What do you think BTS will do next as soloists? Which member has been the most impressive in Chapter 2?
Hi hey hello :) Iāve been MIA for months but Iām surprised to see Iāve still been getting lots of asks. Did you miss me? Did ya did ya did ya? Going by the number of messages in my inbox Iād say, yes :) Sorry for ghosting you guys; I simply got bored with BTS and stopped keeping up with the group as whole. Meanwhile, their solo era has been fun to observe, huh? Some things I expected, other things I did not. Iām sure youāve all missed supop thoughts. So, without further adieu, here are my guesses for 2023-2024, in no particular order:
Truthfully, Iāve been trying to post for the past 3 days but tumblr is glitching, and none of my posts are saving. Just as I was about to say F it.... if you can read this, then the issue must be fixed, right? This post hasnāt been proofread, so ignore any grammatical errors and the weird use of punctuation. I have a flight to catch soon, so Iāll answer more asks when I land, and as always.... keep it cute~
Individual YouTube channels (starting off with this because thereās been rumors about it for months now; I doubt all members will have one, but I feel like j-hope or Jungkook may go this route. I actually started to believe it when j-hope posted about his new Leica camera a while back. I know heās into photography, but thereās always a deeper meaning behind everything he does/posts and heās been carrying that camera around to all the events heās been attending; maybe itās just me overthinking, but itās giving vlog material at the very least. Each member has a YouTube topic channel, but this will likely be a platform for more direct professional/business use where other creatives are featured or personal use for vlogging, trips, unedited material etc. without constant company oversight; aka without every single piece of content being scheduled by bighit/hybe and distributed via weverse; I also wonder if any more of them will get solo shows like Suchwita on the BangtanTV channel)
Individual Twitter accounts (this one seems farfetched, but so were their instagrams at one point; if they do indeed go this route I can eventually see some members leaving it up to the company to handle their respective social medias while others take a more hands-on approach with their fansāsince instagram alone already seems like a struggle for some; they can also repost content from instagram which would also give them more individual exposure since the two social media platforms tend to have completely different audiences; it would also be nice for collaborators/brands/media to be able to tag them directly instead of @ the group account; finally, thereās a reason why each member has stuck to uploading all personal content on their respective instagrams since Dec 2021, so expect the group Twitter to become even more desolate than it already is if this does happen)
Individual TikTok accounts (Instagram, YouTube and Twitter....then why not TikTok too? It would make more sense when it comes to promoting their solo music and once again connecting with their respective audiences/fanbases; it only makes sense for solo artists to promote their solo work on solo accounts especially when their music and personalities are all so different; thatās 7 different audiences that should be catered to instead of trying to fit everyone into one big purple-colored box. All 7 members together represent BTS, but no single member is a representation of BTS; thereās a reason why JITB is completely different from anything BTS has released as group, and itās the same reason why Indigo is so different from JITB; someone who likes JITB may not care for 90% of BTSās discography and the same would apply to other membersā solo albums that have yet to be released; this is the obvious truth, but armys will continue to delude themselves as if the term bias doesnāt exist.)
Individual Facebook pages (and lastly, Facebook because all artists need a Facebook page to be able to link their music to their personal Instagram accounts; the BTS official Instagram account has it but when you scroll through you only see JK and RMās music, which to me isnāt fair to other members who have music under their official Spotify profiles; the members are artists first, right? not influencers, therefore, artistry should be respected in a similar manner)
Opening their comment section on Instagram (limited comments are boring, but i donāt blame them; Iād sure theyāre well aware that a select group of their āfansā are unhinged; just look at the way those same āfansā have attacked people who theyāve deemed to be āwronglyā associated with them or people theyāve āaccidentallyā followed; honestly Iām also worried about the occasional wave of hate/d.threats some members would receive in their comment sections from deranged akgaes; I will never understand not liking someone, yet going out of your way to invade their public accounts or content posted related to them just to spew hateful nonsense or send d.threats about how much you donāt like them; take a breather because itās never ever that deep. And if you ever feel the need to take it that far towards anyone (celebrity figure or not), then may your pathetic existence quickly reach its expiration date; people also seem to have a lot more balls on instagram, so itās a good thing Instagramās safety features are a lot better than Twitterāsāi.e., the report and block buttons def work)
Following more people on Instagram (lol honestly following 0 people isnāt anything new from the celebrity pov and we can all thank Bey for establishing that, but following only your 7 group members is just...meh; are they gonna live as 7 for the rest of their lives? No, but they probably have to keep it this way otherwise thereās a possibility that every single non-bts related account on their following list would be harassed and stalked to oblivion by deranged fans; not to mention as it is, BH/Hybe staff already do such a great job at leaking private info related to BTS, you would think their proximity to such high-profile celebrities would result in ironclad NDAs but I guess not...sigh when will we be free)
Individual brand deals/endorsements (this one is already under way and was really really obvious from the start because we all know ā7 or nothingāānot necessarily their bond but the way theyāve been marketed to fansāhas always been nothing more than a sales gimmick; seriously not every member will have the skillset that a specific brand is looking for, so letās let the ones who shine, shine; instead of trying to sell the lackluster ones as a package deal; ābuy one get one freeā should never apply to people; for the members yet to be announced thereās been rumors of various brands so letās just wait and see...hopefully no controversial brands are chosen.
