BTS—whether you're an ARMY or not, you've heard this K-pop boy group's name at least once (or you know, every day since their chart-topping hit "Dynamite" was released) or have heard their hits like "Boy With Luv" on the radio. The South Korean boy group continues to set and break records and continuously bring honor and pride to their country. They've defied the odds and through hard work, established themselves as a force not to be reckoned with in the worldwide music industry. The group, composed of seven talented men: RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, is definitely here to stay, and if you just don't know all of them yet, here's a complete guide to all the members of BTS.
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In 2013, BTS (which translates to Bangtan Sonyeondan or “Bulletproof Boy Scouts”) debuted with “No More Dream” under a then-lesser-known entertainment agency named Big Hit Entertainment. They deviated from the usual boy-next-door concept and opted for a different route as a hiphop idol group, complete with edgy haircuts and well, lots of eyeliner. Back then, a lot of eyebrows were raised about their indifference, and insults were thrown around about their appearance, with many saying they won’t last long as K-pop idols. They endured so much pain and a lot of crying—but BTS, being the determined seven-member group that they are, did not let anyone stop them.
Seven years later, BTS is now top-of-mind when it comes to K-pop. They have sold-out concerts and chart-topping songs and albums. They are recognized for successfully breaking into the international scene, have been invited to perform in the biggest shows and events around the world, and are even recognized as role models for young people of today. Really, the boys from South Korea are something else!
It's also worth mentioning that Big Hit is now valued at $4 billion, and the boys themselves are multi-millionaires, as they're all shareholders. They did all of these together—this goes to show that the “s” in BTS” stands for “seven or never”.
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Now that their branding is aptly named Beyond The Scene, BTS has shown what they are good at—producing songs with the deepest meanings that resonate with everyone. (Like they always like to say, music is universal, and a different language shouldn't stop you from appreciating their music!) Apart from this, they have established their talents as singer-songwriters, synchronized dancers, rappers, and variety show masters. When they are not out there breaking their own records or setting the stage on fire, BTS appears in TV shows where their individual personalities shine the most.
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Now that you know their background and how they made it to the top, you’re probably wondering who’s who in the group.
Here’s everything you need to about the BTS members:
1. RM – BTS Leader, rapper
If you’ve been watching BTS’ interviews and wonder who that guy who speaks English so well is, it’s Kim Namjoon or RM (which stands for Rap Monster, but that’s a thing of the ~past~). This 26-year-old lyrical genius learned English after watching many episodes of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. And if that’s amazing, here’s something that will surprise you even more: RM’s IQ is 148, and is a part of Mensa—an worldwide organization for those with high IQ. Two words: Mind blown.
During his free time, RM loves reading and has actually based some of BTS’ songs on the books that he has read. Aside from this, he enjoys biking, admiring nature, and going to art museums, which ARMYs have referred to as “Namjooning”. In these stressful times, Namjooning is what we truly need.
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RM has also earned another name for himself aside from being a great leader, rap icon, and intelligent individual, and that’s “god of destruction”—something his groupmates named him. We’ll just leave this here:
2. Jin – BTS Vocalist, visual
If you see someone from BTS who keeps on winking, sending kisses, and calling himself “Worldwide Handsome” (because omg, he really is!), it’s the group's oldest member, Kim Seokjin or Jin. Not only does he carry a stunning face, he also has insanely broad shoulders that can probably carry all of our problems. I mean:
Jin likes to cook and eat, and has his own mukbang show named Eat Jin (which will make you hungry!). He’s into Super Mario (and games in general!) and loooooooves the color pink. Just look at this:
When the going gets tough, expect Jin to be equipped with his dad jokes, which sends his BTS members roaring with laughter (or with a facepalm). This is what makes him le-Jin-dary. Look at what you did to us, Jin!
3. Suga – BTS Rapper
Don’t be fooled by his grumpy and silent exterior—Min Yoongi or Suga is a softie according to the rest of the BTS members. He may act all tough and serious but he shows how he cares for them in his own little ways. When the 27-year-old is not being a caring and adorable kitten, he is spitting fire on stage with his rap skills. Also, can we just say that we are living for this undercut??? We bet you are, too.
For Suga, music is life (and so is sleep). He spends long hours in his studio (aka Genius Lab) creating music. He has also produced several songs not only for BTS but also for other K-pop idols like IU and Heize, to name a few. We love Producer Min Yoongi!
