_LAND, DopeGirls ForFun, elisssa, ENJOY BTS MORE, Hansa Creative, Honey Double Up, Iamjunei, JAEGUCHI, KBS Kpop, KBS WORLD TV, KOCOWA TV, KookieMy, Kstar, LEMORING, Murmast, neuron music, NUNA V, PopBop Culture, PUMA, Purple February, Qumpela, SBS Entertainment, SISSY TRIOS, SKY, spicy chickens, TAENiiFY, V LIVE, Vantxgi, VLENDING 블렌딩, VTS OT7, 모스트콘텐츠 MOSTCONTENTS, 비아VIA, 픽보이 Peakboy; Web:

ARMY Project 529 Volunteers

Research Team: Angel (TikTok: Lilangel2828), Leslie Day (TikTok: Leslie Day), Merry (TikTok: merryj67), Sam T (TikTok: samt_26), Shelley (TikTok: shels167), Trudy (TikTok: theeducationmommy), Viv (TikTok: VivEliz); Video Team: Leslie Day (TikTok: Leslie Day), Namz (TikTok: Namz07)

 
 

Join us LIVE every Sunday evening at 8pm ET for #the529live, a wrap up of each week's “Monday Muster”, thoughtful discussions, and tons of laughter! And catch us on TikTok each Wednesday night at 9pm ET for #the529tea, when we talk Bangtan news and dish about any TEA that might be happening on Kim Namjoon’s internet. 

Sunday’s LIVE is hosted on ARMY Project 529’s YouTube channel: @ARMYProject529 while Wednesday’s LIVE is on our project TikTok:  @ARMYProject529.



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Post-Concert and FOMO Blues: We’ve All Been There

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WEEK 65 | I’ve Been Hiding it Until Now.