WEEK 68 | Got Me Deep in My Feelings.
April 28-May 4, 2025
Wistful.
Yet To Come in Busan Concert
After the infamous FESTA Dinner of 2022, during which BTS announced an upcoming break from group activities, their “Chapter Two” (although we weren’t calling it that back then) began almost immediately. Though they were still filming and recording group content in the months after, the members also started to scatter and work on individual projects. j-hope released JACK IN THE BOX, while most of the other members began (or continued) working on their upcoming albums as well.
Taehyung had been teasing ARMY with little snippets of songs here and there throughout the year. Was he working on an album too? He seemed to have been busy—we saw he was traveling to a lot of different locations, but not all of it appeared to be BTS-related. (France, Mexico, etc.) So what was he up to?
Imagine ARMY’s surprise when it was announced that a new season of In The Soop was coming out—starring V, but not the rest of BTS. Instead, it would be featuring him alongside his WOOGA Squad hyungs. Later, in December, he’d film another television show without his band members, this time trying out an alternate career as a kitchen intern in Jinny’s Kitchen.
In October, BTS played their “Yet To Come” concert in Busan as part of an effort to secure Busan’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo. The bid was eventually rejected, but the concert itself was a massive success for BTS, and it served as a fitting farewell (for now) performance. Just after the concert, Big Hit announced that the members would be breaking soon to begin serving their mandatory military service. A month and a half later Jin became the first member to enlist.
Suddenly, it became very real. V had been recording and filming content, but it all felt a bit like going through the motions. As 2023 began, he found himself struggling with his next moves. After last week, we know that an act of malicious theft caused him to lose a number of music tracks he’d been working on. In the wake of that, and without the promise of more BTS activities on the horizon, Taehyung floundered a bit. Luckily, fashion brands and magazines soon came knocking on his door. He was announced as a brand ambassador for the French luxury house CELINE that March. After initiating the partnership, CELINE saw their sales increase over 500% over the next year. Next up was Cartier in July. Every time ARMY turned around it seemed V was on another magazine cover.
In April, j-hope was the next member to enlist. As they had with Jin, the members all went to see him off. Taehyung, face covered by a mask and engulfed in a thick puffy coat, clung to his hyung, even while posing for pictures. Not long after, he began working on his debut solo album. We covered LAYO(V)ER last week, and discussed how Taehyung decided to pivot and receive songs that resonated with him and fit the theme he created for the album, rather than trying to write the album himself. Whether this was a result of what had happened with his stolen music, or just a decision made to lessen his stress load in the months leading up to his impending military service… he’s never clarified. He has always been transparent that songwriting is deeply personal to him, and he is often his own worst critic. So, with the deadline he was facing, it’s entirely possible his decision to receive songs for the album was mostly due to time constraints.
Weverse Live 23.12.05
Nevertheless, LAYO(V)ER was released at the beginning of September in 2023, and as we saw Taehyung begin his promotions, it was clear that he was proud of himself, but still feeling a little lost and missing his members. The end of that month also brought SUGA’s military enlistment upon us.
Many of Tae’s livestreams from that time are short and tinged with melancholy. It seemed like he had a lot he wanted to say, but knew he couldn’t. Often he’d turn a LIVE on just long enough to show ARMY some clouds or a pretty sunset—saying nothing, just letting us enjoy the scenery with him for a few minutes.