Individual fashion global ambassadorships (similar to the above, except I think only the members interested in fashion should get involved in this, but then again, this is the k-entertainment industry weāre talking about, and as of late ambassadorships have become part of the whole āalbum promoā package deal; either way Iām sure the money is good for BTS, and at the end of the day itās a win-win; interest or not, the artist gets paid and the brand gets āexposureā) **side note: ambassadorships are cool, but the real deal would be with whichever brand pursues a true partnership with the artist by creating a collaborative fashion line or collection that expresses their artistic vision through fashion and/or even a performance that speaks to the brandās image. pretty red carpet and campaign pictures are nice, but what the world needs is a tangible piece that can be held or tangible memory that can be seen. I think thatās what truly separates the artist-turned-fashion icon/creative director/business mogul from the rest.
More fashion week appearances (so far weāve gotten Louis Vuitton, Dior, HermĆØs. Iām glad j-hope didnāt/hasnāt yet? signed with LV otherwise we never wouldāve gotten 3 completely different, yet ultimately iconic looks from him in the span of just 3 days; Jimin for Dior; Suga for Valentino; other members may also attend shows for the brands they will be announced as Global/House Ambassadors) **another side note: Hobi wore clothes from LVās unreleased collection which is rare feat in itself and he was also invited behind the scenes, shown the collection prior to the show, and he entered and exited the venue via a private entrance that was reserved for VIPs. I also saw a photo of Hobi with the Arnaults. Do you know how difficult it is to meet them? You canāt just meet them lol, theyād first have to want to meet you. And Hoseok did that with not 1, but 3 (maybe 4 because 2 of the brothers attended the Dior show) members of the family, including the LVMH CEO himself. Itās not even enough to be a high-profile celebrity; You usually have to have a long-standing working relationship with them or with one of their brands which means their connection with Hoseok must run pretty deep, and they have plenty of trust in him as a global representative. The same thing applies to HermĆØs. They do no care how rich or famous you are. Before youāre even able to purchase one of their bags directly, youād have to be a longtime/VIP shopper. Even then getting a bag isnāt guaranteed. Youāll forever be on a waitlist, it could even take years, until youāre invited to purchase one. You also canāt pick and choose which model or color of bag you want lol. Everyone knows about the Birkin, but most are lucky to even be offered a Kelly for purchase. And not only did Hoseok meet with their executives, they also gifted him a Haut Ć courroies 50 bag (the one in his airport photos upon arrival from Paris) which is one of their largest bags, and is more difficult to secure than a regular Birkin. In short, he got the full VVIP treatment from both rival brands. Who else can relate? With that said, more than an ambassadorship, there could be a j-hope fashion line or a collection of some sort in the works; or perhaps he was doing field research to decide which brand will be in charge of designing his world tour outfits....who knows, only time will tell; as for fashion week thereās still New York, London, Milan, more in Paris, and even Seoul; appearances and shows will depend on the brand)
More solo magazine covers (this also isnāt anything new but even Hybeās nugu groups with zero impact and lots of payola are already getting solo covers in top magazines, attending fashion week, and having brand ambassadorships under their belts, so itās ridiculous it took BigHit/Hybe almost a decade to allow bts members the same opportunity)
Vogue, GQ, Hot Ones? video interviews (as much as I love a good magazine interview, thereās nothing better than being able to observe body language; I was surprised when we got GQās ā10 things Jinā, but it only proves that more spontaneous less unscripted interviews where the gp can easily tune in are no longer beyond the realm of possibilities; which means Iām expecting Vogue to come through with any of the following: Life in Looks, 24 Hours with, 73 Questions, Get Ready with, Beauty Routine, etc; more 10 things with GQ; and Hot Ones would be great)
More solo interviews (see tv appearances)
More solo TV appearances w/Korean media (I know that new Mnet program is currently in the works; and Iām kind of hoping for more popular variety shows and broadcasts; anything that would promote their music domestically vs. the fan-targeted content posted on BangtanTV)
More solo TV appearances w/Western media (itās no secret that Korean media can be restrictive when it comes to artistic expression, so similar appearances at tv programs like late night shows for an interview and performance would be great; just like theyāve done for many years as a group, so itās ridiculous how theyāre not getting a similar promotional rollout for their solo careers)
