BTS’ Jimin On Going Solo, Navigating Fame And The Generosity Of ARMY

As a member of BTS, you have contributed a lot to positive change in the world, but what do you want for the future of society and, by extension, the world?” Jimin’s reply? “A world where everyone can fully enjoy the ‘minimum’ amount of fun.”

In a world buffeted by crises and political unrests, this simple goal sounds almost childlike, for a want of a better word. Yet, fans who have been following Jimin know that the performer has always given his utmost best—putting his heart and soul into his craft for the sake of somebody else’s “minimum enjoyment.”

Such positive attitude was fully demonstrated in his solo album FACE. When I asked him if there were any abilities or strengths that he had recognised through his solo activities, he replies modestly, “It was my first attempt, but through that attempt, I came to realise that I want to try more things in the future, and grow even more.”

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I have been a fan of his for some years now, and what always amazes me about him is that he is not just being modest. He truly believes that he can grow and improve.

I first came across Jimin when I was watching a performance of BTS’ “DNA”. He caught my eye when he jumped forward quickly at the line “from the day the universe was born”—that was when I realised I wanted to know more about him. I became a fan. 

In the process of searching the Internet, I found a scene where he was sitting down after a solo performance at a concert, disappointed that he had ‘failed’, and speaking weakly to a staff member about it. 

Having just witnessed his beautiful, nymph-like dance at the 2019 Melon Music Awards, I was shocked and fell even more in awe with the way that he not only performed to perfection, but was also not afraid of revealing his vulnerability, a trait that was, quite frankly, mesmerising. It seemed as if that from then on, one can feel his humanity, so visible in his stunning performances on stage.

Jimin is multilingual—he speaks English and Japanese. Fans have noted his efforts to ensure that the sentences he posts on social networks convey the correct meaning and nuance, even when automatic translations in various languages are used. So how did he develop such an intelligent and sensitive approach to words and languages, I asked. He demurs with a laugh, “I am very grateful if you think so. There are still lots of things I’m missing, and I think my fans are very generous with me.”

Being aware that he is loved around the world, he has reciprocated that love with little actions that speak louder than words. And in return, the response from fans has been tremendous. Has anything, in particular, left a lasting impression? “I really appreciate all the feedback I get, but sometimes fans respond to me with a song. A song response means more to me than any gift.” 

His solo album FACE reflects his own complex emotions during the coronavirus epidemic, but the ultimate stress reliever for him is simply doing nothing. “I think I am most relaxed when I am alone on the sofa and doing nothing. [I don’t need] either too short nor too long a time… I think three days is enough,” he says with a laugh.

Given that he never hides his vulnerability, and that in his performances he is able to freely express the dark and bright sides of human beings, how then does he think about and deal with the dark and bright parts of himself?

“I believe that everyone has a bright and dark side inside. And everyone has good times and hard times. But when I am in a good mood, I perceive happiness, and when I am having a hard time, I suffer. I think my way of coping is to accept each moment as it is.”

For the accompanying shoot to this story, Jimin wore Tiffany & Co. jewellery. “As always, I was really pleased with the simple yet impactful accessories,” he says. He describes jewellery as a “change of mood”. 

“When I wear jewellery, I feel like I am in a different mood. Especially for fashion photo shoots, I wear jewellery that I don’t usually wear, and it puts me in a new mood.”

Looking at him and how he embraces each moment as it is, and seeing his fashion and makeup style makes me feel inspired. I ask him what the secret is for making his style his own? “There is no special ‘secret’. I just appreciate the feeling of freedom I get when I do fashion shoots or go on stage, as I did today, experiencing a different styling than usual.”

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In 2023, BTS celebrated its 10th anniversary, but that has not stopped them in their tracks. In fact, Jimin says that the band will continue to do what they do best. “We are not changing just because we celebrated our 10th anniversary. We will continue to do what we have always done and will strive to show you even greater things.”

Finally, in reference to his solo song “Promise,” I asked him what he would like to promise himself in the future.“I would like to say, let’s try not to change too much from now.” For his fans, they can only look forward to the day when they will see him again—a performer who never stops giving his maximum effort. 

Photographer: Janghyun Hong
Stylist: Youngjin Kim
Fashion: Dior
Jewellery: Tiffany & Co.
Makeup: Hansom / Bit & Boot
Hair: Dareum Kim
Coordination: Shinhae Song / Tano International
Translation: Madoka Noda
Story: Aoko Matsuda