BTS members: everything you need to know

Your guide to the BTS members

From breaking records to playing sold-out arenas worldwide, BTS changed the face of pop music last year. Now, with a new album on the way, it looks as though their 2020 is set to be just as successful. It’s time to scrub up on your BTS knowledge…

BTS have quickly become the most popular band on the planet, smashing streaming records, bringing K-pop to a worldwide audience and practically eclipsing the success of their boyband predecessors, with their fanbase – dubbed the “Army” – intently following their every move.

If you haven’t scrubbed up on your BTS knowledge by now, you probably should: Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook’s latest album, Map Of The Soul: 7, will be released on 21 February and they’ve been teasing various concept images for it all week, the latest of which sees the guys pose for what might be the chicest school photos ever taken. Now household names, this record will likely cement their status as the world’s biggest boyband – the sky isn’t the limit for these guys, it’s outer space. The time to get on board is right now.

With hyper-synchronised dance moves, closets full of Gucci and personal songs that touch on themes such as mental health, you could say that BTS are primed for global domination, apart from the fact that they’ve already kind of accomplished that. But it’s not too late to join their “Army”. Here’s our guide to each of the BTS members to convert you into a fan…

• 1/7
  
  Jin

  The oldest of the bunch, 27-year-old Jin is nicknamed “worldwide handsome” after he introduced himself as such at a press conference in 2017. While most people probably couldn’t get away with an introduction like that, for Jin it’s fair play since he was actually originally scouted for the band because of his looks. Like many men his age, Jin whiles away the hours off-stage playing video games and, according to fellow band member RM, if he were a Friends character he’d probably be Ross… but with much better style.

• 2/7
  
  Suga

  “There was never a moment when I didn’t have a dream. And I fulfilled all of my dreams,” rapper Suga told Naver while opening up about his anxiety. Although the context was sombre, his statement itself is a pretty impressive feat. Suga’s place in the band was earned through pure hustle: he began writing songs aged 13, worked part-time in a recording studio during his late teens and is often seen sleeping thanks to late nights in the recording studio. Apparently, he also sometimes refers to himself as “Genius Suga”. Self-praising nicknames are clearly a trend.

• 3/7
  
  J-Hope

  The group’s star dancer, J-Hope’s prowess on the dance floor had already helped him make a name for himself prior to joining BTS, having already won competitions with his dance troupe Nueron. But don’t think that means he doesn’t take music seriously. Another one of the group’s rappers, J-Hope released a solo mixtape last year, explaining to Time that he “also wanted to put my own story to music and share it with the world”. If you’re new to BTS, he recommends adding the following songs to your playlist first: “No More Dream”, “Boy In Luv”, “Dope”, “Fire”, “Save Me”, “Blood Sweat & Tears”, “Not Today”. Who are we to disagree?

• 4/7
  
  RM

  Unable to decide whether he’s a Chandler or the Monica to Jin’s Ross, RM, taught himself English by watching – you guessed it – Friends. After impressing the industry with his work in Korea’s underground rap scene, RM became the first BTS member to be recruited in 2010 and, as such, takes on the role of the group’s leader. But, as he told Miss Vogue last year, “BTS is a democracy” and group decisions are settled by a round of rock-paper-scissors.

• 5/7
  
  V

  According to Jimin, sometimes 24-year-old V “acts like a brat”, but is redeemed by his motherly instincts. Plus, as Jimin also notes, “He’s really cute.” Who said that looks aren’t everything? Another member who is also venturing into producing solo music, V’s sights have always been set on pop stardom, ever since he began singing and playing the saxophone during his school years. After months of teasing, V’s first stand-alone track was released at the end of January and has since been streamed 51.7 million times on the band’s SoundCloud account.

• 6/7
  
  Jimin

  Another of BTS’s prized dancers, Jimin is known for his innocent look. In fact, some (specifically J-Hope) might even go as far to say that “he was born with cuteness”. We haven’t seen the baby pictures, but we’ll take their word for it. In addition to being a member of one of the biggest boy bands ever, Jimin is also enjoying success as a solo artist, with his tracks “Serendipity” and “Lie” working their way onto Official Charts’ 20 most streamed BTS songs in the UK. Not only that: like the rest of the band, he regularly donates money to causes he cares about, typically education programmes in his hometown, Busan. It’s not hard to see why he’s one of the most tweeted-about celebrities in the world, is it?

• 7/7
  
  Jung Kook

  Baby of the band Jungkook joined BTS at just 15, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t hold his own among the rest of the group. With serious vocal chops, before joining BTS he was one of the most in-demand new talents in the K-pop industry, having already appeared on a Korean singing show. Now that he’s at the top of his game, Jungkook has set his sights on other pursuits such as filmmaking and helping to reduce Korea’s steep import taxes on Calvin Klein. “What about a group discount: 30-pack of Calvin shirts for $30, how’s that?” he joked to US Vogue last year. Sounds like a reasonable offer…