More solo red carpet appearances (this one technically isnāt a stand alone event, but you can include any activities here that arenāt necessarily centered around them or any of the other ones Iāve listed; like them getting invited to a movie premiere of a friend of a friendās)
More solo performances (probably minor ones because I really donāt think any of them will put on a performance as major or as lengthy as the scale of Hobipaloozaās headliner setlist and preparation; unless of course its j-hope himself; as for festival performances, thereās of course Lollapalooza, but we also have Coachella, Rolling Loud, Something in the Water, Wireless Festival, Splash Festival, Made in America, The Governors Ball; most of these festivals have a primarily hip-hop/rap-centric audience, so donāt expect vocal line to make any appearances. I canāt speak for Yoongi or Namjoon, but I doubt Hoseok will be interested in doing anything less than a headlining stage. Otherwise expect performances at the usual Western music award shows, year-end Asian music award shows, and South Koreaās music bank/inkigayo)
Solo world tour announcement (we can dream right?)
More solo music collaborations (thereās been many rumors on this one so letās way and see; hopefully collabs involving actual good music and more collabs with artists that donāt cater to the demographic of bubblegum pop music lovers; seriously enough is enough with the abysmal lyrics and the lack of good production on some of these collabs)
More solo albums (duh! and emphasis on the solo part; as much as I love a good feature or collab, thereās no good reason for those featured artists to be eating you up on your own song, much less album; features should add to the album, not make the album itselfāespecially when youāre a musician who aims to establish an individual identity and move away from the idea that youāre nothing without bts/without other people propping you up; next: jimin -> suga -> jungkook -> v ; in that order of album release is my guess)
More solo singles/EPs (the 94s; Namjoon has been hinting a lot at releasing new music, so likely an EP; I think Hoseok will also release another album before he enlists, if not an EP; I think they both have more options than other members since theyāve already officially debuted as soloists)
Subunit singles/EPs (once all of vocal line have released their solo albums, i can see BH trying to push for subunits; donāt expect full on albums with only 2 or 3 members on it, but I can definitely see a single or two or more happening; again likely with vocal line)
More OSTs (original soundtracks; again with vocal line)
More individual enlistments (they all technically have until early/mid 2024 to enlist if the tentative 2025 BTS reunion is supposed to happen, but once you taste the high life of individual freedom can you ever really go back to the mundane days of group work? Yoongi has until the end of 2023, Hoseok and Namjoon both have until the end of 2024, Jimin and Taehyung 2025, Jungkook 2027; Iām curious to seeāto the absolute horror of armysāif anyone, especially maknae line, will put off their enlistment past 2024....I think Hybe was foolish to announce a ācomebackā date; only doing so to calm investors and give themselves an additional 2 years to āease their dependency on BTSā by bridging the profit gap between them and all their other groups; well if all else fails, i guess theyāll have the company stans to rely on)
or Paired enlistments (again? I really doubt a 2025 reunion will happen simply because a lot of things arenāt adding up at the moment, but if they enlist in pairs it may be a sure sign otherwise. It still makes me laugh how this time last year armys were so sure theyād be getting a bts world tour announcement only for it to be a hiatus + enlistment announcement instead. The signs of exhaustion from the members and lack of effort with the group in all aspects were way too obvious. I will never understand why fans keep deluding themselves. Seriously what group at the peak of success releases an anthology as an album? With only 3 new songs? And the purple warriors ate it right up. They couldāve at least put the demos on streaming platforms. Donāt even get me started on the 3 english songs that took over a year of āconvincingā before the members agreed. Lmao my point is bts have never 100% been open about their plans, yet we all know they plan and settle things months in advance. Which means enlistment had likely already been decided on prior to the second leg of the ptd concerts. And yet, they showed no signs of it and acted like everything was swell. Even RM said the 2025 date was tentative; thereās also the Expo 2035 to consider, but after all those infrastructure problems, Iām pretty sure Busan wonāt win the bid. People should accept that if the members want to keep doing their thing solo after 2025, then thatās okay. If they come back as a group, then thatās okay too. These days most of them seem happier and lighter being able to do their own thing without being tied down to the rigorous schedules that come with being ā7ā. So, why pressure them to do anything more as a group just to fulfill the selfish desires and needs of fans?)