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Suga may have struggled financially before their debut, but through his hard work, we can all just sing together: “Life is sweet as honey, yeah this beat cha-ching like money”. We'll just casually drop his iconic $3 line here:
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4. J-Hope – BTS Dancer, rapper
He’s our hope, he’s your hope, his name is J-Hope! BTS’ sunshine can brighten anyone’s day just by being his energetic self. Born Jung Hoseok, the 26-year-old Hobi (a term of endearment from his fans) has a certain charm that will make you love him no matter what. You'll totally catch yourself smiling from time to time whenever you watch his vids or look at his photos.
A pro when it comes to dancing, J-Hope leads the group in mastering their choreography during practice. Mentor J-Hope is totally different from the serotonin-inducing J-Hope! He's *super* intimidating when he trains the group to perfect their dances, and is super patient when it comes to helping out members who struggle with the choreographies.
Back to our sunshine Hobi, he loves his BTS members, Sprite, hamburger, shopping for expensive things, but do you know what he hates the most? Snakes.
5. Jimin – BTS Dancer, vocalist
On stage, you can clearly see how passionate Park Jimin is about dancing, and his graceful steps are all thanks to his years of ballet and contemporary dance training. May it be acoustic songs or EDM, Jimin is surely prepared to bust out a move. (Never forget his iconic "I Need U" contemporary routine at the 2019 Melon Music Awards! Truly a historical moment for ARMYs!)
According to his BTS members, the 24-year-old is a kind and gentle soul, and we couldn’t agree more. During interviews, you can see how affectionate he is with the rest of the group whenever he looks at them. When he is not doing that, you can see Jimin throwing himself to the other members whenever he laughs so hard. Jimin, you *are* really nice. Keep going!
Jimin may be a ~shortie~, (he's the shortest in the group at 5'8" which honestly is not even considered short in most Asian countries!) but he never falls short with his stage presence. His members would often tease him about his height and super cute small hands! His cheeks can also get round and fluffy, and that’s why ARMYs call him “Mochi” (or “Baby Mochi”, with James Corden as “Papa Mochi”) because he’s like this squishy ball of fluff that you can’t help but adore.
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6. V – BTS Dancer, vocalist
There’s just so much charisma oozing from this 24-year-old BTS member! Kim Taehyung, or V, has a distinctly deep and soulful voice that will leave you ~feeling things. When asked what he would be if he didn’t debut as a BTS member, V mentioned that he wants to be a saxophonist.
With his outgoing personality, V sure has a lot of friends including Park Bo Gum and the Wooga Squad, formed by Park Seo Joon, Choi Woo Shik, Park Hyung Sik, and Peakboy. In BTS, Jimin is V’s best friend, and their closeness will move you to tears once you look closely at the lyrics of their song “Friends”.
It's also worth noting that V has had an acting stint, appearing in the 2016 historical drama, Hwarang. He, along with Jin, also sang one of the drama's OSTs, "It's Definitely You."
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You will surely remember V with his 4D personality (a term used for Korean celebrities with unique and entertaining traits) and as the group’s resident fashionista. Apart from this, he also loves Panda Express, and would often give a shout-out during interviews. C’mon, guys make this boy your endorser already!
7. Jungkook – BTS Vocalist, dancer, center
The golden maknae of BTS didn’t earn his nickname for nothing—Jeon Jungkook or JK is an ace in everything. He can sing, dance, rap, direct and edit videos, paint, and more! He can also run faster than you when you’re late, look like your next boyfriend, eat six cups of ramen by himself…is there anything this boy can’t do? None. Like Jimin, Jungkook also has a black belt in Taekwondo. Casual!
Did you know that it took us forever to find this selfie on BTS’ Twitter account? But that’s okay, even though our JK doesn’t tweet a lot, he surprises us with song covers from time to time on SoundCloud and we consider our ears—our entire selves rather—blessed. Our fave is his version of Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber’s “10,000 Hours”! (He's a big Biebs fan!)
Jungkook made it to BTS when he was just 15 years old, and that means he literally grew up with his members who would always look out for him. (They say Jin used to drive him to school and make him food! You can even find a vlog the members visiting JK during his high school graduation on their YouTube channel! Suddenly, we're emotional.) Meanwhile, JK loves imitating his hyungs (and even their CEO, Bang PD) which would leave us in fits of giggles, lol.
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