As summer gave way to fall, the final four members of BTS who had yet to enlist seemed to be busier than ever. V’s hair kept changing, and he kept making cryptic Instagram posts that (we now know) were hinting at several upcoming projects. After BTS’ maknae wrapped up the promotions for his solo album, Golden it was announced that RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook would all be enlisting at the same time in December. ARMY was heartbroken, even though we knew it had to happen. As we watched the four of them hold their final Weverse LIVE a few days before leaving, they all talked about how they couldn’t wait to get back to us in 2025, and that they would all do their absolute best while serving to make their country proud. Taehyung, in particular, talked about how he had set some very definite goals for himself for his time enlisted. He showed off his muscles (which Jimin happily groped—soulmate privileges), said he wanted to bulk up, and joked that maybe they should have a measuring contest once they all got back. (We’ll see if that happens… not long to wait now!) All four of them also let us know that they’d planned and prepared a lot for us to enjoy while they were gone. Awww. So sweet…
In reality, we had no clue how massive the amount of content was that Taehyung and the other members prepared ahead of their enlistment to give to us while they were gone. This week, aside from exploring what V was up to in the year before he left, we’ll also discuss everything he’s released even while away. Those of us who thought he might be quiet until he returned were sorely mistaken. Not only did he give us several new songs, but he also released two photography collections and had a touring exhibition for one of them. Every moment Taehyung could fill with reminders of his love for ARMY, he did. And over the last almost year and a half we’ve seen him accomplish all of the goals he set for himself—from joining the elite Special Forces Military Police and earning several promotions, to bulking up and changing into a completely different-looking Tae.
We’ve been both endeared and destroyed by him on several occasions over the past several months—which is pretty par for the course for Taehyung. So, in some ways, it’s like he never even left…
DAY ONE:
WOOGA Squad in matching pajamas In The Soop: Friendcation
In early July of 2022 it was announced that a new season of In The Soop would be airing soon, starring Kim Taehyung, but not the rest of BTS. Instead, joining V this time would be the other four members of the WOOGA Squad, a group of friends he made after appearing with some of them in the drama Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth. Two of the lead actors, Park Seo-Joon and Park Hyung-Sik sort of adopted the young Idol while filming the show and later introduced him to actor Choi Woo-Shik and rapper Peakboy.
They all became fast friends and continued to spend time together in the years after Hwarang. After the success of BTS’ first two rounds of In The Soop in 2020 and 2021, HYBE was chomping at the bit to produce another season, but slightly different. Taehyung had the idea to take a trip with his WOOGA hyungs this time. He gathered them all together at the HYBE building and, over a shared meal, told them his idea. While initially surprised, they quickly warmed up to it and got excited as it had been awhile since they’d been able to spend time together.
In the midst of winter the five friends traveled to Goseong, in Gangwon-do, South Korea and settled in at a cozy modern-style house for four days and three nights. They had a few day outings, but spent the majority of their time together at the house—cooking, playing games, singing and watching shows. They made it like a proper slumber party by pushing their beds together and wearing matching pajamas.
WOOGA Squad at beach In The Soop: Friendcation
Over the four episodes we not only get to know the other members of WOOGA, but we also get to know a different side of Taehyung. He is the maknae of the group by several years, and though they do talk about him being V of BTS a few times, that’s clearly not how they primarily know him. To them, he’s just their adorable little baby brother. He gets his face smooshed, they pet him and tell him how handsome he is, feed him, and fuss over him when he’s upset.
Though the members of BTS have an incredibly close bond, it’s important for them to have friends they can turn to outside of the group as well. Seeing Taehyung be able to step away from his Idol image and just be himself with some of his other friends is very rewarding. One night, as the friends are talking while settling down to sleep, Taehyung begins crying out of nowhere. The others gather around him in disbelief and ask why he’s crying. He’s embarrassed at first but eventually he quietly admits that he’s sad because he’s a bit disappointed with the past year. (This was filmed just after everyone was coming out of strict lockdown, so that could have had something to do with it.) They let him cry and comfort him. It’s reminiscent of BTS’ dynamic, which helps ARMY feel comforted too, knowing Taehyung is loved and taken care of even when he’s not with his family or fellow members.
I love this show a lot. It’s always incredibly wholesome to see male friends who aren’t afraid to be affectionate and vulnerable with each other. If we could get more of this happening everywhere, the world would probably be a much happier and more calm place, right?
"IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS" (BING CROSBY COVER) | OFFICIAL M/V (2:52)
"IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS" | LIVE CLIP (3:04 - as shown)
"IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS" | LYRICS (2:52)
BANGTAN BOMB: BTS RECITAL (2:00)
BANGTAN BOMB: 95Z HAVING FUN (1:49)
TAEHYUNG'S POSTS ON INSTAGRAM FROM JANUARY 2022 COMPILATION (7:22)
TAEHYUNG'S POSTS ON INSTAGRAM FROM FEBRUARY 2022 COMPILATION (6:27)
IN THE SOOP : FRIENDCATION | OFFICIAL TRAILER | DISNEY+ (0:49)
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN FIVE HARMLESS MEN GET TOGETHER | IN THE SOOP : FRIENDCATION (0:43)
PREVIEW CLIP - EP.4 - RECORDING "POLAROID" | IN THE SOOP : FRIENDCATION (2:58 - as shown)
"POLAROID" OST BT V, HYUNGSIK, PEAKBOY | IN THE SOOP : FRIENDCATION (0:36)
HIGHLIGHT CLIP - EP.1~4 | IN THE SOOP : FRIENDCATION (18:57)
BONUS: IN THE SOOP : FRIENDCATION FUNNY MOMENTS | WOOGA SQUAD (4:44)
BONUS: TAEHYUNG GETTING BABIED BY WOOGA SQUAD IS TRULY THERAPEUTIC (6:26)
BONUS: WOOGA FAMILY MOMENTS (10:34)
BONUS: [BTS VLOG] V | DRIVE VLOG (52:14 - as shown)
Fun Fact:
More accurate than Alanis Morisette.
Picture it: a popular South Korean coffee chain chooses an Idol to represent them as a brand ambassador who is very well-known for not liking coffee.
Isn’t it ironic, don’t you think? (exaggerated wink)
Just after he enlisted in December of 2023, Compose Coffee announced that V would be the model and brand ambassador for their upcoming campaigns, which he’d shot before leaving for the military.
Taehyung has always been very vocal about not being a fan of coffee (he’s more of a tea drinker), so it’s hilarious that he got the offer from Compose and said, “Yeah… this is definitely something I should do.”
Even more hilarious? It actually works? In all the ads he gives off a kooky Doctor Who/Willy Wonka inventor vibe, which is so quintessentially Taehyung. We don’t have Compose in the United States, but I know he’s made me definitely want to try them one day.
V IS A COMPOSER, EVERYONE IS A COMPOSER | COMPOSE COFFEE (0:07)
V IS A COMPOSER, EVERYONE IS A COMPOSER | COMPOSE COFFEE (0:16)
V IS A COMPOSER, EVERYONE IS A COMPOSER | COMPOSE COFFEE (0:31)
V IS A COMPOSER, EVERYONE IS A COMPOSER 2 | COMPOSE COFFEE (0:07)
V IS A COMPOSER, EVERYONE IS A COMPOSER 2 | COMPOSE COFFEE (0:16)
ON THE BLUE SEA, ONLY V. KIM TAEHYUNG'S BREATHTAKING MOMENT | HARPER'S BAZAAR (0:39)
BAZAAR ROLLS UP THE FILMING SITE FULL OF CUTENESS | HARPER'S BAZAAR (0:29)
WHAT'S THE LAST MESSAGE THAT V OF BTS LEFT FOR ARMY THROUGH BAZAAR? | HARPER'S BAZAAR (2:20)
UNBOXING BAZAAR KOREA V FEBRUARY 2024 COVER (ALL 3 VERSIONS!) (5:46)
DAY TWO:
Jinny’s Kitchen
Hot off of his role on In The Soop: Friendcation, Taehyung was offered another television opportunity, this time from the WOOGA Squad and not the other way around. And this time it wouldn’t be a vacation. He’d be put to work—in a kitchen.
Youn’s Kitchen and its spin-off Youn’s Stay were popular TV series in which various Korean celebrities have to work together to open and run a Korean restaurant in a foreign location. Park Seo-Joon and Choi Woo-Shik had appeared on those shows, and would now be starring in a third spin-off to be called Jinny’s Kitchen. Both men received promotions from their last positions, and since a new intern would be needed, they decided to suggest a buddy of theirs… a “little-known” K-Pop Idol named Kim Taehyung.