Dating news ??? (this isnāt a big deal either and itās none of our business but all it really takes is one member to open the floodgates of deranged hyperventilated tears; although itād probably be in their best interests to continue to keep their personal lives private for that very obvious reason)
Grammys attendance (BTS has several nominations, but I doubt all 6 members will attend; j-hopeās Equal Sign was submitted for āBest Song for Social Changeā; thereās been hints of a Pharrell collab involving RM; I doubt the Recording Academy will want to miss out on that BTS viewership clout so I expect at least one or two members to attend and maybe weāll even get a performance from them)
Met Gala attendance !!!!!! (first comes FW....then comes....seriously, j-hope is just wow and this has to be said. Iāve seen the photos/videos from PFW and modeling/posing aside, not only does his entire aura change, but even his etiquette and mannerisms change depending on where heās at and what he has on. Itās like the outfit and environment molds itself to him. Itās almost as if cameras were created for the sole purpose of capturing his presence. You know how Koreans have this thing of calling someone āHuman [insert brand name here]ā j-hope is like that but with every brand. As a longtime lover of fashion, itās rare to see someone be able to digest every style so well. I can actually count on one hand the number of celebrities who are able to pull it off. He fits perfectly in everywhere he goes, and itās no wonder why every show gave him the best seat in the house next to all their executives and other notable figures in the fashion industry. Itās amazing, not only do brands love him but so did all the photographers/journalists. He gives you something to write about just by simply existing. So it wouldnāt be a stretch to expect the star of this yearās Paris Fashion Week to finally make his Met Gala debut this May, right? Imagine j-hope attends, goes all out and does one of those behind the scenes āget ready with meā videos with Vogue. Do you see the vision? Heās the only member who has a genuine passion for fashion, does his research, looks good in everything he wears, and isnāt just content with wearing whatever a stylist hands him. Heās also the only member who Iāve seen several designers go out of their way to praise. This yearās Met theme is super flexible too and Iām sure thereās lots of brands that would absolutely love to see j-hope āThe MVP of Fashion Weekā dressed in their designs)
Hope On The Street Comeback (putting this out there just because thereās rumors that people saw him filming something dance related in Paris; what could it be? maybe for his YouTube channel? a MV? maybe LV ad campaigns or commercials of him dancing? one of the models danced at their recent show so iām sure theyāre open to incorporating more of that type of creative expression in their marketing; either way, if the rumors are true, then naturally weāll find out soon enough because itās j-hope)
Drama/Movie roles (lead, second lead, or guest appearances; I donāt think any of them will go this route until theyāve at least released a solo album because if theyāre actually serious about their solo music careers, itās much easier to take an established artist-turned-actor seriously, than it is to take an amateur actor-turned-artist seriouslyāespecially in these fragile times of solo uncertainty for many)
Contract renewal announcement (their contracts expire in 2024?, but I donāt think all of them will renew with BigHit/Hybe; I doubt thereāll be any news on this until later this year at the earliest...although there may be leaks and speculation here and there; since solo activities are in full forceābesides re-releasing BTSās entire catalog as vinyls and repackaged special editionsāIām curious to know what other ways hybe plans to milk them during their hiatus in order to keep pumping that BTS money into their new groups and push a BTS successor. Gotta keep those investors happy, right? Hybe has always had a lot of internal issues with their staff and the way things are handled. Hybe has also spent the last two years promoting their plans to āreduce dependency on BTSā, and have been investing in any and every venture, to the point that their slogan āwe believe in moneyā should be changed to āwe believe in profitā. If you notice any positive deviations in the companyās usual behavior regarding how the members are being managed, then theyāre likely trying to butter them up behind the scenes to get them to renew. Iām also curious about the current status of their contracts, and if any new conditions were added regarding their solo work; I feel like some may have already renewed but, again, I could be wrong; half the members have already sold a portion of their 1.2% in collective hybe shares; all it really takes is for one member to leave the company and Iām pretty sure at least half would follow suit; thereās power in solidarity)
Thatās all that comes to mind for now. As for your second question (which member has been the most impressive in chapter 2) if it wasnāt already obvious, the answer is: j-hope. Itās only been 6 months, and between his solo debut, critically-acclaimed album, multiple iconic performances, being the star of Paris Fashion Week, documentary on the way. Who else is doing it like him? Heās been booked and busy since the groupās hiatus was announced, accomplishing all that in just 6 months. He set the bar high for himself and continues to raise it. 2022 was the year of HOPE and thereās no signs of him slowing down in 2023. He deserves all the recognition heās getting because not only is he the most impressive, heās also produced the most impressive results overall. Letās put bias aside and face the facts because anyone who says otherwise is a l-i-a-r.
