Hey! Hallie here!
A couple days ago I tackled the interviews for Namjoon, Jin, and Yoongi. So it’s only fair that I move on to the next four and talk about their interviews! As usual, these interviews are very deep and thoughtful. Weverse really taps into the creative processes, the daily lives, and the world views of all of the members. The most recent interviews gave us all of these things and more, plus some updates on how each of the members are doing since they last sat down with Weverse Magazine. They talk about a lot in these interviews, so let’s just jump right in!
Hoseok:
Hoseok goes for the casual, looser look a lot and it always works for him. The smiley face on his oversized sweater speaks to his personality and I love the eye-grabbing shine of the fabric on his shorts. My favorite part though, are the intimidating tinted sunglasses. Hoseok started out his interview with a deep thankfulness towards ARMY. He said that the success of “Butter” is both happy and intimidating because he feels such a large responsibility to ARMY for their support. Hoseok also talked about the process of preparing for songs as a group. Now that the members are so in synch with each other, they’ve noted the importance of pacing themselves with practices, taking breaks, and putting lots of thought into what they want to improve before they take action. However, he does feel it’s important to work hard and put in a lot of preparation time. He said he treats his own time in the spotlight as an opportunity to show off what he’s been working on. As for his time in the background, he always wants to make sure that he’s setting the tone of every music video and bringing in some fun to the background shots. Hoseok always gets very technical about the benefits of both hard physical work and more introspective work for each project, and the way he manages to have fun with it all blows me away. When talking about “Permission to Dance”, he expressed that it felt more natural than “Butter”, which is something many of the members agreed on. He also talked about the importance of learning the significance behind the sign language in the choreography. When it comes to his personal growth, he said he tries to be a source of positive energy but sometimes it isn’t always possible. He finds it freeing to express all of the dark feelings he faces at times. As for quarantine, he’s a bit more restless than the other members and is trying to find other ways to spend his time. But overall, he wanted to let ARMY know that he’s proud of us. Because he wanted all of us to cry.
Jimin:
Jimin went with a surprisingly laid back look that’s very sleek on him. The different designs on the distressed denim shorts are eye catching and the belts on his boots give them an interesting shape. Jimin started out his interview by saying that the current successes of BTS doesn’t feel real. However, Jimin said he got a lot of happiness and comfort out of the fan reactions to their songs. Jimin said that he’s especially comforted by the idea that he will see the fans soon and that more interactions with ARMY are on the horizon. Lately, Jimin noted that he’s been focusing less on what he can show off and more about what feelings he wants to express when he comes to each new project. Moving on from this, he was asked about working on both of their new songs, at which point he said that “Butter” was really hard for him to grasp. The power behind the dance took a lot of practice to get right and felt less natural, though he said his wardrobe always helps him get into the theming of a song. Lately, Jimin said that he’s been using ARMY’s expectations of BTS to get him through the harder times. He misses interacting with ARMY and specifically getting their feedback. Going back to “Butter”, Jimin noted that singing the song in English was hard, and especially for that song, he kept trying to find new ways to sing the higher notes so they would sound clean. As for the pandemic, Jimin said that he’s been able to calm his nerves a bit more now by talking to the other members. He also noted that he feels more emotionally stable than he did when BTS began, saying that he used to feel like he had to fake a lot of his emotions to hide how much stress trying to balance success and a personal life caused him. He says now it’s easier to focus on himself and his own needs. Jimin seems to be at peace with himself and more open to exploring his maturity through his music, which is something I deeply appreciate.
Taehyung:
Tae went for some denim and a zipped-up, collared shirt which walked an interesting line between casual and classy. He completed the look with some classic sunglasses that tipped the look further into the classy direction. Tae began his interview with his obsession with Louis Armstrong. Are any of us surprised? He did say, though, that his classic tastes help relax him and think himself through his darker moments. Apparently he took a lot of inspiration from some classic figures for “Butter”. He mentioned Billy Joel, but also said he was inspired by a lot of teen movies and the actors in them for the “Butter” feeling. He said teen movies influenced him for their high energy and bright feel with a bit of something more mature behind them. That darker maturity is something he said is featured more in “Butter”, where “Permission to Dance” is much brighter. He did say “Butter”s high notes were difficult, but he also said he felt they suited him. He credited this change from the “Dynamite” days to a lot of practice on expanding his range. Tae was also asked about “Blue and Grey” and he spoke again about how important he felt it was to share those feelings with ARMY, who could see his emotions and relate to the song. He said these emotions are often his inspiration for songs, so he keeps a diary of the things that emotionally effect him so that he can use them in his work. As for a deeper look at how he’s doing in quarantine, Tae said that he enjoys his busy schedule, though it’s difficult, because it makes him stronger. He also finds it important to be frequently putting out content so he can get closer to the fans and hear their stories. He views ARMYs as important friends who he wishes to make happy. He left the interview with a song recommendation, “No. 1 Party Anthem” by the Arctic Monkeys, and a hope to be able express both the good and the bad in his music. I think ARMY would agree that he’s already succeeding.
Jungkook:
Jungkook also went with denim, though the highlight of his outfit is his textured shirt. The shirt looks like a jersey at the top, but the design is cut off by yet another differently textured fabric on his sleeves, and all of that on top of a white under-layer. Though Jungkook looked relaxed drawing during his photoshoot, his first question betrayed his anxiety. When asked about BTS’s recent successes, Jungkook said that it somewhat feels like a burden despite the fact that it makes him happy. He feels that he can’t always keep up with the effort to be even better with each new release. Jungkook, unlike the other members, said that he felt comfortable with “Butter” because he felt he could express more in that song than he could with “Dynamite”. “Dynamite” frustrated him at times and he felt he could have done better. He did note that part of his frustrations might be how strange it is to sing in English. In all of the songs, though, Jungkook found enjoyment in discovering which styles suited a song best. He talked a lot about how he’s constantly improving his voice and working on his own style. He said he’s still trying to discover what kind of artist he is and he feels he has nothing substantial to show for his efforts as of right now. He even said he feels he might fall behind because of it. In quarantine, Jungkook said that he’s been casually doing what interests him and trying to learn from those around him. Especially with painting. He’s working on his mixtape as well, though it’s difficult, and is trying to express himself as best he can with those songs. Jungkook did talk about how disappointed he is that he can’t get energy from ARMY as much now. (He also did express gratefulness to ARMY for selling out his favorite drink.) Overall, Jungkook talked a lot about his lack of sleep and his frustrations with himself. I hope that Jungkook is easier on himself in the future and sees more value in what he’s doing. I understand his frustrations, but it breaks my heart to see him suffering this way.
Don’t do anything fun until I get back!
Hallie
Oreos & Peanut Butter 