So, V became the new intern and traveled with the rest of the staff to Bacalar, Mexico to open their Korean restaurant. Over the course of the series they deal with the ups and downs of restaurant ownership: waxing and waning crowds, kitchen mishaps, near uprisings from the employees, etc. Much to Taehyung’s surprise (as he is almost as notoriously bad in the kitchen as RM) he was required to help cook, and was put in charge of making rice. He, along with fellow intern Woo-Shik, spent most of their time acting out disgruntled bits and planning their inevitable mutiny. Needless to say, it’s entertaining and completely heartwarming.
In October of 2023, the cast had a brief reunion show, when they gathered for “team-building” exercises consisting of games and challenges designed to make them point fingers and loudly yell at each other for not doing them right. V, now with several variety shows under his belt, has proved he’s a perfect personality for the format—he’s quick-witted, very strategic, and always thinks outside the box.
Taehyung was unfortunately unable to appear on the second season of Jinny’s Kitchen due to his military service, but ARMY hopes that he’s able to participate in the show again once he’s back. And then we hope we finally get him in a starring role in a drama series… or several.
JINNY'S KITCHEN | PRESS CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS | AMAZON PRIME (2:20)
BANGTAN BOMB: JINNY'S KITCHEN PRESS CONFERENCE & VARIETY SHOW SKETCH (7:59)
JINNY’S KITCHEN: TEAM BUILDING | OFFICIAL TRAILER | AMAZON PRIME (1:03)
TAEHYUNG: BEST INTERN MOMENTS | JINNY’S KITCHEN | AMAZON PRIME (3:03 - as shown)
BONUS: WELCOME^^ WE RECOMMEND WORD RELAY TO RELIEVE LABOR DISPUTEㅣ🧳THE GAME CATERERS 2, EP 1-1 (25:54)
TAEHYUNG ADORABLY PULLS A PRANK ON WOOSHIK 🥹 | JINNY'S KITCHEN (2:44)
🍽 SPECIAL VIDEO ㅣFROM AN INTERN TO AN INTERNㅣJINNY'S KITCHEN 2 (5:59)
TAEHYUNG DANCING TO RUN BTS CHALLENGE | JINNY'S KITCHEN, EP 10 CLIP (0:40)
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH JINNY'S KITCHEN MEMBERS, OPENING A RESTAURANT IN MEXICO | KORSERIES (5:23)
V WAS VERY GOOD AT THIS SAYS JINNY’S KITCHEN CAST MEMBERS | PHILSTAR L!FE (3:19)
KIM TAEHYUNG AND JUNG YUMI'S TEAMWORK: CHAOTIC YET EFFECTIVE 🤯 | THE GOD OF BUSINESS CLIP (4:23)
BONUS: THE GOD OF GRATITUDE-GRATEFUL TO TAE HYUNG💜 | BIRTHDAY SURPRISE FOR V (35:15)
BONUS: 🍽 TVN SEO JIN INE'S PRODUCTION PRESENTATION 🍽 | FULL PRESS CONFERENCE (52:39)
Bangtan Bubble: If you could work in Jinny’s Kitchen, what would your job be?
Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!
DAY THREE:
Weverse LIVE 230820
As I mentioned before, during the latter half of 2023 in the months between his promotions for LAYO(V)ER and his enlistment in the military, Taehyung often seemed melancholy and wistful. It seemed that, much like his other member’s had previously expressed, he found doing album promotions by himself to be strange and lonely.
In one particular Weverse LIVE, from August 20th, he says hi and then almost immediately puts us down and disappears for a couple minutes. When he comes back, he’s changed and both his shirt and face are wet. He says “For the first time in a couple of years, I drank until I got tipsy.” I remember watching the LIVE and thinking that the alcohol had loosened him up just enough that he was finding it hard to keep his emotions in check. After talking about the wine he drank, his workout that day, and chastising himself for showing off his muscles (he’s gotten over that in the past year, huh?) he says to ARMY, “I turned it on because I missed you. But I.. I am only seeing my screen. I am really upset about that.”
Cue me openly sobbing and wishing I could just give him the biggest hug.