Iām sure the haters are gonna say āhe only accomplished all those things because he was the first one to release his albumā. Well, any of the other 6 couldāve released theirs first, yet here we are 6 months later where some of them still have nothing close to a finished album and are busy idling their time away. Any reason they give for not being in the studio working is an excuse. Not to mention j-hope was working on his solo debut and preparing solo performances while BTS was still active as a group, meanwhile others were what? Taking vacations? Partying? Playing video games? Not that thereās anything wrong with doing any of that. If you want to rest, then by all means rest, but donāt expect to be on the same level or have the same results as someone who consistently works hard like j-hope. Even with the group being inactive it was only j-hope showing up to every award show in the name of BTS (Jin enlisted, but what were the other 5 busy doing)? Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
āEffort plays an important role in trying to stay where I am now. I will always try my best because efforts will never betray me.ā ā j-hope, 2018; āEfforts never betray you....All my efforts have never betrayed me....Looking back, the efforts I made didnāt betray me, in the end.ā ā j-hope, 2023
And āj-hope always has a planā, so itās only natural for him to never miss out on a golden opportunity to show the world who he is and what heās capable of doing. Itās one thing to be talented, itās another thing to have excellent work ethic, strong social skills, the confidence and charisma to pull off anything. Not to mention heās always super genuine, humble and polite with everyone he meetsāand we canāt forget that heart-shaped smile. These attributes go a long way and are invaluable especially when you work in industries as cutthroat as music or fashion where first impressions are always a make or break. That sort of discipline and awareness isnāt built overnight. Iāve seen some videos of j-hopeās PFW interactions (with executives, photographers, and just recently, his bodyguards) and it always makes me go: āwow I want to meet him, I want to talk to him, he seems like a really nice guy, heās a natural model, heās super good-looking, I canāt help but smile tooā. So, imagine how all those people on the receiving end of his affections feel? Exactly. Hence why j-hope will continue to be invited into those exclusive spaces. His body language is always warm and inviting, heās good at connecting with people from all walks of life. Even something as simple as a smile or wave is enough to make someoneās day and j-hope gets that. The more time passes, the more obvious it becomes that heās the main reason BTS even lasted this long as a group. Other members donāt call him āź°ģ“ķā (god j-hope) for nothing. **final side note: even the way j-hope reposted all those photos from local photographers on his IG story is so Ā”wow! Lots of celebrities wouldnāt even bother. Not only is he giving them more exposure in such a competitive industry, heās also letting them know how much he appreciates their work. And some of these photographers often run around FW for free in order to build up their portfolios. Now, you never know who couldāve watched his story, saw those photos he reposted, and offered them a job. Itās little things like that, that go a long way, because guess what? The next time he comes back to Paris the same photographers will be happy and ready to capture him on their cameras. In fact, notice how some of them posted even more photos of him after that repost? Exactly. j-hope should really teach a masterclass on networking and building connections; the first thing on the agenda? Making the best first impressions. The second thing? The subtle art of personal branding. Donāt try to give Bighit/Hybe any credit either because as weāve seen from some lackluster solo activities and the incredibly botched debut solo album rollouts (especially j-hopeās and especially when compared to the debut of other groups under the same company), thus far, BH/H does not give enough fvcks about BTS as soloists to invest money into them individually. the same way theyāre currently doing for their other groups; they might care for some members more than others so a sponsored opportunity or two may come in the realm of that possibility, but they definitely value āOT7ā above all because thatās where they believe the money lies. Ultimately, how each memberās solo career will turn out relies heavily on their ambition, respective goals, personal initiative, the drive to want more and to be more in their own right. They may be at the top as a group, but as soloists theyāre just getting started.
I wrote this post about a year ago, and it seems that Hoseok has finally given us an answer. Heās clearly in it for the long haul and plans to have a very long and very flourishing career in both music and fashion; chess, not checkers~