Then he asked ARMY to quickly upload more VLOGs to YouTube for him to watch, something he’s expressed he likes to do several times before. And he repeated that request in the Bangtan Bomb filmed on June 10th, the day of his and RM’s enlistment. He asked ARMY to give him a lot of things to watch while he was away so he wouldn’t miss us too much, and he promised that he’d return the favor.
V staring into ARMYs’ souls and asking for VLOGS, December 10, 2023.
Boy, was he ever not kidding. Just a few weeks later, it was announced that V was releasing a song with American singer-songwriter UMI (of whom he had been a long-time fan) called “wherever u r” and it was meant to be a “See you later” gift to ARMY.
Taehyung had been recommending UMI’s music to us for years, and had a few friendly conversations and had vaguely mentioned that maybe they should work together one day. When 2023 rolled around UMI knew she really wanted to make it happen, but was afraid he wouldn’t have time with his busy schedule. She asked her mom for advice (so cute) and her mom replied, “Well, you’ll never know if you don’t ask.”
…So true. So, ask, she did. And V immediately said yes. They decided to go with a song UMI had already been working on, and they finished writing it together. They wanted the idea of even if you’re far away from your loved ones, you’re still with them in heart and spirit. It’s a soft R&B track—sentimental, and so sweet.
Wherever you areI'ma be, I'ma be, I'ma be wherever you are
Here in your heart
Wherever you are (Wherever, wherever, wherever), yeah
I'ma be, I'ma be, I'ma be wherever you are
Wherever you are, wherever you are
Cool. No, everything’s fine. I’m NOT crying again. YOU’RE CRYING.
"WHEREVER U R" - UMI, V | OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO (2:37 - as shown)
"WHEREVER U R" OFFICIAL LYRICS & MEANING | GENIUS VERIFIED (4:53)
"LOVE WINS ALL" | OFFICIAL M/V (5:23 - as shown)
"LOVE WINS ALL" | M/V SHOOT SKETCH (8:25 - as shown)
Fun Fact
Maknae Line Madness
By now we’ve all watched Are You Sure?, the travel documentary series that Jimin and Jung Kook filmed during the second half of 2023, right?
Well, if you haven’t, you’re missing out, and really should get on that. The entire series is amazing and so much fun, but I have a particular soft spot for the three episodes that were filmed on Jeju Island, when a special guest joined them.
That special guest was, of course, Jimin and JK’s fellow maknae line member: V. As soon as he arrived, they all instantly began ragging on each other, goofing around, and causing general havoc.
Highlights include Jimin losing his shoes (and JK quietly collecting them in disapproval) as he chases V through the streets trying to feed him a saam he’d crafted specially for him, all of the water wars and pool shenanigans that happened at their rental accomodation, Jimin discovering Taehyung had no idea how drive-thrus work, and all three of them playing around on an obstacle course and racing go-karts.
Watching AYS is honestly theraputic. Highly recommend.
ARE YOU SURE?! MAIN TRAILER (1:51)
DAY FOUR:
Going into 2024, after recovering from the emotional onslaught that had been “wherever u r”, this Taehyung bias thought things would be calm and collected for awhile now that he was newly ensconced in the military, going through his basic training and trying to earn his spot in Special Forces.
I should have known better.
Not even a full month into the new year it was announced that V would be starring in the M/V for IU’s upcoming new song, “Love Wins All”. Which, honestly, we all should have seen coming because the two of them practically beat us over the head with hints about it when he appeared on “IU’s Palette” during his LAYO(V)ER promotions.
In the video, IU and Taehyung seem to be in a sort of dystopian future, fleeing for their lives from… floating cubes? Tae is blind in one eye, and it seems IU is deaf as they use sign language to communicate. They hide in an abandoned mall and find a camera that lets them see each other as they used to be. For awhile they’re happy there, in love and acting as though nothing is wrong. Eventually though, they’re found… and, well. Let’s just say I’m sobbing again just writing about it.
Taehyung doesn’t feature on the song itself, but once you’ve seen the M/V that doesn’t matter. You can’t hear the song without picturing the heart-breaking story that he and IU portray. Again, once he’s back from the military, we NEED him in a starring role in a drama, please and thank you.
“Fri(end)s” Promotional Photo
And once again, after sort of recovering from “Love Wins All” (see links above on Day Three) I was lulled into a false sense of security. Like, okay… that was a lot. Probably won’t hear anything else from Taehyung for awhile. Probably not again until FESTA, right?
Wrong.
No, apparently he thought we needed another single. And honestly, he was right. “Fri(end)s”, a neo-soul banger of a track was released on March 15, 2024, and collectively we all died and ascended to another plane of existence. How DARE he look and sound that good while singing to us about how he wants to be more than friends?! I CAN ONLY TAKE SO MUCH, TAEHYUNG.
It’s fine. I’m an adult.
You're in my head
I had plans for the weekend (Ah)
But wound up with you instead (Ah)
Back here again (Oh)
Got me deep in my feelings
When I should be in your bed (Oh)
When you should be in my WHAT?! I take it back. I’m not fine. I haven’t been fine since this song came out. Not only does it sound phenomenal, featuring a mix of both V’s stunning baritone and his higher vocal range, but the M/V is a cornucopia of representation that is also hilariously fun to watch. It showcases his quirky personality to a tee and leaves us thinking that, in the end, loving ourselves is the most important life lesson we can learn.
"FRI(END)S" | SHORT FILM (1:00)
"FRI(END)S" | OFFICIAL M/V (4:14)
"FRI(END)S" | LIVE FILM (2:32 - as shown)
V'S SWEET CONFESSION "FRI(END)S" | W KOREA LIVE (2:31 - as shown)
I'LL BE BACK SOON: THE STORY OF V AND KIM TAEHYUNG | W KOREA (3:43)
"FRI(END)S" | M/V REACTION 1 (6:24)
"FRI(END)S" | M/V REACTION 2 (7:22)
"FRI(END)S" | M/V REACTION 3 (8:01)
Fun Fact:
A Beautiful Beginning and End.
We know that V loves jazz and classic singers. One of his favorites is Bing Crosby. Earlier this week we heard his cover of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas”, and he’s recommended several more songs of his over the years.
It was, in fact, it was his cover of the above Christmas classic that first brought V to the attention of Bing Crosby’s estate. They shared the video of Tae singing the song on their social media, and reached out shortly after to see if he’d be interested in recording a collaborative duet. The answer was immediately “YES!”
This time, V would tackle perhaps Bing’s most famous song of all—”White Christmas”. The track released on December 6, 2024 and it marked the first cross-generational collaboration for Bing Crosby in 47 years—the last being his duet on “Little Drummer Boy” with David Bowie in 1977.
Adorable merch, and a festive and cute animated M/V accompanied the release, featuring Bing as Santa Claus, and Taehyung’s precious Yeontan as his helper while the two deliver presents on Christmas Eve. The video also serves as an emotional memorial tribute to Tannie, as V had revealed just a few days earlier that the tiny pomeranian (who had always had health issues—Taehyung had adopted him in spite of them) had recently passed away.
In an Instagram post from December 2, Tae said, “Yeontan has embarked on a long journey to the dog stars.” He thanked ARMY for loving Tannie so much and asked us to always remember him fondly. His inclusion in the marketing for “White Christmas” was Tae’s last gift to him and us, and when the animators on the M/V found out that Tannie had passed, they drew him up amongst the stars at the end of the video, just where Taehyung said he would be.
DAY FIVE:
“Winter Ahead” Official M/V
Listen.
I’ve mentioned before that SUGA was my first BTS bias. And then, not too much later, V decided he wanted to join the party. I was happily existing as a dual-bias, thinking they were co-existing peacefully in my brain.
Nevermind that Taehyung’s love for jazz and his repeated covers of Christmas songs and jazz standards were turning me into a pile of goo. I was FINE.
But then, LAYO(V)ER happened. And suddenly, there he was, in every corner of my house. His Tiny Desk concert was on constant repeat. I started wondering if maybe I needed a pomeranian… and you know, that’s when it was suggested to me that maybe I’d developed what is know in these K-Pop streets as an “Ult(imate) Bias”.
Nooooooo. Surely not? Actually, yes (and don’t call me Shirley), that’s exactly what happened. Taehyung’s mix of quirky weirdness and jazz loving, R&B velvet voice-having soul just bowled me over.
“Winter Ahead” Official M/V
Throughout 2024, when he and his brothers were supposed to be being quiet, he wrecked me all over again so many times. But none of those times was perhaps quite as devastating as when he released “Winter Ahead” at the end of the year.
The song, a jazzy duet with fellow singer and long-time friend Park Hyo-Shin, had everything I love. Taehyung was born on December 30th, he is just naturally suited to the wintertime, and his discography heavily reflects that. “Winter Ahead” is warm, and smooth like drinking an Irish Coffee in front of a fire late at night… snuggled up to someone you love.
And don’t get me started on the M/V. ARMY has learned multiple times over the years that Taehyung does not like appearing in “acting roles” onscreen unless he’s suffering (preferably dying) in some way, shape, or form. The story in “Winter Ahead” is based on the play “Pygmalion” by George Bernard Shaw, and it features a sculpter, all alone in a grand home, who falls in love with one of his statues and somehow manages to bring her to life. It’s sweet and fun… until it isn’t.
The video is completely at odds with the feel of the song, and yet, also isn’t. The cognitive dissonance between the lyrics and the visuals is fascinating, and oh so Kim Taehyung.
"WINTER AHEAD" (WITH PARK HYOSHIN) | OFFICIAL TEASER 1 (1:37)
"WINTER AHEAD" (WITH PARK HYOSHIN) | OFFICIAL TEASER 2 (1:03)
"WINTER AHEAD" (WITH PARK HYOSHIN) | OFFICIAL M/V (6:23 - as shown)
"WINTER AHEAD" (WITH PARK HYOSHIN) | OFFICIAL M/V OUT NOW (0:31)
"WINTER AHEAD" (WITH PARK HYOSHIN) | M/V SHOOT SKETCH (14:06)
"WINTER AHEAD" (WITH PARK HYOSHIN) | OFFICIAL M/V CINEMATIC STILLS VER (4:08 - as shown)
"WINTER AHEAD" (WITH PARK HYOSHIN) | CINEMATIC STILLS VER SHOOT SKETCH (10:17)
TEARS ACTING FULL VERSION RELEASED 🎬 BUT NOW WITH HANDSOMENESS (0:47)
TAEHYUNG IN THE PAST (0:59)
"WINTER AHEAD" (WITH PARK HYOSHIN) | SILENT CAROL VER VISUALIZER (3:37)
"WINTER AHEAD" (WITH PARK HYOSHIN) | YUNSEOKCHEOL TRIO VER VISUALIZER (3:45)
Bangtan Bubble: Okay…what’s your craziest “Winter Ahead” conspiracy theory? And…GO!
Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
As our month discovering Kim Taehyung and his alter ego V draws to a close, I have to ask, does he seem like less of a mystery to you now? We’ll never get him figured out completely—just when we think we do, he surprises us yet again. It’s one of my favorite things about him—his unpredictability. And yet, there is always a certain method to Taehyung’s madness. Though he may sometimes, as he says, “be slower to act or respond than the other members”, it’s never without reason. There is thought and love in everything Tae does, and I know all of ARMY is greatly looking forward to however he plans to destroy us upon his return from the military.
Speaking of destruction… prepare yourself for an onslaught of cuteness agression next week as we begin our journey with BTS’ Golden Maknae in his earliest, not fully-baked yet “kookie dough” form…
Side Quest
The least creative LIVE names ever… good thing he’s so pretty and talented.
It’s a running joke now for ARMY that managing to catch a Taehyung LIVE while it’s still happening is kind of like winning the lottery. In other words, you’re lucky as heck, because his LIVEs are typically very random and extremely short. By the time your Weverse notification comes through, he’s probably already gone.
Not only does Tae get shy when he’s livestreaming on his own sometimes, he also chronically lives his life with his cell phone at less than ten percent. If he’s not running out of things to say or a battery charge, he’s just hopping on to show us some pretty clouds or a sunset. …Or, he’s colluding with Jimin to surprise Jung Kook at his home.
When he does spend a little longer with us, playing music or teasingly responding to comments in the livestream chat, it feels like a hard-earned reward. Here we have collected all of V’s Weverse LIVEs from 2022 and 2023, all the way up until his military enlistment.
Proceed at your own risk… Enjoy!
220306 JWEJJWANBBOOGGWEO - JIN, J-HOPE, V, JUNG KOOK | VLIVE (1:10)
220307 JWEJJWANBBOOGGWEO2 - JIN, J-HOPE, V, JUNG KOOK | VLIVE (40:59)
220416 PPYONG ☺️ - J-HOPE, JIMIN, V, JUNG KOOK | VLIVE (1:13:45)
220613 THE RECORDING IS OVER | VLIVE (1:36:23)
220925 ? | WE-LIVE (1:36)
221015 BTS LIVE AFTER BUSAN CONCERT - J-HOPE, V, JUNG KOOK | WE-LIVE (19:26)
221113 HELLO | WE-LIVE (6:41)
221114 V | WE-LIVE (1:24:48)
230124 HI | WE-LIVE (2:08 - as shown)
230124 HO | WE-LIVE (7:53)
230307 HALO ~알로~ | WE-LIVE (13:25)
230310 YO ~요~ | WE-LIVE (5:22)
230412 👦🏻 | WE-LIVE (21:28)
230413 👦🏻 | WE-LIVE (6:52)
230419 | IG-LIVE (2:24)
230419 PICNIC ~피크닉~ | WE-LIVE (26:10)
230529 YO | WE-LIVE (3:20)
230611 HI | WE-LIVE (10:48)
230615 GOOD MORNING | WE-LIVE (36:44)
230704 EUNG "ㅇ" | WE-LIVE (6:45)
230720 HO | WE-LIVE (4:31)
230731 :( | WE-LIVE (5:03)
230803 🧐 | WE-LIVE (3:37)
230811 ☺️ | WE-LIVE (30:01)
230813 HI | WE-LIVE (14:59)
230820 ㅎㅎ | WE-LIVE (8:06)
230828 YO | WE-LIVE (9:42)
230830 😪 | WE-LIVE (16:39)
230830 YOU HAVE TO WATCH THIS | WE-LIVE (4:24 - as shown)
230904 NO, REALLY | WE-LIVE (1:08)
230908 요 | WE-LIVE (15:19)
231005 UH | WE-LIVE (24:54)
231005 YO | WE-LIVE (2:52)
231006 YO | WE-LIVE (10:58)
231008 YO | WE-LIVE (8:52)
231020 YO | WE-LIVE (7:06)
231020 YO | WE-LIVE (5:18)
231021 YO | WE-LIVE (6:50)
231023 YES | WE-LIVE (1:46)
231126 YO | WE-LIVE (30:58)
231201 YO | WE-LIVE (3:09)
231205 I'LL BE BACK SAFELY! - RM, JIMIN, V, JUNG KOOK | WE-LIVE (38:00)
231205 YO | WE-LIVE (3:14)
CREDITS:
YouTube/Web
BANGTANTV, HYBE LABELS, Amazon Prime, beaglestar, BING CROSBY, BTS LIVE ARCHIVE, channel fullmoon, cookie star candy シ, DISNEY+, DramaRanger, DT Parker, GENIUS, Harper's BAZAAR Korea, HIDDEN VOCALS WORLD, INTHESOOP_TV, JAEGUCHI, Korseries, KPOP VGK, KVIBES, PhilSTAR L!fe, Prime Video Indonesia, Purple Family, PURPLE LIGHTS TAROT, rjinnie, ShadowByYoongi, TaeBearMD, taetaehyungie, tvN Joy, UMI, W KOREA, 나비, 이지금 [IU Official], 컴포즈커피, ⟭⟬ BTS BORA WORLD ⟬⟭; Web: DISNEY+
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)
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Sunday’s LIVE is hosted on ARMY Project 529’s YouTube channel: @ARMYProject529 while Wednesday’s LIVE is on our project TikTok: @ARMYProject529.